Newbie Introduction

Hi Nigel404de6 and welcome.  Good decision on HT / RT - your quoted 40% fail rate for surgery is enough to put anyone off!
take a read of my bio - something to cheer you and, as important, your good lady wife up.     AW

Thanks, it makes good reading. Nice to see the positives. My  bone scan has raised some questions in chest and spine which they said  they need to investigate further. Waiting for date for PET scan. The plan so far is to start radilology in January. Hoping the areas of concern are bone degeneration and or inlammation, so fingers crossed. I think that the waiting for tests and the results is one of the worst aspects.

Thanks for pointing me to your posts and hope your progress continues.

Hi again Nigel404de6 Yes, hopefully bone scan will just be arthritic degenerative identification - the PET scan should confirm either way.  By the way, what was your initial PSA (which you can expect to plummet now yours on HT).   AW

Hello Nigel (Nigel404de6) 

Another warm welcome to the group from me - although I am so sorry to find you joining us.  I am a septuagenarian so just slightly older than you and a T3a, almost 4 years into my journey so I know how both you and your wife are feeling at this moment in time. It's a strange one Lorraine and I have been married for 47 years but this cancer has brought us closer together and we were close even before my diagnosis!

Like my good friend Alpine Wanderer you can read my journey - it has it's own twists and turns but we all have a very different journey, even with the same or similar diagnosis. Feel free to use the group to ask any questions and try to stay away from Dr Google.

Hormone Therapy can lead to weakened bones (I see you already suffer from this) and your team should have given you a prescription for Calcium and Vitamin D tablets.

Best wishes - Brian.

hi nigel , 

im 68 , had my tablets  and 3rd injection waiting for next appointment  to hopefully set date for radiation therapy .I also look around and see youngsters unwell from various diseases and count my blessings..Good luck on your journey mate,.

Hi Nigel (Nigel404de6 ) welcome to the club.  We talk about PCa being a couples disease but I have always thought that it is harder for my wife than for me.  Try and stay positive as that goes a long way to help in your treatment.  Ask any questions and the fantastic group on here will always respond.

Well that is some journey, great to see your sense of humour has made it through.

My last psa was 4.3, which is low but my seminal vessicles are involved.

Oncologist phoned today, he is arranging my CT scan  hopefully there will be good news when I get the results.

Have to go and see him in December to discuss radiology which now seems to have a new date, ie February not January.

Already struggling with effects of HT , all my joints painful, especially my spine. Had 4 days where I couldnt walk properly. They are sending me codeine, so that should help.

Wife spending a few days with her grown up children, glad she is getting a break. Tougher for me though as too much time to think.

I have always been a fighter, so I am determined to do my best to get through it as best as I can.

They expect to keep me on HT for 3 years, I already have weight issues so may have to ask for weight jab at GP,s.

Hope all things go well for you, as you say we all have different journeys and mine is just beginning.

Hello Nigel (Nigel404de6) 

Radiotherapy is usually 3-6 months after the start of HT - just to make sure the HT has put the cancer cells to sleep before the RT kills them off for good, so there's no issue with the month's delay.

My GP wasn't happy with prescribing the weight loss drug and sent me to "fat club" (weight management classes - otherwise know as fat club in Oldham!). My oncologist then wrote to him told him what the HT side effect were and hey-presto a prescription was produced.

It's a "couple's cancer" and it might help your wife if you tell her 98% of men with a prostate cancer diagnosis die WITH it not OF it.

Best wishes - Brian.

I have aggressive prostrate cancer that's metastatic to a local lymph node, under HT, staring radiotherapy in December, oncologist has me on a curative/long term - path his last words regarding rt, was there's no guarantee that they will zap every dodgy cell 

Hello Nigel Nigel404de6 

Sorry to hear you are joining us and are between diagnosis and treatment. It does take some time to get your head around the ‘new you’ and leave the ‘old you’ behind at our age. That should happen eventually and, although it sounds a bit weird, you may find yourself actually looking forward to getting radiotherapy started and making some positive progress in dealing with this disease.

I finished radiotherapy, which included the seminal vesicles, a few months ago now. If you would like to read my bio it takes you through my somewhat unusual journey up to effectively today… Just click on Amplitude above.

Not sure if you have seen it, there is also an introduction to our type of radiotherapy here:

 What you wish you had known before starting Radiotherapy? 

Hoping you can get the additional pain under control very soon. Might be worth a chat with your specialist nurse or GP to see if there is an alternative 12-week injection which might help with that.