Blogging The State of Akin
I write how I feel, and
I cannot account for who reads and finds any interest in my blogs, though there
are people who have over time realised that this blog infrequent and hardly prolific
as it is represents The State of Akin (TSoA) at any given time.
Sometimes lucid and at
other times in turmoil, I am told I write better than I converse, yet I cannot drive
traffic to this blog for that purpose, it is left to those who discover this to
engage as they see fit.
My last blog gave a
sense of direction in terms of certain questions I had about the treatment of prostate
cancer. I guess I was a bit miffed that out of Active Surveillance, a Radical Prostatectomy,
and Radical Radiotherapy, the first had been taken off the table before any discussion
with the patient primarily affected.
I should be centred
and relevant
Again, I respect the knowledge
and the expertise of the medical teams superintending the courses of recommended
treatment, however, even if a course of treatment is not desirable, I should be
informed of the reasons that led to that determination. With respect to this situation,
I asked for a further consultation, and I received two phone calls that seemed to need clarification on my premises.
I had acquired enough
understanding to appreciate from the post-treatment situation that on the issues
of future prognosis, the exacerbation of the condition, and the problems that might
present in bladder and bowel control along with attendant sexual function, radiotherapy
offered the best and most manageable outcomes.
Links to engender
confidence
A comment in my last blog
gave me additional information through two links, Predict Prostate and Cancer Alliance: Prostate Cancer:
Know Your Options, both of which allow you to enter the indices of known or
unknown test results to then connect your situation to the predictive outcomes of
the Prostate
Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) study as indicated in the graphic
I shared in my last blog post.
The links also offered
more detailed information and YouTube videos. At the end of which I was more convinced
of the course of treatment I had chosen.
Poring through the medical
notes shared between the medical personnel, I finally learnt that I was actively
considered for the low-dose radiotherapy, or in medical terms, it is Hypofractionated
radiotherapy of 60 Grays
(Gy) over 20 sessions, given on weekdays only. The Gray is a unit of ionising radiation.
[ICR:
A new standard of care for prostate cancer]
The outlook, the
prospect
Prior to this treatment,
I will attend a radiotherapy planning scan that uses a Computer Tomography scanner
to locate the position of the prostate gland to which the radioactive beam will
be directed. This treatment option makes Intensity
modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) more efficient as it is more tolerable for certain
older age groups.
I am also recommended
to go directly for radiotherapy without neo
adjuvant therapy which is hormone therapy to reduce testosterone, which might
well be a blessing of sorts. I think I have had the answers to the many questions
I have had, and I am basically looking forward to putting all this behind me within
the next few months.
I feel fine, I am positive, and I believe in the best for me, my health, and the enjoyment of life and its pleasures.
I also look forward to spending some recuperation time with Brian.
Men's Things Blogs
Blog - Men's things
Blog - Men's things - II
Blog - Men's things - III
Blog - Men's things - IV
Blog - Men's things - V
Blog - Men's things - VI
Blog - Men's things - VII
Blog - Men's things - VIII
Blog - Men's things - IX
Blog - Men's things - X
Blog - Men's things - XI
Blog - Men's things - XII
Blog - Men's things - XIII
Blog - Men's things - XIV
Blog - Men's things - XV
