Prostate cancer starting treatment.

Now the worry began not helped by the fact that as soon as I got home it was out with the lap top and onto the various cancer sites and although I had not been officially told i could read the information and that with a PSA level that was alarmingly as high as mine indicated cancer. But I tried convincing myself that it was an infection or maybe BPH.

Three weeks later i went for my appointment with the consultant and had a urine test, the finger up the bum, and his confirmation that it was not an infection and that he would have to carry out a biopsy.

Two weeks later I arrived at the hospital for my biopsy and was surprised as to how many men were there waiting for the same test.The test although not painful in anyway was more embarrassing as I was lain on the table with my backside exposed to the world I was given a local which I barely felt and this was followed by the Urologist showing me the gun and firing it a couple of time so that I would know its sound. I can honestly say I never felt a thing apart from a slight pressure on the Anus as the probe was inserted and then the loud clicks as the sample was taken.

Two weeks later i was summoned back to the consultants office and was informed that I had cancer that al of the fifteen cores had come back as cancerous. My PSA was now 45and my Gleeson score was 7 which put me at moderate risk (whatever that meant)He then informed me off what would happen next which was a CT scan followed by a Bone scan, when the results of these two scans were known there would be a meeting with the oncologists and the next phase would begin.

The CT scan was done a week later followed a week after by the Bone scan which involves little more than drinking some kind of fluid (as it was witin the Nuc radiation section of my hospital) i assume it was some kind of radioactive marker fluid)) i was then lain on my back upon the scan table whilst the large Xray plate is lowered until it is inches from your face and then it moves slowly down your body I knew this would be the most worrying time as to what this particular scan would show if the cancer had escaped to of the Prostate.

Three weeks later I was summoned by the Oncologist and the first thing she said to me after I was seated was that the Cancer is contained within the prostate and that it was curable. (joy of joys)and that she would now discuss my treatment options.

These were Surgery, external radiation,Brachytherapy, or a Trial which was being conducted in my area but before I decided on a treatment I was to see the other two doctors as she dealt with external beam, but If I chose that option then all I had to do was phone her secretary and she would start me on it almost straight away. I was now puzzled by this as I had presumed that the health care professionals would tell me what was the best treatment for my particular case.

A week later I saw the the surgeon and he walked me through his procedure but thankfully he was the surgeon who had sorted out my kidney stone a year or so before and he informed me that at the Oncologist meeting that was held the previous week in my particular case the oncologists had leaned towards radiation Taking what i assumed rightly or wrongly was a firm hint i opted for, that particular course of treatment, (although i was leaning towards the brachia radiation treatmeant rather than straight EBR )whereupon he nodded and gave me a note to my GP to start me on Hormone therapy, and these pills i would take until I was told to stop they were Tamoxifen taken every other day and Bicultamide taken everyday.

A week later I was told by letter to have another PSA test and a few days later I went to see the final doctor who dealt with Brachytherapy as well as rhe trial (which I was not that keen on as the results were as yet inconclusive)He informed me during our meeting that as I had now chosen brachytherapy radiotherapy he gad decided that i was to undergo high dose Brachytherapy treatment which he felt would destroy the Tumour which consisted of fifteen radiation sessions and then the needles and insertion of the radiation source into the prostate on completion of the external beam.He also informed me that the Hormones were working and that after only two weeks my PSA was now down to 11.

Two weeks after this i was again CT scanned but this time it was to mark me up for the radiotherapy You give yourself a mini enema before the scan, which again is painless and quite easy to do in the toilet. I was then to drink 500ml of water. After fifteen minutes I was told to go to the toilet and empty my bowls wether I wanted to or not. On completion of the scan I was marked with three pinprick tattoos and that was it

I now await the start of my radiation treatment which is provisionally to begin in the middle of Jan 2017.Posted 08 February 2017 21:23:04

Update

Started radiotherapy fifteen days ago and I completed the treatment yesterday

When i started the treatment i was given a blood test and my psa was down to 3.2

The treatment consists of me arriving one hour before my session and i then adminster a mini enema to myself (which is very easy to do) fifteen minutes after this i visit the toilet where nature takes its course on completion i take a seat in the waiting area and drink 500 ml of water and then i wait to be called into the treatment area.

I enter the radiotherapy suite and remove trousers and shoes and lay on the table where the radiographers pulls my underpants down until the datum tattoes are exposed and they then position me under the lasers until these are in the cross hairs so to speak and the they leave the room and the treatment begins and after about ten minutes of laying motionless whilst the machines fires its beams into me from all differant angles the radiographers re-enter the suite and that is the session complete.

During my fifteen sesions i saw the doctor twice and it was a brief meeting on which my side effects was asked about and duly noted.

My side effects of the radiation so far consists of a reduced urine flow combined with a growing urgency to go and for the first time i am awaking in the middle of the night to go.(not to frequent maybe once or twice)

Another side effect is mucous in my stools, or freely floating about the toilet , and slight constipation

I also have an itchy back passage which could be inflamed hemoroids and I have been given cream for this

I count myself lucky if this is my only side effects and hopefully they'll get no worse.

I now await my brachytherapy which begins in early march.

Posted 02 March 2017 10:31:32

yesterday I had my high dose brachaytherapy. The procedure started as soon as I entered the ward at 0730 I was met by a nurse and shown into a private room with on suite facilities(eat your heart out BUPA) The consultant arrived a few minutes later and he talked me through the procedure and on completion I then signed the consent form, a few minutes later the Anestheist arrived and talked me through his part of the procedure and again it was all very proffesional in a relaxed yet informative way. I then got into my surgical gown and the compression socks and the nurse then arrived to give me my enema, again it was a painless and quick procedure

i was walked to the theatre at 0850 as it was directly around the cornrer from my room as this was a new purpose built cancer centre and everything was ultra modern and well designed. On getting onto the table the Anaesthetist did his thing and the next thing i knew I was being wheeled back into my room at about 1300. I don't know if that was how long prcedure had taken or if I had been in the recovery room for some time before being wheeled back to my room.

The nurse then arrived with the inevitable water jug and the urine bottle. I was advised to start drinking as i would not be allowed home until my urine was running fairly clear and the bottle had a good volume within it

I had no pain except for the first urination which was accompanied by a burning sensation and was coloured like red wine as was expected.The anaesthetist arrived and made sure I was in the land of the living and when he had left he was quickly followed by the consultant oncologist who informed me that the procedure went very well and provided my urine volume was sufficient I could go home in the late afternoon needless to say two litres of water disappeared quite quickly.

At 1700 the consultant again appeared checked my urine and informed me I could go home The nurse then arrived and gave me a bag of drugs and told me what they were for I had been given laxative satchets,Antibiotics,Ibrufen,heartburn tablets and Tamsulosin to improve urine flow.

i was driven home by my wife at 1725 and was glad I had a urine bottle in the car as I had to use it twice on the way home as I live an hour away from the hospital and we hit the rush hour which put a least a further twenty minutes onto the journey. I went to bed at about 2200 and the only sympton that I had was pins and needles in my right leg which I had had since awaking from the anaesthesia.I Slept well only waking at 0300 for the trip to the bathroom

Got up at about 0800 and had the wine coloured urine which was accompanied by a slight burning sensation which soon disappeared. I still had the slight pins and needles in my right leg and had now a soreness in my scrotem/ anus area but nothing that I needed painkillers for, had breakfast and drank water. I quickly realised that the Tamsulosin was working as i had a sudden urgency to urinate and the stream was impressive. I then walked the dog and settled down for the day I will post again when I have any further information

Posted 06 March 2017 16:00:21

Its been five days now since the procedure and I am happy to write that my side effects are so far very manageable

The day after the Brachytherapy Igad pins and needles in my right leg and my first urination was deep red in colour and was accompanied by a slight burning sensation which soon passed but the flow itself was good compared to what it had been and this wad probably because I had been put on Tamousolin (probably spelt wrong) as well as antibiotics. The Tamousolin is good if not too good as i only get a slight warning that i want to go and I find it nearly impossible to hold it for longer than a few seconds. I am to see the consultant in a couple of weeks and I will then see if I can get off of these pills.

My pain fron the procedure is minimal and apart from a slight soreness the discomfort is easily controlled wiith Ibrufen /paracetamol.

Day three saw no further problems the pins and needles when i walk has gone and my urinatian stream is only pale pink first thing in the morning, groin pain has diminished but Tamousolin still making any water that I drink go straight through without touching the sides, also defecating normally, and again no pain from the anus or groin and as a result I did not need to use the supplied laxative satchets which had given to me in case i became constipated

Day four and five was the same, urinating like a waterfall although the pressure is not high enough to give a really strong stream, the slight soreness has all but disappered but i am now feeling fatigued in the afternoon. Defecation is nearly normal and no longer is my urine stream tainted with blood first thing in the morning

The tamousolin however is making me have three to four trips to the bathroom during the night which I never really had to do before and the hormones are still giving me a disturbed nights sleep but again it is all managable I just hope that the side effects I am now feeling do not escalate in the future

Will post again after I see the consultant or have anything else to write.

Posted 30 March 2017 16:46:42

Nearly four weeks since the Brachaytherapy and I saw the oncologist this morning. (Yet another differant doctor, I have not seen the same one twice) I was informed that my PSA from the blood test that was taken a week ago by this new oncologist was that it was down to 0.1 which points to the HDR as being successful

The only side effects at the moment is a weak urine flow, even though I am taking the Tamousolin but there is no other problems such as stuttering, pain, or blood (although i have noticed that I am getting a split stream when the pressure rises slightly) but most of the time there is just a lack of pressure. ( the stream is steady albeit slow)I also have some fatigue in the afternoons but so far it is easily worked through with a bit of effort.

The Oncologist told me if that was my only problems I was a very lucky man

I am wary of stopping the Tamousolin which I am due to finish in another two weeks but the Doc told me that I was to get some more from my Gp and any problems when I finished the course I was to go back onto them and the urine problem would be addresed when I next had a review in three months time (unless of course the problem got worse)I think that my stream will never be back to what it was but with reduced pressure a slight urgency at times and only one or sometimes zero visits to the toilet at night i can live quite happily with it. I also have no bowl problems at present and even the itchy anus has now settled down

I remain on the two hormones a day (pill form)for another six months and I will post again if anything grows worse or i am afflicted with any new side effects

As the oncologist said I to think that I am a very lucky man

update

it is now six weeks since the Brachytherapy and I stopped the Tamousolin two days ago and although my urine stream is reduced in its strength and I now take twice as long to complete I have no stop start or dribbles. Patiance is required Still getting disturbed sleep patterns and I sometimes have one urination to complete in the wee small hours I have had no other side effects.Tirdeness is still present and I find i can work through the fatigue without to much effort However i have noticed that my semen is the colour of chocolate I hope this is a one off and that it clears.Will update again when I have anything else to add.

UPDATE

June 2017 Saw the oncologist today(hurray it was the doctor that carried out my Brachaytherapy) the first thing he told me was that my PSA was now 0.03 and in his words it was undetectable. I asked about the .01 that some guys report on they site , and he smiled and said that I still had a Prostate and so it would still produce the antigens but again he reiterated that it was undetectable. He then asked about side effects and apart from the fatigue in the afternoons and the slow pee first thing in the morning I have none worth writing about. I am only getting up during the night maybe once in a week and that is normally about 0530 or later and If I do have the 0200 pee it is becoming rare and only when I drink last thing at night.

He informed me that because my PSA was initially so high that he wanted me to stay on the Bicultamide and Tamoxifen for another nine months. I'm still a bit confused about that as I thought that the Brachytherapy zapped the tumour for good. So why do i still have to take the Hormones?? forgot to ask (hot flushes for another nine long months. I think that the fatigue is being caused by these hormone tablets)

Still its a little price to pay I was also informed that he did not want to see me for another six months instead of the normal three.

thats it I go on holiday soon can't wait..

Update

Came back from holiday (florida) had great time no problems at all however i still get fatigued in the afternoon so it must be the HT

Had a bit of a shock one month ago when i awoke with terrible indigestion that doubled me over called the out of hour s doctor as it was 0200 in the morning and was advised to call an ambulance Went to casualty and admited straight away with panceatitus caused by gall bladder stone

In hospital for two weeks as they tried to get the infection down and a partially collapsed lung reinflated . Had the gall blader out on the second thursday discharged on the friday

Thought it was the cancer more side effects from the gall blader removal than the PC

Update

It's been now eight months since the procedures and five from my review and i now await my six monthly PSA check and i have some new side effects mainly being breast enlargement and a very sore brest under my left nipple

I thought it was all to good to last

Other side effects are the lack of muscle tone even though i am exercising ED and hot flushes

I also have a slight burning sensation on completion of urination and i have been told that this maybe radiation cystitis and it may be worse as i am drinking coffee again

I do not need to worry about chocolate coloured sperm as I bow have no sperm at all

I have been told that the breast enlargement is the result of the Bicultamide and the soreness was supposed to be controlled by the Tamoxifen but that appears not to be the case now .But saying that the pain is more of a discomfort (like joggers nipple) but i shall voice all my concerns at the six monthly review in Dec

Edited by member 07 Jan 2018 at 13:43  | Reason: Not specified