Monday has arrived, a week since I developed pain in my left arm. Been taking the Naproxen 500 mg twice a day that the GP prescribed on friday. It has lessened the pain slightly - I think, but it has not gone away , still there.
This is so annoying as this is the arm I need to drive. As I type this blog my left hand fingers feel slightly funny as well. Maybe the nsaid is working and things will get better.
Phone the GP in the morning and left a message as she had asked on friday to say the drugs dont seem to be working . You have to leave messages at my GP practise, you never get straight through to a doctor. They get the duty doctor or your own, if free, to phone back later in the day. It a really busy practise so i have to live with this - one of the reasons for over 9 years I hardly ever bothered getting in touch with my doctor and relied on not being ill or periodic Bupa health checks. ( Note to myself .. lump in breast and a new one developing ... may need to get this checked .. private not NHS )
Just after 4pm I got the phone call back from my GP. Told her that the pain was still there. Said I would persevere for the week and see how things get on. Again I re-iterated to her that this was the arm that I use for changing gear in the car - may impact my recovery , especially for work as I do thousands of business miles and often drive 1 to 2000 business miles in a week, on top of meetings and presentations to clients. She was ok with this. She didnt even mention the referral that she had mentioned on friday.
I had asked her last week about a referral to the local Erectile Dysfunction service - havent a clue whether we have one in this area of Shropshire.
Her view at the moment was that we would leave things as they are as she had prescribed the 5mg daily Cialis as Mr Doherty had advised. I was ok with that for the moment. Yes there are stirrings but normal or even near normal facilities are not restored in that area.
To be honest, I want my arm sorted. Though last night I was reading a white paper on penile recovery and this does concern me that there doesnt seem to be a specialst service here where I live. Makes me wonder does my female GP really understand how a man of 52 feels about this side of his health - after all , am not an 80 year old! Most people on the Prostate Cancer UK forum as well as drug rehab are also using vaccum devices prescribed on the NHS arranged through specialist nurses who deal with ED or through a dedicated ED service. Does my GP practise have experience in this area? I dont know. I did mention that the prescription for the 5mg wasnt a repeat one. GP said lets wait and see how it goes. So in a couple of weeks i will have to phone again for more!
There is a fabulous website with real patient exeperiences that goes into frank detail on erectile dysfunction, Lots of people on Prostate Cancer UK and MacMillan Cancer Care follow this site. It doesnt mince its words, but no one should as this is a serious, life impacting side efect of prostate cancer treatment. I would advise anyone to read the detail here. Also, a wife has done an article that really hits home, its puts sex into perspective against survival and love and two people being able to share their life togther - worth a read http://www.yananow.org/WhatSex.htm
My next visit with BPC and Mr Doherty isnt until 21st January - 3 months seems such an eternity with arm problems and erectile problems. At least the continence is ok apart from a bit of stress leakage. Might make a phone call to the oncology support service at Bupa and get a bit of advice from them.
Update ... Tuesday 6th Nov .. Alan Doherty phoned me at home and went through the problems I have been having. If the arm problem doesnt clear by friday he will schedule an MRI to see whats happened and how it can be sorted out.
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