How is it going?

"How is the course of treatment then Keith?", I hear you ask.

Well, the first day I was asked if I wouldn't mind being at IMED for 8am. That meant an early alarm call for me since I needed to be there at about 7:30am to drink the necessary three glasses of water 30 minutes beforehand.

That was last Thursday. I now have a 9am time slot which is a big improvement. Still, it takes about 45 minutes to get there, so I have to leave at about 7:45am - much too early for Mrs W. who says she will come with me - sometimes!

I was warned about the side effects of the treatment which basically means you have to visit the toilet more often. As you might imagine, the prostate is pretty close to both the bowel and the bladder so the radiation effects both. Not only do you need to pass urine more frequently, it isn't that easy and it burns - what is aptly described as "radiation cystitis". I also have some herbal medicine to ease the problem with loose stools - NICE!

Luckily, the effects are normally temporary and should go away once the treatment is finished which will be on about the 25th July. I say about because I was talking to someone today who was on his last but one day and he told me that his course was extended by two days when they had to service the machine sometime earlier this month. The bonus was that he got an extended weekend when he didn't have to travel to IMED.

You know, women often remind us of their "ailments", well we men do not all get off so lightly. However, the alternative to treatment does not bear contemplating. I shall grin and bear it.