My blood results come in at 12:45am and they are good new. PSA down again, eGFR is holding up, Urea and Creatine still out of range but yet again fall towards the norm. Potassium is up slightly but maybe fizzy drinks and fresh orange juice do not help here. This is the reward for hanging on in there and doing the chemo rechallenge. I do have to get back to rowing each day before the next cycle. I am expecting that on my oncology review on Wednesday that I will get the go ahead for Cycle 8 as the bloods are good enough.

As I stayed up late last night I wake this Saturday morning quite late and eventually get up for breakfast to find the whole family in the garden cleaning the patio and planting out plants. I take my meds and draft the blog before starting my day. There is a cup final and the Eurovision song contest to negotiate today along with other sporting and domestic activities to be done.

The morning is full of grandchildren and my son in law power washing the patio. On top of that the garden guy arrived and mowed the lawn and did some superficial weeding. After some reading to my grandson and of course a sock hunt I draft a poem that came to me in bed as I was thinking about getting up to start the day after everyone else.

530
There is no medal.
No accolade or cheering
just because the PSA 
is down again. 
That’s what chemo
is supposed to do.
Its no good laying here 
being pleased with myself,
in the real world
of visiting family
and grandchildren 
it means nothing.
Its exhausting being toxic,
unable to sustain action,
tired after a few steps
and feeling useless.
Not being able to contribute, 
to carry my load
and add something
is an intolerable place
to be confined. 
So I try 
to be quiet 
and not to rock 
the boat 
or make work for others.
Somewhere in this
is the price
of the war for life,
the battle field 
that consumes me
to which I cannot 
surrender. 

							530 16-05-2026

There after I sink into mindless sport watching until the evening meal and of course the Eurovision song contest. Tonight is a night of meds and then an early night to make up for yesterdays long night wait for my blood results. As a footnote I add that the UK entry in the Eurovision song contest came last with 1 point. The general public failed to give a single point to the UK entry. Our single point came from Ukraine. All those anti tank weapons and we get one point.