Worried and fearful as to what the meeting with the Consultant would bring and after tossing and turning for what seemed an eternity,my wife eventually got up around 3am and spent the pre-dawn hours watching the hands of the clock as they relentlessy but so slowly made their repeating journey around the dial.
Tick by tick by tick.
Luckily I slept soundly and knew none of this until I made by way downstairs,refreshed and ready for the day's events, several hours later!
Shortly after the appointed time we were shown into the consultant's room where I was pleased to hear that the crossing of numerous appendages and the offering of best wishes by the good people on the Mac site [combined in no small part by the power of being properly dressed by my good lady] had helped to contain my cancer within the prostate!! Yes!!!
Despite always hoping for that announcement to say that it is a considerable relief when you are actually given it,is something of an understatement!
With shoulders no longer slouched and with chin now raised from chest I asked what would happen next.
The Main Man asked to feel around my lower abdomen to ascertain the probable amount of scar tissue that had resulted from my previous operation a decade ago.
His opinion was that Brachytherapy was not an option because of the scar tissue and that the choice for me would be either the complete removal of the gland by surgery or the course of Radiotherapy to destroy the cancer cells within the prostate.
He opined that whilst the performing of a Prostatectomy was perfectly feasible the surgeon might encounter some difficulties and or problems in getting to the prostate because of the degree of scar tissue et al that might be found after entry.
To avoid any uneccessary problems I opted for the course of Hormone Treatment by way of pills and injection over 3 months followed thereafter by a couple of months worth of radiotherapy.The follow up hormone treatment after my radiotherapy would then possibly be for a further two years or so.
So a very good day really with the slight downside that the hormone treatment could make me unliveable with for at least one week in any four!
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