Isle of Man TT: Extra staffing to support hospitals
Executive director of health care services Oliver Radford said the organisation aimed to provide "the highest quality care" during the period, while trying to maintain "business as usual".Additional blood products had been ordered to allow for any emergency blood transfusions required during the fortnight, he said.
Minor injuries
The ambulance service would also have access to additional emergency response vehicles, such as critical care cars, rapid response cars and the A99 helicopter, which the body said would allow them to reach non-racing incidents in "hard-to-reach locations".The health body has urged those with a minor injury or illness to use the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Ramsey Cottage Hospital to reduce pressure at the Emergency Department at the island's main hospital.The health care provider said where possible services were being maintained across Noble's Hospital, but orthopaedics would be "significantly affected" as a result of the event.Patients who are attending scheduled hospital appointments have been advised to "leave plenty of time for your journey". Manx Care said the Ramsey MIU would be fully staffed across the fortnight, with X-ray provision from 09:00 to 17:00 BST on week days, as well as from 10:00 to 16:00 at weekends.Visitors to the island have been reminded to make sure they have adequate health insurance in place to cover the duration of their trip and to bring prescription medications and any other medical items they may use daily with them to the island.The Isle of Man TT race are set to run until 7 June.
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But advances in technology, treatment and surgical techniques – such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a non-invasive treatment that uses targeted sound waves to destroy prostate cancer while preserving urinary and sexual function – make screening a 'far more favorable proposition' now, he said. My PSA score definitely spiked my anxiety, despite knowing I might only have an infection. The only way to determine what it meant was an MRI and a prostate biopsy. I dreaded the biopsy, which was to a digital exam what a root canal is to flossing. My urologist explained that there were some risks, such as infection and false negatives, but for me, confirming whether I had cancer far outweighed them. Nothing about these processes counted as pleasant. For the MRI, I was ensconced in the machine for about 40 minutes. A week after that, the doctor inserted an ultrasonic probe into my rectum to guide him as he extracted 12 small samples of my prostate. The biopsy redefined my concept of vulnerability, but although it seemed like hours, it took less than 20 minutes – and anticipating the pain was worse than the actual pain. After a few days of mild tenderness, I was back to normal. For all of the worry and discomfort, if the biopsy revealed no trace of cancer, I would have uncorked the champagne. Unfortunately, my results showed a high Gleason score – which measures how different cancer cells look under a microscope compared with normal cells – consistent with aggressive prostate cancer. But I was relieved to hear that the disease hadn't spread beyond the prostate membrane. Had I waited another two or three months, according to my post-operation pathology report, it probably would have. Six weeks after the biopsy, I underwent a radical robotic nerve-sparing prostatectomy, a roughly five-hour operation to remove the prostate using minimally invasive tools. Finding data on success rates was frustrating given the myriad factors that can affect the outcome, which include Gleason scores, age, health, obesity, comorbidities and whether or not the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate. I banked on my fitness and the skill of my surgeon as deciding factors to undergo the operation. My greatest fears were long-term incontinence or erectile dysfunction, but I was fortunate not to suffer either. As lucky as I was, earlier testing and detection would have afforded me more treatment options. 'The benefits of early detection can't be overstated, which is why I advise men between 50 and 70 years of age to have a PSA discussion annually,' said Tewari. 'PSA screening combined with imaging is an important approach to effectively screen for prostate cancer.' It took moving across the country, my wife's diligence and a doctor who routinely prescribed PSA tests for my cancer to be diagnosed. It was a complicated road, and experts' divergence on the effectiveness of screening show just how difficult it can be for a layperson to make these kinds of medical decisions. It's not ideal to rely on a testing option that at best results in an estimated 10 out of 1,000 people avoiding death from prostate cancer, with treatment options that can result in incontinence and sexual dysfunction. But taking the test when I did had a dramatic impact. It saved my life. At the very least, I wish I'd had an earlier opportunity for a detailed discussion with my doctor. Given what I know now, I would have preferred screening and early detection, because for me, there is no such thing as the best type of cancer. Ed Manning is a 67-year-old technology executive, jazz pianist and freelance writer who is writing a memoir about surviving prostate cancer
