Totally alone!

Everything seems so daunting in the beginning of a a diagnosis and the waiting seems never ending. Try and take someone with you to your appointments, not only is it an extra ear for information but moral support on these days is helpful.

I was appointed a macmillan nurse locally and a cancer nurse at the treatment hospital which is quite a distance away There is also the Maggies centres, if you have one locally you might find it helps. You can just drop in and they will do their best to find you the help you need.

Things flowed better once the result of my biopsies, hopefully this will be the case for you.

Ive found this forum really helps - especially when it is here 24/7

Hello GeofUk and a warm welcome to the prostate cancer forum. You are at the beginning of your journey which is the most difficult time as things seem to drag on at a pace which you have little control over and you are just desperate for answers. The first indication you have been given is the T2c which means that an anomaly has been found in both sides of the prostate, but is contained within the capsule. The Likert 4 or Pirads 4 is classified as high risk with a clinically significant likelihood that cancer is present. The biopsy will stage the cancer if present. It is always a good idea to take someone with you to appointments as two sets of ears are always better than 1. You should be told the volume of the anomaly, how large the prostate is and importantly where the anomaly is within the prostate and how close it is to the capsule edge. Your initial PSA is also a marker when giving you your initial full diagnosis once all the scans and results from the biopsy come back. You will possibly be sent for another type of scan to confirm that there is no spread to anywhere else in the body or the bones. As a one stop shop I have attached a link to a free book which you can download which answers a lot of the initial questions we all ask. PCUK and Macmillan both have a lot of reliable literature which others will probably give you links to. Emotionally it can be difficult to deal with the initial diagnosis and then treatment and this is where many find the forum useful as we have been there, done that and worn the t shirt. No subject is out of bounds and replies are often laced with a sense of humour. I hope that you will come to feel part of the family and realise that you are not alone.

https://issuu.com/magazineproduction/docs/js_prostate_cancer_guide_for_patients_ezine

Good Morning GeofUk 

Another warm welcome to the Macmillan Online Prostate Community from me, although I am so sorry to find you joining us.

Alwayshope has as usual stolen my thunder with a cracking post above. I can't add too much to that post apart from wishing you good luck at your meeting on Monday. Try and prepare a list of questions for your team - here's a link that may help you prepare for the meeting-

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/treatment/your-treatment-options/questions-to-ask-your-healthcare-team

At the meeting on Monday you will receive the staging of your cancer and here's the link to understanding staging-

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/prostate-cancer/staging-and-grading-of-prostate-cancer

I do hope your service from the NHS gets better. We have all found that during our own cancer journey you have to be "gently persuasive" and push your own case - you will find "knowledge is power"

We as a community are here for you - it's OUR Community and YOU are more than welcome  - no questions are too trivial.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi GeofUk , I really can’t add to the previous posts, only to say that Prostate Cancer is one of the slowest growing cancers and a few weeks wait won’t make any difference (I was the same at the start).  Please come back with your results and we can help you through this next stage.  Good luck, David

Seconded. 

One of the defining moments of my progress to date was to be told by a specialist nurse that there was "time to get it right" 

This is a great place to get the help and comfort you need. 

The people here know what they're talking about. 

I check this site at least twice a day, and am so often reassured by what I read. 

 Alwayshope , Millibob  and David2017  are amongst the people who encouraged me most, and not only have three right information but offer it with encouragement.

If you use YouTube a lot then look up the channel for the Prostate Cancer Research Institute.

It is American, and do recommendations do not always come out the same in the UK, BUT Dr Mark Scholz explains things in a way I can follow, and gives me a good start on how to view the other information I regularly dig up. 

Steve.

Thank you for all of this information. The booklet is fantastic.