Hello.

Hello Nor6

Welcome to the club you didn't want to join and sorry to hear of your diagnosis.

If you could provide some statistics eg PSA, Gleason score, MRI results etc then someone here will be able to offer advice and support. There are many people on this forum who can help.

Regards

Peter 

Hello Nor6

Sorry to find you here but this is the place to be for help and encouragement. As outdoor walker said if you supply some numbers etc we can give you a more personal response.

In the meanwhile hope is not lost - I was in the same boat as you (almost) 18 months ago and I am now doing amazingly well - you can follow my journey by clicking on the icon of the beach.

Just as an aside my urology nurse said "in the NHS he who shouts gets". I must confess I had to "shout" a couple of times to get appointments etc - but in a nice way.

I hope all goes well for you on your PC journey.

Kind Regards

Brian.

Hi Nor6. I was diagnosed in November 2018 as a T3a with a gleason score of 8 and PSA 11. Iwas hormone therapy for 3 years and had 20 radio therapy sessions. I have recently been told after my last PSA test I was discharged from the hospital and would now be monitored by my GP as they considered my cancer "dealt with" their words. So just the extra weight thanks to the HT to try and deal with. So it's a long worrying journey but you can have a good outcome.  Hope your treatment goes smoothly and gives a good result.

Kind regards Reg

Hi Nor6 and welcome to the forum. My father also died of PC at the age of 53 (that was over 50 years ago now when diagnosis and treatments were very crude) so I was being monitored by my GP from the age of 50. It wasn't until I got to 71 in 2018 that my PSA started to rise. I was referred to Urology with a PSA of 11 early that year but, due to many delays, I didn't start treatment until October. I was finally diagnosed as T3A N0 M0 with a Gleason score of 4+5=9 and PSA 15.

I was on Prostap for 3 years and had 20 sessions of RT in Feb/Mar 2019. I had my last Prostap injection in June 2021. I am currently on six-monthly PSA tests and the last two have come back as 0.2. The Urology department at my hospital say that is perfectly OK and they will take no action unless it rises above 2.0, so I am currently in remission. My next PSA test is in June and it is always a bit tense for the two weeks prior to each test. I have been told that, as long as there's no substantial increase in the PSA, I will continue on six-monthly PSA tests until five years post treatment and then move on the annual tests after that.

I will be 76 in August and am currently walking about 80 miles every month, swimming a mile twice a week and coastal rowing as often as the winds and tides allow. I am also working at our new allotment almost every day and have recently rebuilt a second hand shed and erected 10 metres of fencing as well as double digging all the beds during February and March. I have also just started a "Learn 2 Row" course with the local rowing club on the canal. Since I have been rowing on the sea for over 50 years it's more of an "Unlearn 2 Row" course as I have to break the habits of a lifetime of fixed seat rowing in order to row in an eight. I don't think I'll be in the boat race any time soon.

Hi Outdoor Walker,

I have no idea if this is going to go through but Thank you for your kind reply but I am having a lot of trouble trying to post here.
By your reply it sounds as if you saw a previous post I made but didn’t think had went through. I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I’m just not getting to grips with how this forum works (the system not the people I hasten to add).

At the moment I just don’t have the energy to fight with computers so I am going to bow out.

I hope others who so very kindly posted welcomes see this, it means a great deal to me, so thank you everyone.

Thank you everyone,

Nor6

Hi Seamus,

Thank you and sorry for delay in reply.

I’m sorry about your father, these things are never easy. My father died ten years ago from prostate cancer, sadly by the time it was picked up it was too late as his PSA was 900 and the cancer had spread to the bones. 

I’m sorry you are still having to undergo tests etc. though I am glad you were being screened. Sometimes the waiting and not knowing can be almost as bad as the illness. I hope things stay well for you.

Wow! You sound very fit! We seem to have similar interests. I used to crew a Yoal, which is a Viking boat (25 ft) under sail and oar. Crew was up to six or eight. I also used to have an inflatable kak…which didn’t…inflate that is

I have to say the Concept 2 was my favourite form of exercise if I couldn’t get out on the water.

Thank you for your kind reply,

Nor.

Hi Brian,

Sorry for not replying sooner, I was having trouble signing in, which I’m glad to say wasn’t ‘entirely’ down to me , apparently some kind of bug in the system.

I’m glad you are doing well !!

With regard to numbers etc I’m embarrassed to say I don’t really have many. I’m not sure if it best to put my story on profile or a thread? This (cancer)  is still all very new to me. 

Re. “He who shouts…” you are probably right, my problem is nobody seems to be listening. Maybe I’m too polite?

Thank you for your very kind reply

Nor.

If you put your numbers on your profile, you don't have to repeat them on your threads. Also, you can update your profile as and when you need to update it.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Peter 

Hi Reg,

Again, sorry for delay in reply, ‘tech issues’

That’s seems a lot of radio therapy sessions, it must have been tough going that but glad you seem to be in the clear.

I have heard of Gleason score but I have never been told mine, my PSA was the only thing mentioned (20).

Ah, you mentioned weight gain. That is going to be a big problem for me I suspect, I have only been on Hormone Therapy for about two months and I see the weight starting to go up already .

Thank you again for your support,

Nor.

Hi Nor, 20s not bad as some get about 35 but it's only week days and you get the weekends off. All of mine were in the afternoon and it was about 40 mins drive.It's surprising how quickly it went you just have to look at it as a chance to lay down for 10 mins.. Part of my problem was lockdown and my local gym was closed. I'm no expert but PSA 20 is no where near as high as quite a number I've heard of. It's a help to stay positive. Easier said than done but I'm sure you'll be fine. 

Regards Reg