Well it’s already time for the six monthly visit to the dental hygienist, doesn’t time fly. It’s just a coincidence that my first three monthly active surveillance routine monitoring for PSA also ended up being booked on the same day.
The day starts as usual with a morning walk with Skye, shorter today, due to the appointment with the nurse. Leave Skye at home to have breakfast. I take the two minute walk up the road to arrived at GP surgery 5 mins before appointment time, very busy this morning. I sign in and take a seat. A few minutes later I’m called in, everyone looks up quietly asking themselves how did he taken in so quick.
In the little treatment room the needle goes in and with surprisingly swift blood-giving skills (four months of practice giving blood is paying off – who knew you could get better at giving blood)! I am soon waving goodbye until next PSA check in mid-May.
I now have two apps to see the results. The NHS app will have all three results, PSA, EGFR and cholesterol tests. My medical record website only has the PSA. I wonder which app will ping the PSA result first? No more bets on the app race please, the blood is off and running.
Will the eGFR nudge me onto some formal CKD watch list, or will statins finally be non optional. Fingers crossed no dramatic PSA jumps (above 15) need to start plotting escape routes from surveillance
Hygienist appointment also ticked off. Blasting away the winter build-up to brighten the smile into spring. Marion in first, Skye and I wait in the car, the dentist is not a dog friendly space. I’m in next, surprisingly relaxing lying down even with the ultrasonic scaler. Skye has her teeth booked for Friday at the groomers. Although I brush teeth everyday poor girl has an Ultrasonic brush done every two months.
By the end of the day I feel like a well-serviced car (high mileage, but still running well); oil changed (well, bloods sampled not replaced), chassis polished, no warning lights flashing (blood pressure good 128/68, HR 58, BMI 22). Fingers crossed the apps ping up with suitably dull numbers for PSA and the rest. It’d be good to get an actual PSA value into the spreadsheet to start predicting my PSA kinetics.
Back to running this evening with the running club doing shuttle runs, training for a marathon. Two days off with no exercise in or out of the bedroom required 48 hours before bloods. I did miss the run.
Well that a peak at a day and the ordinariness of being on active surveillance.
Stay tuned for results…which app will win and hopefully the dentist doesn’t call for a treatment appointment.
