Ok, so I'm now on the HT/RT pathway ...

All the very best.  Same as me.  Nice to go into Cheltenham every day.  I like Cheltenham.   I really enjoyed sightseeing around the city I was in for my RT.  I went to exhibitions, theatre, museums etc and saw old friends and some of my family who lived nearby as we had to stay there during the week.  Lucky to find a cancer charity providing accommodation where we could stay full board - packed lunch if asked for, about half an hour's drive away - though if we went into the city first it often took us longer to get to the hospital than if we had driven straight from the place we were staying at.  We stayed in a lovely log cabin with our own kitchenette and sitting room - it was lovely and cosy even in the winter time - started RT on Jan 3rd.  we made a good donation to the charity and thankfully they are still going strong.  The biggest problem was finding parking spaces at the hospital but that seems to be a problem in most hospitals.

Millibob said:

so at the planning scan because like Able I like to know these things, I asked "why"

;-)

It is interesting to note how often the answer to that 'why' is a shrug.

Like asking a tiler why they set the tiles across the wall but not symmetrically and they just shrug. Like they don't even know whey that did it like that, like no actual decision making process went into it, any pre-planning, they just started tiling and accepted whatever became the outcome? I would be happier with them admitting they planned them to be symmetrical but made a mistake as at least that showed they thought about it!

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting everyone in the system would necessarily be able to answer the more granular questions (like I couldn't really get the people giving me the radioactive die bone CT scan to 'get' that the reason I was supposed to keep some distance between children and pregnant women was because I was radiating, not because I thought that anything was contagious), but in the case of these medical procedures you (I) might hope they might.

Years ago the Mrs clipped a parked car whilst trying to reverse back out of a restriction in the kitcar we built, even though it was her right of way. I suspect the back axle was bent so took the car into a local national tyre place and asked them to check the tracking of the rear wheels. They said they couldn't, that they could only do the fronts. I explain I didn't want anything adjusted, I just want it measured but they insisted it couldn't be done. 'What if I reverse the car in and you pretend the back is the front', still no go. So they offered I used their kit so I did and showed it was 1.5 Deg toe in when it should be parallel, confirming why it had knocked a good tyre out in 1500 miles. ;-(

My point is if you understand why and what things are, you (if you are interested etc) make more sense and might gain comfort that people are doing what they should or doing what might be 'the best', especially in conditions of life and death.

Thanks,I live about 40 minutes away from Cheltenham,so If able will drive myself( do have a few family volunteers). Parking is always a problem at the hospital,it is actually cheaper to park in the Lido opposite the centre,but,free parking is supposed to be available( 20 places!),i expect they will be taken up by others desperate to park.

freefaller said:

The biggest problem was finding parking spaces at the hospital but that seems to be a problem in most hospitals.

The one I go to for most of the background stuff has a free car park and generally (so far) some free spaces (I went there during lock-down for a small opp on my heel and mine was the only car in the car park!). ;-)

When my PC path started I had a mild and intermittent background headache and requested a head scan to discount a brain tumour. That hospital has been re-developed over the 67 years I've lived here and now the car parking is pretty good (and cheap but not free). However, where I think I'll be having RT is known to be a PITA for parking (and I received 3 PCN's from there that were dropped as I had paid for my full stay each time, just when I left, rather than within 15 mins of arrival, as per the small print).

Wouldn't we need to fully know the science behind the full / empty bladder thing before it would 'make sense' though?

The reasons I have read (from the various links given to official information by the good folk here) seem to suggest it's a couple of things.

1) To reduce the proportion of bladder hit with RT (the bigger the bladder, the smaller the proportion of it will be hit etc), and:

2) To move other organs out of the way, again to reduce collateral damage?

So the only way having an empty bladder could be 'better' was if neither of the above applied for some reason? <shrug>

At The Christie in Oldham we were given the code for a gated car park just for RT "clients" however I live within a mile of the hospital so was able to "Self Enema" at home and walk in - I did catch the bus on a couple of rainy days.

Mrs Millibob has appointments at Salford Royal - parking there is bad to say the least however I use a "Parking App" and rent someone's drive for four hours for £3 and it's a 2 minuet walk. The thing is it's not the cost - you know you have a space and don't worry about missing your appointment.

Brian.

My husband was full bladder , empty bowel but micro enemas before every session and the planning ct! Isn’t variety supposed to be the ‘spice of life?’

incidentally oncology outcome - no worries unless PSA goes above 2.0 ( currently 0.064 -rise from 0.026 but told PSA ‘bounces around) All looking good. ht to stop in May 2024 after 18 months! Just two mor injections - November and Feb. 

. 

Millibob said:

parking there is bad to say the least however I use a "Parking App" and rent someone's drive for four hours for £3 and it's a 2 minuet walk. The thing is it's not the cost - you know you have a space and don't worry about missing your appointment.

Absolutely and thanks for the 'heads up'. ;-)

He's doing amazing - My PSA is going down 0.438 start of August but I did start on 182 so that's happy days. 2 more HT injections to go December and June 2024 and that's me done - No more MANopause!! and as the oncologist said "it's treatment with a view to being curative".

I do feel good and it's been some journey - The more I look back - the more I think - if it wasn't for the people on here - especially in the early "dark days" - I would have been lost - yes Mrs Millibob is a nurse but PC isn't in her skill set. The strange thing is in that 21 month period I have found out who my real friends are plus I have made some great friends and "met" some inspiring people on here!

Best wishes as ever - Brian.

Worriedwife said:

Isn’t variety supposed to be the ‘spice of life?’

Well, 'yes', as long as it makes things better, especially when it's something that could be 'once in a lifetime' etc. ;-)

This is why most (some?) people like to make informed choices, rather than just tossing a coin.

When I had the blood test that first revealed my raised PSA I read that it could be high if the blood test was done immediately after exercise etc.