MRi Scan two lesions in prostate

Hi Peter,

There is always going to be worry, but perhaps, over time, the dread will fade.

I certainly remember at first being really concerned about the results, but as they came in, and as I understood more, I came to realise that this was longer term than I had previously thought.

Since that time, I have read just about everything I can access, and I understand that there is a good prospect of cure. Even if it does recur, that will be in the future and there are additional treatments available.

It becomes a chronic illness. Worry and anxiety are not removed, they just pop up from time to time.

The concern I am still coming to grips with is the timescale of the treatment. This is not 10 days on antibiotics. Even if anything goes absolutely perfectly, I will only be reaching the end of the treatment in 2027. Even after that, I will be going into a period of regular checks.

This is a long term illness, which is actually quite good, but it does make it harder to deal with mentally.

My journey has just had another kink in it. Today I have met a surgeon who confirmed that I had Basal Cell Carcinoma on my nose. Sort of buy one, get one free. This is actually easily cured with an operation, and does not “go walkabout”.

Nonetheless, I was still nervous before the appointment, even though, again, I knew as much as I could about it and realised it was not much more than an annoyance.

The surgeon told me that if I had not been on a curative pathway, they would probably not bother with it. However, because I was likely to be kicking around for some time, they would operate after the radiotherapy.

Apparently, if they leave it, you get a hole in your nose. My wife assures me that 3 nostrils is not a good look.

So, I now have two cancers which are not likely to kill me any time soon, and both have treatments which are not fun.

A level of anxiety remains, but it is not slowing me down much.

I suspect that, in two or three weeks, you will be in much the same position - wandering through your life, coping, remembering from time to time, and swearing a lot.

Best wishes for your future,

Steve

Steve mstev2 

Cracking post as I would now expect from you. .

Thanks for your continued support across the Community and I wish you well with the "nose job".

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Steve 

Sorry to hear about your nose I feel for you,

My worry is I've had this feeling full feeling for a while and we put it down to the gallstone, but today at the cat scan I was thinking as the scan can see all your body is on show it could be something more sinister and I've had a pain in my left thigh  for a while which wont disappear getting more anxious by the day, for many reasons I'm dreading the results when they come which I don't know when .

Best wishes to you 

Peter 

My PSA was 8 with a couple of aggressive lesions, after the prostatectomy I was told they got it all out but I won't know for certain until blood test in January, I'm not looking forward to that but now realise I'll probably have to monitor it for a while now, this makes me think I'll be around for a while yet. I know it's hard but try and keep yourself occupied 

Morning Stew

Sadly its in my head 27/7 ,and even with a full body blood test and a full body bone blood test all normal when I went to hospital for my gallstone pain I'm still struggling 

The GP has said with the evidence he can see it's highly unlikely to spread the clinical prostate cancer nurse said the same thinking they caught it early and it localised 

The fullness worries me but hoping it's gallstone related or gastric as full body blood test was normal no raised platelets which can indicate cancer so I'm just a massive worrier at the best of times .

Thanks 

Stew

Good Morning Peter

Will this link help:-

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/anxiety

And there is our support line on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days a week)

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi 

Thank you I'll give it a read 

Thanks again 

Peter

It can be hard not to worry sometimes, I find it helps to focus on the everyday almost mundane stuff, I've walked more where I live at any other time and slowed it down a bit. Also I work with someone who's no nonsense and takes a tough live approach, he's also quite funny too.

Everyone is different, try and live in the moment a bit your prognosis looks quite good, I'm sure however that the gallstones don't help though.

Best wishes 

Stewart 

Hi Stewart 

I know what you mean, I've been told by GP prostate clinical nurse it's very unlikely to spread as its not a aggressive cancer,the doctor at the hospital said I don't present myself with someone with bone metastases and even done a full body bone blood test for me which came back normal as did the full body blood count and chest xray. 

I think until I'm told for sure I'll worry and hopefully when I'm told good news I'll be fine 

Thanks again 

Peter

Hi Peter,

There is an interesting thing that happens to me when life's problems pile up. This occurs when stress piles up, and not in the ordinary course of events.

I seize on one thing, which then becomes the issue.

No matter what I do, I can't shake it out of my mind.

As an example, during 1999 I was working for a bank and having to justify to all sorts of medium size companies that we were ready to deal with the Y2K situation in terms of our business.

For all sorts of reasons, some personal, I was under a lot of pressure at that time. I became obsessed with the Y2K thing, all the potential outcomes, including the end of the world. The obsession took over for 3 months, completely flattening my appetite. I had to force myself to eat because I felt full all the time.

The whole thing ended in January 2000 when almost nothing happened. The pressure disappeared, and in a couple of weeks my appetite recovered.

When I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, I had the full "it's cancer, I'm going to die" thing until I had done enough research to realise that whatever happened it would take quite a bit of time. But the problems with the stomach didn't recur (except for the first day) because there was no other pressure.

It might be useful for you to look at the other concerns around you, and see if there is any other way to reduce some of them. You may find that it will help you deal with this latest difficulty.

I hope that is either some help, or something else you can put aside.

Best wishes,

Steve.