Hello--52 y.o. posting for the first time. I was diagnosed in January '22 with a Gleason of 4+3=7 and have been on hormone therapy with a set of 20 radiotherapy treatments as well. Recent blood tests showed an undetectable PSA (bit of a paradox, but nevertheless), so things are trending in the right direction. Will be finished with the hormone therapy at the beginning of Feb. '23—I recently had my last quarterly hormone booster shot—and am thinking of getting my first tattoo to mark the start and end dates. My kids would be shocked. Would they think I'm any more hip than I was? Defo no.
The worst part of this journey was about 3 months ago when I was going through the radiation and had a catheter in because I couldn't urinate (and all the attendant horrors of that situation: visits to the A&E, the 'wait and see' and then re-catheterization, etc.). That plus the hormone therapy had me feeling like an alien on earth, that's for sure. I'd see myself in the mirror with the catheter along with the gynecomastia and big belly and decreased muscles from the HT side effects and think, "This is better than the PC??"
But it is, of course. Now that the treatment's end is closer than the beginning, and now that radiation's done, and now that the catheter is out (I had TURP surgery a few weeks ago and can urinate normally again), and now that the PSA is undetectable, I am feeling more hopeful than I have in about a year. The side effects from Apalutamide still haunt me every day—especially the never-ending, devilish hot flashes—but those will subside in February as well.
It happens fast, doesn't it? One day, you're living your life and don't officially have PC. The next, because of the knowledge you receive from the oncologist, you do. Then your life as you know it turns upside down. And then you are faced with the biggest fight you've ever had. All in a day's time.
I think a lot about this phrase: "The only way out is through." It's become a mantra of sorts for me. A few months ago, when I was having radiotherapy and was living with a catheter and a hot flash would attack me at 2 a.m., I'd repeat this to myself until the flash subsided. It's true when you get PC: you must go through it to get to the other side of it.
Very best, everyone. We can do it. The only way out is through.