IT WAS A BUSY MORNING AT THE LONDON REGIONAL CANCER CLINIC AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING FAST NOW

THE LONDON REGIONAL CANCER CENTER IS TRULY AN AMAZING PLACE DESIGNED FOR THE EASE AND COMFORT OF PATIENTS 

Rained most of the night, rained all the way to London, rained all the time we were there then rained much of the way home again.  But no matter, at least we weren't riding our bicycles.  Neither one of us slept well and were both up before 5 a.m.  At 5:50 with windshield wipers slapping time we were out of the house following our headlights through the dark morning hours.  Traffic was light and of course I overestimated London's morning rush hour which turned out to be hardly a rush hour at all.  I like when I make those kinds of over estimates and as I stated previously the Adelaide Street route was familiar for me so we had no problems.  Briefly floundered around finding the correct parking area near the Cancer Clinic and in the pouring rain made our way from the Jeep into the clinic's main door.  It was 7:10 and we were forty minutes early.  Bonus.  Hardly any people around so I busied myself taking photos of the large 3 tiered clinic.  I knew how nice it was from bringing wheelchair patients here 10 years ago.  Did I ever think I could be a cancer patient there myself back then??  Yes I did.  As I have said before, this prostate cancer diagnosis did not come as any kind of suprise to me.

KELLY IS IN THIS PHOTO LEFT OF CENTER STANDING IN THE WAITING AREA

AND HERE'S THE LITTLE LADY HER VERY SELF WHO LOOKS AFTER ME AND MY CONFUSEMENTS SO WELL

LIBRARY AND COMPUTER LOUNGE

Wasn't long before we had lots of paperwork to fill out.  Mainly questions about my current health concerns and functions.  No hard questions like who invented ice cream or anything like that.  Kelly of course was a huge help to me.  She had all my current medical files well organized and one of them came in handy later.  She also helped me with a few important questions I had like, where the heck are we anyway and how did we get here??  

A nice lady took us into a small room where more things were filled out and I think Kelly had as many questions for the lady as the lady had questions for me.  The only question I ever think to ask is where's the closest McDonalds??

Let me say something right up front about how friendly and helpful the cancer clinic staff is.  There are people there to help you at every turn and it is a good thing there is because there is a lot to learn.  They gave me a binder of information that almost weighed as much as I do.  I was given a patient ID card with a number and shown how to swipe and use it to check myself in each time I come.  Swipe the card and it's an on screen questionnaire which automatically updates my condition since the last time I swiped the card.  Again I was so fortunate to have Kelly and staff members there to help me with this.  Had they not been there I could see myself totally confusing myself.  We just had so much information coming at us that it was good for me to have Kelly there keeping me on track.  I might have headed for the washroom and locked myself in vowing never to come out.  Now I'm not saying I couldn't have done all this myself but it was a big help having Kelly there saving me from sitting in a corner all curled up with trembling shoes mumbling to myself.

I DON'T KNOW BUT IT MAKES A NOISE TO ALERT ME A HELP PERSON IS COMING

I WILL BE CHECKING IN ON MONITORS LIKE THIS EVERY TIME I GO THERE

There sure were a lot people there all of a sudden and I couldn't help but notice they were pretty well all Seniors.  Did not see any young folks.  Some were in wheel chairs, some with canes, and some just kind of teetered and tottered along.  And again, lots of staff right there to help with any difficulties whether they were physical or mental. 

My appointment to see Doctor Menendez was scheduled for 8:30 and by 8:45 Kelly and I were seated in an inner waiting room talking to the very Doctor himself.  It's very rare anyone pronounces my last name correctly but he nailed it right on when he came through the door.  Right away I liked da guy.  Well it was quite an in depth talk the three of us had.  He's asking me a lot of questions, Kelly's asking him a lot of questions, and I'm still sitting there wondering where the nearest Tim Horton coffee shop was.  (actually it was only a couple hundred feet away)  Going through my files he realized he had only half of my bone scan.  Kelly piped up, 'no problem here it is' as she pulled out her copy from my file of the entire bone scan results.  I could tell Doctor Menendez was totally impressed.  He was very patient and took his time explaining in detail my options and current condition.  Being that my prostate cancer is in an intermediate stage I was not a prime candidate for the Brachytherapy and we decided against surger.  He explained how the technology for my particular type of prostate cancer is advancing and there is a newer procedure out now called, SABR ( Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy.  In fact there are only 9 centers in all of Canada with this treatment and London is one of them.  It's still external radiation but instead of a 6 week, 5 days a week treatment plan it is now condensed to a week and a half with each treatment being on an alternate day.  In other words it's a 5 day treatment.  Actual radiation time is 15 minutes but they allow for 45 minutes start to finish.  And no 'ouchies'.  He did say with this newer treatment there is some prep work to be done and we would get a call when to return to the cancer clinic.  (that call landed on our answering machine before we even got home) Wasn't long ago and those radiation treatments could last for months at a time.  So anyway to make a long medical story short that is what we are going to do.  Sabr News of CTV Toronto.  

TIM HORTON COFFEE SHOP ON THE LOWER FLOOR WHERE MY RADIATION TREATMENTS WILL BE JUST A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY

WHEN DOCTOR MENENDEZ STEPPED OUT FOR A MINUTE I GRABBED THIS PHOTO

I think it was around 10:30 when we exited the hospital into a wall of pouring rain.  Again a bit of floundering around before we found the parking lot pay booth and prepaid for seven future parking times.  Kelly did all that as well and said it was cofusing even for her.  I would have probably driven through the wooden arm and went home.  I knew there was a McDonalds on Wellington Street near the parking lot so we scooted over there, picked up a couple coffees, and splashed our way back up Adelaide Street actually plowing through so much water on the road at times it was splashing up over the hood, windshield, and roof.  That was kind of exciting.  Traffic was again reasonable and fifteen minutes later we were breaking out into the countryside north of London.

GARDENS AT THE CLINICS ENTRANCE

Our good friend Ron from Four Seasons Performance has moved his base of operations from Grand Bend Ontario to Parkhill so on our way home we popped in to see his new digs.  Very impressive and any time spent talking to Ron is like receiving a positive energy boost.  He is a true bolt of lightning that guy.

THIS LOWER FLOOR AQUARIUM CAN BE SEEN IN A COUPLE OF THE PREVIOUS PHOTOS

I think it was somewhere around12:45 when we rolled into our home driveway and not only were we glad to be home but Pheebs was totally ecstatic to have Mom and Dad back home again.  With our poor Monday night sleeps, rainy drive to and from London, and the information overload while at the cancer clinic we were both totally wrecked.  I immediately headed for my living room recliner while Kelly headed for our blinking answering machine.  Hospital had already phoned and set up an appointment for me early this coming Friday afternoon.  Oh geeezzzz I'm already getting tired all over again.  I have to check into the cancer clinic where they will perform a procedure on me similar to the prostate biopsy I had back in July.  Although shorter, this time they will go in and set target markers in my cancerous prostate for the radiation beams but here's the Dark Horse.....depending on my anatomy I may not qualify for Sabr and that is what I'll find out this Friday.  Doctor Menendez said this newer Sabr Treatment is very precise with larger doses of radiation.  From there I will be hauled off kicking and screaming to another room....oh wait a minute there's no 'ouchies' so I won't have to do all that but I will have to drink a bunch of water then have another CT Scan to make sure the markers are in the correct location.  I have to get my kidney stone stents removed on September 5th and I expect my radiation treatments will begin very shortly after that.  I am still in pain everytime I go to the washroom so am looking forward to getting those two stents out.  There just seems to be so many things coming at us at the moment but it's the way it is and it's nothing we can't handle.  Must say we are both impressed with the speed this is all happening now.  I figure if we can both get a good night's sleep tonight we'll be back on our game tomorrow.  Oh boy, what an adventure eh......

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Some 'Senior' personal ads seen in "The Villages" Florida newspapers:
FOXY LADY: Sexy, fashion-conscious blue-haired beauty,80's, slim, 5'4' (used to be 5'6'),searching for sharp-looking, sharp-dressing companion.  Matching white shoes and belt a plus. 
LONG-TERM COMMITMENT: Recent widow who has just buried fourth husband, and am looking for someone to round out a six-unit plot.  Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath not a problem. SERENITY NOW: I am into solitude, long walks, sunrises, the ocean, yoga and meditation.  If you are the silent type, let's get together, take our hearing aids out and enjoy quiet times. 
WINNING SMILE: Active grandmother with original teeth seeking a dedicated flosserto to share rare steaks, corn on the cob and caramel candy. 
BEATLES OR STONES? I still like to rock,still like to cruise in my Camaro on Saturday nights and still like to play the guitar.  If you were a groovy chick, or are now a groovy hen,let's get together and listen to my eight-track tapes. 
MEMORIES: I can usually remember Monday through Thursday.  If you can remember Friday, Saturday and Sunday, let's put our two heads together. 
MINT CONDITION: Male, 1932, high mileage, good condition, some hair, many new parts including hip, knee, cornea, valves.  Isn't in running condition, but walks well. 
=====================