Monday 18th June 2018. I went with my sister for the consultation with a surgeon at Southmead. I had prepared some questions to ask and gave a copy to my sister so that she could check that all the questions I had written down were covered in the conversation with a view to prompt me if I forgot anything.
The surgeon was very open and started by asking me if I had any thoughts about which way I was thinking of going i.e. surgery or radiation. I explained that I'd had 4 months to ponder the various treatments available but if the option for surgery was available to me, I was leaning in that direction.
He told me that he didn't want to hold any punches but my diagnosis showed that I had a 'significant' cancer. He told me that he was pleased that I was leaning towards surgery but he warned me that he wanted to ' throw the kitchen sink' at me. He went on to explain that the best plan for me was to start immediately on 3 months of hormone therapy and to schedule me in for a radical prostatectomy at the end of September. Nerve sparing surgery would not be an option in my case and as well as removing my seminal vesicles, some lymph nodes would be removed.
I am now preparing to deal with the onslaught of various side affects of hormone therapy and eventually those of a radical prostatectomy aimed at prolonging my life at the expense of preserving erectile function.
Once again I brought up my concerns about just how long it has taken to get to the point where my treatment has started. The surgeon was clearly concerned that it had taken so long but reassured me that in the scheme of things 4 months is not likely to have an impact on the outcome in my case.
I am relieved to have finally started treatment after 4 months of waiting between appointments for the next stage of tests and diagnosis. I am confident that my surgeon is at the leading edge of expertise and among the best in the country.
I'm aiming to conclude this thread and start a new one to share my treatment experiences. I want to thank everyone who has responded to my story so far and for the kind words of support and helpful advice.