Advice or support gratefully accepted

Hi Lynne,

This is a good place to vent.  There are quite a few ladiess who post as their menfolk often like to keep to themselves and it can be as bad for the ladies.   

If it helps you could fill out the profile section and write a comment with other details such as dates, psa test results, Gleason and grade.  People often scan the profile to make their replies more focused.  I've also read that writing down your problems helps to process and relieve them.

All the best,  Peter    

Hi Lynne

My husband has locally advanced PCa too. Our situation is remarkably similar… he was diagnosed in June, started hormone therapy with Bicalutamide in September, then 3 monthly Prostap injections started in October and due for radiotherapy in Jan/Feb. He’s also been started on Abiraterone & Prednisolone as of 3 weeks ago. (We’re in Scotland, but I realise Abiraterone isn’t given in England at this stage). His hot flushes haven’t been bad at all so far but the fatigue and joint pain is awful. He stays cheery and philosophical when we’re in company but at home he gets very low. As you say, completely heartbreaking. 💔 

This forum has been incredibly helpful for me as it has prepared me for the side effects he is likely to suffer, which helps me support him better. There have also been lots of practical suggestions and, most of all, moral support. It gets quite exhausting being supportive and strong all the time at home, and this is the one place where others understand the fears and the realities of this horrible disease. 

Feel free to message at any time, as it looks like we are treading a very similar path on a very similar timescale.

Take care 💐xx

Neither my husband nor I have ever been interested in going to a gym but I was very worried about the muscle wastage and associated joint pain & fatigue associated with hormone treatment, so we both joined a gym and started working with a personal trainer. It has been incredibly helpful physically, but also mentally … it’s great to feel we are taking some control over things a bit! Today he was feeling very low and in quite a bit of joint pain but we had our PT session booked so he dragged himself along. He felt 100x better afterwards. His joints weren’t nearly as sore and his mood was completely different. It’s not for everyone, and I certainly didn’t ever see us getting involved in a gym, but the input and encouragement from the PT is invaluable. Most places offer trial sessions so it might be worth a try?  Kenny finds it much easier to go because we do it together. (The charge for a 2nd person sharing the PT session was pretty low anyway). 

Hope you’re getting on ok in the meantime. Take care. Xx