前立腺がん患者の語り

Why did you decide to have cryoablation after having had the radiotherapy, did they discuss it?

Well that's all there was because, because it [cancer] came back you know and the PSA was going up and up and up again but it hadn't yet gone outside, so of course fortunately we had cryo by that time, just... Hence me being one of the first two to try it. And I mean it's come back and that's what you've got available, you take it.

And did they do the surgery on the NHS, was it paid for by the Government?

Oh yes, oh yes. But of course the charity has since replaced it all. I really started this charity once I got the cancer and we have Heal funding, I'll give you a couple of leaflets to take way with you, Heal funding which of course is doing research, holistics and of course mainly my side of it is the supply of equipment.

So can you describe the day when you went into hospital to have the cryosurgery from the beginning to the end please.

Yes the, one is merely prepared for an operation as any other operation, normal checks on general fitness other than the obvious problems that you're in there for. Then the following day of course it's pre-med and the operation that was supposed to take 2 hours finished up taking, well I was out of the ward for 8 hours, but of course you have 3 catheters for cryoablation, one of course in the stomach, one in the perineum and the other to keep the urethra warm. I'll leave it to your imagination where they put the third one.

So the urine is draining out through the stomach?

It's out through the stomach yes because the other one is put in there merely because if you didn't of course you would do great damage of course if you weren't to keep the urethra warm whilst you're operating.

And did you have a general anaesthetic for this?

General yes. You know I have read the reports that of course this could be done under local but 8 hours under local, forget it you could not do this under local, you'd have to have I feel a general anaesthetic.

Why did yours take so long do you know?

No.

And can you explain in as much detail what happened afterwards?

It may well be it took a long time because of course Dr X would have been explaining every part of the procedure, not only to the urologist but the oncologist was also there, together with the registrars.

And can you explain exactly how it felt when you came round and what happened please in as much detail as possible?

When I came round it was not, no different basically than coming round from any other surgery. Obviously very sore - the thing that quite surprised me most of all was the total shrinkage of whatever equipment I'd had when I went in there had totally, and of course there is still after all this time a very stinging numbness. But it's purely a question of alternatives, I mean I would, and of course what's important of course is you can have cryo again and I think that is terribly important because if it flared up again you can have another lot of cryo where of course radiotherapy you can have so much and that's finished.

And how long were you in hospital for?

6 days, 5 to 6 days yes including the day I went in I suppose that would be 6 days.

Is that normal or is that a bit longer than...

It was a bit longer than one would have anticipated but possibly at the, this was a very early stage of this sort of treatment and obviously they didn't want to really take any chances and he wanted to make sure that the catheter was out before.

And that was draining the urine?

Yes because I mean there's nothing worse than walking around with one of these things strapped to your, going to a meeting and finding that you've turned the tap on by mistake.

So could you get out of bed fairly soon after the operation?

Yes.

The next day?

Yes but of course with the elastic stockings on and what have you, I think that's an absolute must these days.

And so they took the catheter out before you left the hospital?

Yes.

And did you find it easy to pass urine then, was it alright?

Well he wouldn't release me until I could.

And did you have any side effects?

I mean immediately this one came out it was perfectly okay, apart from of course this perhaps stinging. I mean there was blood initially of course, one would expect it.

A bit of blood in the urine?

Yes but

But there was no incontinence?

No not incontinence, perhaps there was a little slight leakage, let's put it that way, which is inconvenient.

And how long did that go on for, have you still got any...?

No not really, not really. All in all I think it's a successful procedure.