The immortal words of Windsor Davis in "It Ain't 'Alf 'Ot Mum!"
Never mind indeed. Third time cancer free, 18 months without recurrence and that is what I have to remember. The BCGs are tolerable, the operations really aren't good - especially after the last one - perhaps I need to make a fuss about it when I go for pre-assessment this time and see if I can get some sort of dispensation on what they normally do to me.
It's a pernicious disease eating at your body and at your mind and yet I don't have it. I haven't got it, I'm free of cancer and have been for ages. My mind is thinking that there is some sort of set back here or retrograde step and that isn't true. Sure it may not be that you just get scoped once every 3 or 6 months - this way they actually do cytology on you - full biopsies, belt and braces. BCG even though there isn't CIS, TCC or anything else in your bladder.
It is all about preventative maintenance and not about cure. We've done cure, we've had the heavy TURBT and Re-Turbt, the initial BCGs that removed the last traces of the cancer. It is all moving in the right direction. It just isn't moving as fast as I wanted and it was a big surprise that another year's worth of treatment was required. A big surprise.
At least I'll have something to moan and whinge about for the next year then :-)
Yes I know - honestly I do - I've just got to get over it and work out what to do this coming year and re-plan yet again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Sorry the news wasn't perfect. The big downside is the rigid scopes. Can't you negotiate for flexible? I'd certainly try. I love them so much, I'm having one today! Maybe you should also negotiate for reduced BCG doses, too. It makes a huge difference.
On the flip side, at least the blog will continue...
Hi Steve, Well I did ask about the scopes but as they want to do full biopsies each time - rigid is preferred method - they take 6 samples I believe.
The BCG is manageable for me - I do know that they will reduce if the side effects are too great. I'll chat to my Urology Nurse and discuss it.
Good luck with your "favoured scope" today :-) - I often believed that the flexible scope was invented by a woman :-) I've never been brave enough to say that to any of the nurses though!
Hi David,really, really sorry that was not the news we was expecting,,,i think you summed it up when you said, you will get over it,work out what to do this year, and replan again,(i know that is not as easy as to do as i just typed that)but, i think your sense of humour, and standing will, with out a doubt get you through,,as you say, you are free of cancer, and i have learnt from your blogs,that is a blooming good result,,,i have to go back for a check re-turbt, am ringing them tomorrow to see what the delay is, already a week late, guess the winter flu, has put them behind,,,,i have to admit, that as Steve put it, i still have your blog to read every day,, hope your doing ok.
Hi Andy. I think that the initial shock was just on realising that I'd have to go through it all again. Mind you I trust my Consultant and if she says let's do that again then that is what we will do.
It isn't a disease that you leave to chance and the longer I don't get a recurrence then the better the long term chances are. As a friend of mine said when he dropped me a line earlier, this lot of treatment will hammer the daylights our of anything that might have been left in there. Let's hope so.
Post a Comment