Prostate cancer

[MCFC_ Phil]

Has anyone had the camera up the japs eye. I've mine on Thursday. Not looking forward to it at all. Though I believe they do numb your knob!

 

[ob]

Finally got my urology appointment this Tuesday. Been waiting for almost 6 months as been cancelled twice

 

[Cassandra]

Has anyone had the camera up the japs eye. I've mine on Thursday. Not looking forward to it at all. Though I believe they do numb your knob!

Yes, I’ve had this twice once a long time ago and once about five years ago. As you say there is a local anaesthetic so it wasn’t particularly painful. Got an infection after the second one but it cleared up quickly with antibiotics.

 

[Cassandra]

Finally got my urology appointment this Tuesday. Been waiting for almost 6 months as been cancelled twice

Good luck.

 

[messedupface]

Has anyone had the camera up the japs eye. I've mine on Thursday. Not looking forward to it at all. Though I believe they do numb your knob!

It's okay as long as they remember to take the telefocal off

Joking aside, It didn't hurt in the slightest when I had it done 3 years ago

 

[Paladin]

I've reached a bit of a pause in my journey. The colonoscopy was OK three small benign polyps removed. Fusion biopsy uncomfortable and a number of the samples showed cancer - rated as 7 (3+4) on the Gleason score. Meantime Shingles and Covid afflicted me (Excellent rapid treatment for Shingles plus having been vaccinated meant I got off lightly compared to others I know). Further MRI and a bone scan ordered to confirm that the cancer was contained within the prostate. Both showed no spread outside the prostate and that the cancer was confined to the left side of the prostate. Rated as grade 2.

Consultation with the specialist nurse told me that my results had been reviewed by a team and that there were four ways to move forwards:
* - Active Surveillance - periodic PSA checks and MRI scans - the team had not been unanimous on this option.
* - Brachytherapy - inserting radioactive "seeds" into the cancerous areas of the prostate - concluded that my urine flow was not high enough for this to be suitable for me.
* - Hormone and Radiotherapy - basically shrink the tumour a bit with anti-testosterone therapy and than 4 weeks of 5 days sessions of radiotherapy,
* - Surgery to remove the prostate - via robot.

Consultations were arranged with Radiotherapy and Surgery personnel. Both went to some length to explain the possible side effects of their treatments and both suggested that I shouldn't rule out Active Surveillance particularly as my PSA levels had now dropped quite considerably:- originally 16 then 8.6; 8.9; 6; 2.6; 2.9 and currently 2.3.

So now to go back to the specialist nurse to discuss Active Surveillance a bit further but that now looks like my preferred option. Surgeon suggested that for my grade of cancer it would probably be around 15 years before it was likely to be a significant problem by which time I'll be getting on for 90. So think I'll see how things go, he also said that the main difficulty is getting your head round the idea that you've got this cancer inside you and not rushing to treat it. My view is that I know its there and can keep check on it, if my initial PSA had been 2.3 it would probably have just been annual PSA checks but now I am aware of what's there. NHS has served me well so far, some delays from Covid, but overall I'm very grateful to all the staff.

Wow. That's a detailed explanation of your situation. Hope everything goes well for you.

 

[supercity88]

So after nearly 12 months of agony and stress we’ve got the all clear from my prostate cancer it’s been a journey for all of my family and friends my PSA’s are now 0.1% I’m struggling to put into words what we’ve been through but I can now breathe and start to enjoy life even more , it’s unbelievable news which probably hasn’t sunken in yet … a massive huge thank you to all of you who have privately messaged me,every message has been a huge help in either support and advice, life isn’t all about football and being on here has really helped well done to ric and the mods who run this . Special thanks to @hammocity he’s been a star . I’ll continue in raising money for prostate cancer uk their help is unbelievable. So Manchester City football please tomorrow can I ask you to top off what could be a magical weekend for us all.
Lads keep this thread going it’s so important to talk to each other.
Thank you everyone thank you

up the blues .

Amazing news mate. Well done for staying strong and fighting it off. A huge mental and physical battle. Now go and do those things you always wanted to!

 

[Berts Neck]

I've reached a bit of a pause in my journey. The colonoscopy was OK three small benign polyps removed. Fusion biopsy uncomfortable and a number of the samples showed cancer - rated as 7 (3+4) on the Gleason score. Meantime Shingles and Covid afflicted me (Excellent rapid treatment for Shingles plus having been vaccinated meant I got off lightly compared to others I know). Further MRI and a bone scan ordered to confirm that the cancer was contained within the prostate. Both showed no spread outside the prostate and that the cancer was confined to the left side of the prostate. Rated as grade 2.

Consultation with the specialist nurse told me that my results had been reviewed by a team and that there were four ways to move forwards:
* - Active Surveillance - periodic PSA checks and MRI scans - the team had not been unanimous on this option.
* - Brachytherapy - inserting radioactive "seeds" into the cancerous areas of the prostate - concluded that my urine flow was not high enough for this to be suitable for me.
* - Hormone and Radiotherapy - basically shrink the tumour a bit with anti-testosterone therapy and than 4 weeks of 5 days sessions of radiotherapy,
* - Surgery to remove the prostate - via robot.

Consultations were arranged with Radiotherapy and Surgery personnel. Both went to some length to explain the possible side effects of their treatments and both suggested that I shouldn't rule out Active Surveillance particularly as my PSA levels had now dropped quite considerably:- originally 16 then 8.6; 8.9; 6; 2.6; 2.9 and currently 2.3.

So now to go back to the specialist nurse to discuss Active Surveillance a bit further but that now looks like my preferred option. Surgeon suggested that for my grade of cancer it would probably be around 15 years before it was likely to be a significant problem by which time I'll be getting on for 90. So think I'll see how things go, he also said that the main difficulty is getting your head round the idea that you've got this cancer inside you and not rushing to treat it. My view is that I know its there and can keep check on it, if my initial PSA had been 2.3 it would probably have just been annual PSA checks but now I am aware of what's there. NHS has served me well so far, some delays from Covid, but overall I'm very grateful to all the staff.

Good post.. worked a wee (joke) while in Urology..remember that many men die with prostate cancer and not from prostate cancer..a common adage in the profession.

 

[BLUEYESTU]

Finally got my urology appointment this Tuesday. Been waiting for almost 6 months as been cancelled twice

Hope it goes well for you Blue.
If necessary then they should hopefully give you the name and contact details of a CNS (Cancer Nurse Specialist) for any follow up questions etc that you may have. They do a fantastic job and can be incredibly supportive and helpful.

 

[hammocity]

I've reached a bit of a pause in my journey. The colonoscopy was OK three small benign polyps removed. Fusion biopsy uncomfortable and a number of the samples showed cancer - rated as 7 (3+4) on the Gleason score. Meantime Shingles and Covid afflicted me (Excellent rapid treatment for Shingles plus having been vaccinated meant I got off lightly compared to others I know). Further MRI and a bone scan ordered to confirm that the cancer was contained within the prostate. Both showed no spread outside the prostate and that the cancer was confined to the left side of the prostate. Rated as grade 2.

Consultation with the specialist nurse told me that my results had been reviewed by a team and that there were four ways to move forwards:
* - Active Surveillance - periodic PSA checks and MRI scans - the team had not been unanimous on this option.
* - Brachytherapy - inserting radioactive "seeds" into the cancerous areas of the prostate - concluded that my urine flow was not high enough for this to be suitable for me.
* - Hormone and Radiotherapy - basically shrink the tumour a bit with anti-testosterone therapy and than 4 weeks of 5 days sessions of radiotherapy,
* - Surgery to remove the prostate - via robot.

Consultations were arranged with Radiotherapy and Surgery personnel. Both went to some length to explain the possible side effects of their treatments and both suggested that I shouldn't rule out Active Surveillance particularly as my PSA levels had now dropped quite considerably:- originally 16 then 8.6; 8.9; 6; 2.6; 2.9 and currently 2.3.

So now to go back to the specialist nurse to discuss Active Surveillance a bit further but that now looks like my preferred option. Surgeon suggested that for my grade of cancer it would probably be around 15 years before it was likely to be a significant problem by which time I'll be getting on for 90. So think I'll see how things go, he also said that the main difficulty is getting your head round the idea that you've got this cancer inside you and not rushing to treat it. My view is that I know its there and can keep check on it, if my initial PSA had been 2.3 it would probably have just been annual PSA checks but now I am aware of what's there. NHS has served me well so far, some delays from Covid, but overall I'm very grateful to all the staff.

Very best wishes to you, fantastic post.

 

[Hayley Croppers chopper]

So after nearly 12 months of agony and stress we’ve got the all clear from my prostate cancer it’s been a journey for all of my family and friends my PSA’s are now 0.1% I’m struggling to put into words what we’ve been through but I can now breathe and start to enjoy life even more , it’s unbelievable news which probably hasn’t sunken in yet … a massive huge thank you to all of you who have privately messaged me,every message has been a huge help in either support and advice, life isn’t all about football and being on here has really helped well done to ric and the mods who run this . Special thanks to @hammocity he’s been a star . I’ll continue in raising money for prostate cancer uk their help is unbelievable. So Manchester City football please tomorrow can I ask you to top off what could be a magical weekend for us all.
Lads keep this thread going it’s so important to talk to each other.
Thank you everyone thank you

up the blues .

congratulations mate.

 

[A57 the snake]

I've reached a bit of a pause in my journey. The colonoscopy was OK three small benign polyps removed. Fusion biopsy uncomfortable and a number of the samples showed cancer - rated as 7 (3+4) on the Gleason score. Meantime Shingles and Covid afflicted me (Excellent rapid treatment for Shingles plus having been vaccinated meant I got off lightly compared to others I know). Further MRI and a bone scan ordered to confirm that the cancer was contained within the prostate. Both showed no spread outside the prostate and that the cancer was confined to the left side of the prostate. Rated as grade 2.

Consultation with the specialist nurse told me that my results had been reviewed by a team and that there were four ways to move forwards:
* - Active Surveillance - periodic PSA checks and MRI scans - the team had not been unanimous on this option.
* - Brachytherapy - inserting radioactive "seeds" into the cancerous areas of the prostate - concluded that my urine flow was not high enough for this to be suitable for me.
* - Hormone and Radiotherapy - basically shrink the tumour a bit with anti-testosterone therapy and than 4 weeks of 5 days sessions of radiotherapy,
* - Surgery to remove the prostate - via robot.

Consultations were arranged with Radiotherapy and Surgery personnel. Both went to some length to explain the possible side effects of their treatments and both suggested that I shouldn't rule out Active Surveillance particularly as my PSA levels had now dropped quite considerably:- originally 16 then 8.6; 8.9; 6; 2.6; 2.9 and currently 2.3.

So now to go back to the specialist nurse to discuss Active Surveillance a bit further but that now looks like my preferred option. Surgeon suggested that for my grade of cancer it would probably be around 15 years before it was likely to be a significant problem by which time I'll be getting on for 90. So think I'll see how things go, he also said that the main difficulty is getting your head round the idea that you've got this cancer inside you and not rushing to treat it. My view is that I know its there and can keep check on it, if my initial PSA had been 2.3 it would probably have just been annual PSA checks but now I am aware of what's there. NHS has served me well so far, some delays from Covid, but overall I'm very grateful to all the staff.

Great post and well worth sharing well done for the whole post it looks like they’ve got the situation in hand , at 52 I wasn’t ready for the hormone therapy so opted for the robotic radical prostectomy I think also what I’d like to share in this thread is the emotional battle some can face after surgery it doesn’t always effect everyone but it did me it takes its toll eventually.So for any who are facing this or any other medical procedures take any help offered
Either with macmilan or prostate cancer uk also maggies who are based near the Christie are a big help for support in pre or post cancer procedures.
Good luck in the future Cassandra all the very best to you.
Keep talking people,Great to see this thread is still going and for the shared experiences.
Up the blues.

 

[Bigga]

Glad to see some dealing with your personal situations well.

If you're in Central/ South/ North Manchester or in with hospitals associated with Manchester Foundation Trust (MFT) keep an eye out for an upcoming app called 'My MFT' where you'll be able to track more of your personal records.

That link is associated with an IT system called 'Hive' which will be 'going live' in about 3 weeks. There will be teething issues and, so far, there are going to be some delays to some services as it beds in, across care.

If you've not been given dates in early Sept for cancer checks/ surgeries, this will be why, most likely.

 

[Rodrigan]

So after nearly 12 months of agony and stress we’ve got the all clear from my prostate cancer it’s been a journey for all of my family and friends my PSA’s are now 0.1% I’m struggling to put into words what we’ve been through but I can now breathe and start to enjoy life even more , it’s unbelievable news which probably hasn’t sunken in yet … a massive huge thank you to all of you who have privately messaged me,every message has been a huge help in either support and advice, life isn’t all about football and being on here has really helped well done to ric and the mods who run this . Special thanks to @hammocity he’s been a star . I’ll continue in raising money for prostate cancer uk their help is unbelievable. So Manchester City football please tomorrow can I ask you to top off what could be a magical weekend for us all.
Lads keep this thread going it’s so important to talk to each other.
Thank you everyone thank you

up the blues .

Congratulations mate. Enjoy getting your life back on track after what has no doubt been a period of hell for you and your family. Never take a day for granted, get out there and enjoy the things that mean the most to you and make you feel good.

Anybody else going through this shit, keep fighting the fight and well done to everyone who discusses these things online. They are no doubt a great outlet for a lot of blokes to talk and even read online.

 

[Cassandra]

Great post and well worth sharing well done for the whole post it looks like they’ve got the situation in hand , at 52 I wasn’t ready for the hormone therapy so opted for the robotic radical prostectomy I think also what I’d like to share in this thread is the emotional battle some can face after surgery it doesn’t always effect everyone but it did me it takes its toll eventually.So for any who are facing this or any other medical procedures take any help offered
Either with macmilan or prostate cancer uk also maggies who are based near the Christie are a big help for support in pre or post cancer procedures.
Good luck in the future Cassandra all the very best to you.
Keep talking people,Great to see this thread is still going and for the shared experiences.
Up the blues.

Thanks for starting the thread, if I were 52 I might well have chosen the surgery but being over 20 years older the risks seem higher and the probability of needing action on the cancer within my lifetime seem less. Set against that, if it does develop more quickly, in 5 years my choices might be more limited. So whichever choice I make is a calculated risk.

I’m lucky, if that’s the right way of putting it, because a few of us at church are on similar journeys to myself so there are a few of us to share experiences. This thread gives those without that support a place to share experiences and get support and encouragement.

 

[A57 the snake]

Congratulations mate. Enjoy getting your life back on track after what has no doubt been a period of hell for you and your family. Never take a day for granted, get out there and enjoy the things that mean the most to you and make you feel good.

Anybody else going through this shit, keep fighting the fight and well done to everyone who discusses these things online. They are no doubt a great outlet for a lot of blokes to talk and even read online.

Great words and greater words of encouragement.

 

[ob]

Had my appointment and good news it isn't cancer. It is enlarged and waiting collect medication to take for 3 months to see if that helps. Also cut down on my coffee intake of 3 cups a day. If not then potential surgery. Thank you so much to everyone on the thread who offered me advice, good wishes, those who just read and liked my posts as I reached out etc. Lads lads get yourself checked out it might just save your life

 

[A57 the snake]

Had my appointment and good news it isn't cancer. It is enlarged and waiting collect medication to take for 3 months to see if that helps. Also cut down on my coffee intake of 3 cups a day. If not then potential surgery. Thank you so much to everyone on the thread who offered me advice, good wishes, those who just read and liked my posts as I reached out etc. Lads lads get yourself checked out it might just save your life

A great outcome ob so pleased and well done for contributing to the thread.

 

[A57 the snake]

Coffee.macmillian.org.uk
Worth a bump.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Scary how your life changes in a heartbeat. Had a few issues since earlier this year just thought it was a bladder stone maybe? Had a ct scan then tuesday attended Hospital for a cystoscopy to find out I have an ugly looking tumour in my bladder giving me the finger... So have to have a TURBT in the next 2 weeks.. Very optimistic its early but ifanyone else has gone through that treatment I'd like to hear.