Surgery or not?

User

Posted 23 Oct 2014 at 11:17

Thank you all for your comments, as usual very helpful. I have just been doing a little research on my surgeon, (name removed by Moderator) Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield, as I wanted a little more background info. He did his first Robotic assisted prostatectomy in January this year and has since carried out over 150 procedures. He is the head man in Sheffield and now trains other surgeons in this field using the Da Vinci surgery. When I first read this I though "He's not very experienced" but he seems to have good track record.

Still await appointment to see someone in Leeds regarding brachytherapy, rang this morning and I should hear something within the next 7 days.

As mentioned by others there is so much information out there that you can confuse yourself and over think things. What I, and others I would think, in my situation would prefer is for someone to say "These are the options available but the most suitable one for you would be ?????? ", but no-one does this and you are left to make the choice. This seems to be a lot of additional pressure to put on people in my opinion. It seems a little like buying a new car, with the Ford dealers telling you theirs are best, the Vauxhall one saying its theirs, and so on, with them all selling their service. Maybe it's just me who thinks like that, lol. I have compiled a comparison chart listing the pro's & con's of the treatments to try and help my make my decision.

Thank you all once again, hope everyone is fighting fit.

Edited by moderator 23 Oct 2014 at 11:48 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 10:29

Hi everyone

Having had time to way up the pro's & con's of the treatments offered to me I have decided to go for Brachytherapy. Had a call this morning and treatment has been scheduled for 28th January at Leeds so not long to worry about it. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for all your support.

Alan

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 12:31

Hi Alan,

Glad you have finally made your decision.

I just wanted to wish you all the luck in the world with your treatment. I'm sure it will go well.

Best Wishes,

Steve

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 12:54

Cheers Steve. I hope you recover well too, you deserve a break after all you have been, and are still going, through. How many Robins did you kill by the way? ha. Onward's & upwards this year I hope.

Alan

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 13:24

Thanks Alan,

Fingers crossed!

Steve

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 13:36

Alan there are a few recent posts on brachytherapy procedures on the forum very much the treatment of choice if it is considered the most appropriate for your specific needs. The team at Leeds have a good reputation so you'll be in the best hands.

I wish you the best of luck for your procedure later this month.

Xxx

User

Posted 16 Jan 2015 at 14:18

Alan

Good luck with your treatment. Hope all goes well.

Paul

Stay Calm And Carry On.

User

Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 18:17

Had my Brachy treatment yesterday morning, 70 seeds I believe, although I was a little groggy when my consultant was telling me what she had done. I was awoken by a lovely nurse afterwards who offered me tea & toast and 2 hours later I was discharged. Pee'd like a race horse on waking but by the time I had returned home I was struggling to pass anything of significance. Was given a months supply of Tamsulosin to help and by last night things were coming along great guns. Retired to bed around 1030pm and woke twice to pee. This morning I had a strong flow and that has remained the same all day. Only problem I am experiencing is sitting, which is sore & uncomfortable, but that is to be expected after having 27 needles stuck in the undercarriage,lol.

I have to go for a check up in 6 weeks time back in Leeds so fingers crossed. I have been told that things will get worse over the next few weeks so it' s a case of wait and see.

Onward's & upwards hopefully

Alan

User

Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 19:35

Sounds excellent. Good luck with your continued recovery.

I wasn't recommended for Brachy as I went into retention after my template biopsy. Had a pee after the op, but when I got home, nothing more than a trickle, so next morning it was off to A and E for a catheter and my first night in hospital since I was 5. Happy memories - not!

Keep us up to date.

Paul

Stay Calm And Carry On.

User

Posted 26 Feb 2015 at 13:12

So it is now 4 weeks since my implants and thought I would post an update. I have to admit I have struggled at times with the side effects, very painful cystitis and waking up to 5/6 times every night to pee. At one point the pain was so bad I rang my GP who said I had radiation cystitis caused by the implants, not a common side effect so I guess I am just unlucky. I have been taking my Tamsulosin daily as advised but thought about knocking them off for a day or two to see how things panned out, I decided against his though. The last 2 weeks I have been getting a pain in my perineum after peeing which lasts around 30 seconds or so. I haven't been out much because of the urgent need to pee so I am thankful I don't have to go to work. After the first 2 weeks I had terrible constipation but taking senna each night has sorted that problem out. On a plus side I can manage and maintain a full erection, I can't do anything with it though as the penis is far too painful. Have to be patient on that score.

I realise it's early days and the side effects will ease, or so I am assured. I have to go for my 6 weekly check up in 2 weeks time so fingers crossed everything is as it should be. I have been doing everything by the book, so to speak, Decaf tea, cranberry juice, drinking plenty of water , but I am now longing for a nice frothy cappuccino which I was addicted to. Oh well, we have to make some sacrifices I suppose.

Hopefully when I next post again things will have improved. Onwards & upwards.

User

Posted 28 Mar 2015 at 17:38

So it is now 8 weeks since I had the Brachytherapy and thought I would update everyone on my progress. Things have not been easy as I mentioned in my earlier post, terribly painful cystitis, waking up 6 times every might to pee, pains afterwards etc. so much so that I have at times questioned my decision to have the treatment. However, I had my 6 week check and my doctor seems very happy with the way things have progressed. I had a CT Scan at the same time and a blood test. My PSA is down to 5.0 which she says is satisfactory and the scan shows that the seeds are still where they should be, so that's all positive.

I still need to pee quite often and at night am usually up 2/3 times most nights so very tired the next day. I have not been venturing out very much as I need to be close to a toilet at all times "just in case". I am usually fine in the mornings but things go downhill after 3 pm onward's. It would have been impossible for me to work because of this so I am pleased I have not taken any bookings for the immediate future ( I am a Party/Karaoke DJ). Hopefully when things improve I will be able to take some more bookings but thankfully there is no rush.

Things have settled down a little over the last week so hopefully that progress will continue and I will be able to get out & about and get away on holiday later in the year. Onward's & Upwards.

User

Posted 13 Apr 2015 at 19:45

Hi all, Just thought I would give you an update. Thankfully things are improving. Last week I was much, much better, hardly needing the loo during the day, maybe once per hour at most. I felt quite normal again at last. Night times weren't as good, up on average 3 times, but quite manageable. The pain I had after peeing was still there but not as severe. On Saturday afternoon I DJ'd for our granddaughters birthday party for 3 hours and coped really well, only needed to pee twice. And my old zip was back along with my usual patter, I was organising games etc, so I was really chuffed with that. I was really tired later that night but that was to be expected.

Next day however I suffered. Pain returned, peeing up to 4 times per hour and felt uncomfortable all day. Perhaps it was due to standing up for 3 hours or lifting my gear, or maybe it was the late meal we had, fish chips & mushy peas, not sure, but I was feeling down after the last weeks upturn. Today though I have been great again, hardly needed the loo and the pain is barely noticeable. So hopefully yesterday was just a blip.

Can I remind some people on here to empty their in-boxes, Devon_Lad I cannot get in touch with you as yours is full. Thanks.

Hope everybody on here is doing fine. Onward's & upwards.

Lyrical

User

Posted 13 Apr 2015 at 20:34

Hello, I read this with interest as you know my other half has been suffering similar side effects. He is still suffering burning nearly every pee, up in the back passage too, also he can't sit down for long due to the pain inside. He is standing up nearly all day working, in the eves he lays down on the bed so he doesn't have to sit. When I say eves it is now 8.30pm and he just nipped in to say he still has a lot to do outside, so I guess I mean nights rather than eves!

Tractor work is getting more frequent now as the land needs work, riding in the tractor is causing him a lot of discomfort.

I decided to phone the consultant myself as he wouldn't. The secretary got the consultant to speak to the OH on his mobile. He then went off to discuss things with the other consultant. They have already told him to take tamulosin twice a day (which I think is making him pee so much night and day?) also prescribed anti-inflammatories, which he didn't like taking due to them upsetting his tummy. They have now put him on strong antibiotics for 4 weeks (ciprofloxacin) he took these for 8 weeks after the biopsy, as he had prostatitis caused by the biopsy. He is a little worried at taking such strong antibiotics so much, but we'll see what happens.

All the best.

Edited by member 13 Apr 2015 at 20:41 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 23 Sep 2015 at 17:25

Hi all

Just came on to update my posts and realised that it is exactly a year since my first post after I had been diagnosed. Its been a rocky road these last 12 months but hopefully I am on the right track now.

Yesterday I had my check up, second one since having the Brachytherapy in January. The doctor has just phoned me with my PSA results and it's now down to 1.1. Such a relief to know it s going in the right direction. It has been a little worrying waiting for this news but now I can breathe easily for a while. I know it is still early days but I remain positive.

Onwards & upwards

Alan

User

Posted 23 Sep 2015 at 17:42

Hi Alan, really good news for you, excellent news in fact.

You made the correct choice for you and it has paid off. I really admire your courage in opting for Brachy, I could not get my head around having "it" inside me, even if "it" was zapped to death.

Your success will give hope to others who are at the decision stage. Even so, I have no regrets.

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User

Posted 23 Sep 2015 at 21:32

Hello Alan. Well done on the PSA reduction.

It is a very very anxious time waiting for the PSA results following Brachy but isn't it a wonderful feeling when they come back and it's down yet again

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 24 Sep 2015 at 16:30

Hello, that is good news isn't it. It makes the side effects a bit more worthwhile. My OH had a psa test in May it was 0.78 (Brachy done in Jan) then he had another psa test this week, it was 0.76 so not much reduction in 3 and half months, but it is heading in the right direction. All the best.

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