My site hits have trebled overnight by putting the link on both the Macmillan and Prostate Charity sites. I sit here at 4 a.m. looking at the statistics, unable to sleep for no apparent reason, so thought I would retreat to the attic with a nice cup of tea. Funny how tea has always been the choice of remedy, to sooth every possible crisis that we come across in life. Even when my Dad died, the nurse said, "come on, let's go and have a nice cup of tea". My settings on this Blog allow me to automatically e mail just 10 people with the Blog as soon as I post it. However, Luci, my no.2 :-), says that she preferred it when she could read my Blog at night on the site, and does not like it arriving on her phone as an e mail. If you are one of the others who gets this e mail and wants it stopping, please let me know. I understand what Luci means and think I would prefer to receive it the way she likes to.

This is the 97th posting on this Blog! Had you told me on 18th June, that I would be nearing the 100th entry, yet had no treatment of any kind, I would have laughed. If you learn anything from this Blog, learn this. If you get Cancer in Cumbria, try and go and live further south, preferably around London, because I am not even sure if there is a system up here!

I wrote to my consultant, Mr Bashir, 2 weeks ago; no reply. I wrote to the PALS section at the hospital; no reply. My own doctor, who I was told to be the only person who could drive this forward, told me last week that it was,"out of my hands now"! Well if it's not in her hands, who's hands is it in? Last week, she left me with the number of the Consultants secretary in Newcastle, who she had just spoken to. She commented on how nice this lady was and to just call her if I had any concerns about my appointments. Well when I phoned up, being perfectly pleasant to her, she wasn't nice to me! I could tell that even though I was speaking, she wasn't listening or taking in what I was saying. I've heard nothing since and still no appointment, so I am going back to my doctor again tomorrow. I bet you think I am making this up, that nothing could be this farcical outside a deliberate act in a circus, but no my friends, this is all real and happening now!

Prostate Cancer is curable if caught in the 'early stages', but surely the 'early stages' are no longer 'early' as time advances. Ken Hom found that out when he was diagnosed in March this year. His treatment didn't start until the beginning of August, so using that as a measure, you could say that I haven't waited that long yet. (though I don't know how aggressive his cancer was) You can check out his story at the link below.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1313756/How-blast-atomic-energy-save-Ken-Homs-

I am not sure if I would have chosen the same treatment that he did, but the choices are not easy and all have their ups and downs. I look at it this way, the less Prostate cells you have in your body, the less likely you are to get a rogue one. Anyway, I must be confident, or I wouldn't have just bought another tax disc for my car; though it was for 6 months!

Sue tells me that Cancer Patients at Leeds Hospital do not pay for parking, which is not the case in Carlisle; so another campaign to start I think. Do they charge in your area?

Do you recycle everything that you can? We do, but is it worth it? As the week goes by, the box under the stairs slowly fills until it gets difficult to close the door. Then I transfer it to the boot of my car, intending to take it to the recycle station next time I drive out. But then I forget, until next time I need to use the boot of the car. I then have to move the recycling waste into the back seat area, and finally I go to empty it all out when the car is so full that I can barley see out, above the cans, bottles and cartons. Beverley washes the waste before putting it into the recycling box and the dishwasher will often have more litter in it than the bin! On balance I think the whole process is worthwhile, even if it is to remind me weekly, how much wine we drink, because of the amount of bottles, and how good Beverley's cooking is, from how few cans there are.

I have an appointment with the Student Disability Adviser at 4 p.m. They are already planning how best to help me continue my studies when I come home from hospital. If you want to see Customer Service at its best, then look no further than Student Support at Cumbria University.

I've just heard on the news that, 'New guidelines have been issued by the United Nations on the torture of prisoners'. That's reassuring, don't you think? It's nice to know that when you are being tortured to death, that it is all being done in a way that is approved by the UN.

Ok I started to get bored and I am sorry!