This has been a long time in coming, having lurked for so long.
Introduction.
I am 66, married 43 years with a son who is 31 and profoundly autistic. I was diagnosed with PCa in 2019. I am Type 2 diabetic, diagnosed in 2014 and I am in remission by diet and exercise, very low carb diet. I am a retired scientist, 20 years university research and 19 years at drug discovery company.
In the spring of 2019 I went to see my GP about an unusual urination pattern for me. My first in the morning was always done in stages, three or four separate streams. Later in the day, just a single stream. He gave me a digital examination and detected something on my prostrate. PSA and biopsies followed. Can’t remember the PSA but positive results from samples. Got the confirmation in the back of a French taxi as I was part of a transition team from work as the business was being transferred to France and I was going to be made redundant, 31-Aug-2019. Gleason 3 + 4 pT3a N0 M0. Through July and August reviewing treatment and meeting various consultants. Decided to go for radical prostatectomy, 04-Sep-2019. I retired at 62 and became my son’s full-time carer, he is profoundly autistic.
6 monthly PSA were all undetectable until Aug of last year, 0.2. Feb-24 0.3. Appointment with consultant. PSMA PET Ct scan 30-Apr-24. Mild increased tracer uptake within posterior left seventh rib and no other abnormality elsewhere. Review, repeat CT scan later to check and another PSA. PSA 31-Aug 04. CT scan 03-Sep-24, no sign of rib abnormality.
Plan now is to repeat the PET scan with another PSA test and if the rib is still clear proceed with Hormone therapy and then radiotherapy of the prostrate bed.
My first consultant, who I met when first diagnosed and in June has since gone on leave. She made no mention of HT we were reviewed the plan if the rib was clear. My second consultant added the HT saying that we must have missed it with the first one. I was there with my wife as two sets of ears are better than one in these situations and she has no recollection of it being mentioned. Clearly running through a lot of threads HT appears to be standard for Salvage RT. It is probably the one part of treatment I am most concerned about because of the side effects and how my diabetes will react. Added to this I have a very large hernia, that is really slowing me down and waiting for treatment that.
I feel I have been a bit in limbo because of the uncertainty of the rib and am still waiting for the PET scan date.
Anyway, this is my first post, and I hope to return with updates and document my experiences from now.
I wish you all well.