Hi All,
My cancer has been responding well to treatment but I've been struggling for a few months now, colds and sore throats hanging on longer than they should, being very tired and falling asleep at the drop of a hat. I've also been struggling with my painkillers to the extent that I had stopped taking them preferring the pain. That is the main reason I have not posted so much recently.
I had scheduled blood tests done a week last Monday but for some reason they were not completed. When I saw my oncologist and (more importantly) the research nurse I described what was going on and as I needed the blood test repeating the research nurse ticked a lot more boxes for additional tests. I was due to see my GP Thursday so she rang me on Wednesday with the results and she made sure they were on the system for my GP to review.
It transpired that I have Pernicious Anaemia and am also lacking in vitamin D. I have now been put onto a course of B12 injections (six in two weeks) to be followed by a regular injection every three months. I am also on 30 Vitamin D tablets over ten weeks. I have been prescribed pain patches and to date they are working beautifully (except that as a hairy man I have to shave before I can apply the patch).
I am still tired as I have only had three tablets and two jabs so far but I am hopeful that I will be feeling more energetic soon.
However, I received a letter today to advise me that the clinics I attend will no longer be run in Scarborough but will be moving instead to Castle Hill in Hull. Scarborough is only half the distance but perhaps the main benefit is that I can usually get disabled parking close to the entrance. I have occasionally had to go to Castle Hill as they check my CPAP machine annually and coincidentally I was there earlier this week. I had to drive around for 15 minutes this time to get a parking space and it usually takes at least this long. I was also lucky that I got a space only 50 metres from the entrance I needed where in that past it has often been at the far side of the hospital site. I did check how long it would take on public transport and the journey each way would be at least three hours presuming the connections worked OK.
The reason given is staff shortage and the fact that when travelling the oncologists cannot see as many patients. I was not consulted about the impact on me and I suspect that none of the other patients were. I hate to think what the increase in fuel usage will be from a few doctors sharing one or two cars to get to Scarborough compared to two clinics worth of patients getting to Hull.
I will be writing to complain but have already asked which other hospitals run the trial I am on as there are a number of different hospitals that are easier for me to get to. This has left me so annoyed.
Gragon x
