Update

Hi Linda, I've been following you and your husband's journey.

I am so pleased that you have received some good news with the bone scan.

As for the biopsy, they normally give a local anaesthetic in the perineum, then put the biopsy instrument through to the prostate.

Unfortunately for me and because of medication I'm on for other reasons, the local anaesthetic didn't work. So I had my biopsies done under general anaesthetic. 

You could ask if it's possible for your husband to have his under general anaesthetic if it's causing him any concerns or alternatively see if he could have some sort of sedation.

You can read my journey by clicking on my icon of my cat.

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey

Best regards

Peter 

Hi Peter

I read your journey and I am so pleased for you.  It gives hope to others.  Thank you so much for all your help.  I felt so alone and now I don’t thanks to lovely people like you.  I did ask about a general anaesthetic but they said it would be end of august or September and they can do it much earlier with a local so hubby has decided he will grin and bear it (fingers crossed) lol

Linda 

Yes, I had to wait 2 months. Hope everything goes well for you and please keep us posted.

All the best

Peter 

Hi LinP,

I was wondering how you got on and I'm so pleased for you both to hear this news. I hope your husband is feeling a bit better about the situation now there's some positive news. Sorry, I can't help with the biopsy as it was my partner that had it, but he did say that he didn't have a problem with it and it was over quick. 

Best wishes L

Hi Linda

My suggestion, based on my experience,  is to insist on a general anaesthetic.

There are different ways of taking the samples - mine was via the rectum. The consultant only wanted 3 samples but the operator decided to take 'one for luck' - I could have killed her!  Some have many, many more samples taken - I have no idea how they endured it unless they were under general.

Please warn him that there will, most likely, be blood in his urine for a while afterwards.

Sorry for being negative but, for me, the biopsy was, by far, the worst part of my journey to date.

Regards

Stuart

Totally agree with Stuart biopsy is really uncomfortable  I wasn’t given a choice I was just given a local and they took 23 samples worst experience of my life 

Hi LinP,

I just got a detailed report from my partner so brace yourself. He said," it was uncomfortable and he wouldn't want to do it again, but you have to have it done so get on with it,' ( this is what we are like in this house) He said he had his feet in stirrups tried to relax his legs and he held up his bits out of the way ( was glad to have something to hold onto apparently ) he had ultra sound probe up his bum to guide the needle and the needle went through his perineum. It didn't particularly hurt because he had a local first and it was more the thought of it. He said,his words- it was like having a mini spud gun with a spring making a click noise inside. He made himself think about a variety of things other than 'spud gun" and it was over in 15 minutes.  I said was it anything like when I gave birth to a 10lb baby without any pain relief?? and he said " Ok you win" . 

L

Hi LinP

The post above (BarryW) is 101% on the money. I could not describe the sample taking any better.

They took 8 samples from me - I "donated" them to the NHS. All I could do with my legs in stirrups was count the points on the ceiling tiles in the room!!

Once there they did ask me if I was happy for a new chap to "have a go under instruction".  Well I wasn't going anywhere so I said yes and he said "thank you".

All I can say is it's one thing to tick off your bucket list!!.

Hope all goes well.

Kind Regards 

Brian.

Had biopsy 27th April with local. Local inj hurt but biopsy samples taken were fine. Had 26 taken in total. Had camera up bum which found really uncomfortable. I couldn't sit down for 2 days afterwards. Wouldn't want another but you gotta do what you gotta do to get proper check for big C. 

Hello Linda

I was very concerned about the biopsy. Barry W description of the physical side is spot on but my experience was much better than I expected in terms of discomfort and pain. I had 36 samples taken, 17 positive. Perineal biopsy, local anaesthetic, ultrasound in rectum. On a pain scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is worst, I would say 4 in my case. Bit of a jolt on one of the "gun" clicks so the consultant gave me a bit more local anaesthetic. So not very dignified, but only mildly uncomfortable and low pain level. Maybe I was very lucky, but no significant pain afterwards but blood in urine for several weeks. The whole process took about 20 minutes. Hope your husband has a similar experience.

Bob