Recent prostate cancer diagnosis - worried and can't stop thinking about it and what's next

Hi Murphy 

Things don't look too bad really, I think you have mentioned your PSA before which is not too high.

Stage 2 is confined to the gland so looks like a low key affair, unlikely Gleeson is going to alter in the next few months.

Similar to my stats really and I'm still here nearly 10 years later.

So I understand your worries but think things will be ok, start thinking about treatment, presume they have already talked about it.

Best wishes 

Steve 

Hi Murphy  

If you have been given the nurse's number,  i would advise you to ring today. They should be able to see your records and allay any fears you have as that is what they are there for. Now the bank holiday is over, be proactive and give them a ring. As Grundo has said, things do seem low key and whilst no man wants to have this blasted cancer, it is normally slow progressing and you have treatment to start hopefully soon. Enjoy the sunshine and pick the phone up with your cuppa this morning.  That's an order from a bossy wife!!!

Best regards 

Gina

Hi Steve

Thanks for the rapid response. I have had no discussions as yet regarding specific treatment as I assume I have to meet with an oncologist/specialist to go through the options. Radiotherapy of some sort  is the box they ticked in the booklet they handed to me but that's it so far. I can't have surgery so my options are limited.

It would be helpful if they have me a contact point but maybe that is what happens at the next stage?

 Murphy22 Yes, phone the nurse they will be able to help you with some answers, meanwhile we are here and you’ve had some great answers. Anti depressants, I’d wait a while, because this is something that most men go through, not only are you having to think about the cancer, but it’s also a time when everything starts crashing into your mind, your overall mortality, responsibility’s, everything in your normal day has had a massive knock and a shift and it’s something you need to mentally work through and get it back into a place that you feel ok with. What’s important is that it’s highly unlikely that you will die from this - your stats are just too low. It’s something like 5% of men are top end with high incurable  PC , you are NOT one of them and even they can have many years ahead of them because of the treatments available. Also, PC is very slow growing, it can take years from now to being a problem, you have caught it early and it will be delt with.
These two facts are what you need to concentrate on first. The nurse will say the same, you are not going into Gods waiting room with this, you can relax. 
Phone the nurse, comeback to us with what they say and then we can help you more with discussing your treatment plans and any other fears that you are having. it’s going to be OK 

L

Ok Murphy 

So Radiotherapy an easy route really, that's what I had.

I never had the HT cos my stats were lowish so Def worth asking if u can just have the Radiotherapy obviously if they agree and the stats allow.

Then it's all dead easy and you can relax because that is what I did, when I found out all. low key (,ISH) it did make my day.

Am sure things will be ok but the other thing I did midway through treatment was have some counselling which did help mentally 

Good luck 

Steve 

‘morning Murphy22 . Yes, I felt the same for a while too. It is a big unknown so does occupy your thoughts a lot. Only natural. But that does decrease with time as more becomes clear.

I’m at an age where, when much younger, we connected cancer with death. My granddaughter actually said that recently, her relatively young neighbour has cancer “so was going to die”. That was a difficult moment for me, she isn’t at all aware her grandpa, sitting next to her in the car, also has cancer. But we now know that is very much not the case and, certainly with your diagnosis and the cutting-edge treatment available, the stats tell us there is absolutely no need to worry about that any more. I’m starting to look on it as a blip in my otherwise busy and active life.

You’re probably not going to believe this but, after all the tests and a G9 diagnosis, I actually looked forward to starting radiotherapy, getting this disease sorted, and moving on.

Eighty train journeys for the RT phase was a bit of a slog in the heatwave last year, but it all turned out to be a not-unpleasant experience with others in the same situation, and some amazing staff guiding us through it. Those of us who have come out the other side will tell you it’s really nothing to worry about.

You have made a brave post on here, sharing your feelings. As others have said, a chat with your specialist nurse is now a great idea. 

Hi Murphy22 ,

The best thing in the work is to have a conduit to your Oncologist and also a sympathetic ear, and your specialist nurse is it.

Now you can get answers, ask for help — to which they can refer you, and generally, sort you out.

My GP does my other health (not Cancer), use them for the other things not cancer.

My Hospice deals with pain control, and are fantastic, the GP and oncologist are not as good and may just say “ask the Hospice”.

The Oncologist deals with all things Cancer.

Your Specialist nurse is the way you get information to and from your Oncologist.

This is the way it works around where and it saves loads of time going to the right person directly.

Good luck 

Thank you so much for that response. It's really helpful.

I do so much appreciate your response. I have been phoning the number for the urology specialist nurse but engaged all day so far. Hoping that once I have been allocated a radiologist /oncologist they will give me a much better contact point. 

Thank you Steve,

My stats are pretty similar to yours which gives me great hope for a curable outcome. Your response is very much appreciated.