Anyone have partner with Prostate cancer

3.30 this afternoon radio 4 Inside Health is about prostate cancer.

Yes valerie They have to have an enema before each session of RT. My DH also said this was the worst part but he got there in the end! He had to do the enema himself before he left the house. He found having a full bladder and an empty bowel was very difficult, especially on 37 consecutive days (apart from weekends). However, he soon got into the routine of it. If he hadn't got it right, they would send him for a walk around the grounds, or to the loo etc. It has to be done on that day and that's all there is to it. There was no going home and coming back another day.As I said before, he had no ill effects from any of his treatment. Best wishes.

They have to follow a special diet before and during the radiotherapy. Need an empty bowel and full bladder and no "wind". I think this is because they Mark up the area to treat so any internal movements could mean the wrong area is zapped. My OH was given a diet sheet to follow - worst bit he says is no beer!

Thank you all for your good wishes, it isnt as bad as it could be, be. wonder if all hospitals have free parking for Radiotherapy?t i have read that the HT is worse than the RT,, but it has to be done,
I think they have to have a laxative and an enema before the RT
have a nephew in law with PC and this is the worst part of RT he says

Don't forget free parking for radiotherapy appointments, too!

Our local hospital provides transport run by a charity to the radiotherapy hospital - worth checking.

valeriej

Can I ask you to pass on my best wishes to your hubby and I hope everything brings about a successful outcome.

I am sure it will!!!!

Ask the the hospital if they have facilities for the odd overnight stay at OH cancer centre they offer this to people who have to travel distances. Maybe you could use it once or twice a week.

That trip every day is going to be exhausting, but its just a blessing there are these options. Thanks for the update. Best wishes to you both.

Results yesterday, Hormone therapy, tablets for 28 days, and injections every 3 months, plus Radiotherapy for about 8 weeks, meaning an 80 mile round trip every day,
The cancer he said is grade 7, he is not looking forward to the side effects of the HT but must be done
Could be worse, so overall not as bad as we feared

MissAdventure thank you fingers x now for monday

grannyactivist thank you ,yes on a cancer forum i am on, some said it might not be prostate cancer, and that with all the tests and interference with those that seeds can spread and affect other areas, especially in the perineum area, so its just wait and see now i think
Very pleased for your father in law that he is doing well
I have a nephew in law who is having hormone tretment for PC and he is doing well too, and working

My father-in-law was diagnosed in December 2016 and I'm delighted to say that his results have been amazingly good. He had the radioactive seeds (Brachytherapy) and hormone injections and he has no further problems relating to his prostate. Unfortunately when they start doing tests and poking around other things may be found!

Best wishes to you and your man, Val

Thank you both hope all goes well for both hubbys, we will find out on Monday what the options are, and exactly what and where the cancer is,,
I know there are a few options, so hope he chooses the right one,men really have to be pushed dont they?
It is a good thing you made the appointment for him Silverlining , didnt realise there ws an intermediate one,
Nannydee i am so sorry that your husbnd has been through both at once,it must have been very worrying for you, he is very lucky i think to get through them together, but must have been terrible
I hope to have some news after monday ,hopefully not too bad

My husband at age 70 was diagnosed with intermediate pc 8 months ago, on a only slightly raised psa and was given the choice of either surgery or radiotherapy. INitially we decided on radio but looking at it more closely surgery seemed to leave more treatment options if needed later so He chose surgery. He is still mildly incontinent but dealing with it. He has blood tests and attends hospital every 3 months.

All men should get checked. Mine only went because I made an appointment for him following the pc diagnosis of a good friend.
Hope all goes well Valerie. There is plenty of advice out there and many gnetters will respond I am sure.

My OH was diagnosed with bowel cancer and prostate cancer in November. He had his colon removed 6 weeks ago and is having hormone treatment for the prostate. The bowel surgery went well and chemo for the prostate was ruled out as the negatives outweighed the positives and it was contained within the gland. He is having regular blood tests and check ups and we are hopeful that he will continue to make good progress.

Yes and spread beyond the gland, treatment of symptoms and hormone injection only. The side effects of the drugs are as you would expect but you live with it, better than the alternative.

Thank you so much * POGS* i have read up a lot on the side effects and after effects more than he has, i think its usual for people to not want to know anymore than they think they need to
I am sorry your husband had those pains, its a good thing there is more more publicity now about PC
He will maybe have an idea of the side effects and after effects having gone through Chemo before, not sure if he had radiotherapy or not, will ask him
I have 3 sons of the age that should be tested, and i keep reminding them
I am pleased your husband has come through it ok
I am with you on the exemplary treatment of the NHS they have been brilliant
Such a shame its in the mess its in now , and might be even worse the way things are going
I have had several appointments cancelled and reappointed and cancelled again, luckily not that serious

Valerie My DH was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014. He underwent various scans and a biopsy. Fortunately it had not spread elsewhere and he was given hormone injections and then 37 consecutive days of radiotherapy. He is fine. He has to go back to have his PSA levels checked once a year and the last one his PSA was down to 0, which is fantastic. He was fortunate that he had no side effects whatsoever from any of the treatments. I wish they would test men for this as a matter of course. Wishing you well.

Valerie

My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and I understand , as do other GN'ers, where you and your partner are in the scheme of things but having gone through the MRI , scans and biopsies he underwent sessions of Radiotherapy and has now a PSA Level of 1.

He was unfortunate however as the radiotherapy gave him bowel and bladder spasms which caused him excrutiating pain but he has no long lasting problems and I guess accepted that everybody is different and some will fair better than others and some much worsewhen undergoing treatment. He was concerned some time after his sessions had finished to find blood in his urine but he was assured that this was quite normal and when you consider the amount of biopsies 'snips' he had taken sometimes this can cause a few issues but not a concern and it has stopped, maybe to return who knows?

I think you can only put your faith in the hands of your partners consultant and I have to speak as we find the care from the NHS he has recieved has been examplary and I wish you and your partner well for the future.

Yes Espee you are right, but hopefully any treatment will be something that can save their masculinity too,
Whatever treatment they have their life has got to be the priority hasnt it
We are both in 70s, and only been together a few months, as intimate partners, but known each other for almost 2 years, so it is something we have discussed
Just a shame it has happened at his time

Men seem to be more concerned about losing their masculinity than the prospect of losing their life Valerie.
With luck he has "old man's" prostate cancer at an early stage so do keep positive.

Espee thank you for the offer to pm you, i might need to at some point
Waiting for 5th now, to see what stage its at and exactly where
The seed option sounds good, to me but at the moment i dont think he realises he might have a choice of treatments

Thanks all, after the inyitial infection,he had a prostate shave then all other tests followed
I have looked on the Prostate UK site whicj is very informative, and lots of personal stories too
Typically men are loathe to go to the Drs and will suffer instead,
Typically men are loathe to go to the Drs, and would rather suffer in denil
He should have learned by now,as he had bowel cancer 10 years ago [before i knew him] and it had got to stage 4, before he admitted something was wrong,he is very lucky to be still here. his prostte was huge, when he was examined
Our local hospital has been brilliant though and kept on with tests,and kept him informed