My prostate and The Hunger Games

Robert Reich's post Congress and my prostate was timely for me today. Congress has nothing to do with me, but my prostate is my current major concern. Reich notes that he is on oestrogen patches which have the same effect as the kind of drug I'm on - Degarelix - without the side effects. I'm all for it.

I've now had four injections of Degarelix. I've had several side effects, mild at first but gradually becoming more noticeable, and particularly so after the last one ten days ago. One of the first was hot flushes (yes, we've done all the jokes). For most of the time they've been very mild, not uncomfortable at all, and almost a way of my body saying to me, "hey, it's working". Now the flushes are quite uncomfortable, though not nearly as bad as some women get.

A not listed side effect is twitchy legs. When I mentioned this to the nurses, they said, yes, it's not listed but other people have mentioned it too.

And I'm fairly certain, on the basis of no evidence at all, that the treatment is exacerbating a nasal problem that has been affecting me on and off for several months. More on than off now. (Yes, I have consulted my GP.)

I've also been quite a bit more emotional. I cry at the stupidest things. A few days ago I bawled my head off over the last fifty page of the book I was reading, and since then my nose has been very reluctant to unblock itself.

Knowing how susceptible I am, the book was probably a reckless choice. Sunrise On The Reaping, the second prequel to The Hunger Games. It's the story of Haymitch Abernathy's games, and if you know The Hunger Games, as I do, you are aware of Haymitch's background, so you know that Everybody Haymitch Loves Is Going To Die. All the same, I blame Suzanne Collins for writing it so well.

Prostate wise, apart from the injections I'm still in limbo. I've had every scan possible as far as I know, including the last radioactive one where the instruction sheet's last words were, when you finished get out of the hospital as fast as you can!!!

But I'm still waiting for the consultation for them to tell me what the plan is.