Out of the blue, almost!

[resybaby]

[quote=spread-tee post_id=47666 time=1721061752 user_id=59

as long as I can kickstart my bike without my foot snapping off I'm happy.
[/quote]

This comment Sir, tells us all we need to know.

Situation is clearly not humourous in any way or shape at all, but keeping as close a resemblance to normal life and using your own personalitys coping mechanisms, such as daft humour, hobbies, interests etc is a great thing to do and i recommend it highly.
keeps the fight going and helps to push away the black clouds and worry a little, even if just for a moment.
Told everybody i was 'putting my emotions in a box under the stairs' so i could focus all my energy on my fight.
Yet i live in a bungalow, just a stupid throwaway line, but it raises a smile and does the job.

Learn all you can about the medical side of things so you can question the medics properly and get their full 'buy in', local hospital to me were awful and i lost a year before realising this and moving elsewhere. Also the financial stuff like pensions, get that sort of thing all dealt with earlier than later.

But most of all, try your absolute best to "snap that foot off" doing what you love.

[openspaceman]

5 years ago I had a fungal infection on my right foot, which at the time I put down to the chainsaw filling up my boots with chips

Sounds like we were in similar trades; until I got to wear normal safety shoes, as my work changed from on the tools, I suffered chronic athletes foot till I was 60. It has not re occurred although I still do the occasional day in full PPE.

[spread-tee]

Hallo chaps, I thought an update might be useful for some, apologies if this is a bit explicit but no point in beating around the bush. Mods if you think this inappropriate feel free to delete.

When I was first diagnosed it didn’t really seem real, maybe there was some mistake was a question rattling around my mind. An ultrasound scan, MRI, CT, and CT-pet scan followed by a biopsy eliminated all doubt. My prostate was about 60% cancerous it was fairly advanced and had a better than 50% chance of spreading if not treated pretty soon, a score of 3+4 on the Gleason scale. Google that up if you want more info but refer only to reputable sites like CRUK or NHS, don’t go U-Tubing or similar, there’s way too much ill informed bullshit out there (that was official advice from the RMH by the way)

Having jumped on my case double quick and being referred to the Royal Marsden was a stroke of luck for me, I was put on implants of slow release and daily tablet hormone treatments plus a couple of other meds to mitigate the side effects. Bloods were taken every two weeks and the results were pretty encouraging from quite early on, which made both Mrs Desp and I feel much better. Especially with the frequent face to face and telephone consultations with specialist nurses and consultants.

I asked at one of our meetings why regular screening is not in place for prostate cancer given it’s frequency in older men. Apparently there is much discussion going on about that but there is no easy answer. The blood PSA test is not so reliable and can throw up a fair amount of false positives which would then lead to scans and likely a biopsy to find out either way, which does carry some risk. If large numbers were to undergo that there would be some bad outcomes which would be hard to justify even in the face of quite a few good outcomes. There is research to find a more accurate test but as yet I don’t think any is widely available. Two of the specialists said we really need a widespread information campaign to make everyone aware of the earliest symptoms and how the process works once diagnosed as we see many men present very late either because like me the symptoms didn’t seem unusual, or fear of the unknown. Hence this post.

As far as I can make out my earliest symptoms about four years ago was that my todger didn’t really want to engage in bedroom rumpy pumpy, or erectile tissue disfunction. It didn’t really bother us much TBH at our age. Sometimes it would work sometimes not. About 21/2 years ago when it did work ejaculation was slightly uncomfortable but hardly anything to talk of. Then about 18 months ago I noticed an increase in the frequncy of peeing at night, no pain, good ish flow and no trouble starting until back in mid June one time it took a bit of persuading to get going and then felt like I hadn’t finished afterwards. The discomfort lasted a few minutes and then died away and that was it. But as I lay there drifting back to sleep I resolved to phone the Doc next day, I’m glad I did.

Even though my tumour is fairly advanced the diagnoses and treatment and side effects have not been scary at all. The diagnostic scans were barely anything to worry about, I did have two lots of redioactive tracers injected, but they combined added up to about four years of background exposure, the MRI and Ultrasound carry almost no risk. The biopsy wasn’t so great but the actuality was much less scary than the imagination beforehand, it did hurt when the local anesthetic went in for a few seconds, and having a finger and an ultrasound probe up the kyber isn’t great but not painful at all, and it was all over in about ten minutes. When all was done I walked back to a recovery room without problem and had a cup of tea and biccys , I could still walk and sit down no worries. Honestly I could have driven myself home no problem,they warned me there may be blood in my pee and ejaculate, but nothing, two lots of Ibuprofen sorted the mild discomfort after the anaesthetic wore off then I forgot all about it.

The treatment so far has consisted of popping a load of pills, a three monthly injected slow release implant and 20 daily radiotherapy treatments of which I now have 7 to go. The side effects of all that has been for me, I have felt less energetic and tired somewhat, good days and and the odd bad day, I have put on some weight, my bowels are a bit unpredictable and my dick has shrunk somewhat. But for all that the signs so far is that the tumour has shrunk a lot, my bloods are showing positive signs and the Consultant says they are looking to affect a complete cure rather than long term management. The only real question is the shadow that showed up on my rib, but that can be dealt with later if needed.

Sorry for the long post but I personally know two people who didn’t get seen to early enough, now one is struggling with a catheter more than 18 months after his operation and the other is no longer with us!! It doesn’t have to be like that, Don’t delay, I know you know that and there are many out there who are in a worse situation than me, but if this helps anyone at all it’s worth it.

Take care all.

Desp

[Andy]

I’m glad the treatment is going well. We had a guy in his late 50s at work get diagnosed. Apparently the odds are not in pilots favour for getting prostate cancer. A few other guys got tested as the recommendation is to get tested post 50. One other was found to be positive with no other symptoms. He has finished his treatment now and seems to be in the clear. I’m 50 next month so must get my appointment booked. By all accounts a few had to push to get tested but they insisted.

[Fintray]

Well said Desp. and hopefully anyone reading this and identifying with some of the symptoms will go and see about it.
I'd say to anyone that you know your own body and if something has changed/doesn't feel right go and get it checked out without delay.

It does sound like your treatment is going really well for you and not causing too many side effects, so look forward to the day you get the all clear

[Joeboy]

Damn glad to hear it was caught early and treatment is working well.

Looks like you got this years Christmas present early.

[AGT]

Glad to hear treatment is working well Desp!

[Stig]

Thanks for posting Desp, glad to hear that the treatment is going OK and I hope things continue on the right path.

I'd say to anyone that you know your own body and if something has changed/doesn't feel right go and get it checked out without delay.

What he said. That includes the other dangly bits. I thought testicular cancer was a young man's disease -It's not, so keep checking them from time to time too.

[Moxi]

Hi Desp,

Thanks for sharing, it’s helped, Merry Christmas and a positive new year to you and everyone.

Moxi

[resybaby]

Great to hear you are battling on Desp, keep it up buddy.

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