Discount

The day began in Beaumont hospital with an appointment with Dr O'Neill, my radiation oncologist. Appointment time was 9:00 am, but the receptionist did the usual thing and told me to go off to the restaurant and have something to eat rather than hang around in the waiting area. I played a few games of Sudoku on the iPhone when I got back, which helped pass the time. Others there were restless and there were grumblings along the lines of 'why tell us to here at nice if there's no chance of seeing anyone until ages after that?'. I must say I find that sort of thing pretty pointless, and I settled back to wait patiently for what I reckoned would be five people before me once names began to be called. As it happened I was called sooner than I expected.

I'd been told the last time that the consultant wanted to discuss my case with colleagues before deciding to send me for radiation treatment, and I'd been told to get another PSA test done two week ahead of this appointment. Once again we went through everything, confirming that all the numbers were excellent and that the latest MRI scan showed a significant improvement in the situation. And so we reached the fundamental moment. The doctor filled out the radiation referral papers, I signed a consent form, and the process now begins. I'll be called first for a preparatory scan and radiation treatment will begin three weeks after that, continuing for seven and a half weeks with five session a week. Unfortunately, I'll have to go to St Luke's in Rathgar because the radiation facility in Beaumont is only geared up for straight-forward prostate treatment and not my situation, which has a further complication.

Once again the weather had thwarted my walking intentions and I'd taken the car to the hospital. I'm afraid I didn't make up for it later on. I needed to get some stamps, and intended walking once again to the post office beside the T-place beside yesterday's oratory, but the weather had other plans for me and I took the car after all. Instead of retracing yesterday's steps I went to the rather dreadful Northside Shopping Centre and got my stamps in the post office there. Business done and letter posted, I wandered round the Centre. This outlet was, unfortunately, not alone in displaying signs of being in trouble. It's sad, really. Bests used be one of the best-known men's shops in Dublin, and now it's reduced to this sort of thing. Hard times, as Dickens would say.

More music this evening. At first I'd thought that my new system was selling me short because I'm a Mac user, since the only software mentioned as supporting the music server facility is for the other other platform. But I'd managed to source a Mac-compatible alternative, installed it, tested it, and bought it. So naturally I had to play with it.