I got a phone call from the Saudi German Hospital yesterday, confirming that my health insurance had authorised both the abdominal and thorax CT scans, so an appointment was made for midday today. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything for at least 6 hours beforehand, and needed another blood test at 10:00 am (so that the results of this would be known just before the CT scans were performed).
Hence we left home at 8:00 am, and arrived at the hospital at 9:15 am - no traffic en route, because the schools were closed today after the massive thunderstorms and flooding yesterday.
The blood samples were taken at 9:45 am in the Laboratory, and all was well (the Creatinine level was at 92 μmol/L).
The CT scans were started at 11:45 am in the Radiology Department - once without contrast, then again after the contrast chemical had been injected into my arm.
We then went back to the Urology Department, where Dr. Hossam tried to analyse the results .... but unfortunately my bladder was completely empty (thanks to the catheter and 6 hours of no intake), so he couldn't determine anything. Hence he came with me back to Radiology, pumped a saline solution into my bladder until it was full, and the CT scans were redone.
The GOOD news (still to be officially confirmed by the Radiologist's report on Sunday) is that Dr. Hossam could see no indication of cancer present in my throat, lungs, chest or stomach. It seems that the cancer is still retained within my bladder and has not spread any further !!!
So the next stage (after seeing the Radiologist's report) is to have a meeting with the Consultant Uro-Oncologist. If he agrees with Dr, Hossan that I am a good candidate for radical cystectomy, an application for authorisation for this operation will be made to my health insurance company. If this is not approved quickly, they will proceed with chemotherapy next Tuesday, followed by an aggressive resectoscopy to remove as much of the tumor from the bladder as possible, as a stopgap until the radical cystectomy operation is authorised.
THOUGHTS
Obviously incredibly happy that the cancer has not spread any further than my bladder, but also worried about the severity of the operation required shortly.
Hence we left home at 8:00 am, and arrived at the hospital at 9:15 am - no traffic en route, because the schools were closed today after the massive thunderstorms and flooding yesterday.
The blood samples were taken at 9:45 am in the Laboratory, and all was well (the Creatinine level was at 92 μmol/L).
The CT scans were started at 11:45 am in the Radiology Department - once without contrast, then again after the contrast chemical had been injected into my arm.
We then went back to the Urology Department, where Dr. Hossam tried to analyse the results .... but unfortunately my bladder was completely empty (thanks to the catheter and 6 hours of no intake), so he couldn't determine anything. Hence he came with me back to Radiology, pumped a saline solution into my bladder until it was full, and the CT scans were redone.
The GOOD news (still to be officially confirmed by the Radiologist's report on Sunday) is that Dr. Hossam could see no indication of cancer present in my throat, lungs, chest or stomach. It seems that the cancer is still retained within my bladder and has not spread any further !!!
So the next stage (after seeing the Radiologist's report) is to have a meeting with the Consultant Uro-Oncologist. If he agrees with Dr, Hossan that I am a good candidate for radical cystectomy, an application for authorisation for this operation will be made to my health insurance company. If this is not approved quickly, they will proceed with chemotherapy next Tuesday, followed by an aggressive resectoscopy to remove as much of the tumor from the bladder as possible, as a stopgap until the radical cystectomy operation is authorised.
THOUGHTS
Obviously incredibly happy that the cancer has not spread any further than my bladder, but also worried about the severity of the operation required shortly.
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