Reply With QuoteSo sorry to hear about your situation. Fingers crossed for the 19th and hope there is something with the new trials that can help.
Please bear with me as this might be long. In January I became constipated and after 3 weeks of trying over-the-counter laxitives, I made an appointment to see the doctor. She asked me a few questions asbout my diet and the performed a digital rectal examination,saying "I might as well check your prostate while I'm in here" and said that it felt "spongy". She ordered up a set of blood tests and a week later, another doctor from the practice phoned and said "all your blood tests are normal except your PSA level is 130". He might as well have been speaking ancient Greek, I had no idea what that meant. Apparently a normal reading is about 4 and a reading of 130 needs further investigation. I was referred to the urology department of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital for investigation.
I was given an appointment within 10 days and had an initial consultation followed bu a bone scan, MRI scan and another CT scan. I attended a follow-up appointment with the consultant, expecting a biopsy to be performed but he said there was no point as it would only confirm what they already knew, I have advanced and incurable stage 3 prostate cancer. As you can probably imagine, this was a lot to take in as I had none of the usual symptoms of prostate cancer (and still don't). I had a further CT scan to determine how far outside the prostate gland the cancer has spread, for this scan they require the bladder to be full and the bowel to be empty so they can get a good view. To empty the bowel I had to self-administer an enema (they sent me a box of 10 so who knows what the future holds) and I had to drink a litre of water in 20 minutes. They carry out a pre-scan to ensure that both conditions are met but mine failed because my bladder wasn't full enough, I have another CT scan booked for nex Monday, 19 June and upon successful completion, they will custom design a course of radiotherapy (10 sessions over 14 days). I also have another CT scan booked for 9 July whis is described as "CT thorax & abdo & pelvis with contrast". The contrast part means they inject you with some sort of dye prior to the scan to make the images show up better, I had to have another blood test to check kidney function for this.
So this is where I am now, they won't be able to give me a prognosis until after the radiotherapy. One slightly concerning aspect about this is that as you know, the fundraiser supports Prostate Cancer UK and I receive newsletters from them. In the latest newsletter it reports that after extensive clinical trials, a new drug has been approve for treatment
I mentioned this to several people at the hospital and they all said they hadn't heard about it.Gene-targeting drug olaparib will bring us closer to tailored treatment for every man.
This is a landmark moment for prostate cancer treatment, Eddie.
We've opened the door to a future where every man could get treatment that is tailored to him.
NICE, which decides which medicines the NHS can and can’t fund, has just announced that eligible men across the UK can be given olaparib for advanced prostate cancer. Although this affects a very specific group of men today – men who have a BRCA gene mutation and who are no longer responding to hormone therapies like abiraterone – it sets a huge precedent.
It makes olaparib the first targeted treatment of its kind to be approved for the disease – and it finally moves us away from the old ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to prostate cancer treatment.
Find out more about this big step forward
Olaparib now stands to extend the lives of hundreds of men each year. That's hundreds more fathers, grandfathers, brothers and sons given extra time with their loved ones.
I’m proud of the role we’ve played in developing this exciting drug. And you should be too because, without your support, it wouldn’t be possible.
Amy Rylance
Head of Improving Care
Prostate Cancer UK
Advances like these are only possible thanks to the ongoing support of people like you. Help us make treatment more personal for everyone. Leave a regular gift today.
All the hospital appointments cause disruption to operating Time Factors but Dave and myself will do out best to minimise this.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
So sorry to hear about your situation. Fingers crossed for the 19th and hope there is something with the new trials that can help.
Sorry to hear this Eddie.
That's a tough break Eddie, fingers crossed that everything goes your way from here on.
Sorry to hear this Eddie, and good luck on the 19th. I hope that the trials may be of use to you, but hope that even if they aren't (the pre-requisites seem quite specific) that the customised radio treatment will be effective.
Keep us informed, the whole TZ community stands with you.
D
Sorry to hear this Eddie.
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Best of luck Eddie.
Oh boy, that’s heavy news. Very sorry to read that and I wish you the very best in your treatment and outcome.
So sorry Eddie, best of luck for the 19th please keep us posted.
Bloody hell Eddie, forget Time factors and concentrate on getting the best treatment you can.
Incurable doesn’t mean it’s not manageable, it may be time to ease back and concentrating on your health.
Best wishes going forward.
Sorry to read this Eddie. My best wishes as always.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
oh gosh sorry to hear about this Eddie, all best wishes to you in this tough time.
So sorry to hear your news, it must be a very worrying time for you and your family.
Wishing you the very best for the 19th.
Really sorry to hear this terrible news eddie
Fingers crossed for you.
Good luck soldier, thinking of you.
So sorry to hear this Eddie, all the best to you and your family and fingers crossed for positive news
Awfull news Eddie, but as Dave said above incurable doesn't necessarily mean unmanageable.
Don't worry about Timefactors, although I guess you will anyway.
All of our thoughts and good wishes are with you.
Hear, hear!Originally Posted by Dave+63
Bloody hell Eddie, forget Time factors and concentrate on getting the best treatment you can.
Incurable doesn’t mean it’s not manageable, it may be time to ease back and concentrating on your health.
Best wishes going forward.
Sorry to hear this, but all the best for your investigations and treatments.
Cheers.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Sorry to hear this Eddie. I hope all go’s well on the 19th.
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I wish there was something concrete that I could do to help, but sadly the only thing is to offer sympathy.
I know well the anxious wait for test results; probably the worst part of the journey.
I know that we are all different, but for me the way forward was far easier to contemplate than the uncertainty.
So fingers crossed for the test reults; it does seem that in this day and age the future is nothing like as bleak as in days of yore.
I look forward to hopefully reading a positively-slanted update when you are ready.
Eddie,can only echo the sentiments expressed and stay tough stay focused and good luck with the tests.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Really sorry to hear this Eddie. I fought the big C 17 years ago for the other male disease.
It was tough both physically and mentally. The uncertainty as the start, the endless tests and treatments makes it all feel like a whirlwind for a few months.
Even though not curable, I do see that stage 3 prostate cancer has an excellent prognosis. My dad has it and just lives with it. He has been living with it for years and years and they have told him that old age is likely to get him first.
All my best.
Last edited by noTAGlove; 16th June 2023 at 10:14.
So sorry to hear of your current issues Eddie, I wish you a successful course of treatment whatever that may entail.
So sorry to hear that, hope you have some good luck now with the treatments.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Very sorry to hear the bad news Eddie.
Jonathan.
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What a shock Eddie. Let's hope for the best possible outcome.
F.T.F.A.
Sorry to hear Eddie, wishing you all the best.
Sorry mate, i hope there is something that can be done to considerably slow it down or cure it with an experimental drug or whatever.
I often feel like i should be checking the prostate by self done enema and self check, plus Dr checks. I assume if you self check you would know what it feels like when healthy and would spot a difference.
I never have checked though or had a Dr check, society makes you feel like you are gay or dirty or something for doing it.
All the best Eddie.
A bit of a shock to read, but you're in our thoughts and prayers for Monday and beyond.
I have had it done twice and can’t say that either of the descriptions remotely resemble anything I felt.
A simple and painless test. Everyone over 50 should push for one.
Sorry to hear this news, wishing you all the best.
I’m really lost for words Eddie but really hope that it becomes a manageable condition.
Years ago I was booked in for stoma reversal and arrived at the hospital the night before, morning arrived and the consultant checked with the nurse that I hah had my bowel prep (industrial laxative) the previous evening. No was the answer and the consultant just replied "give him a double does now and we will be ok for the op this afternoon.
On swilling back a double dose of thick syrupy liquid the nurse says she will get me a commode, why, I will just go to the toilet. You wont have time she replied. I’m sure I will. It’s just over there. After a little arguing about the commode o how I wish I had the commode.
Anyhow, fingers crossed for you Eddie and try not to worry about what you don’t know yet.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Really sorry to hear your news Eddie. I think all 398 pages of TZ members will be sending you their very best and keeping their fingers crossed for a positive outcome on Monday.
Stunned to hear this bad news Eddie, all I can offer is best wishes for a successful programme to manage this and give you the best possible outcome.
Very sorry to hear this Eddie, fingers crossed for the on-going treatment.
As stated by others, put your health and recovery first.
Sorry to hear this,all the best going forward.
Sorry to read this Eddie. Best of luck with everything, the entire membership here will be thinking of you and hoping for the best.
Sorry to hear this, hopefully the radiotherapy works on the cancer. A family friend was diagnosed with incurable cancer back in the early 90's and given a months to live, he is still alive now!
All the best for your treatment.
Eddie, I hope everything goes well for you. It's a downer alright but is livable.
Just follow the medical advice and diets they give you.
Like has been mentioned some people live with it for years.
Best wishes, we are all thinking of you.
Rod
Really sorry to hear this Eddie. Finger crossed and prayers that you will be okay.
Very sorry to hear this Eddie, as others have already said, I know this can and hopefully yours will be, manageable. Best of luck.
So sorry to hear this, fingers crossed it can be treated.
Sorry to hear your news Eddie - wishing you well.
Sorry to hear , best wishes and good luck going forward.
Sorry to hear this Eddie, fingers crossed.
Best wishes
Very sorry to hear this.
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Very sorry to hear this.
So sorry to hear this terrible news. Sending positive vibes
Sorry to hear this Eddie. Although we’ve never met, you’ve always struck me of being made of strong stuff. I’ve no doubt you’ll keep punching hard and get through this. My thought and my prayers will be with you and I hope all the support you get from the forum proves uplifting.
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