Newbie Who May Or May Not Have Cancer

Hello Forrester,  It  sounds good to have friends thinking about you and knowing that at least some of the financial troubles are taken care of for now.  I would expect that the team looking after you will have enough info. to make a treatment plan for you. E.g. in my own case is was quick and they suggested surgery as the preferred option (glad now I din't have it) depending on performance on the ergometer (pedalling ) machine. When that happened it was pretty obvious - and no surprise to me - that I wasn't fit enough for surgery.  At the next meeting with my Oncologist ( it was the first with her, I think) she discussed with me the possibilities and settled on a particular combination of chemo medicines and radiotherapy.  It started for me within days.    I expect it'll be the same for you. 

Regarding delays in treatment due to The Plague, I get the impression that once you're in the system that treatment should go without delay:  there seem to be unlucky ones, though, who have their initial tests delayed - this hasn't happened for you (or me).  Talk with your allotted Macmillan nurse and they will know how your case is going, I should think.

Good luck.  Your good friends will be pleased to be able to help you.

Cheers Fortiemac, I certainly hope to pass the tour de france test - (I just about got through the carrying food delivered from the supermarket up the stairs to my flat test - the delivery guy helped a lot too though the covid rules say they shouldn't enter the building) the thought of chemo really worries me. Glad they were able to sort things into action for you quickly. 

Hello Forester42.  I just posted some v good news for me in my Oesophageal Cancer group here.  You'll find it under my thread of ("Another (Private) Opinion").

Hope you're stilll doing OK.  Good Luck.

Hello there, Arthur:  Goodness, they are filling up your diary, aren't they.  That's great news that all this stuff is planned.  The waiting between times is a bit of a pain, of course, especially now with this damned plague lockdown thing.  I think you mentioned you have friends who you can phone to keep up the spirits.  Best of lukck.

I had my first blood test for my new, highly fashionable, prostate cancer at the GP last Fri.   Apparfently I had the PSA test kust over a year ago (part of the annial GP MoT at my age), and the results were normal;  so the cancer has come on rather quickly.  I'm hoping that irrespective of the PSA levels, my GP will be referring me to a urology cancer clinic ASAP.  I've asked for the scan results (which diganosed the prostate cancer and the absence - pro tem - of the oesoph. cancer) from the private scans to be sent to my GP and my oesoph. cancer oncologist.  Don't know how quickly to expect this to proceed, bukt frankly I'm not too worried.

Just to say again that I was unfit forr the surgical route for treatment of my oesoph., and yet, so far, the chemo/radioT seemed to do the trick?  They will decide what's best for you.

Good luck.  Keep your spirits up.

Good that the chemo is working for you - I will naturally go by my doctor's expert advice on any courses of treatments offered where possible 

Had my phone call health questionnaire and had to go into out-patients today to do more blood tests (the least painful stab in the arm nurse to date), blood pressure, temper5ature, height / weight tests.    

Today was the most demanding day in my road to recover from the bowel cancer – the bike ride to test and see if I am fit to operate on. I got a call early on setting my admission date to 2^nd December for that, details to follow by post. Told despite having passed the Covid-test I took at weekend I should do my best to self isolate up to the op admission to avoid catching it.

The bike ride – Wired up to over a dozen sensors and a blood-pressure reader, and put in a tight leather breathing mask the gimps at a BDSM bar would kill for.  The pedalling was easy on the flat but a strain on the legs as they tightened the gradient and later tightened them again.

They showed me some complex looking graphs of my performance – heart and lungs fine but my anaemia level was dangerously low, despite recent iron transfusions, which puts me in a high risk for anaetetising category. I may have to go in a day before the op (staying through) for extra blood transfusions and go on a high risk ward for my recovery – they are checking with my consultant to find out the best options but it looks as if 2^nd December is the date for the main op now – Arthur

Had what is hopefully my last pre-operation blood tests and iron injection today.

Told from my last visit to the hospital to self-isolate as a precaution against catching Covid before my December 2^nd op date, itself at risk of being postponed if enough Covid cases need the intensive care department (I’m expected to be in there after my op).  The hospital then expects me to visit the hospital for various tests which means a/. A taxi ride at my expense b/. A taxi ride laid on by the hospital c/. A lift in a neighbour’s car d/. a four bus journey (2 there 2 back) all of which break quarantine. They happily laid on a cab when I went to Chorley for tests (as I have to again this Sunday for a second Covid Test) but trips to Royal Preston, they look for every excuse not to provide a taxi.  I went by lift by a neighbour and after treatment asked at reception about a taxi only to be told I should have asked during treatment (the department locked up after I left there) so I had to return by bus. Today I got a lift in and asked at the department for a taxi back only to be told they only book taxis if patients are brought both in and home by cab. As I got a lift in I’d forfeited the cab. I had to phone my neighbour to get him to come back for me. On Sunday I go to Chorley again, and they promise me a cab ride – all from those expecting me to self-isolate – it’s like a big stupid guessing game. Told ‘we don’t make the rules’ – ‘We don’t make any effort to tell the patient what the ‘rules’ are either.

The nurse who did my iron injections was very rude, often asking me questions and then walking out of the room without waiting to hear my answers.  Hope Chorley visit 2 and the op itself go more pleasantly and smoothly.