So when you came round, back in the ward, you felt you could move your legs and everything seemed normal?
Yes I did. I had a catheter in and I think that was the, sort of the main, main difference. I mean I obviously didn't feel totally normal but I wasn't in pain. But...
And how soon could you get out of bed for example?
I think they helped me down the passage to the toilet sort of later on that afternoon, just to make sure that I was okay. But apart from that, from then onwards either later on that afternoon or I think I woke up actually quite early on the following morning, something round about five, and I went off and had a shower because I felt sort of like it was a good idea. So there was no problem with that and I was in no discomfort moving around, apart from the general sort of thing about catheters I'm sure other patients have said the same that a catheter is sort of restricting.
And the back passage, how did that feel?
I had two enemas before the treatment and it appeared to me that the effect of the enema went on for two or three days because they were very keen for the, for me not to be constipated and, which perhaps would affect the procedure's healing afterwards and that is what happened. And I hadn't been eating masses of fruit or anything of that sort.
And was it uncomfortable having your bowels opened?
Not at all, no not at all.
No good. So you were just in for the one night?
I was in before, for the one night and then they kept me in overnight afterwards and I was released around about midday the following day.
So the immediate side effects were very little?
Very little, very little. I mean it's a miraculous procedure, I mean if it works, and obviously I don't have the results yet, it is a sort of a massively different thing from surgery and apparently from radiotherapy too.
Did the doctor tell you at the time or the next morning how it had all gone?
Yes he said it went fine, yes he said it went fine. I think they know hardly any more than anybody else whether it's been successful at the stage it's done. I was told at one stage that they could not judge which patient would be successful or not. |
