As some of you know I was trying to set up a support group in Doncaster, I then discovered one existed already but doesn't seem to have been widely advertised.
Anyway I attended on Friday. The venue was unavailable so we met in the urology outpatient waiting room...at least the environment was familiar :)
PCUK were originally supporting to facilitate the group but have now withdrawn. So the two specialist nurses were Co - ordinating (lovely ladies). It felt a little random but they did bring a new urologist in for a Q&A session which was useful...I never knew that prostate tissue can regenerate.
It did highlight for me the difference in approach to treatment in just this small group and also how some men will just accept without question what they are told. One guy there worked out from the Q&A session that he wasn't cureable...why he hadn't been told this I dont know or perhaps he had and didn't understand.
As a result of attending they are arranging an ultrasound scan of my kidneys apparantly they should do this when there is a restriction in the urinary tract to ensure there is no back up to the kidneys..pity my urologist didn't arrange this.
The group is still developing but hopefully it will continue. It was attended by patients new and old, a nice group of people.
I took the opportunity to have a chat with a chap who is vice chair of a PCa group in Leeds, hopefully this group can learn from him as the Leeds group sound very proactive.
All in all quite good.
The next meeting is on the 5th December at 2.00pm. I won't be there as I will still be in London.
Bri