Sorry all it’s been a while since my last episode!
The start of cycle 4 was much like the others. The sleep deprivation caused by dextramethasone lasted 2 nights this time. Gosh that stuff is pure evil 
once the dex wore off the usual groin and pelvis pain started. Worse than before and needed max strength co-codamol to sort it. I also felt back pain too this time and increased shortness of breath.
My specialist nurse organised my scan to look into my 14.6 spike at the start of cycle 4 organised for Oct 7th just before my cycle 6, and she also organised a blood form for a Totesterone and PSA test 1 week after cycle 4 went in.
positive news on the PSA and totesterone fronts Totesterone was 0.42 and she seemed to take pleasure in telling me that was “castration level” 
on the PSA it had halfed to 7.8, still high but on the downward. The rest of cycle 4 was pretty uneventful really. Much more tired and very short of breath at times. I just noticed that my level of fitness was markedly different!
I also noticed the Prednisolone I take daily as part of the chemo, apart from making me ravenously hungry has started to give me the classic ‘moon face’.
Onto cycle 5 the vampire took my bloods on the Monday as usual ready for my Wednesday infusion. This time I decided to ring on the Tuesday to get my PSA result, a very reassuring 2.71 down from 14.6, 3 weeks earlier. I was a happy bunny!
The infusion went in with little issues. Prednisolone was issued, blood form and appointment card. I suddenly realised I had become almost comfortable in the routine of it all!
The cycle itself was much the routine of the others. Sleep deprivation at the beginning, groin, pelvis and back pain. What I did start to notice though was much less nocturnal wee visits. Maybe this stuff is actually working! The tiredness and shortness of breath were an increasing feature.
Suddenly I was up to Monday 7th of October. Week of my final cycle and the day of the CT scan, it was a bit awkward because I had my regular bloods taken at 8am and then I had the CT scan straight after at 9am. Took the vampires 3 attempts in my left arm to get the blood sample. I deliberately saved my ‘good’ right arm for the required cannula for the contrast dye at the CT Scan.
Onto the CT scan, cannula in no problem and CT scan done and dusted in 10 minutes. Results in 2 weeks!
