Cheshire Chris's Treatment Thread

User

Posted 31 Mar 2021 at 09:53

That’s a reassuring result Chris. Having electronic access sounds great, I still have to phone up and ask for a printout!

Ido4

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 14:51

Another PSA test prior to my phone consultation next Wednesday. Really good result: total PSA is 1.2, which is the lowest it's ever been! A month ago it was 1.5, and was the same six months ago. Very pleased about this 😁. As always, a weight off my mind getting the test out of the way.

Chris

Edited by member 29 Apr 2021 at 14:54 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 15:05

That’s a great result Chris 👍

Phil

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 15:30

Interestingly, this came after 24h of fasting (part of my diet). I wonder if fasting can temporarily lower PSA in the same way that other things can raise it?

Chris

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 15:35

Hmm that’s interesting Chris. I am hoping I did something to raise my PSA last time 🤔and this time it’ll be lower .... I can only hope 🤣

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 15:39

Fingers crossed, Phil! The nurse said to me last time that random ups and downs are entirely normal. What causes concern is either a large jump (eg going from 1.5 to 4) or a steady increase over several tests.

Chris

User

Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 16:58

My PSA was 0.08 for most of the time during treatment and HT. Then 8 months after HT stopped it went to 0.97, then 3 months later 1.2 and then 2.75 after a further 3 months. Hospital don’t seem overly concerned although they kept me on 3 monthly checks instead of 6. I’m trying to prepare myself for the worst so if it’s still around 2 or 3 I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Phil

User

Posted 30 Apr 2021 at 12:49

Great news Chris.

Ido4

User

Posted 12 May 2021 at 18:39

I've been having persistent pain in the "tail bone", so had an MRI scan last Wednesday. Had a text message from my GP today:

Dear Mr XXX,

We have your MRI back. I am please to say there is no signs of any significant pathology. There is no sign of any metastatic disease. There is some minor wear and tear. If your back / coccyx is still causing discomfort we can refer you to physio. Please let me know if you would like referring.

Thanks, James YYY

So that's good news. Unlikely to have been anything sinister I know, but with two cancer diagnoses there's always that "What if..." at the back of my mind.

Chris

User

Posted 13 May 2021 at 12:52

That is reassuring Chris.

Ido4

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 11:45

Two and a half years after the end of my RT and I've just had my 6-monthly PSA test, and it's 1.2, which is the same as it was in April. I manage to put it completely out of my mind in between tests, but I must admit that I had a sleepless night last night, following yesterday morning's test, thinking about all the "what if"s. I think many people here will be able to understand that feeling.

My results since RT have been:

May 19 (6 weeks after RT): 4.6

Oct 19: 2.0

Apr 20: 1.4

Nov 20: 1.5

Apr 21: 1.2

Oct 21: 1.2

So it's looking very much as if I'm at the nadir now, so a small rise in the next year or two won't be unexpected. My oncologist said that he'd regard a nadir of 2 or below as indicating a successful outcome, so it's all looking good.

Time for a nice cup of tea to celebrate 🙂.

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 11:48

Great news Chris! 🍾🍻

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 12:06

Well done chris, hope there is chocolate on those digestives :)

Cheers,

Nick

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 12:14

Good news Chris, and you can relax a bit now 👍. Let’s hope it stays low for a long time.

My blood test tomorrow which is first one after going back on HT… be nervous till I see consultant in a couple of weeks.

Take care

Phil

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 13:50

Great news Chris!

Arthur

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 14:23

Brilliant news Chris.

Ange x

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 18:05

Yay!!!! 🎉🍷

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 18:39

Nice result, I like it.

Dave

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 19:13

Thanks for the kind thoughts, everyone!

Chris

User

Posted 19 Oct 2021 at 19:13

Thanks for the kind thoughts, everyone!

Chris

User

Posted 20 Oct 2021 at 14:57

Great news xx

regards Barbara

User

Posted 20 Oct 2021 at 18:11

Good to hear.

Thanks Chris

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 15:00

Only three months since my last test, but my GP was doing some other bloods tests so said may as well check PSA. Came back as 1.3 compared to 1.2 in October, but 1.2 was probably the nadir and it's fluctuated up to 1.5 since last March, so I think all's well.

All the other bloods (blood counts, blood sugar, liver and kidney function) were fine too 🙂.

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 16:17

Chris thanks for all your advice

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 16:39

Nice one Chris!

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 17:21

Great result Chris! 🍻

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 17:29

Good news Chris

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 19:42

👍👍

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 20:01

Great news Chris 👍

User

Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 20:55

Nice Chris. Good result and many more !

User

Posted 22 Jan 2022 at 11:50

Fab news Chris 👍🏽

User

Posted 22 Jan 2022 at 22:46

Good news Chris. All the best.

Ido4

User

Posted 24 Jan 2022 at 20:02

Good result Chris. All the very best to you.

Paul

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 18:50

I thought it was about time I added a profile picture 😁.

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 18:59

Having my annual CT scan tomorrow - the follow-up to my kidney cancer. Nothing to worry about, of course, but I must confess that the wait for results is always a little nervy even after three years of this. I don't think the anxiety ever really goes away, does it, even though I can push it to the back of my mind the vast majority of the time.

I was a little concerned that this year's scan might be delayed due to Covid backlogs, but it came through right on time. Last year I had my scan on 9th March, this year it's 7th March.

Chris

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 19:04

good luck Chris I am sure you will be fine glad covid hasn't delayed your scan 👍

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 19:08

Cheers, gaz. No, no reason at all to worry. Kidney function is fine (for someone with one kidney). With PSA tests I generally get the result the day after the test; the several weeks' wait for the CT scan to be looked at and discussed by the MDT is more stressful 😁.

Chris

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 19:16

No problem Chris glad to hear you are well long may it continue 👍

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 21:33

Good luck Chris. I’m in tomorrow also nearly 7 years down the line for a full MOT. Whole body CT , full bloods and psa , and then Nuclear Bone Scan. All important to me for the chance to travel this year. At least I’ll know where I’m at. I tend not to stress so much as I used to as worrying changes nothing of course :-))

User

Posted 06 Mar 2022 at 21:35

good luck to you as well Chris 👍

User

Posted 07 Mar 2022 at 14:24

Had my CT scan at 12. Went fine other than that on the first attempt to pump the contrast medium in through the cannula in my arm, the cannula cap came off and the contrast medium (bright purple 😁) went all over me rather than into me. I suspect that my jumper will never be the same again! They removed the first cannula and had another go in my other arm (sometimes I feel like a human pin cushion...) and that went a lot better.

Contrast medium always makes me feel rather nauseous, but no issues other than that. Weird feeling when they inject it - a wave of heat goes through my entire body and then it feels as though I'm wetting myself (fortunately not in reality!) and a strong metallic taste in the mouth.

Results in about two weeks, fingers crossed.

Chris

Edited by member 07 Mar 2022 at 14:50 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 07 Mar 2022 at 17:05

good luck Chris sure you will be fine 👍

User

Posted 07 Mar 2022 at 22:30

Glad it went ok apart from the sweater !! I had mine at 1 pm today. No special dye drink anymore but had the Iodine contrast injected also via canular. To be honest I’m so used to regular hot flushes from injectable HT that I didn’t know the difference this time. They left the Canular in so I could go straight up to Nuclear Medicine for the bone scan. Dear lord the 3 hour wait from tracer until scan. I got home at 7 pm from arriving at lunchtime. Nice pint on the way home though as they said to drink plenty of fluid 😀

User

Posted 07 Mar 2022 at 23:42

Best of luck to both of you on your scan results 👍🏽

User

Posted 08 Mar 2022 at 07:50

good luck with your scan results Chris.

barbara x

User

Posted 08 Mar 2022 at 09:30

Good luck to both of you two Chris’.

User

Posted 08 Mar 2022 at 16:43

Wishing both of you the best of luck with your scan results.

Ange

User

Posted 08 Mar 2022 at 18:59

Thanks, everyone, and best wishes to you, Chris J!

Chris

User

Posted 11 Mar 2022 at 10:39

Good news - as far as it goes. My abdominal CT scan (which is where the main risk is) has come back clear (four days! Amazingly rapid reporting!), but the CT request was for "abdomen and thorax with contrast" and apparently they "forgot" to scan my thorax, so another scan will be required. Not best pleased about this - a long journey and the contrast medium makes me feel very sick. Given that they screwed up, I'm wondering if I can claim my travelling expenses back from them for the second unnecessary journey?

Chris

User

Posted 11 Mar 2022 at 11:53

Good news and bad news yeh ? My CT was chest abdomen and pelvis.

When my PET was cancelled at UCLH ages ago they fully refunded me for train and accommodation as it was an early appt. Just filled a form in. I think they took pity as I was in pieces as it was also my wife’s 50th birthday missed 🥲

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