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Rectal Spacer - cancelled

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User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 09:24

Arrrg! Was due to have rectal spacer injected today and now its been cancelled. Psyched myself up for an afternoon of probing, discomfort and undignified positioning. Hopefully it will be rescheduled soon as have my planning scan next Wednesday with RT starting 13th Nov.

I guess the quite long gap between scan and RT is for planning? Just hope it doesn't push me into having session through December, or worse having to wait to January

Do they still do sessions over Xmas period? I know I might be worrying too much as they're calling me this afternoon to reschedule so maybe they'll say I can come in tomorrow or next Monday or something like that.

User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 11:02

Hi Adrian,

Thank you. Your two month delay must have been horrendous, not just for the delay in the actual surgery and everything that goes with that, but the last minute cancellation, delay in starting recovery, and any plans you might have had.

The spacer is a walk in the park in comparison! Trying to see it as an easy biopsy, only stabbed the once 😂

 

 

 

User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 17:24

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hopefully it will be rescheduled soon as have my planning scan next Wednesday with RT starting 13th Nov.



Hi John

The spacer needs to be injected before the planning scan - No point in taking a scan then bits get moved around by the spacer.

More likely the planning scan will be pushed back. But you’ve got plenty of time before start of RT. That’s exactly what happened to me (spacer cancelled/planning scan delayed), but RT start date as originally planned.

 

User
Posted 11 Oct 2024 at 06:21

Hi John,

They will want to do the planning scan shortly before RT, so it may be pushed back. I ended up having a second planning scan because of a delay, when the Onco decided it was too risky for me to have 37 sessions of RT and I had to got with 20 to the prostate seminal vesicles only.

Derek

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User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 10:21

Morning John.

I hope they fit it in (excuse the pun) asap.

Cancellations of any procedure are difficult to deal with, as you say, you psych yourself up for them. 

My prostatectomy was cancelled twice. Each time on the day they were due, and both rescheduled a month later. My wife and I were devastated by the 2 month delay they caused. In fact the additional anxiety and upset caused by them was perhaps the worst part of my treatment.

I'm afraid I can't help about how efficient the NHS is over the Xmas period.

Best of luck mate.

Edited by member 10 Oct 2024 at 17:32  | Reason: Typo

User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 11:02

Hi Adrian,

Thank you. Your two month delay must have been horrendous, not just for the delay in the actual surgery and everything that goes with that, but the last minute cancellation, delay in starting recovery, and any plans you might have had.

The spacer is a walk in the park in comparison! Trying to see it as an easy biopsy, only stabbed the once 😂

 

 

 

User
Posted 10 Oct 2024 at 17:24

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hopefully it will be rescheduled soon as have my planning scan next Wednesday with RT starting 13th Nov.



Hi John

The spacer needs to be injected before the planning scan - No point in taking a scan then bits get moved around by the spacer.

More likely the planning scan will be pushed back. But you’ve got plenty of time before start of RT. That’s exactly what happened to me (spacer cancelled/planning scan delayed), but RT start date as originally planned.

 

User
Posted 11 Oct 2024 at 06:21

Hi John,

They will want to do the planning scan shortly before RT, so it may be pushed back. I ended up having a second planning scan because of a delay, when the Onco decided it was too risky for me to have 37 sessions of RT and I had to got with 20 to the prostate seminal vesicles only.

Derek

User
Posted 11 Oct 2024 at 11:19

Thanks Gooose / Derek,

I've been rescheduled for next Wednesday for spacer, that was due to be my planning day. That's been pushed back like you both said, awaiting a new date for that.

I'm glad it hasn't been delayed too much, they were very apologetic for the cancellation, fingers crossed there won't be anymore.

 

John

User
Posted 16 Oct 2024 at 14:29

Yay, spacer fitted and now back at work. Very much easier than biopsy, but equally undignified! Still, very glad its been done, more so after speaking to the doctor about the benefits of the extra 1cm gap it creates.

She did say it's not given to everyone, I assumed that it was a geographical thing that some people got it and others didn't or weren't offered it based on comments on here.  However Doc said (and I'm paraphrasing) it's basically a cost/benefit thing as it's quite expensive. I think my age probably played a part as hopefully I have a good few years left in me so worth trying to reduce the collateral damage.

 
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