Long distance backpacking

I run but will not be resuming that yet, maybe later in the year.

I will soon find out if I have misjudged my health, I set off to Chepstown tomorrow morning. My hiking routine prior to my operation was to hike between 15-20 miles a day, less when in mountains. My yardstick is knowing that 3 years ago I hiked the Pennine Way in 17 days so if all goes well Offas Dyke in 10-12 days should be fine.

I'm going to spend most of today getting my equipment organised. The trick is to take what you need but no more!

I needed to start my life again so from June 1st seemed a good as time as any to begin Since my op I have tried to maintain my fitness, even before the catheter was out I resolved that I would walk around one of my running routes, across a field, into a circular hike of about 2 miles through the woods and then back to the car and home every day.

I started (driving with a catheter in was a 'laugh!) the trees were then bare, but as I walked daily, often gritting my teeth in the early days, (when the catheter came out it was heaven!)) the leaves then began to come out, the bluebells were next and then about an acre of smelly wild garlic. Its has all been very pleasent and I only missed thee days over nearly two months. I found it was a really good way to measure my progress and I noticed hike by hike thatimprovment was a daily thing.

Mind you I have really surprised myself as to how easily I have adapted to my new life, both physically and mentally. I have always been lucky, that throughout my life I have always looked forward to the coming day and this attitude of mind did not change when I was first diagnosed and when and after I had my op. Thank goodness!

Good luck on your walk. Your recovery is faster than most, you are very fortunate.

atb

dave

Well good luck as you set off today GWM. Hope the sun shines for you.

I'm new to this forum and this post is very encouraging. I had the Da Vinci op followed by 32 RT 'cookings' in 2013. Throughout that time I used to walk every morning and go to bed in the afternoon. I now have a regime of minimum 20 miles per week and have averaged 28 so far this year. - I have a spreadsheet which is a bit anal I know! I'm gradually walking the 600+ mile south west coast path over a few years and have completed about 80%. Last year I walked in Albania (terrific) and in May I trekked to Annapurna Base Camp. This week I started HT so am hoping to keep this up. I think the spreadsheet approach might help me to focus on fitness.

I hiked most of Offas Dyke over 9 hiking days but in the end ran out of time and needed to get home. I had had my op in April and had told myself that from 1st June I was going to resume normal life. I was a bit nervous when I got to Chepstow but soon realised that even with my rucksack on my back I felt good. My first night in my tent went well, as in fact did all the others. I experienced a bit of rain, the worst day was on top of Black Mountain. The wind was so strong I had real trouble trying to stay upright!

A really good hike, it had all of the ingreadients I look for, mountains, rivers, valleys, woods, fields, etc, etc plus of course pubs, beer and pretty good food.

My physical strength was really tested between Kington to Knighton, the ups and downs in that area were very hard at times.

The only time my prostate problem bothered me was always on the downhill bits. It was so easy to jar my body as I stood on rocks, or had to make a real effort to steady myself from falling headlong. These clumsy body movements showed me that my bladder control could still be a bit wooley to say the least! I often felt that I had either just wet myself a little, or just thought I had wet myself, but on checking I hadn't. Very irritating to say the least and I seemed to spend a lot of time going, or trying to go to the toilet.

I had taken some pads with me 'just in case' (I bought and cut some cheap saitary towels into 3 pieces) but I did run out at one point. I then popped into a small shop and bought some more. When I go hiking again I have to re-think how best to manage this problem. Hopefully, even this difficulty may pass soon?

I now know what to plan for post op, it was so easy pre-op!

I made a big decision the other day! I actually booked a flight to Bordeaux and I plan to start hiking the GR10 in France on the 24th July. Its now done so no longer just a thought in my head, its now become a reality! As my wife is away for a few days I decided to bring out ALL of my backpacking gear and its now strewn all over our lounge floor! I've had great fun these last two days and have even practiced erecting and then taking down my tent with a blindfold on. Nothing worse than trying to erect a tent in the dark and even more so if its raining as well.

My plan is to try to streamline the packing of all of my equipment, to learn new and better ways to pack my rucksack and I have been carrying out 'dummy' runs on how I best use, rotate, wash and dry my clothing en-route. I've always been surprised as to how 'difficult' it is to pack a rucksack properly. It looks easy but when it becomes your home, even for a week or two weeks, it suddenly becomes difficult! I've also designed myself a small 'prostate help kit' to help me if I experience any urine leakage and to ensure that I can instantly keep my self 'fresh' at all times as they say on the adverts.

During the next couple of weeks I will hike a few long day routes just to ensure I minimise the problem of blisters and that my boots are fully run in. I do not have to worry about the rest of my kit, its well proven and I know it works in all weathers.

Since I made the decision, that as from 1st June I would stop being a patient and start living my 'normal' life again I find my hiking hobby is like a new therapeutic experience for me. I've always wanted to canoe as well but never learned to swim. Maybe next year?

Xx

Mo

By the way he looks after the Keswick one too

Edited by member 15 Nov 2015 at 11:44  | Reason: Not specified

Glad you got that sorted GWM and so quickly too.

Hope this repair is now permanent.

I feel tired just reading what you've already achieved let alone your future plans.

Let's hope no further repairs become necessary so please don't push too hard too soon!!

As regards men not being happy following treatment other than surgery in your experience, this may be partly a coincidence and partly due to your lifestyle and the people you meet. In general, younger men tend to have surgery as they are fitter and stronger and often diagnosed earlier. Surgeons tend to want to operate on these men whose chance of success is greatest. Those who are older, maybe not so fit, possibly have other problems and/or whose cancers are diagnosed later with cancers that more advanced and success is less likely, tend to have RT and/or other treatment. This is not so much a measure of the success of treatments but the suitability and staging of patients.

I have a friend who had surgery but needed follow up HT/RT. His PSA has been stable and negligible for many years now and he is happy but wishes he had just had the RT and not had the surgery which caused him some severe problems.

All small scale anecdotal so please don't set any great store by this.

A year has passed since my Prostate was surgically removed. I was 71 a few days ago. At the moment I feel so lucky, no medication to worry about and I have about 95% control over my bladder. Its only the odd sneeze that makes me scamper to the bathroom. The only downside that I am aware of is, that I can no longer get an erection. I decided months ago to just get on with my life and to now worry about it. As a result of my prostate operation I also managed to get a hernia in August 2015 but this was repaired in December 2015. In at 12.00 noon, home at 17.30hrs.

To celebrate my year I met up with a few blokes in Glenridding in the Lake District a short while ago. I drank and ate with them for two nights and hiked with them for one whole day. We climbed Hellvellyn on a gloriously sunny day. We planned to come down from Hellvellyn via Striding Edge but due to lots of snow (it also snowed in the night) we took the long route back. About 12 miles, it was great!

I then left them as planned and hiked and wild camped the Dales Way (about 85miles) from Windermere to Leeds by myself over five days and nights, chilly at times, but for me, worth doing. I ate and drank in some really good quality pubs, I especially liked the Dalesman in Sedburgh.

After a winter of resting and convalescing to ensure my hernia was fully repaired I was feeling rather down but my climb and hike has really lifted my spirits once again. I hope my present good mood continuous.

I began to realise that I experienced a psychological setback recently. Although my last hernia repair has been successful I started to feel a bit negative about myself, my wife thinks it was the accumalative effects of how, in reality, my life has changed somewhat. From enjoying good health all of my life to getting diagnosed with prostate cancer and the continuation of my hernia problems dragged me down, more than I wanted to admit. My last op in Jan 2016 was my 6th hernia repair or was it my 7th? I got into a frame of mind where I lacked confidence to hike or run in because of the fear that I could develop the problems all over again.

I have worked through this down-mood now, the lighter evenings and better weather have really lifted my spirits. I recently, in a mad moment, decided to hike the Pennine Way again, my 3rd time. My first day was dreadful, from Kirk Yetholme to Byness, (about 26 miles) it rained hard all day, its was foggy for most of the day and I was blasted by high winds as well. To top it all, my 'new' (6 months old) WATERPROOF hiking boots leaked like a sieve after the first mile! Walking this distance, on rocks, across moorland and having to wade through stream,s and soggy peat areas with wet feet was such a depressing experience! It took me nearly three days to get my brain into optomistic mode again. In the past I would have just bounced back in a few hours but not this time!

I eat and drink in pubs as I hike and the variety of beers and food on offer was great with the bonus of chatting to the locals and tourists was great fun. I'm off again in a few days to hike the Cotswold Way so I'm hoping that my mood does not change for the worse again?

Way to go - Gunwharfman!

Welcome home X

Well, whatever is causing it - keep at it and good luck!