Category: Health

My Prostate And Me – Part 12


Well here we are again. After another long hiatus, I thought it was time to update you all. The lack of posts on this subject is purely down to, in part, happenstance and in part, inertia on my part. So, for that, I apologise.

So, my last post was back in 2020, following a five year hiatus. Only 28 months this time, I must be improving.

My previous post ended with me waiting for various scans, which were duly carried out, as follows:

  • 1st August 202 – CT Scan
  • 3rd August 2020 – MRI Scan
  • 11th August 2020 – Bone Scan
  • 25th August 2020 – PET CT Scan

Much as I like playing with all the NHS toys, I could do without the palaver of driving to the hospital, searching for a parking space, then waiting for my turn in the scanning department. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for the attention that I am getting. Anyway, the net result of all these scans was, overall, a positive one. The scans indicating that there was no sign of the cancer around the prostate itself, and, apparently, no sign of metastasis. Prostate cancer apparently tends to migrate to the bones, or so I believed. So also getting the all clear from the bone scan was a positive thing.

Or, maybe the prostate cancer was hiding ?

Although there was no sign of the cancer around the prostate or in my bones, they did discover something in my lung !!! I became aware, very recently, that Prostate Cancer can metastasise to the lungs. So my case became the subject of one of the hospitals multi-disciplinary meetings.

Apparently there was much chin and arse scratching, bone tossing and probably some discussion about how Pompey were doing in the football league. The net is that my urologist talked to the chest doctors. They, the chest doctors, suggested that, whatever it was, was in a difficult to reach place. They further suggested that “we” should wait for 6 months and then have another scan. Then decide what steps to take.

My man, the urologist, didn’t think that was such a good idea. He felt, if this was the prostate cancer, it would be better to be proactive and treat it accordingly. Consequently he decided to start me on a course of Prostap injections.

And so it was that, on the 14th October, 2020, I started my course of Prostap. One injection every 4 weeks. This continued until November of 2021.

During this time, continuing blood tests and a scan showed the “thing” in my chest had shrunk and my PSA levels were dropping. In the words of my urologist, the “thing” had self diagnosed itself to be Prostate cancer. So we continued on with the Prostap jabs until, following a conflab with my urologist, we decided that I should take a break.

Apparently Prostap, along with most medications, comes with its own baggage. One potential side effect is the impact to ones bones, increasing the possibility of osteoporosis. With everything else that’s going on I certainly didn’t need that in my life.

I continued having blood tests to monitor my PSA and each of those was followed up with a telephone consult with my urologist. Always a very pleasant few minutes chatting followed by wishing each other well until the next call.

Latterly the calls included a concern about the fact that my PSA levels were bouncing around up to a new high of 3.2. Thats up from the zero point something I was at once the initial Prostap course was well underway.

At the end of August 2022, during a telephone consult with my urologist, it was decided that I should restart the Prostap injections. I had the first of the new course at the end of September. This time round the jabs are on a 3 month cycle and my next one is scheduled for March.

Following the last blood test, the Prostap, after only 3 months, appears to be working its magic. My current PSA level is 0.4 Great news by any measure..

From initial diagnosis, Brachytherapy in 2015 and thru to Prostap it has been an interesting experience. If, in the future, I have anything significant to report I’ll post again.

Before I go, I would like to thank all of the NHS staff who have handled my various visits to and stays in the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. You have, thus far, been amazing.

The journey, certainly isn’t over, but for now that is it.

Taking The Edge Off


Merry Christmas to you all. And I truly mean that. I hope you have managed to have a great time, and that you have managed to stay healthy, despite Covids best efforts and those of the other seasonal diseases that tend to crop up at this time of the year.

Over past years Gerry and / or I have managed to contract one of the various bugs doing the rounds during the Christmas period. Being sick really does take the edge off things especially when it means not seeing the grandkids opening their presents.

However, an unexpected benefit of the precautions taken, during the Covid pandemic ,seemed to be a reduction in the number of these seasonal infections. Sadly, now that many of the precautions have been relaxed there are many bugs doing the rounds. And, of course, Gerry has gone down with the dreaded lurgy, yet again. I say yet again, as this must be the third bug she has contracted this year.

Usually we are scanning around for the culprit, hunting down patient zero, searching for the one that passed on their germs. However, this year there are several candidates.

On the Friday before Christmas we were visited by a friend who said her husband was suffering with something. On the Saturday, Christmas Eve and our 45th Wedding Anniversary, we were visited by our daughter Angie and her husband Jon. He was suffering with a sore throat, croaking well.

That brings us to Christmas Day itself. Our granddaughter Keeley was hosting us this year, and of course nobody wanted to call it off, but, Keeley and her eldest, were both suffering with their own lurgy variant. And we didn’t see her youngest as he was in bed all day doing battle with his own lurgy. Although we had a good time and the food was yummy, the day was a little subdued. The edge had definitely been taken off.

Obviously, the odds were not in our favour and Gerry started with a tickly, then sore, throat late on Monday, Boxing Day. And there we have it, multiple folks at which to point the finger of blame.

Our concern is, as always, that anytime Gerry contracts one of these coughy cold/flu things, it invariably travels down onto her chest and evolves into a chest infection. Earlier this year she had two such episodes resulting in three prescriptions of antibiotics.

This morning, wanting to get a jump on things, I started the marathon task of trying to get an appointment to see / speak to a doctor. To stand a chance of getting an appointment, you have to start calling Crookhorn Surgery at 08:00. I started calling on the dot, with the following results ……

75 Calls = Number of attempted calls when the line was engaged.
This is only possible when using a modern phone, hitting redial immediately the system drops the call. I can’t imagine what folks do that are still reliant on landline phones and those that aren’t au fait with modern technology.

7 Calls = Number of calls picked up by the automated system, where I had to listen, excitedly, to a message which informed me that they were busy and to call back later. At which point the call is cut leading to huge disappointment.

At 08:13, after some 82 redials, I managed to break through to join a queue where I was informed, regularly, that my wait time was one minute. After some time I actually spoke to a human. The net result, after just under 10 minutes, was that we had been triaged and informed that we would receive a call from a doctor by 13:00.

This is better than last time where we attempted to get through, and, after 40 minutes were informed that there were no more appointments that day and that we would have to call back the following morning.

The good news from this, is that we had received the call from the GP, who duly prescribed the antibiotics. At 10:21 I received a text from the pharmacy to say that the script was ready for collection. By 11:30 Gerry had taken her initial dose.

Obviously, this is an improvement over our previous experience. But it does not reflect well on the NHS. Covid regularly gets the blame for whatever ails the NHS. All I can say is that prior to 2019 we were able to get appointments fairly easily, that we actually got to see a doctor on almost every occasion. Since 2019, trying to phone for an appointment is a chore, which rarely results in a face to face appointment.

Today my wife was called by a doctor who prescribed antibiotics over the phone. He didn’t see my wife, didn’t take her temperature, didn’t listen to her chest / lungs. This is not the NHS service that we are used to. But it seems that we are going to have to accept this as the new norm.

News Article Should Carry A Warning


I have just read the attached article regarding Colchicine, a drug that could, potentially, be used to treat patients with Covid-19.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2021/02/05/a-drug-used-to-treat-gout-could-reduce-covid-hospital-stays-according-to-new-research/content.html

Whilst I am supportive, of any additional tools made available, in this worldwide fight with Covid-19, I believe the author of this article has been delinquent, in not warning of the risks associated with the use of Colchicine.

I don’t mean risks associated with the proper administration under medical supervision.

What I am more concerned about, is the potential for Joe Public to self medicate, should they, like me, have this medicine in their cupboards.

Colchicine is a drug, used to treat patients suffering from Gout. The article says that use of Colchicine could reduce Covid hospital stays. And whilst that may be true, what the article does not say is that Colchicine is not safe for long term use.

As a Gout sufferer I have been prescribed Colchicine. It was prescribed to suppress my first flare up of Gout, taken over a few days. Subsequently, it was used to ensure that a second flare up did not occur, as I started my daily regime of Allopurinol.

At that time, it was made very clear, by my GP, that Colchicine was to be treated with respect.

Since then, I  have held a small supply of Colchicine in reserve, should the Gout return. Thankfully, I have not had to resort to the emergency tablets, the Allopurinol is doing its job.

My sister, also a Gout sufferer, can attest to the diarrhoea side effect, caused by the higher dosages.

My point is that at the time of the initial prescription I was warned of the toxicity of Colchicine.

From the NHS Web site ….

What if I take too much?

Taking too many Colchicine tablets can be very dangerous. It could be fatal.

Symptoms of taking too much Colchicine can include:

● feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)

● stomach ache

● bloody diarrhoea

●signs of low blood pressure (such as feeling dizzy or lightheaded)

Come on “The News” do due diligence and balance optimism with a required caution. There are folks out there who may just try self medicating if they start to exhibit Covid symptoms.

Idiocy – Party Goers Waving Two Fingers At Authorities


More than £11,000 in fines issued for baby’s birthday party in Nottingham

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-nottinghamshire-55963093?utm_source=upday&utm_medium=referral

A one year old baby doesn’t understand or care about parties. This gathering was all about the adults. Adults that decided to gather, regardless of the rules or the law.

Basically they have all waved two fingers at the government, shown total disrespect to our emergency services and the NHS.

There is no excuse. These people deserve everything they get.

RIP Captain Sir Tom Moore


After his herculean money raising effort, 100 year old Captain Sir Tom Moore has succumbed to Covid-19.

BBC News – Covid-19: Captain Sir Tom Moore dies with coronavirus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-55881753

Words cannot describe the way, in which this gentleman has inspired folks, of all generations and all walks of life.

All credits to GQ Magazine / Photographer Gavin Bond

Captain Sir Tom Moore, we salute you 👏👏👏

Australian City of Perth In Lockdown


This just goes to prove that you cannot let your guard down, not for a moment where this pandemic is concerned.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-55877150

10 months clear of any locally acquired Covid-19 and just one individual can undo all the good work done by the many. Clearly there was a lapse of attention or judgement and that is all it takes.

It seems that a security guard working in a hotel, has been tested positive for Covid-19, possibly with the UK variant.

One should also keep in mind, Australia has not yet started to roll out the vaccine. March appears to be the soonest estimate for vaccinations to start.

Supplies of the vaccines also look to be in jeopardy, as the EU plans to impose restrictions on exports. Restrictions, on vaccine exports, are being put in place to cover shortfalls brought about by the EUs own bureaucracy and ineptitude.

This is potentially a double whammy for WA residents.

EU Bully Boys and Liars


The EU was late to the vaccine table, late placing orders, late signing contracts.

Three months late !!!

To compensate, the EU Bully Boys, tried to steal the UKs contracted orders. They are insisting that vaccine producer, Oxford-AstraZeneca, fulfill EU order shortfalls by diverting the UKs vaccine supplies.

http://news.sky.com/story/what-is-article-16-and-why-did-the-eu-make-a-u-turn-after-triggering-it-12202915

And, while they are arguing with the vaccine suppliers, they thought it would be prudent to effectively shut down the border between the UK and Ireland. The very sticking point that nearly collapsed the Brexit agreement.

They, the EU, invoked Article 16.

This they did without warning and without informing any of the parties involved i.e. UK, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Following a flurry of communiques, the EU has made a u-turn, claiming their actions were a mistake, an oversight.

Well that’s just Bollocks !!!

Issuing the paperwork to invoke Article 16 would have required signatures at a very high level.

So, the EU are Bully Boys and Liars.

To me this indicates that the EU, still upset that we had the temerity to leave their club, intend to punish us for Brexit every chance they can.

A Shot In The Arm


This morning we journeyed down into Portsmouth so my wife could have the first of her Covid vaccinations.

I won’t say that we breathed a big sigh of relief but we have probably relaxed a little.

My wife has been closeted away since last June, when we got back to the UK. Since then she has become really concerned about the covid statistics and the implications. Not just for her but for all of us.

She hasn’t ventured outside of our home more than, perhaps, half a dozen times. Most of those excursions have been of a medical nature.

Having the jab does change your perspective a little.

Of course we know that the vaccine doesn’t cure Covid, or prevent you from becoming infected. And, of course, it doesn’t mean you can go out freely. We are, after all, still in lockdown.

What it does show, is that we, as a country, are heading in the right direction, albeit slowly.

Rather these baby steps, than trying to run full tilt, lifting all the restrictions, only to fall flat on our faces. I personally think that the restrictions should not be lifted until at least 75% of the population have been vaccinated.

I’m rather hoping that, by the time the restrictions are lifted, my wife won’t have become a total hermit.

If nothing else, we know that she will be going out again in April, which is when the second jab is scheduled.

More Selfish Idiots


Unbelievable !!!

http://news.sky.com/story/hundreds-caught-at-illegal-rave-in-east-london-as-police-hand-out-fines-worth-16315600-12197138

Despite the pandemic dominating the television news programs, throughout the four countries that make up the United Kingdom.

Despite every newspaper carrying the painful story of the deaths, caused by the pandemic, on their front pages.

Despite pleas from Boris Johnson and his team of ministers, medical and scientific experts.

These absolute morons and many others like them around the UK, continue to defy the rules and regulations put in place to try and control the pandemic.

Plainly, the threat of fines doesn’t deter them from putting their pleasure ahead of the nations health.

Boris gets a lot of flak regarding the governments actions over the last, nearly, 12 months. Charges of acting too slowly, too late, not enforcing the tiers or lockdown strictly enough.

But it doesn’t matter what the government does while these fucktards are out there.

Here’s a thought. Perhaps the police should have put padlocks on the outside of the rave site. The organisers had already padlocked the doors from the inside. This was an opportunity to quarantine all the attendees. They could have been locked inside for 14 days. Making this a combined quarantine and jail sentence. Then they could be let out, one at a time, each being given a temperature test before being allowed to go home.

And About Time Too


BBC News – Covid: UK to close all travel corridors from Monday https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55681861

About time, this action is long overdue.

Our borders have been about as effective as a sieve. With checks being applied too late, and without a fully functional track and trace process, we have allowed visitors to the UK free rein.

It’s no wonder that we find ourselves in this state.

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