The Album Review Club - Christmas Break Until 8th January

Out on blue 6 said:
All the best Rob. You do a sterling job on these threads and I'm sure everyone is 100% behind you.
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Thanks, I appreciate it. Music is one of the things that keep you going, after all!

Coatigan said:
All the best Rob, and in some ways I take positives in reading how you are taking all this.
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Despite being cynical by nature, I've found this very easy to deal with for the following reasons:-

1. It's been caught early, and quite often I think "What if I'd left it another 6 months or a year to take the test?" We'd probably be looking at a very different scenario now.
2. The diagnosis and treatment process has been first class. It's been helped by the fact that I have private medical cover at work. When people are in a rush to retire (that's not me by the way), I do wonder if they know what they are giving up if they have private medical cover at work. I think when the time comes, I might drop my hours but keep on working as long as I can at least for a few hours if this preserves the medical cover that still covers all four of us.
3. I've not suffered any pain or major side effects.
4. I can carry on working and going on holiday. Life feel normal most of the time.
5. I am, quite frankly, in awe of the treatment that the treatment that cancer sufferers have available. OK, it's not going to work out for everybody, but even in men where Prostate Cancer has spread to the pelvis, drugs like Abiraterone will keep it at bay and you can carry on with your life.

Final word: you're in Scotland, aren't you? If you ever need Abiraterone, it's licensed for use in far more situations in Scotland and Wales than it is in England and Northern Ireland. I'm sure the same is true for many other drugs as well.
 
RobMCFC said:
As a few of you have been asking, and don't necessarily always venture into the Prostate Cancer thread, I have an update on my cancer treatment.

I have been given the go-ahead to take Abiraterone, so I took my first dose this morning. A quick recap: this is normally a second line of treatment when cancer has spread and it needs to be held at bay. My situation is that the cancer hasn't spread beyond the prostate (OK, it's poking out a bit), but my oncologist has fought for me to have the drug because it has shown great results in preventing cancer re-occurrence for men in my situation.

I will have a brachytherapy session in mid- to late September, followed by 15 radiotherapy sessions 2 weeks later. The aim of this treatment is to cure the cancer.

Just over a month from my first hormone injection, aside from frequent hot flushes, I'm getting no other side effects (yet) and life continues as normal.
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blimey Rob, i wasn't aware you were going through this.
thinking of you and all the best, glad you're battling this early and have no other side effects. keep fighting.
 
RobMCFC said:
As a few of you have been asking, and don't necessarily always venture into the Prostate Cancer thread, I have an update on my cancer treatment.

I have been given the go-ahead to take Abiraterone, so I took my first dose this morning. A quick recap: this is normally a second line of treatment when cancer has spread and it needs to be held at bay. My situation is that the cancer hasn't spread beyond the prostate (OK, it's poking out a bit), but my oncologist has fought for me to have the drug because it has shown great results in preventing cancer re-occurrence for men in my situation.

I will have a brachytherapy session in mid- to late September, followed by 15 radiotherapy sessions 2 weeks later. The aim of this treatment is to cure the cancer.

Just over a month from my first hormone injection, aside from frequent hot flushes, I'm getting no other side effects (yet) and life continues as normal.
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Oh sorry to hear about this Rob, I wish you all the very best mate and hope the treatment sorts it out.
 
RobMCFC said:
As a few of you have been asking, and don't necessarily always venture into the Prostate Cancer thread, I have an update on my cancer treatment.

I have been given the go-ahead to take Abiraterone, so I took my first dose this morning. A quick recap: this is normally a second line of treatment when cancer has spread and it needs to be held at bay. My situation is that the cancer hasn't spread beyond the prostate (OK, it's poking out a bit), but my oncologist has fought for me to have the drug because it has shown great results in preventing cancer re-occurrence for men in my situation.

I will have a brachytherapy session in mid- to late September, followed by 15 radiotherapy sessions 2 weeks later. The aim of this treatment is to cure the cancer.

Just over a month from my first hormone injection, aside from frequent hot flushes, I'm getting no other side effects (yet) and life continues as normal.
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Good news about the Abiraterone Rob, I’m sure you’ll get this awful disease
beat.All the best.
 
RobMCFC said:
As a few of you have been asking, and don't necessarily always venture into the Prostate Cancer thread, I have an update on my cancer treatment.

I have been given the go-ahead to take Abiraterone, so I took my first dose this morning. A quick recap: this is normally a second line of treatment when cancer has spread and it needs to be held at bay. My situation is that the cancer hasn't spread beyond the prostate (OK, it's poking out a bit), but my oncologist has fought for me to have the drug because it has shown great results in preventing cancer re-occurrence for men in my situation.

I will have a brachytherapy session in mid- to late September, followed by 15 radiotherapy sessions 2 weeks later. The aim of this treatment is to cure the cancer.

Just over a month from my first hormone injection, aside from frequent hot flushes, I'm getting no other side effects (yet) and life continues as normal.
Click to expand...
All the best mate. Sounds like you have a good oncologist.
 
RobMCFC said:
cover at work. When people are in a rush to retire (that's not me by the way), I do wonder if they know what they are giving up if they have private medical cover at work. I think when the time comes, I might drop my hours but keep on working as long as I can at least for a few hours if this preserves the medical cover that still covers all four of us.
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You make a very important point Rob. A couple of things; you can continue your health insurance after you retire as a continuous service (you don’t need to go through more underwriting) clearly the premium goes up and the buggers hike it every year. However, if you shop carefully it’s possible to change providers when the original gets too pricey. We are both still covered 10 years after I retired. I pay just over £200 per month which is just about doable.
Mrs S was diagnosed with Breast cancer a couple of years ago and chose to go down the NHS route rather than private and I have to say her clinical treatment was exemplary and without delay. It seems to be the jewel in the crown of the NHS in Scotland.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
You make a very important point Rob. A couple of things; you can continue your health insurance after you retire as a continuous service (you don’t need to go through more underwriting) clearly the premium goes up and the buggers hike it every year. However, if you shop carefully it’s possible to change providers when the original gets too pricey. We are both still covered 10 years after I retired. I pay just over £200 per month which is just about doable.
Mrs S was diagnosed with Breast cancer a couple of years ago and chose to go down the NHS route rather than private and I have to say her clinical treatment was exemplary and without delay. It seems to be the jewel in the crown of the NHS in Scotland.
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Good point. Certainly something I will look at when I do finally decide to retire.

Thanks for the replies everybody. I don't want to derail the thread but thought it a good place to post updates when something significant happens.
 
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