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Dry January

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User
Posted 19 Jan 2020 at 21:19

What's this got to do with Prostate Cancer I hear you say? On the whole I think I have handled the Pca situation reasonably well. I am nowhere near as terrified as I thought I would be and, until my PSA started rising again, I could go for days at a time without thinking about it.

However, since early October I've been on a succession of scans and blood tests and I think I might have been more worried about it than I actually knew. My alcohol consumption started to rise. I'd still, mostly, have my 2 alcohol free days a week but, at the weekends, I found myself drinking a whole bottle of Malbec in a sitting and this was after a large G & T as a pre-dinner drink.

So I thought I'd give dry January a try not least because given the near certainty that my cancer has recurred and I want to be in as good a condition as possible to continue/resume the fight.

First few days not easy but I have to say I feel 100% better. Even though I am pretty much hangover proof, I feel much livelier, my sleep is better, my bowel movements more predictable (tendency to diarrhea ) and I also feel less stressed.

Absolutely no intention of giving up the booze but I'm hoping I have given myself a bit of a reset. Instead of 2 days not drinking I'm going to try 4 days without and just tipple at the weekends. Must find a fool proof way of being able to resist the temptation to finish a bottle once opened!

User
Posted 20 Jan 2020 at 23:29

Drinking had the opposite effect on me when I was diagnosed.   I'd be alright at the time and then at 4am wake up with the screaming ad dabs and continued anxiety in the morning.    On the days I didn't drink I was stable.  So I had no drink at all for 6 months including Christmas.  No-one could tempt me and they tried.

It was a lot easier than expected.   I now have 2 drinking nights of only a couple of pints max or half a bottle of wine.  It now seems to have more effect so it's a bit self limiting.

So yes,  try to keep it low.

 

User
Posted 19 Jan 2020 at 21:19

What's this got to do with Prostate Cancer I hear you say? On the whole I think I have handled the Pca situation reasonably well. I am nowhere near as terrified as I thought I would be and, until my PSA started rising again, I could go for days at a time without thinking about it.

However, since early October I've been on a succession of scans and blood tests and I think I might have been more worried about it than I actually knew. My alcohol consumption started to rise. I'd still, mostly, have my 2 alcohol free days a week but, at the weekends, I found myself drinking a whole bottle of Malbec in a sitting and this was after a large G & T as a pre-dinner drink.

So I thought I'd give dry January a try not least because given the near certainty that my cancer has recurred and I want to be in as good a condition as possible to continue/resume the fight.

First few days not easy but I have to say I feel 100% better. Even though I am pretty much hangover proof, I feel much livelier, my sleep is better, my bowel movements more predictable (tendency to diarrhea ) and I also feel less stressed.

Absolutely no intention of giving up the booze but I'm hoping I have given myself a bit of a reset. Instead of 2 days not drinking I'm going to try 4 days without and just tipple at the weekends. Must find a fool proof way of being able to resist the temptation to finish a bottle once opened!

User
Posted 24 Jan 2020 at 12:26

When I saw my oncologist this Wednesday (further details on my PSA rising after EBRT thread) she spent 45 minutes with me. To cut a long story short I'm having radiotherapy on 3 lymph nodes along with HT (bicalutamide). I am type 2 diabetic but only just over the line - not on meds for it. We discussed the effect of HT in terms of weight gain and she is strongly in favour of very low or even no carbohydrate diets in my circumstances. She was delighted with my dry January attempt (only one lapse and that was just one bottle of beer) and thinks I should build on this going forward and try to stick to 14 units - I think I can manage this after the dry January attempt.

We also talked about exercise - my 20 minute a day brisk walk to the paper shop and back was "not enough" and my bicep curls done 3 times a week with a 3 kilo weight in each hand and 20 reps also needed to "improve."

As I came away I was thinking that, perhaps, the lifestyle change thing is not given enough prominence. I am aware that the fitter I am the easier it will be to cope with the treatments. There's plenty out there on the internet and other places and the NHS can only do so much with the limited resources it has but I feel I have been given some tough love but in a good way.

User
Posted 24 Jan 2020 at 21:17

On dry January Andrew, I have had one lapse. Cheeky beer before dinner after my appointment! It was like a taste explosion!

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User
Posted 20 Jan 2020 at 23:29

Drinking had the opposite effect on me when I was diagnosed.   I'd be alright at the time and then at 4am wake up with the screaming ad dabs and continued anxiety in the morning.    On the days I didn't drink I was stable.  So I had no drink at all for 6 months including Christmas.  No-one could tempt me and they tried.

It was a lot easier than expected.   I now have 2 drinking nights of only a couple of pints max or half a bottle of wine.  It now seems to have more effect so it's a bit self limiting.

So yes,  try to keep it low.

 

User
Posted 21 Jan 2020 at 10:37
Isn't it strange that the things in life that most enjoy are not good for you unless taken in moderation! Certainly this includes alcohol, consumption of which I regularly a asked about at medical appointments even though I don't stagger in.
Barry
User
Posted 21 Jan 2020 at 11:12
Barry they always ask about amount of alcohol consumed and if you smoke as it feeds into data collection

I enjoy a pint or four. But also make sure I have quite a few non drinking days in the week.

Bri

User
Posted 24 Jan 2020 at 12:26

When I saw my oncologist this Wednesday (further details on my PSA rising after EBRT thread) she spent 45 minutes with me. To cut a long story short I'm having radiotherapy on 3 lymph nodes along with HT (bicalutamide). I am type 2 diabetic but only just over the line - not on meds for it. We discussed the effect of HT in terms of weight gain and she is strongly in favour of very low or even no carbohydrate diets in my circumstances. She was delighted with my dry January attempt (only one lapse and that was just one bottle of beer) and thinks I should build on this going forward and try to stick to 14 units - I think I can manage this after the dry January attempt.

We also talked about exercise - my 20 minute a day brisk walk to the paper shop and back was "not enough" and my bicep curls done 3 times a week with a 3 kilo weight in each hand and 20 reps also needed to "improve."

As I came away I was thinking that, perhaps, the lifestyle change thing is not given enough prominence. I am aware that the fitter I am the easier it will be to cope with the treatments. There's plenty out there on the internet and other places and the NHS can only do so much with the limited resources it has but I feel I have been given some tough love but in a good way.

User
Posted 24 Jan 2020 at 21:17

On dry January Andrew, I have had one lapse. Cheeky beer before dinner after my appointment! It was like a taste explosion!

 
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