Husband diagnosed with prostate cancer

Amanda x

Thank you for your kind words x

Hi Amanda

I was diagnosed early last year with Gleason 7 but enlarged prostate (60+). I opted for the Bracytherapy as it looked like the least invasive. I had to start with 3 months hormone treatment to reduce the prostate. Later scan indicated size reduction to under 50. On actual day of treatment the size was 56 so my oncologist decided on heavy dose of 105 radioactive seeds due to size being over 50 and also had catheter put in place. Hospital literature stated most Brachy patients leave the same day or morning after providing they can urinate on their own (without catheter). Unfortunately after 2 days in the ward I could only leave with catheter in place with leg bag and night bag for bedtimes. After 8 months of catheter my oncologist suggested  changing from urethra catheter to a Supra Pubic catheter which gives a lot more comfort (and is still in place following 3 more months). My urologist tells me the high does of radiation from so many seed have my bladder a hard time and as she says it is quite damaged but healing slowly. I have 3 months left before next checkup (1 year from surgery) and if still no improvement I may need a procedure on the bladder to lessen the pressure on back passage.  I mention all this to tell you that the initial shock/fear soon wears off and is replaced by the gratitude that the cancer was indeed found at early stage. My oncologist told me that in over 1000 brachy procedures only on 4 occasions has he seen symptoms being so prolonged. Moral of the story is that some of the literature handed out can be slightly misleading. Sorry if I upset anyone but thought to share my experience "warts and all".

We still have the world's best NHS despite all the complaints to the contrary

Take care and wish OH the very best of recovery

I am in the US, so no universal health coverage here, so everything is private pay. We opted to go to a really good hospital but still do not get the multiparametric MRI until October 22. The wait feels like forever. Just an FYI that even when you are paying for care (and we have very good health insurance) it seems to be a long, miserable process!

I walked in and wondered where the mammoth queue for A&E might be, especially as this was the main hospital for that region of Tirol with loads of injured skiers arriving daily. I walked down an empty corridor and a nurse asked “Can I help you?”

She took my passport and EHIC details and said “please wait”. After a minute or so, I was taken for an X-ray, and no more than ten minutes later I met an orthopaedic surgeon, who apologised for keeping me waiting as “I have been up on the roof, dealing with an emergency helicopter arrival”.

He soon relocated the shoulder, using a method reminiscent of a mediaeval torture chamber - but that’s orthopaedics - and I was out of there within an hour. Try that at your local A&E! Ours has a permanent “four hour wait from this point” notice on display.

Anyone who says the NHS is the best in the world is misguided. It could be, but it’s all down to money that successive governments prefer to squander elsewhere.

The NHS is in crisis - underfunded, over-stretched, scandalous hiving off of services to the private sector (paediatric services sold to Virgin in Swindon means that seriously ill and disabled children haven’t seen a specialist for over a year & we have seen the impact on here of the sale of urology services to a private company in the south west), poorly people fed crap in hospitals, GPs are either self-employed or profit-making businesses; it is a disaster. However, I believe the vast majority of people who work in the NHS are committed to doing the best they can in challenging circumstances. I couldn’t do it.

Interestingly, there has been a scandal in the last couple of days regarding a company that has been taking money from the government to run schools as academies, and then not spending the money where it was supposed to be. The same company was a client of mine, who I dumped a couple of years ago because I felt they were putting profit before the safety of children. The same company owns the tender for cleaning and catering in the vast majority of NHS hospitals - no doubt the newspapers will soon make the connection and start to ask questions.

Trouble is we never leave a system of governance in place long enough for it to bed down and optimise itself. There is always pressure for yet another reirganisation.

Thank heaven we have such dedicated staff, whatever their national origin, agency or directly employed (alas too small a proportion of the latter)) keeping the shiip afloat. I would happily pay an NHS tax to fund the English NHS properly, but not enough folk share my support for hypothecated taxation.... Rant over.

Good Luck to us all!

AC