Update, update

Doesn't time fly?


To correct an error I made in an earlier post – Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening condition and after clarifying this with a local doctor I can happily say I don't suffer from it! What happens to me can be attributed to transient infections and anaesthetic side effects – none of which are likely to be serious.

Away from the medical side, life remains hectic for someone who is supposed to be retired. In early August I accompanied my other half and financial controller, The Little Worker, to North Sydney, where she was attending a knowledge management conference. I decided to tag along for the ride and enjoyed myself mainly by walking through and around Kiribilli and Milson's Point. The weather was kind: cool but the brilliant blue skies and bright sunshine made taking photos just something I had to do.

Back to reality and I'm now working three days a week, back at my old place of employment, on a data extraction project. Due the public service rules and regs, I had to apply for this temporary position, going through the laborious process of writing responses to 'Capability questions' [Selection criteria] and updating a 17-years out of date CV. How to encapsulate a working life in no more than three pages. Still, that's all done and dusted and I'm happy to say that there were no other applicants and I signed the new six month contract last week. I worked for this same organisation for over 20 years before the cancer was diagnosed. I'm glad to be back – I find it comfortable and comforting and the people that matter know I'll do a good job. Life is sweet at times.

Excursion the second and some medical whinges

I'm still in a quandry - do I really have anything useful to say? I know at least one person will read this [ta, Pete] but I cannot believe that anything I write can be that interesting.


Having written that, off we go..


My latest CT scan was clear again for which I'm relieved. The trouble is now that I'm getting too blasé about these imposts on my bank account and time. However I know that David Morris [The Prof] will keep the same regimen for at least five years after the surgery. If I'm still here in October 2010 then I will be able to celebrate.
This last scan was late due to a three week holiday in New Zealand. It has thrown the schedule in a bit of a mess. My local oncologist doesn't want me to have another scan specifically for the next visit to see The Prof in mid May so I've emailed to ask for dispensation. I'll be surprised if he says 'Yes'.


While the cancer is in abeyance the urethral stricture continues to cause mainly logistical and temporal problems - I'd rather be somewhere other than a urologist's couch or a hospital theatre with the associated genital manipulations.
Add to this a tendency to develop malignant hyperthermia post each procedure. For me, this is not as serious as the Medline link may suggest. Its effect on me give the impression of me having the 'flu': I have an elevated temperature and shivers. Sometimes I have aching muscles - making it feel more 'flu'-like. I usually like to get out of hospital before it strikes and I have some well developed camouflaging techniques to hide its effects from The Little Worker who prefers me in hospital for as long as possible... ;-)


In fact the urethral stricture is becoming more of a problem due to its frequency. I'm lucky to go for six weeks before requiring dilatation. My local urologist is referring me on to a doctor in Sydney who may consider urethroplasty. I don't particularly want to spend any time in hospital away from my home but if it fixes the current problems then I'll be the good patient and do as I'm told. Fixing the stricture may also go a long way to preventing the increasingly frequent urinary tract infections.


Additionally my local urologist is due to retire in a couple of week's time. I'm sure he deserves a break from looking at genitalia each and every working day but I feel somewhat abandoned :-( by this turn of events. I'll need to find another local urologist - this means another GP visit and another bit of paper - the referral - so I can see someone else.


What really bugs me is that having been referred to a specialist by the GP for a genuine problem, the referral has a life of only 12 months. This smacks of mad bureaucracy - the specialist can refuse to continue treatment if you don't get a renewed referral after 12 months - unless you have a continual referral. All Medicare rules and regs apparently according to my GP. He'd prefer not to have to issue bits of paper so a patient can obtain medical treatment as it would make his job not only easier but more concerned with the scientific and social side of general practice...

First excursion

What to write or what not to write, that is the question.

Will anyone be interested - will I be sufficiently interested to keep it going?
It's taken some prompting by a couple of people for me to begin this. One a nurse at St George's public hospital Kogarah, NSW and the other the author of Pete's Place.

The initial intention is to try to write about my experiences since being diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer in September 2004. But to be honest I'm not sure if my memories are all that clear. Too much has gone on while I was zonked I think for this to be useful.
And I want it to be useful to others who may be suffering the same diagnosis but everyone is individual and will react, or not, in their own way so how can I use my experiences for the good of others?
I won't know unless I suck it and see - tally ho!