Hi Mark,
Thanks for your kind words, it’s much appreciated. I saw my oncologist today, who, for a change, was quite chatty and helpful. Maybe because it’s the first time I’ve seen him without a mask! Anyway he’s quite happy with my current results. He said it may go down further after 6 months, but the important thing is that the PSA doesn’t rise to more than nadir +2.0. I did feel he dismissed my issues with joint ache…he said possibly down to just my age…sorry but that’s nonsense, these problems started after my HT jab back in April, just at the start of RT.
You face a difficult decision which you wouldn’t have to make in Scotland as you wouldn’t be offered surgery. It always bugged me that surgery was excluded for me, but at one of the meetings with my Maggies PCa support Group, I brought up this subject and the Maggies support specialist(who was previously head CNS for PCa) explained it to me. She said that there was a good chance that SRT would be required with my staging if I had RARP, and that having to deal with recovery from RARP and at the same time as the side effects of HT/RT is simply not worth the it, as the outcome of both treatments for me would be quite similar.
Well, that’s it in Scotland, is it for the patients benefit, or for financial reasons? I have no idea, but having it explained to me helped me put it into perspective and accept it. And although I get a bit envious whenever I hear one of my many friends at Maggies say how pleased they are that they had RARP and how successful it’s been, I just have to kick myself in the rear end and get on with it.
I wish I could advise you but that would be a mistake…which is why I guess the experts leave the decision to you. Maybe after your PET scan it will make things clearer for you.
There is no doubt in my mind that if it was clear to me that it was contained within the prostate I would have opted for RARP. Get rid of the mothership and deal with the side-effects of ED and recovery time…I’m retired so recovery time is not such an issue but ED is(despite my ageπ€£), but you need be proactive about ED…i think this is very important no matter what treatment you opt for.
However with T3b? Not sure what I would have chosen if I HAD the choice TBH.
You’ll have read from my posts that I’ve had a multitude of side-effects, not from RT but from HT, everything from Hot flushes to Peyronie’s disease…most of them I can live with and find ways to help, but so far the joint ache is the one that bothers me most, as if it gets much worse it is going to seriously affect my QOL…and I haven’t found a solution yet. Strangely enough though I cycled for 46 miles on my ebike on Monday and my knees were really good that evening! Weird! I’m determined as hell though not to let this stop me having fun and making the most of every day. There is no doubt that PCa has changed me but in many ways it’s for the betterπ
Sorry for my rambling post..I’d be happy to speak to you more if you PM me or we can have a chat by phone if you think it would help.
All the best whatever choice you make!
Derek