Hi Mary,
Im T3bN0M0, so spread to a seminal vesicle and PSA 36. They wouldn’t give me the option of surgery because there was too much risk of requiring SRT after it, so in Scotland they seem to take the attitude that they might as well just go down the HT/RT route in the first place so that you don’t have to deal with both. It also might be due to my age, I’m 67.
The tablets he has been given may be Bicalutamide. I took these for a month and 2 weeks before my first HT injection. They stop Testosterone flare when you get the injection and work differently in that they stop the testosterone reaching the prostate, whereas the HT injections stop you producing testosterone.
It’s a shame you feel you have to walk on eggshells with your OH, as communication is so important in being able to give him the support he needs. I’m wondering whether he might benefit from going along to a local support group such as Maggies….it’s sometimes easier to discuss your feelings with other men in the same boat…and the support he will get is amazing…as well as the experiences of other guys who’ve been through it.
I also feel sad that you feel you’ve not had the care you were hoping for. My care in Fife has been first class. I just need to phone my CNS,leave a message and they phone you back within 24 hours if they’re not available when you call. My treatment has also been very good apart from a breakdown in Communications between 2 different health boards - Fife don’t have Oncology so it had to be Edinburgh. You DO sometimes need to be proactive in chasing up treatment and appointments but that’s something you could certainly help with.
All the best for the future.
Derek