This morning I had a repeat of the nuclear kidney function test that took place in January. I got the letter about this test just two working days after my recent check up but they didn't even bother mentioning it which meant it came as a bit of a shock and upset me quite a bit. At first I didn't recognise that it was a repeat test so unexpected was it.
Anyway I attended this morning and the staff were fine and the scan took place on time. As before, a mildly radioactive tracer is injected and its progress is tracked as your kidneys work. Then, just to speed things a bit and make them more interesting they inject you with the same stuff that's in a water pill so your kidneys start to work in overdrive.
The last time they did this I suffered a bit of discomfort as the urine pumped from my kidneys along the ureters and out of the stoma but not this time as, I suppose, things were healed up more solidly.
The main problem is that for the rest of the day I shall be rushing to the toilet regularly, very regularly indeed, to empty my bag.
When I got back from the hospital in my cab the leg bag was just about ready to burst and I had already emptied it twice since the end of the scan. Luckily I'm not planning to go anywhere this afternoon.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Monday, 13 June 2011
Another check
Last Friday I had an appointment at Withington for a six month check. My appointment was for 9:15 and I was seen at 10:45. How on earth can you be running an hour and a half behind for such early appointments?
Anyway, the CT scan looked clear and the doctor, one who I hadn't met previously, seemed pretty happy with the physical examination he carried out. One further test is to come, however, and it will be repeated every year.
They will pump some water up my penis into my urethra, collect it as it comes back out and examine it for traces of cancer cells from the lining of the urethra. Presumably they will let me know when and where they intend to do this test.
One thing that really annoyed me after my long wait was that, at the end of my consultation, he said he wanted me to go for a blood test. I was fuming!
Why could that not have been done when I was sitting around waiting to see him. Last time that happened I then had to wait for yet another half hour for my turn to have blood taken.
This time I was lucky and there was no queue so it delayed me only about ten minutes.
As to my overall health, I feel pretty good but I do still get tired. I suspect that the chemo and radiation treatments have left me with some long-term consequences, however, as I seem to get a lot of overnight cramp in my right leg and I have a usually slight pain in my right hip, too. This whole experience has definitely aged me but I am alive and leading a pretty normal life and that's the most important thing.
As to the practical side of things, I am managing my strange plumbing pretty well although I make the occasional mistake and there is the occasional equipment failure but I have learnt how to cope with tboth so the potentially very embarrassing consequences of them have been strictly limited.
Anyway, the CT scan looked clear and the doctor, one who I hadn't met previously, seemed pretty happy with the physical examination he carried out. One further test is to come, however, and it will be repeated every year.
They will pump some water up my penis into my urethra, collect it as it comes back out and examine it for traces of cancer cells from the lining of the urethra. Presumably they will let me know when and where they intend to do this test.
One thing that really annoyed me after my long wait was that, at the end of my consultation, he said he wanted me to go for a blood test. I was fuming!
Why could that not have been done when I was sitting around waiting to see him. Last time that happened I then had to wait for yet another half hour for my turn to have blood taken.
This time I was lucky and there was no queue so it delayed me only about ten minutes.
As to my overall health, I feel pretty good but I do still get tired. I suspect that the chemo and radiation treatments have left me with some long-term consequences, however, as I seem to get a lot of overnight cramp in my right leg and I have a usually slight pain in my right hip, too. This whole experience has definitely aged me but I am alive and leading a pretty normal life and that's the most important thing.
As to the practical side of things, I am managing my strange plumbing pretty well although I make the occasional mistake and there is the occasional equipment failure but I have learnt how to cope with tboth so the potentially very embarrassing consequences of them have been strictly limited.
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