The beginning

Good morning Chan

So sorry that you find yourself here, but you have come to a good place.

Our disease is a cruel one in the way that it can appear out of nowhere- exactly the same as mine.

Your head will be in a whirl thinking the worst and it is a very difficult part of the process, but things will ease with more information about the progression and sorting out a treatment pathway.

It is good that the tests and scans are all being done, this will give good information on which to base nexts steps. I too had a succession of tests in a short period and this seems to be a “normal “ process - to rule in or out.

Your partner sounds like he is trying to protect you from the process but this is a couples disease and the more support you can give each other the better.  I have found the support from my wife to be absolutely essential.  We talk about stuff very openly from my physical state and my mental state point of view.

There is much support in this site and I would also recommend the Prostate Cancer UK website which has some fantastic support materials available - the Toolkit is a very comprehensive set of info and provides some good questions to ask.  Once the test results are all back there will be a Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting to discuss them and suggest a best way forward but it helps if you know what the options are.  You will get some numbers and letters and these will help us to see what the results are to be able to give more nuanced responses, so if you can add these to your profile ?  You can see our stories by clicking on our names or roundel.

You will be given a Gleason score and a TNM rating- and along with PSA these are the key data along with any metastates.

The treatments work - I am a year in to this and my PSA is undetectable now (it was 953) after hormone therapy for life and chemotherapy.

Take a deep breath! It will be shortish wait for the results and then the fight back can begin!!

Best wishes 

KrisPy

Thank you krisPy for your reply, I am keeping well away from google and I have done loads amd loads of reading on here inregards to treatment, side effects and what the results mean once we have them my mind is blown with it all but as soon as I know the results I promise to post them on here for ll you wonderfull people to help guide me threw. Can I please ask 1 question after my partner had his biopsy which we still havent got an sppointment for yet is their anything I can do for him afterwards to help in anyway please ot should I just leave him alone to heal?

Thank you again 

Hi Chan

The biopsy recovery is just a matter of time.  I felt sore for a few days but it was generally OK. There will be blood in urine and semen for a while and this can be most disconcerting- I found it really strange. But it did get better relatively quickly.  
 I did buy a small seat pad ( a sit mat) to ease the discomfort if I was out and about and wanted a sit down!

KrisPy

Hello Chan 

Another warm welcome to the group from me, although I am so sorry to find you joining us.

Here's some information you may find helpful prior to the biopsy:

The Transperineal Biopsy.

In all honesty the biopsy has  been the hardest part of my 4.5 year journey - but once it's over and he's got his results - you can move forward wirh a treatment plan.

Best wishes - Brian.

I wondered if 1 of the ring cusions you can get for piles might help as hes a wagon driver and I know he will want to go straight back to work the next day

Thank you again for your help

Chantelle

Thank you for your honesty inregards to how hard you found the biopsy i shall read your attachment as soon as I get chance 

Thank you

Chantelle

That sounds like a good idea!  Check with the medics though before going back to work if there is any stretching etc as this might not help the healing.

I was pain free afterward and sat on a train for four hours a week later, but I was careful with suitcases.

It is an invasive procedure and care does need to be taken.

KrisPy

Thank you I will try to explain this to him but he can be very very stubborn at times and I know he will just want normality asap 

Thank you

Chantelle

Hi Chan , you are at the worst part (the unknown) but it does get better once you have a diagnosis and a plan.  When I was first diagnosed, I was told I was on a palliative pathway, which freaked us out.  Over a year ago I wrote a post on here which I hope helps you and any others at the start of this journey, just click this link.

 The end - straight to palliative care! 
Please come back with any questions and let us know his results.  We can help you through this.

Chantelle, hi.

I am another of the 1 in 8 men. I had my biopsy at the start of this year. If you want to know some of the details, read my bio. However, the bio does not tell you this:

The nurses advise me to avoid any physical stress, like lifting grandchildren, for the 1st view weeks. This was to allow the sore area, inside more than outside, to be able to heal before getting squished about.

Truck driver seems like a physically active role to me, and while sitting in a truck is not so active, getting in and out, and potentially lugging any of the cargo around, is something I would have avoided on the advice of my nurses. 

I wish you and your man well. Here is something that has kept me sane: avoid getting frustrated over things you cannot change.

Lots of love,

Lemsip (formerly from Leeds)