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Diagnosis - Resulting Anxiety

User
Posted 21 Nov 2020 at 18:35

Headlines: I believe that anxiety about prostate cancer diagnosis can be extremely stressful and lead to other issues…It should not be underestimated.


After PSA test of 11 end of last year, I was referred to the local hospital for DRE test. Beforehand I asked for likelihood of it being cancer he said 30%. Upon identifying a slight lump, he then updated this value to 80% and then I returned home pretty devastated.


Issue 1). After a week or so I began having real pains in my belly which I’d never had before. I thought it might be linked to the prostate cancer (how the mind works…) and after 5 night’s really bad sleep arranged a visit to the local doctors. (Pre- lockdown). I was diagnosed with IBS and had a prescription for peppermint pills and codeine. Within a few days I was back to normal.


After all the prostrate tests I had a T3a diagnosis with Gleason 4:3. I was offered surgery or HT/ RT/ Brachy. After much reading on this site and other discussions I went for the latter route. I felt a great relief having made the decision as it was sending me bonkers. Here’s my thought process as to the decision.


Decision RP vs HRT/ EBRT Sense Check - Localised cancer - Prostate Cancer UK Online Community


Issue 2). I then started the HT route with the initial bical pills to prevent psa flaring. It was at this point I began having dizzy spells whilst hill walking, and again arranged a visit with the doctors. This time I was referred for an ECG, and to my amazement found out I had Atrial Fibulation (A-Fib) – a heart defect. Again, a really scary diagnosis within only a couple of months of the one for Pc.


I wondered when the A-Fib started. Fortunately, I have always taken my blood pressure/ pulse randomly over the years, every few weeks or so as part of my health monitoring. Much to my surprise I found that my resting pulse rate had recently increased from a normal of ~60 to ~80bpm on some occasions, which can indicate Afib.  The starting point for the increase was clearly around the time of the diagnosis of Pc. I’m now on medication that is somewhat problematic, but just getting on with things as best I can.


Back to the prostrate, HT has been ok and I’ve just completed 23 fractions of radiotherapy, with few problems. LDR brachy is set for 2 weeks’ time so I’m in self isolation.


So, the prostate cancer diagnosis in itself was a horrendous thing to handle. However, the resultant anxiety led to two other issues, one of which is permanent.

User
Posted 21 Nov 2020 at 20:13

All the best for your treatment.   I know what you mean.  I experienced strange illnesses between diagnosis and treatment.   Two days before my op I woke up with some form of lockjaw,  something I've never experienced, although luckily it went away after breakfast,  I put it down to sleeping in an unusual position.   


A few weeks earlier I had an intense pain in my hip which according to certain newspaper reports was a sign of metastatic prostate cancer as experienced by a prostate surgeon.  After a few months it had gone down a lot but I saw a GP who said it was arthritis.  It returns, but not as painful, almost every September.   I didn't put it down to anxiety but the diagnosis added an ominous air to it that wouldn't normally have been there.


You're wise to go into isolation.  The last thing you want is to be track and traced or catch C19. 


Good luck with the rest of your treatment.  Peter


 


 


 

User
Posted 21 Nov 2020 at 20:48

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member


Two days before my op I woke up with some form of lockjaw,  something I've never experienced, although luckily it went away after breakfast, 


How did you eat breakfast with a locked jaw? 😄

_____


Two cannibals named Ectomy and Prost, all alone on a Desert island.


Prost was the strongest, so Prost ate Ectomy.

User
Posted 21 Nov 2020 at 23:11
Through a straw?

😁
User
Posted 21 Nov 2020 at 23:19

A prostate cancer diagnosis essentially results in a full health "MOT", so it's not terribly uncommon for other issues to be found during the diagnostic process.


In my own case, for example, the MRI scans I had for my prostate found that I had a splenic artery aneurysm which I could literally have dropped dead from at any moment, and also a kidney tumour. Pretty stressful being told that kind of stuff...


Two years later and here I am with the aneurysm blocked off, a kidney removed, and the prostate cancer (fingers crossed) sorted out.


I can honestly say that prostate cancer saved my life. My consultant told me that I'd have probably been dead from the kidney cancer within three years had it not been for a sharp-eyed radiologist spotting the still localised kidney tumour at the very edge of the prostate cancer scan. Apparently in normal circumstances people don't know they've got kidney cancer until it starts producing symptoms, by which time it's too late. In my own case the tumour was on the very verge of bursting out of the capsule and spreading when my kidney was removed.


Chris

Edited by member 21 Nov 2020 at 23:23  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Nov 2020 at 23:53

If you look at some of the stats, people with low risk prostate cancer often live longer than those without prostate cancer, and this is because the diagnosis picks up and gets fixed other things that would otherwise not have been picked up in time.

 
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