Scan day...


(First Published August 23rd 2019)


We returned from our travels on Tuesday and, again, the liquid free diet got me successfully through the 5 ½ hour journey with minimal stops. There was a pile of cancer related mail waiting for me at home including an invitation for a CT scan on Friday 23rd August (today) plus an appointment to see the urology team and MacMillan nurses next Thursday. It’s all moving quite quickly! GOOD!!  


There was also some literature from a bladder cancer charity. I had a good look through the leaflet and looked through their web site. As well as plenty of useful information there is also a private facebook page which I have joined and have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from the people on there. For such a resource for support and knowledge from those who are living with bladder cancer and really know their stuff to be available is a truly incredible thing. 


Many pieces of advice have come my way and it is all appreciated. The main question arising (which I will discuss in depth with my surgeon next week - it makes me chuckle referring to him as ‘my surgeon!’ We haven’t even shared a pot of tea yet, let alone played golf or had a couple of sets of tennis!) is which is the best method of urine diversion following surgery? Orthotopic Neobladder (a new bladder constructed from my intestines and connected to my urethra i.e. nothing to see here,) or an Ileal Conduit that involves a ‘bag for life.’ (My utility room is full of bags for life so I’m not sure I need another one.) There are pros and cons for both. My surgeon (chuckle chuckle) has suggested a Neobladder. One of the best pieces of advice I have been given by the kind people on the facebook forum is ‘go with the flow and do what they tell you.’ I like that a great deal but still like to do a bit of research.


My fun fact for today involves the recommended Neobladder and if you’re eating your tea (or any other meal) I would stop reading now…...The piece of intestine used to create the new bladder produces its own mucus to help with the movement of waste material through the gut. Once it is in place as a bladder it continues to produce mucus (that is one of the down sides!)


The scan was fine. Everyone at the hospital was very kind. It involved an iodine based dye being administered through a cannula in the arm followed by 15 minutes or so of going in and out of a large doughnut. The sensation of the dye going through the body was interesting but very short lived. 


So that’s another box ticked. I guess I won’t hear anything further until next Thursday unless the scan reveals something that requires more immediate attention.


My physical health is changing slightly. The increased weeing has become the norm so is no issue (especially now I have no further 300 mile car journeys to worry about.) However, my energy levels are dropping and I’m much tireder than I was 3 months ago. This is a common symptom of my disease but it wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t slightly psychosomatic as well. I’ve sadly had to cancel my upcoming hog roasts which is a crying shame as they’re the most enjoyable part of my working week but there is a fair bit of heavy equipment to shift about and I’m not sure that that’s the best thing for me right now. I did a lot of walking whilst we were away and I shall endeavour to continue for as long as possible. I’m sure if I can be as physically fit as possible in the run up to the operation it can only help my recovery.


My mental health is still pretty good.  Not perfect!  I am a human being after all and one of the down sides of having a conscious mind is its ability to whisk you off into the future and spin you a web of lies or send you back into the past to a time when Britain was great (aarrgghh… don’t be political!!!) So anxiety and depression are always going to be waiting for me to take my eye off the ball. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t sometimes wish it was all a bad joke and I’m actually fine. The surgery I’m going to have will be life changing. I prefer to think of it as life saving. All any of us can do is enjoy the current moment. As I write this the sun is streaming through the window, the house is peaceful and life is good. At this exact moment would I rather be me or Joe Root? It’s no contest! 


Sorry Joe.

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