The road ahead

Heard back from nO yesterday about next steps in the brachy treatment route. Am due:

• an assessment day – to confirm suitability and describe process in more detail (I hope)
• a prostate volume study (PVS) – to work out how many radioactive “seeds” are required
• the implantation – when the seeds will be inserted (by needle) into the prostate

It looks like this will take place over the next four to six weeks and will require a good two and a half to three weeks off work. Now just have to wait for the letter confirming dates and times, and schedule the time off work – more joy! Have a bunch of activities and meetings scheduled for Jan and Feb, to say nothing of my routine lecturing. Everyone has generally been very accommodating but even if they weren’t I sure as blazes am not going to put work in front of health.

D-day+1 – the decision (delayed)

First day back at work (in the bed + laptop home office) after Xmas and took five muinutes out to try and contact nO to let her know about the decision to have brachytherapy (i.e. internal radiation treatment)- but there was no response from e-mail or voice mail. So we shall have to wait to hear back, and see when we can schedule treatment for.

The decision in the end was pretty clear cut as soon as dK said he thought my LUTS did not preclude the brachytherapy. The risk of impotence seems much lower (must ask nO about the preventive use of viagra) than surgery, and while there is a chance of on-going LUTS (which may be made worse by the radiation, at least initially) it seems the risk of stress incontinence (or worse) is minimal.

The brachytherapy also seems to be much more managable compared to external beam radiation. There won’t be daily trips to Southend, and the side effects seem (with brachy) should be much more localised as the radiation won’t have to travel through the surrounding flesh. Even dO (who you might expect would bat for his own specialism) thought brachy better than external radiation.

Anyway, the bedtime cup of tea has arrived (Mp having returned from choir) and its time to turn in and hope tomorrow brings some news of what to expect and when.