Where has 2017 gone - a belated update

My last blog update was back in February following my hot camping trip.  Apart from my usual tiredness caused by my AF I was feeling very well, cycling 3 or 4 days a week and delivering Meals on Wheels at least once a week.

For many years I have followed a groups of cycling journals posted on a web site known as Crazy Guy On A Bike (CGOAB).  These are journals of real hard core touring cyclists  some of  them around the world rides. A few months ago the CGOAB owner started a sister site, Bicycle Life, which caters for "normal cyclists" going about their normal life.  To make things interesting they have "Challenges" and I decided to take part in the annual Bicycle Life Challenge.  For seven weeks one must make seven rides,  purchase some item, record the ride in a journal.  They must provide documentary evidence of the purchase.  My Journal of this challenge is at Bike Life Challenge  It has many pictures of my home town.

During the challenge I attended the annual Bike Friday Muster in  the NSW Southern Highlands south of Sydney. On April 3 I drove down for three days and slept in my little camper trailer on the way.  My AF doesn't affect my driving and I covered between 400 to 550 km a day.

My first stop at Tenterfield

Second stop at Musselwellbrook

My home at Moss Vale for a few days

My bike was ready to go

The little bikes began to arrive

More and more of them

and more

over 120 of them

because my AF makes me slow I took short rides and got held up for 20 minutes by this train

The end

I did manage to get to lunch with the others in Bowral

for a beautiful carrot cake.  It was a 40KM ride

We had our farewell lunch in this pub

and home via Tamworth

and Warwick

It was a great break but towards the end I was having problems with my Prostate with blood in my urine. I saw GP who said my PSA was very low and probably my motoring and cycling plus the fact I was on blood thinners had caused a mild Prostate/Bladder inflammation.

On May 19 I joined my Camper Trailer group for a weekend camp at Landsborough about 80KM from Tewantin.

I just set my annex and camped next to Gary and Les who I have become friends with over the last three years

they are preparing for a long outback trip and perfected their bread making

Most of the time was spent talking and sitting around the campfire with a glass of wine 

I returned to my normal MOW and cycling life.  In June I had another PSA test and visited my Urologist for a check up.  She was very pleased with a PSA of under 1.0 but as surprised that I was still  having blood in my urine.  She set up a Cystoscopy in a couple of a weeks time.

In the mean time I went on a weekend camp with my cycling club to Kenilworth, 40KM from Tewantin.

I just set up the tent and used my refrigerator pod as the kitchen

on Saturday we went for a ride along the Mary River valley

This unusual for us as we don't see Autumn leaves very often in Queensland

Frankie came along for the ride

but prefers sleeping

back pass the Autumn Leaves

to visit some cows

Terry made a friend

to our "pop up" coffee stop

We only camped Friday and Saturday nights but it was a great getaway with dinner at the local pub both nights.

By now I had developed a bladder infection and my Cystoscopy  was delayed two weeks to July 12.
This procedure uses a flexible tube with a camera  to view the urethra, Prostate and bladder for abnormalities.  I could watch it on the screen.  My urologist commented on the normal urethra  but as the camera got to the Prostate she explained, "What's this?".  The camera showed a bloody mass blocking the Prostate entrance. She aborted the procedure and booked me in surgery in two weeks.  It would have been next day but my blood thinners require 10 days to leave the system.

 I was told that Fred, remember him?, had lied about the  PSA tests and he had spread out of the Prostate to the outer Sphincter muscles.  Surgery would either remove the Prostate and the cancerous urethra or just carry out biopsies on the new cancer.

On August 4 I had the surgery.  My Urologist saw me next morning and the next news wasn't good.  She couldn't remove the cancer without destroying the Sphincter and causing permanent incontinence.  I would remain in hospital until the biopsy results came back an in the mean time I would have CT scans, bone scans and an MRI.  To add to my problems I had a suspected heart attack which put me in Intensive Care for three days.  On August 8 I was cleared of heart problems but told that the cancer had metastasized and spread to my bones.  This is incurable and the only viable treatment  is ADT or hormone treatment which was started immediately. I went home next day.

First ten days were OK as I was on tablets.  After this I had a Zoladex hormone implant in my tummy.  In two days my life changed. I lost muscle tone became weak and even more tired.  I had ridden my bike  on several occasions since my hospitalization but for the next six weeks couldn't even look at it.  I had to cancel my big camping trip  a couple of weeks ago and I haven't the strength to deliver MOW.  Louis I getting used to short walks and even then I have to rest in the park halfway.

I have just had full blood tests and a PSA .  The blood tests were OK and my PSA had dropped from 0.94 to 0.30 which indicates the cancer spread is slowing down but I will need more scans to prove this.  Apparently, I should be feeling better in a few months as I adapt to having almost no Testosterone in my system.  In the mean time I will just get on with life.  

I now have Advanced Prostate Cancer with a Gleason Score of 5+4 =9.

First Blog Update for 2017

My last blog for 2016 ended with me returning home from my wet camping holiday.  While away I got very tired which I put down to my AF.

I was able to return to cycling in early November.  My first club ride was a disaster.  After 6Km I had to stop and rest.  I actually laid down in a school bus stop while the rest of the group went on and picked me up on their way back.  I did only 12Km and was exhausted.

During the week I made a couple of cycling shopping trips with difficulty.  My normal shopping trip is between 18 and 23Km and I normally fill a couple of large panniers with light  shopping.  It was too much.

My next two club rides were not fun which made me realize that something had to be done about it so I went to see my GP.  He checked my heart and general health.  I had recovered fully from my Prostate surgery and that wasn't the cause.  The 3/4 months brake from cycling would have reduced my fitness but not have caused the absolute fatigue I was feeling. I was having difficulty delivering MOW.

The only difference from before my surgery was that my Cardiologist had increased my AF medication just before my camping trip.  I was taking 100mg of Flecimide twice a day.  My GP was fairly certain that this was causing the problem and suggested I return to 50mg twice a day. In just a few days I was back to the state I detailed in the previous blog - not perfect but functioning and enjoying life with some limitations caused by the AF.

This is what I look like when going shopping

There was more good news in December when my PSA test results were very low <1.00 and my Urologist  said that Fred was dormant and I could go for another 6 months before my next test.

Louis and I spent Christmas with Joan and Bill but their little Dog, Scampi, was not present as he had died a few weeks earlier.  They had visited the RSPCA and other Dog Rescue Kennels and were told that they are too old to have another dog,  they are both about 80.  They were offered elderly dogs, 12 years and older, but Bill really wanted a dog he could take on long walks.

We had a good Christmas Day and a Boxing Day barbecue. 

Since  the New Year I have been able to  get back to cycling, delivering MOW,  walking Louis and looking after myself with out any problems as long as I stay within the limitations set by AF

In late January I joined a Camper Trailer group get together at Canungra near the Gold Coast.  It was a pleasant few days just lazing around and chatting with the other campers.  It was, however, hot and humid,  35 - 38C and 90%.  We were near a creek with a swimming hole and we would walk down there to cool off.

Where we were camping.

The grass was rather long for me to set up.

so it was mowed short by another camper

the swimming hole

the track from the campsite - the campers had whipper snipped the track for ease  of access

it was very steep and overgrown

my little set up - note the mowed track to the swimming hole

I could not resist posting this cooking photo - the Canungra butcher said this was an average Scotch Filler Steak - that's an eight inch fry pan!

The camp was from 26 to 30 Jan  and I had a couple of days to fill in before I was committed to deliver MOW so I stayed at my favourite camp ground in Esk for two nights.

Esk was really hot - 40C  and I spent a lot of time sitting and chatting with other campers around the swimming pool.   No cooking here, I went to the local pub and ate in preconditioned comfort.

Camping at Esk

I drove back to Tewantin on Thursday,  delivered MOW on Friday, put my bicycle in the boot of my car, and drove with my CT to Noosa North Shore to camp and ride with my cycling club.  It was a fun weekend but still very hot.

I picked Louis up from kennels on Tuesday morning.


Finally an example of house maintenance in Tewantin.

During a Termite inspection this damage was found in the garage.

They had got in from under the back patio slab

There is more by the window

Much more

Right down to the ground.

This where they got in

 

 

 

 

 

My local builder tricked down all the damage and repaired it

The house was completely treated with termite killer at a cost of $3,000 and the repairs cost $2,000.  Note I have always had regular inspections and preventative treatments but some obviously got in!


We have now had more than 30 days with temperatures reaching above 30C!