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Biopsies - try not to worry

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User
Posted 11 Oct 2022 at 16:13

Hi everyone. This is my first post, so apologies if it's a bit rambling. As a back story, in January this year I noticed blood where it shouldn't be so went straight to the GP to get it checked out. By May, I'd been diagnosed with low grade prostate cancer and am currently on active surveillance.

To jump to my point of writing this, the uncertainty between first symptoms and final diagnosis was really hard and the wait between getting the appointment for biopsies (transperineal) and actually having them was mental torture - I was completely terrified at the thought of having them taken and I was a wreck for nights on end in the run-up to the procedure.

Now, I'm pretty sure there'll be quite a few of you out there who are feeling exactly the same way as I was. I can honestly say, though, that it's nothing at all to worry about. My consultant assured me that getting the local anaesthetic was just like at the dentists (though my dentist never gave me a needle *there*) and was a sharp sting for a moment and nothing too painful. He said the procedure may be a bit uncomfortable but not painful at all, and he was totally right. The consultant and nursing staff really made me feel at ease and I was done in about 25 minutes. No pain or discomfort afterwards either.

So, and this from someone who is a total wimp, having biopsies taken is really no big deal. Honest.

Much love,

Fen.

User
Posted 11 Oct 2022 at 16:13

Hi everyone. This is my first post, so apologies if it's a bit rambling. As a back story, in January this year I noticed blood where it shouldn't be so went straight to the GP to get it checked out. By May, I'd been diagnosed with low grade prostate cancer and am currently on active surveillance.

To jump to my point of writing this, the uncertainty between first symptoms and final diagnosis was really hard and the wait between getting the appointment for biopsies (transperineal) and actually having them was mental torture - I was completely terrified at the thought of having them taken and I was a wreck for nights on end in the run-up to the procedure.

Now, I'm pretty sure there'll be quite a few of you out there who are feeling exactly the same way as I was. I can honestly say, though, that it's nothing at all to worry about. My consultant assured me that getting the local anaesthetic was just like at the dentists (though my dentist never gave me a needle *there*) and was a sharp sting for a moment and nothing too painful. He said the procedure may be a bit uncomfortable but not painful at all, and he was totally right. The consultant and nursing staff really made me feel at ease and I was done in about 25 minutes. No pain or discomfort afterwards either.

So, and this from someone who is a total wimp, having biopsies taken is really no big deal. Honest.

Much love,

Fen.

User
Posted 12 Oct 2022 at 00:39

Thanks for the post fen. Blind panic is a very common and normal reaction. It's hard for people to believe that a few weeks later everything is back to normal, for the majority. For quite a few, a small slow growing cancer is found, and only in a small number of cases is a life limiting disease found.

Hopefully people will find your post when going through the diagnosis process and will be able to view the whole process more like going to the dentist to have a checkup, than awaiting a death sentence.

Dave

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User
Posted 12 Oct 2022 at 00:39

Thanks for the post fen. Blind panic is a very common and normal reaction. It's hard for people to believe that a few weeks later everything is back to normal, for the majority. For quite a few, a small slow growing cancer is found, and only in a small number of cases is a life limiting disease found.

Hopefully people will find your post when going through the diagnosis process and will be able to view the whole process more like going to the dentist to have a checkup, than awaiting a death sentence.

Dave

User
Posted 24 Oct 2022 at 22:07
Just to confirm what others have said.

On the afternoon of my targeted biopsy I was wound up to high doh! I was the last of four to get taken to the “room”.

When I was working I had to have a medical every year and I have always suffered from white coat syndrome.

My blood pressure was through the roof so much so that the biopsy could have been postponed. However the nurses knew what they were doing and got it down to acceptable limits ( for me )

.

I felt absolutely no pain at all, l never even felt the anaesthetic going in. The ultrasound probe in the rectum was uncomfortable but not painful.

I had sixteen core samples taken and all I heard was a click. On reflection I really don’t know why I got so worked up. It really was no problem.

I did have slight blood in my urine for three weeks afterwards but again that was no big deal.

So don’t fret! ( easier said than done )

Rgds

Dave

 
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