Well I developed a very nasty back pain running down from the right SI joint to my right hip and we all know that when you have Prostate cancer or any other cancer a new ache or pain is extremely worrying .Has it spread to my bones ? Eek !! . The pain had kept me awake for 4 nights on the trot, Naprozen did nothing to alleviate it , I found some out of date Co codimol and in despiration took one well it worked so I was out of pain whew.The next day I emailed our amazing liaison oncology nurse she is fantastic and within an hour one of the specialised nurses had arranged a bed for me the next day in the oncology assessment ward at our large teaching hospital to have a check up ,and if needed an overnight stay should they think I needed further investigation , hows that for service ! .They were very reassuring as all my blood tests are in their own words 'Super' no markers for indication of bone cancer ,PSA undetectable. So I dutifully turned up at 11 30 the next day in the assessment ward after first having a blood test .One and a half hours later I was home again with a carrier bag full of co codimol and laxatives, the consultant poked and prodded me in the relevant places all my blood markers were excellent still undetectable PSA ,no bone cancer markers .I had been mowing the lawn and had lifted some heavy shopping bags which could have caused a strain ,the Consultant said I'm due a scan anyway and they will look for arthritis so I will be getting a bone scan and MRI soon .She also told me that all men on ADT hormone therapy get muscle wastage and weaken ligaments so sprains and strains are par for the course but I should always contact them if I have any pains at all .I couldnt have been treated any faster or better if I had been a private patient .Our whole oncology department in Plymouth are wonderful and the treatment I have had from them has been excellent .The fact they put me on Enzalutimide as a first line salvage treatment which I have been on for 16 months now and the RT I had at the beginning of the year means the cancer is now well controlled and possibly cured according to the main consultant (God ) who has been know to ring me up on a Sunday out of the blue to find out how I am. doing .All in all I have been exceptionally well supported by the whole team it helps that we have a large teaching hospital in Plymouth and COVID hasnt prevented cancer patients getting the treatment they needed here.
