The day of the brachytherapy operation

The morning dawned bright and clear and I was up with the lark ... well, with the alarm, actually that Gloria had set for six-thirty. I needed to be up quickly because my last chance to eat was before seven-thirty and I didn't want to faint with hunger before going down for the op at either 1pm or 3pm.

Gloria brought me tea and toast in bed - what a treat! Then we were up and about, getting some cereal down us before getting showered and putting the last things into the overnight bag. Then, the best part - a micro enema. Gloria had asked if she could administer it - absolutely not! It was a little tube of stuff with a long spout that had to be inserted right up your bum and then squeezed - and keep squeezing as you pull it out. Did that and then sat on the loo and waited. It didn't take long ... about five minutes and all of a sudden my back passage was clear and sparkly. Then it was time for a shower.

When the waiting ends ... and you're told the results of your biopsy

I'd been told that the results from the biopsy would take a while and so I was quite surprised to receive an appointment to see the consultant a week later. Gloria and I both put a positive spin on it which went something like this:

"They probably just want to go through the result and tell us that it needs monitoring;"
"It's going to be an all-clear - I can't have prostate cancer because I feel so great;"
"If it is prostate cancer, then it's been caught early and if treatment is needed, they'll get on with it quickly."