"Prostate Cancer"

Went to the doctor  with an Inguinal hernia , doctor asked how my health was in general told her I was on Tamsulosin but still getting up frequently during the night. Blood test were arranged which confirmed a higher than normal PSA level. Doctor suggested an other blood test which subsequently confirmed the above normal PSA level . Scans and biopsy were arranged

After the biopsy, I got a call from the consultant with the results of the biopsy; there was cancer in the prostate and it looked like it was contained within the prostate. My reaction to this was both thankfulness and relief – thankful that my prostate cancer had been diagnosed at an early, contained stage and relief that there were treatment options that seemed to offer a cure. An appointment was made with the surgeon and the oncologist. Met with the surgeon first and made the decision to go for surgery. Appointment with oncologist cancelled as I had made the decision to go for surgery. The Surgeon made me feel involved in the decision taken and explained the whole picture. The main points that helped me decide to have surgery (radical prostatectomy) over radiotherapy were that, if radiotherapy didn’t work, it could make surgery more difficult in the future. I also found the idea of hormone therapy and weeks of daily appointments for radiotherapy fairly daunting. So, I my mind up at the point and decided surgery was the right option for me. As a bonus for me the surgeon also repaired my hernia at the same time which was advantageous as the waiting time for hernia surgery was 2 years. 

The surgery itself  was fine, the surgeon said it all went well, he also phoned my wife and advised her that all went well and I was sent home the following day. I left hospital with a suprapubic catheter, and was advised to shut this off 5 days after the operation and attempt toileting as normal. Unfortunately this was the worst part of the whole procedure so far for me as I ended  up in hospital  with a pelvic infection and spent a further week in hospital on morphine and antibiotics.

Getting to the hospital was challenging as I was in severe pain and no ambulances were available so had to drive myself there with my wife.

Once in the hospital the staff attitude , skills and attention was all excellent the operating surgeon even phoned my mobile to find out how I was . This call was made during the hospital doctors rounds and he was able to update the surgeon. After the surgery and the hospital stay I wore men’s incontinence pads on  occasion for a period of time but my main issue was an urgency with bowel movements.

Telephone calls from the cancer nurse and occupational health were really helpful offering advice with regard to daily living support , transport to and from the hospital, toilet habits , what foods and drinks to avoid/ take and exercise including pelvic floor exercises.

Regrettably at my follow up meeting with the surgeon he confirmed that there were cancer signs in my prostate bed and surrounding lymph nodes. Which wasn't the result I was expecting. An appoint was made with the oncologist and  33 session of radiotherapy were arranged. As previously mention the thought of daily appointments for 7 weeks ( Monday to Friday) for treatment was daunting. But the staff and radiotherapy team are outstanding and having been  assured by them that you won’t feel a thing they lined me up against the tattoos that had previously been placed on my sides and stomach directly over the prostate bed. Everyone leaves and you are alone. The procedure only takes about 10 -15 minutes in total including lining you up.  What is more its true you don't feel anything. Some good news then. The issues I had during the treatment are an urgency incontinence  both urinary and bowel and still experiencing this 6 weeks after treatment ended.  

Being diagnosed and living with prostate cancer not only impacted  my physical health but also affected my  thoughts and emotions. Luckily for me I had considerable support from family and friends. However there are times when it's good to speak to people you know and trust, and other times  it's good to speak to strangers and this is when the calls from the cancer care nurses  really helped.