Anaemia

Another interesting weekend! I was very sick at about 05:30 on Thursday morning. This was followed by diarrhoea. As this was still around on the Saturday I gave the emergency doctor a ring. He noted that I seemed to be short of breath and after a few questions about this said I needed to get to A&E and that the safest thing would be to call 999. This I did.

The paramedics did some tests then took me to the hospital. My friend Derek met us there. Further tests - ECG, bloods, BP. The blood tests showed that I am anaemic a count of 79 rather than 100. Not bad enough for a blood transfusion but iron tablets will be appropriate. I think they were about to let me go home but first decided that a standing BP check should be done first. The standing BP level was a good deal lower than that taken lying down so I was admitted for observation. Because of the diarrhoea I was put in a room by myself.

A doctor that came round in the evening told me that I had been anaemic on 31st March. I don't remember anyone telling me this. This would have been after the operation to put the "nail" in my femur. A couple of bowel movements before 07:00 on the Sunday morning were loose but not liquid. The doctor came round at about 10:00. He said that If I was free of diarrhoea by 17:00 I would be free to go home. My son Andy brought in my glasses and a newspaper and my neighbour Frank visited in the afternoon. There were no further bowel movement up to 17:00 and I was free to go. Andy came to collect me.

Wouldn't you just know it that the diarrhoea returned later in the evening! I spoke to a doctor from the local health centre to talk about what I should eat and what I should avoid. It boils down to keeping clear of good diet - fruit, vegetables wholemeal bread, anything with fibre and to eat fish chicken and white bread. So far today I have been clear since about 09:00 this morning.

I want to thank my neighbours Frank and his wife Beryl and Renata for their kind help over the last few weeks along with my friend Derek and his wife Judy.

PSA up again

Well it looks as though the second line hormone treatment has been unsuccessful. I had a PSA test on Tuesday and received the results today. The PSA count is now up to 224.2. Very disappointing, especially with the effect the extra treatment has had on me. I don't have an appointment with the urologist until 7th May but am minded to write to him about stopping the second line hormone treatment.

Tiredness

Where has it come from? Is it down to the second line hormone therapy [Bicalutamide] or the radiotherapy? Is it just the cancer in my bones? Probably it is a combination of them all. Whatever the reasons I'm shattered. All I want to do is rest. Small exertions leave me breathless. It is so frustrating. I hate it.

The radiotherapy ended last Thursday and I saw the oncologist on Wednesday. We decided to leave the next dose of Zometa for another four weeks to allow my bones to heal. At the end of the month I will be having a single dose of palliative radiation to the lesion on my right thigh. The dressings on my leg were changed on Friday and the wounds are healing well.

The bone pain that was dealt with by the first dose of Zometa is returning so I have had to up the pain killers. The numbness in my right lower leg is still there, along with, I think, oedema which has made it stiff as well. I have had a couple of good night's sleep which has helped.

I need to arrange a PSA test before I see the Urologist at the beginning of May.

Home again

I went into the hospital last Monday afternoon for the thigh operation on the Tuesday. The operation went well and the thigh pain has gone. I'm already up and about. I have been provided with a stick but don't need it all of the time. My main problem with walking is the numbness in my right foot is my main impediment to walking now.

My meeting with the oncologist on Thursday didn't happen. I was not given an appointment for his clinic so expected him to visit me at my bed. This did not happen despite prompts from the ward nurses. The numbness in my foot had spread from the toes to above my ankle and as I believed this to be a result of the spinal cord compression (SCC) I wanted attention to this problem to be dealt with promptly. The hospital based MacMillan nurse and one of the orthopaedic team doctors contacted another oncologist at the Christie hospital. He checked the MRI scan and booked me in for attention the next day.

I was ready for transporting to the Christie at 07:00 as requested but was not actually moved until 08:45. The appointment at the Christie was at 09:15 and I arrived at the Radiation reception at 09:10. I did not actually get seen until about 10:45. I was checked over and quizzed by on of the oncologist team members and later by a consultant. It was decided that as I was mobile I'd have four radiation treatment instead of just one. I assume that the four treatments will be at lower power to reduce and side effects. The consultant did not think that the numbness in my right foot is associated with the SCC as he'd expect the SCC to affect both lower limbs. Thus the finding of the SCC has been rather serendipitous and caught early. This is good because the radiation treatment will stop the SCC getting worse but will not reverse it. I was then marked up for the treatment and dosed with steroids and anti-sickness medicine before receiving the treatment. Once those had been given time to take effect I was the given the first session of radiation treatment. The next three will be given on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

I was then transported back to the local hospital. I'd now missed lunch but the nurses sent down for a cool bag - sandwich plus some odds and ends. The nurses checked with the doctor and it was agreed that I could go home once the new medications had been sorted. These new medications are a stronger steroid plus different steroids and anti sickness medicine to be taken before each radiation session. I was given the first dose of the steroid and another dose for today. The sister said she'd make out a prescription for the rest and send it to the pharmacy for collection today. As of this morning she had not done so but it is with the pharmacy now and should be back to the ward soon.

Edit: Son was able to pick up the medicines this afternoon

Apart from the blip with the medicines Things are looking pretty good. I'm not sure what will be happening with the Zometa infusions because Zometa can slow down bone healing and my thigh needs to heal. No doubt I'll find out soon. I want the Zometa treatment so start off again as soon as it is safe to do so. I don't want the bone pain to come back.