Colin
C Lives in United Kingdom. He was 66 when he was diagnosed on September 18, 2006.
His initial PSA was 3,568.0 ng/ml, he did not have a biopsy so does not have a
Gleason Score. He was staged T4. His choice of treatment was ADT (Androgen Deprivation
Therapy). Here is his story - regrettably Colin did not respond to reminders to
UpDate his story, so it ends in January 2008.
Through out 2005/06 I went
to see my GP on several occasions complaining of severe pains in my abdomen.
On
each occasion he sounded my chest and back and stated he couldn't find anything
wrong.
On Thursday 14th Sept 06 in desperation I rang NHS Direct and things
started to happen, I was taken to hospital and had several tests including an
MRI Scan and DRE (Digital Rectal Examination). By the weekend I was told I had
Active Prostate Cancer with Metastasis, and was put on hormone therapy, 10mg Morphine
MST and Iron tablets (HB was down to 7).
I was discharged on the 26th Sept
06 and given a 3 month out patient appointment. PSA was down to 20 and DRE found
my gland was smooth and round and as remained so to this day. throughout 2007
my PSA dropped to 3 but has risen again at my Jan 08 appointment to 29. They are
going to prescribe a tablet to work in conjunction with my Zoladex injection.
I
couldn't help thinking I had been let down by my GP. I felt alarm bells were ringing
and that he should have given me a PSA test much earlier.
I decided to
complain and had a meeting with the Practice Manager who gave me a copy of my
medical records and told me there was no record of me attending the surgery complaining
of pains and that the Emis software would not allow records to be deleted. In
other words it was all in my imagination. I suppose we were each calling the other
a liar.
I didn't pursue things any further because I was going into hospital
for a hip operation on Oct 1st 07 which by the way I was told they would never
do once I'd been diagnosed with PC with mets but that's another story.
|