newbie needing guidance and advice please

Hello spursfan,

I'm just about to start the same treatment for recurrence some 8 years after initial radiotherapy and HT treatment, my first docetaxel infusion is on 3rd July.

I think you really need to ask your consultant about the possibility of travelling abroad and whether this is wise ot not. Also, if you have travel insurance you need to inform your insurer if you haven't done this already as your policy will require you to notify any changes to health conditions. 

I hope your treatment goes well.

Many thanks Excavator and sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis after so many years of being clear, and yes of course i will ask and get his approval, i have as i do every year purchased an annual cover policy for both me and my wife, i have researched some quotes from specialist Cancer cover providers and can get decent cover just for myself at just over 400 pounds, no point cancelling my wife's insurance as its paid for, many thanks for your reply its much appreciated, and same goes for you hope all goes well for you    

Hello spursfan .

A warm welcome to this friendly, but sometimes wacky group.

Excavator has given an excellent reply. The only thing I would add is that if you are starting on Darolutamide first then the side effects can take a few weeks to kick in. If you are having the Docetxel before your holiday date then this would probably be a problem because the side effects can kick in very quickly (a day or two after infusion) and may last for several days. With the Docetxel you are going to be more at risk of picking up an infection so it is a good idea to keep track of your temperature twice a day. We also found it useful to keep a diary of the side effects as we found that they followed the same path for each three week cycle and allowed us to plan round them. The other thing which will help with your recovery is to try and keep as fit as possible.

Please come back with any questions no matter how small or silly they might seem as we have all been where you are now and know how confusing it can be.

Hello spursfan 

So pleased you found us from the "New to the Community" forum. We are a decent bunch!!

There are also side effects from the Hormone Therapy too - but these tend to kick in after a few months so we can leave those for a while.

Whilst I am here I should also mention we have a few other forums you may wish to join and the links for these are here:

Living with incurable cancer forum - patients only 

Liver cancer forum 

Chemotherapy forum 

To join them just click on the links I have provided.

Feel free to ask any questions, however trivial you may think they are - someone from our amazing Community members will have an answer.

As for football I follow the only team from the Premier League now playing in the National League - Oldham Athletic so not only do I have prostate cancer my football team aren't that good anymore!!  (We do get to visit some cracking none league grounds though!!)

Best wishes - Brian.

morning Brian thanks so much for the kind words and advice 

morning Alwayshope thanks so much for the kind words and advice its very much appreciated 

Hi spursfan ,  I do hope you get the all clear from your medical team to have a holiday.  If you are on HT already then perhaps waiting for chemo to start after your holiday will be the best option as a few weeks delay won’t be a problem at all.  Personally I wouldn’t holiday during chemo.  Feel free to ask any questions. Best wishes. David

Morning David many thanks for your reply being so new to all this i am still finding my way, i am keen to start treatment's soonest as they will then finish earlier, i will be three injections in on my H/T when we are due to go away in early July, i have my first appointment with my Consultant tomorrow so i should be having a start date for the Chemotherapy, i am not sure how long the waiting list may be in my area and feel it would be wrong to ask for specific dates to be set just so i can have a week in Spain, i may get lucky and the start date may be after i come back, 

thank you so much for your kind words and advice.  

Hello Spursfan I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis but it is nice to ‘meet you’ because of it 

I can’t offer any advice about chemo, I’m afraid as I know nothing about it. However, I would like to draw your attention to the need to make sure your travel insurance will provide cover if you are taken ill while abroad. I also know that the small print on my husband’s hormone therapy information leaflet warns against being exposed to direct sunlight. He had decapeptyl. I don’t know whether this applies to all hormone therapy drugs but perhaps you would be wise to check?

I do hope you get the holiday and enjoy it! There is a page/forum or something ( sorry to be vague!) on this website which gives more info on travel insurance . There are some companies which will cover you but that cover is obviously more costly usually than for people who have limited or no medical history.

The warning about the sun refers to all the hormone therapies as far as I am aware. Living in a hot country it was one of the first things we were warned about so it is Factor 50, long sleeved shirts, trousers and of course a hat - he has quite a selection of flower pot hats in bright colours. The other thing he has found is that his eyes are more sensitive to sunlight so a good pair of sunglasses is advisable.