Friday, August 12, 2005

Waiting & Patience

Some other blogs appear to be static for years, so my self-inflicted bad feelings are eased a little. After my last radiotherapy treatment on 11 July my brain numbness grew but has now subsided to near normal levels--it's time to write again. Prostate cancer is such that scans won't be accurate enough to check changes; it's down to the Prostate Specific Antigen Test (PSA). When blood levels of PSA rise, cancer is one of several possible explanations. Now my cancer has been treated, the PSA levels should fall. One doctor suggested a gap of several weeks before the next PSA measurement to let the body to normalise after the radiation. This means? That I won't know until mid-October whether the treatment has helped and the cure held out as one prospect will materialise. I never felt ill before all this started and I feel well now. Since Christmas 2004 I have not taken my regular exercise, so I feel sluggish--but I'm working on it. Today it was wonderful to walk and trot the perimeter of a local golf course. Late summer mornings can be cool, clear and clean. At 6:30 AM only a few maintenance staff are out preparing the course for the day's players. But I did come across a local couple exercising their dogs and shared a few seconds exchanging delight at this wonderful place and moment. "We are blessed," said the gentleman. Blessed at such beauty, at freedom to be out and about and the joy of being alive. I think even their two immaculately-behaved dogs agreed.