If you are living in the UK, you may have heard in the news this morning that the "National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence" (NICE) has recommended that more people should be tested for the early signs of cancer. Fantastic! I thought that this was great news................then I looked in detail at the guidance about prostate cancer. Here it is:
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG12/chapter/1-recommendations#/urological-cancers
This is no different from the previous advice. A PSA test is only to be offered to men who present to their GP with symptoms. This is where life gets a bit weird. Prostate cancer, of caught early enough, is eminently curable, but still killed 11,000 men in the UK in 2014. If you have the time, take a minute to imagine what 11,000 people would look like if they were all in one place; that is enough people to fill the Albert Hall twice over! Routine PSA tests would not save all of those people, but would probably reduce the numbers dramatically. A golden opportunity to do something about this needless loss of life passed up by the geniuses of the NHS.
In the words of a 21st century sage:
My plea to readers is to write to newspapers, lobby their MP, deluge the Department of Health with e-mails.............go to town on the b******s, the PSA test should be routinely offered to all men over 50.
Ok, rant over, back to the treatment bit.
Today was the first of 37 visits to the radiotherapy bit of the Kent Oncology Centre and I have to say that it was a good experience, if you can call being lightly grilled a good experience?
As I said, 37 in total, so only 36 to go. Fortunately, someone took notice when I asked that all appointments should be at the same time of day and, preferably, early morning; every single one is either at 08:30 or 08:45. This will take just over 7 weeks because the this bit of the NHS does not work at weekend................As an aside, I just noticed that the acronym for the Kent Oncology Centre is KOC..............
Arrived in good time and found that the most important member of staff was totally on the ball. Never undervalue receptionists: they are usually your first point of contact and can be hugely helpful. The receptionist this morning was completely tuned into my priorities. After checking that I was on her system, she immediately explained how to get a discounted car park ticket. This one lady immediately reduced my hospital bill from £10 per week minimum to £1.80! I was then sent around the corner to the appropriate waiting area.
Comfy seating, no annoying music and only about 10 other people there. Sat down and wondered what would happen next. Within 2 minutes, a young man called out my name and, following appropriate hand and voice signals, came to sit next to me. He checked who I was just in case I was an imposter, asked the usual "morning routine" type of questions, then invited me to sit tight and he would return when they were ready.
5 minutes before the appointed time, the young man re-appeared asked me to follow him and said he would explain the routine (in future I will not be collected, but will see my name come up on a screen in the waiting area along with an electronic voice summoning me). Routine dead simple: pick a pair of pyjama type trousers from the pile, get changed in changing room and then wait on a chair to be collected. I was also issued with a plastic bag for my clothes and a pair of socks with grippy soles. Apparently these are a one-off issue, so I may be writing about their deterioration at a later date!
Bang on time, collected, led to the machine, measured, readjusted, lightly cooked. By 09:00 I was on my way out of the building....................... efficient, pleasant people and the bonus of good music to listen to whilst lying there. Today's tune is one of those that were playing; they have clearly chosen the mix to reflect the tastes of the generation they are treating! Just to prove the point, today's tune is on of those that were playing.
I will base future posts on things that are either really good, or really bad. I see no point in torturing you with the mindless tedium of 36 further accounts.....................
And now, today's tune. Happens to be by one of my favourite artistes of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTeHsKPWhY
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