A New Chapter

A New Chapter

User

Posted 30 Aug 2016 at 18:20

Hello Steve,

congratulations to your daughter's GCSE results - fabulous! Also well done on completing your current treatment.

Frank.

User

Posted 21 Sep 2016 at 07:43

Hi,

I've just called my local surgery to make an appointment to see a GP and been told that from now on the doctors will only see patients if it's an emergency. You can only make appointments with one of the nurses. My wife had the same problem too. I think this is awful. I can't image that they have the knowledge that a GP has. I certainly wouldn't have been happy if only nurses had been involved with most of my treatment.

The surgery was taken over at the start of September by a different group because it has been in special measures for the last 18 months.

I'm not impressed.

Steve

User

Posted 21 Sep 2016 at 10:03

Hi Steve,

From NHS England Site:

"You have the legal right to ask to see a particular doctor or nurse at the GP practice. For more information, see: Can I choose to see a male or female GP?"

KRO...

User

Posted 29 Sep 2016 at 08:09

Hi,

Can I ask for people's experience of how quickly they recovered after finishing hormone treatment. I had two years and two months treatment which ended about a month ago, so not really expecting things to improve yet.

My oncologist did say this may take anything up to six months or a year for things to improve but I wondered what members here have found. I think this would be helpful info for all of us who have been on a similar treatment plan.

Thanks.

Steve

User

Posted 29 Sep 2016 at 17:23

Hi Steve

I was off HT one day short of a year. In that time my testosterone only got back to 7.2 I only had a big increase in testosterone in the last month

Must admit I did feel much better and the hot flushes went quite quickly

Don't deny the diagnosis; try to defy the verdict

User

Posted 29 Sep 2016 at 18:26

Hi Steve,

I was on HT for almost 3 years. in January my oncologist told me to stop having the injections, next one was due in February. By my next appointment in May I was feeling that I had more energy but still had the odd hot flush, but my testosterone was still low. We went on holiday in June and did a lot of walking, considering my wife uses a wheelchair I felt quite strong by then. When I went to my next appointment in August my testosterone was normal. My only problem now is the lack of motivation to go for walks etc. My wife says I need to buy a dog!!

Arthur

User

Posted 01 Oct 2016 at 13:32

Hi,

Si, thanks for your reply, I hope everything is going well for you with the break from HT. It's too early to expect any change for myself but am looking forward to it when It does come. Hoping to come up to Newark sometime soon, I've been away too long.

Arthur, pleased to hear you are enjoying some improvement after finishing HT. Hopefully, we'll have chance to have a chat at the Flyer if you can make it.

Steve

User

Posted 21 Oct 2016 at 09:49

Hi,

A very interesting evening at Kings College in London last night.

Kevin Webber (Irun) was giving a talk about how being diagnosed with Cancer has changed his life and how his love of running has helped him cope with an incurable diagnosis.

Highlight of the evening was his experiences of running the World's toughest race, the Marathon Des Sables, across the Sahara Desert.

Kevin has raised a huge amount of money for Prostate Cancer UK and has shown that even with the worst diagnosis, you can still achieve your goals, if you have determination and Kevin certainly has that. An inspiration to us all.

I took photos of the event. If you're interested seeing these, please visit my Facebook page. You can find it by searching for "Nikon Steve"

Have a good weekend everyone.

Steve

Edited by member 23 Oct 2016 at 01:40 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 21 Oct 2016 at 11:47

Just saw them Steve.

I bet it was really interesting. Did you stay in London for the night?

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 21 Oct 2016 at 11:59

Hi Sandra,

Unfortunately I had to get home even though it would have nice to stay somewhere.

It was really nice to see PCUK staff members I've got to know and others who are fundraising or have Prostate Cancer.

A very pleasant evening.

Steve

User

Posted 21 Oct 2016 at 18:23

Saw the FB photos Steve thank you for that , Kev ( I run ) is such an inspiration those of us on this forum know that he has his down times but what a guy and so glad that you were able to be there to witness and photograph the event.

Shame you couldn't stay the night but at least you were able to capture the moment in pictures.

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON

User

Posted 22 Oct 2016 at 16:56

Hello Steve,

how are you doing?

Your friend Kevin sounds like superman!

This morning I felt like I could barely walk up to the shop! I haven't run for years, so that ain't going to happen!

Frank.

User

Posted 25 Oct 2016 at 10:11

Hi,

Doing ok at the moment, thanks. Still not as I'd want to be but I will keep trying.

I feel a bit lost at the moment, not sure what to do with my life from now on. The thought that my next PSA Test is happening on 1st December is starting to play on my mind a bit. It will be the first since HT ended in August so I'm wondering how things are going. My PSA had been gradually rising since the start of the year while still on the treatment so what will happen now concerns me a bit.

I was told from the very outset that I wouldn't know if the radiotherapy I had had worked until the Hormone Treatment ended and if it didn't work, my cancer would then be incurable.

A bit of a scary thought.

Steve

User

Posted 25 Oct 2016 at 11:38

Hi Steve,

Just because your PSA has been rising it doesn't necessarily mean it will continue to rise now you've stopped the HT, but I can understand your concern. It's always a nervous time but hopefully any fears you have will be unwarranted. My last HT injection was November 2015 and I've had 4 monthly appointments with the oncologist this year, my next appointment is also on 1st December so all being well we can compare notes at the "Flyer" on the 7th?

All the best,

Arthur

Edited by member 25 Oct 2016 at 14:24 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 25 Oct 2016 at 13:05

Been exactly where you are Steve. Incurable does not mean imminent death, please try to get that out of your mind. If the PSA has risen, there are many cocktails of hormones and permutations to keep your quality of life on par with what it is today. My radiotherapy ended in January 2013 and the PSA started to rise then indicating I was incurable. That is nearly four years ago. I'm still here.

Also, December 1st is a bit far away to be worrying about the PSA just yet. As the world's worst worrier, can I suggest that you really try hard to put it out of your mind (much easier said than done), focus on your life in the moment and only allow yourself to worry the week before. This is the approach I take and it works. Nothing on this earth will ever stop you worrying about your health and indeed your life. It is what makes us human, but trying to compartmentalise worry is a strategy that I as a clinically diagnosed catastophist is one which works.

Wishing you a great November and strength and good luck for the first week of December.

Bazza

User

Posted 04 Nov 2016 at 21:53

Hi,

A bit of a milestone yesterday. It marked one year since I last spent time in hospital because of my heart problems. In the previous 12 months, I had been admitted five times into the Cardiac Care Unit so to go a whole year without further admissions makes me feel really good.

Just hope my cancer treatment (radiotherapy) has worked. Now I've ended hormone treatment, I may find out in the coming months, hopefully I might know more when I see the oncologist next month.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Steve

User

Posted 04 Nov 2016 at 22:43

Steve

Not going to tempt fate, so well done and see you soon.

Thanks Chris

User

Posted 04 Nov 2016 at 22:51

That's great news Steve, here's hoping for more to come.

Arthur

User

Posted 05 Nov 2016 at 01:36

Hopefully, one year will turn into two and then three and then ten!

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 05 Nov 2016 at 17:02

Good luck brother

Bazza

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