Just diagnosed

I have a water infection after the Cystoscopy. So am feeling pretty bad. I will not be having any more appointments. The Junior Doctors are on strike soon anyway.

Kind regards. James.

Hello James

Please don’t be disheartened.  It’s rotten luck you got a urine infection following cystoscopy but well done for getting it done  it was very brave of you considering your anxiety problems but you have done so well recently.  Hopefully the results will be good and you can stop worrying about that issue.  I think it is important that you try and attend your appointments as it is still important you get your prostate issues investigated and before you know it you will have a plan for any treatment necessary and can move forward.  I know for sure the worst part is all the investigative procedures and the eternal waiting for results.  My husband is the same, scans, biopsies, injections, hot flushes and still waiting to see oncology on 24th August.  I feel for you, as all we do is wait for the next appointment and test but at least it still means moving forward. One step at a time and you will get there.  Hopefully you will feel better in a few days. I’m assuming your on antibiotics for the infection and they should work within a couple of days.  I think your next appointments would be with a Consultant so fingers crossed any strikes won’t delay things for you. You have done really well so far James just keep going, bit by bit you will get past this small blip and get a plan for recovery.

Kind regards

Linda

Hello James, What rotten luck. I hope you have been prescribed some antibiotics? Hopefully they will clear the problem for you.

I am wondering by saying, 'I will not be having any more appointments' this is a decision you have made or a decision made by the doctors? If it is your decision I hope that, once you feel better, you will be able to think this through a bit more. If you don't go through with any more appointments you will be always thin king, 'what if?' and worrying that things are bad and getting worse. I think you now really might need to know what is or is not happening inn your body to put your mind at ease? could you have a chat with a GP about this before turning down appointments?

For now, just concentrate on getting better and then make a decision :)

Here, here Linda. 

James, please don't give up on your appointments, they are crucial for your recovery.  I know it's all very daunting,  seems slow and not very comfortable,  but there are a lot of people following your journey with you and wishing you well.  Hopefully your antibiotics will clear your water infection quickly,  then you'll feel better and more positive.

Hello James

I read your post with interest and some sadness. We are blessed with life and the one thing that is important is that we ensure that our body is fit to continue to the best of our ability.

The NHS is offering you treatment that could be life saving - indeed if you refuse it - when you need help at a later date the treatment you need may not be forthcoming, or indeed may not work at that point.

I would agree 100% with Linda, Worried Wife and Sned that it is important you continue with your appointments, indeed by attending these, obtaining a diagnosis and receiving treatment your life will be extended and your health and wellbeing will be improved. Look at me as an example - Christmas 2021 I almost died but thanks to the NHS and continued treatment - I am over that - Life is great now and there are almost no restrictions on what I can do - I even laugh at the side effects of the Hormone Treatment !

Go on James, deep down you know your health is important - continue your treatment - we are all here to support you on this journey - you can get through this.

Best wishes

Brian.

Hello James. I really admire your honesty as to the problems you have dealing with OCD. By explaining the issues you are helping others understand what it is like living with this condition and I am sure this will give those also suffering with life limiting diagnosis the courage to carry on. My husband has severe PTSD and depression. I used to hate it when the ignorant told him to 'pull himself together and get on with it'. He, like you, has had to learn coping strategies. You cannot help having OCD and have done so well in recognising the limitations it causes. ME on top of this and now possible PCa is a lot to process. There is an analogy of the problems taking on the size of an elephant. You can't eat it all at once but try to take just one bite at a time and at the end of the journey the elephant will have disappeared. You have already taken your first bite with the 1st procedure and found out that it was not as bad as you first thought -you don't have bladder cancer, even though you are unfortunate to have picked up a UTI. Hubby used to get these regularly and they were soon resolved with antibiotics but I know they do make you feel rotten. There is so much support on this forum and with the Macmillan staff that I hope you will continue to inspire us all and go for the next bite of the elephant and go through with the biopsy. Knowing what you are dealing with is better than not knowing and living in fear. We are all rooting for you.

Thanks so much for all your kind and helpful comments. The Doctor started me on Antibiotics as a result of the dip test which showed some infection but he got the results from the hospital today and my water is clear. He thinks the reading he got was due to the Cystoscopy causing inflamation. So no tablets from today.

 I always try to be honest about my Mental Health because until recently it was a taboo subject. I don't mind if it may help someone else. Prince William really opened things for Mental Health and made it OK to talk about.

My Boiler broke at about 10 am today and my British Gas Homecare Engineer fixed it this afternoon but the next time I may have to have a new boiler. It is very old. I am listed as a vunerable person for Gas, Electricity and Water. So I get the quickest service.

 Alwayshope telling someone to pull themselves together is both cruel and thoughtless.

I am waiting to get an appointment for the next phase and the awful pain in my back is a little better. The OCD made me think it must be Cancer or the infection causing it.

Kind regards James.

Hello James - Nice to hear from you on a positive note. It does appear that you are making progress with your various conditions so well done and long may it continue.

My wife is a retired nurse and held dual qualification RGN/RMN (General & Mental) and has spent time doing both general and mental nursing. I must confess to having quite an interest in mental health - it's a very complex topic!!

You stick with us and we will get you through your issues, you are doing great so far and speaking out about problems is brilliant.

Best wishes

Brian.

Hello James 

So glad you got the possible UTI sorted out.  I really do think you’re doing great by pushing yourself to be more positive and continue with the investigations and treatment.  Brian is right, life is so precious and we all need to be positive and enjoy every day that is a gift to us. You are an inspiration to all the people who suffer mental health issues and you are encouraging them and letting them see that as scared as you are you are not going to let the fear overwhelm you. Even though you may not realise it you are helping many others by fighting your fears and anxieties and battling on and we are all very proud of how you are hanging in there and looking forward so that you can show people that if you can do this then they can too.  Everyone gets scared James but you are doing great by helping others too.  You deserve to be happy so just keep doing one day at a time and you will soon look back and be proud of the hill you have climbed. Go James!

Linda

Thanks so much Brian and Linda for your encouragement and support. It is really appreciated. It very difficult to be positive when you have mental health problems. I am just trying to get through it the best I can. The problem with Anxiety and Depression is that it varies from day to day, even hour to hour. Yes I am very scared, but all the kind and wonderful people on here give me some hope for the future. Several YouTuber's I follow speak directly about their mental health issues. YouTubers often give the impression that their life is perfect but that is not the always the truth.

I do not think anyone has the perfect life with no regrets. That is just not reality.

The people I do follow are a great bunch especially the organist's. Two of which did not post for a long time because of their studies. But they have just come back on and that cheered me up no end. Might sound a bit silly but YouTube is a real escape for me and my chance to communicate with the world at large. Not a lot of interesting things happen at my age in Bury. Younger people are always so busy dashing around and working hard so they barely have time to say hello. As one of my Mum's old friends at 87 said "People don't neighbour like they used to"

Kind regards James