Tag: bladder cancer

Somewhat Confused

In my post https://derrickjknight.com/2024/08/02/bcg/ I described the treatment plan for my bladder cancer. When I was recently telephoned booking a date for this to begin, I was told I would not need another cystoscopy before it commenced. I therefore have been anticipating the vaccine installations sequence to start in one week’s time. It now seems this is wrong.

At 8.50 this morning I received a call asking me to attend a pre-assessment appointment, fortunately at Lymington Hospital, at 9.30. This would be a questionnaire from a nurse, checking on current details. We arrived at the hospital at 9.25 to be told that I was booked in for 9.45. I was called at 10.10, which was just after the nurse herself had been informed.

The staff were all very friendly – I attributed this mix-up at least to the fact that the arrangement had clearly been arranged in a rush.

Nurse Paula Rickard was thorough, friendly, and efficient. She was quite clear that my appointment on 21st is in fact for a further cystoscopy which does, as Consultant Miss Vickie Dawson had informed me, need to be carried out. The meeting with Paula involved much more than the usual questions: she gave me another ECG, checked blood pressure and pulse, followed by escorting me to a blood test and asking me to deposit a urine sample. We agreed there was no need to measure height and weight again.

Neither consultant nor nurse had, of course played any part in this confusion and the message from them is consistent. So – I think I know what to expect at my next procedure, and will await a date for the vaccine application thereafter.

This took the whole of the morning, after which I made good headway in reading “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a wonderful book making me feel very much at home that I will review when I have finished it.

Tonight we dined on tender baked gammon; piquant cauliflower cheese; spring greens and green beans; crunchy carrots; firm broccoli and boiled new potatoes, with which I drank Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Merlot 2021

Health Status

What happened at Southampton General Hospital on Tuesday 25th was rather more than a biopsy, because a bladder cancer tumour was removed. The process was very smooth and didn’t last more than an hour. Care and attention during several hours recovery time involved a nurse beside my side full time monitoring progress. I was in fact kept in for two nights which was most apposite because a very painful blood clot developed and was dealt with immediately by attendant urologists. For the next two days care was irreproachable, given by teams of knowledgable professionals from all over the world. This made me realise that the NHS really could not function without its immigrants. Apart from the occasional difficulties with accents communication with me and with each other was very clear and patient.

It was, of course, very difficult to sleep in such a noisy environment when we were constantly woken for checks – but that is life in hospital.

The next stage is to be a discussion of the team with the pathologist to establish how far and how deep the tumour had extended and what else, if anything needs to be done. I will be given another appointment in 3-4 weeks.

Ian joined us this afternoon when we all continued a mixture of each doing our own things and enjoying convivial conversation.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie; very tasty Brussels sprouts; crunchy carrots; firm broccoli and cauliflower.