My PSA continues to fall, as of today it's down to 79 from 94 three weeks ago. I'm due the next hormone blocker injection later this month, it will be interesting to see if that has an effect. I suspect that the dramatic drop back when I began chemo, which was just after the last injection, was possibly in part due to the hormone blocker.
The pattern of feeling ropey seems to have altered. Until the last session, I felt awful within twenty-four hours, then slowly better over the three weeks. This time I felt bad (the worst so far) within twelve hours, not so bad by the second week and then this last week has been pretty bad again.
On top of the chemo effect, I seem to have returned to a degree of discomfort in my pelvis and femur. It's nothing like as bad as it was before the chemo and I'm still mainly painkiller free. I sometimes resort to paracetamol in the evening and that helps.
It seems that I haven't escaped the hair loss side effect either. For a while now I've noticed how sparse the hair on my arms and legs has become. Last week I woke to find that my beard was on the pillow! Well some of it. I was left looking like a badly plucked chicken with some random tufts here and there. On the up-side it doesn't take much effort to shave what does (slowly) grow.
When I gave the latest blood for pre-chemo testing I also gave a sample for the putative nephrostomy (it had to be tested for clotting capability - the chemo destroys white blood cells).
I discussed my concerns about the nephrostomy. The trouble is that most people seem pretty vague about the details. For example, today, it was suggested that it might be possible to insert a stent without needing a drain.
The need was also discussed. My kidney function is affected but as the dysfunction is also a side-effect of the chemo, I'm still not absolutely convinced that the cancer node on the ureta is the cause and nor are the medical professionals it seems.
Anyway, I have an appointment for 2:00 pm on Wednesday 18th of this month (a week today) with a consultant radiologist. He will hopefully determine whether or not a drain is required or if a stent can be inserted without.
As it's a possibility that the procedure will go ahead that day, the chemo session (number six) scheduled for this Friday has been cancelled and rearranged for the following day (19th June). This is due to the affect of the chemo on the white blood cells. As there's a possibility of one or other of the drain/stent insertion might go ahead on Wednesday, I cannot drive myself to the hospital. Fortunately an ex-colleague and friend has offered his services as a taxi.
So I have a week's extra gap between chemo sessions but that means further into September before it ends and if the nephrostomy goes ahead I will have to cope with the effects of the next chemo session on top of that procedure within twenty-four hours.
I'll admit that I'm not really very happy with the prospect. I've suggested whipping out the affected kidney and sticking it on ebay but everyone just laughs!
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