I has type 1 melanoma removed two years ago. I had a second opinion post the op. I was on a 3 month check for 18 months and now I'm out to 6 months. I have found that its best to be convinced that you have had the best treatment 7 second opinion and then accept the results and look forward to a healthy life with emphasis on fitness, healthy food and socialise with good-positive friends. There is a book "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" by Dr Russ Harris which may help you with anxiety & the fear of recurrence. ... View more

I hit 124.5 kgs last November, the heaviest that I've ever been. By coincidence , I was contacted by a PHD candidate looking for cancer survivors to participate in an exercise program so I signed up rightaway. I have had 4 weeks of the preliminary program and I'm pleased to report that I'm feeling much better, my weight has dropped to 117 kgs and  my general fitness is gradually improving.   My  medications had converted muscle into fat and my sense of "invalid" had  virtually relegated me to coutch potatoe. This peer supervised exercise program has kick started me into a more outdoors/active lifestyle.   My blood tests are going well with PSA still sub 1 & testosterone creeping back to normal  which is the best possible scenario post radiation &  ADT.   But like Job in the Bible, life is not all beer & skittles. I was diagnosed with Polymylaglia Rheumatica (PMR)  just before Christmas which is a particuluarly nasty form of rheumatism  and I'm on the medication trip again except this time my life expectancy is not adversely impacted but PMR can last anywhere from 2 years to a lifetime. ... View more

Re: Zoladex hot flashed & depression: - I have used a refrigeratable collar which I used at the onset of a hot flash which has worked well -Perhaps you could consider ACT (acceptance & commitment theraphy) which as a pensioner is available to you for minimal cost. The idea is that it assits you to accept the status quo and, through a series of small activities, assists you to feel a sense of acomplishment . Seemingly miniscule changes in behaviour have an accumulative effect and empowers one over time to get back to self-empowerment. Russ Harris has written a book on this entitled "ACT made Simple" which is available ex Amazon.com. ... View more

PS: I'm a keen brown trout fly fisher and I always feel exhilarated that I was not a Mayfly by any accident of nature. As I sit there in the boat with my mate dapping and watching the Mayfly swarm (dancing) in the nearby trees doing their thing , I can't but help being sorry for the male . When he has done his thing after the 3 day orgy he flaps his way back over the lake as a "Spent" and falls down dead in the water. I guess it gives a real meaning to the saying "well bugger me dead, mate" I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are lucky species and that a bit of humour goes a long way, particularly when it comes to sex! ... View more

Hello @rbx4 & Katekat, Since I had radiation theraphy & androgen injections , I cannot relay any first hand experience on radical surgery. I can, however, make a few general comments based on my experience of prostate cancer and in listening to others who are in a similar position : -There is no perfect solution for prostate cancer; whether one elects to have radiation ,androgen injections or radical surgery or a mix of all. Even if one elects "watchful waiting" there may be a downside in that it may  reduce one's life expectancy and there is always the ongoing stress of uncertainty   The best advice that I had regarding the downside of treatments was: -just accept the downside of theraphy provided that you have had the best professional help available   with second opinions. (Expecting to be made whole again as per one's position before prostate cancer   can be considered unreasonable and, IMO, can lead to depression) -Dont overthink it; there is a host of fantastic/positive things to dwell on. -Keep in mind that the treatment of cancer is all about short term quality of life vs longevity . -forgoing a 'normal" sex life for me is by far more acceptable than having my life shortened by 15 years   by cancer. -Catholic clerics & nuns forego a normal sex life for life (or they are supposed to) in lieu of the hereafter   benefits and one cannot detect that they are less happy than the "practicing/bonking" laity. -ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Theraphy) is very useful in the shorter term to facilitate acceptance    of one's current position, minimise suffering by seeking to accept the things that one cannot change ,   focus on the here and now, be positive and not catastrophise the present or the future and this can be    done one small step at a time -Just imagine  yourself a newly arrived androgenous  Martian who has dodged the Morrison-Dutton blocade ( a jet person-not a boat person) having a Captain Cook at a pair having sex:   I'm sure it would look funny and perhaps at our age this is how we should be looking at it  too & not regarding sex as a dire/dour/essential part of our daily existence.   Perhaps others who have had radical surgery would care to comment on their personal experience and  their coping strategies with the downside of radical surgery*.   Cheers & a long and happy life ZOL   * keep in mind that radical surgery may not be the end of prostate cancer and that , on occassions, radiation & androgen injections may be needed later. ... View more

PS: Occassionally we may get into a rut by overcaring and the mental anguish that comes from the dreaded cancer but I have found it useful to sometimes step back, not over think it and for a few minutes be indifferent to life's tragedies. It is bad enough to be physically suffering but when we add mental suffering it can get overwhelming. At such times I play Bob Geldof's "I dont mind at all" (or The Great Song of Indifference) It may not be for everyone but here it is:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=ID&hl=id&v=NoweGN8cm5g ... View more

16th Oct 2018 I had my 6 month check-up last week and all is good: -PSA sub 1 -Testosterone 9.2 & rising -general health good except for my BMI which is over 30!   Even though I had at least a holf dozen all clears so far there is always anxiety regarding the results of these 6 month tests. One hears of cases where a cancer survivor has been clear for years and then out of the blue, its back. We have had at least a half dozen friends who had the all clear for years only to be hit with an unexpected reoccurance . This is the reason , while I'm usually a positive  person , that days leading up to the 6 month review I feel tense, anxious  with recurring nightmares. I have grown now to accept that as par for the course and my sleep hygene rituals are of great benefit.   I have taken up volunteering at a cancer ward in our local hospital and, although very early  in that role, I feel that I can listen non-judgementally to patients concerns and fears , offer a sympathetic hand and give them  some useful Cancer Council literature and contact details to help them on their journey. I highly recommend volunteering as a  symbiotic quest; it benefits both the volunteer & the patient.   To others who are  in the early stages of prostate cancer diagnosin/treatment, please feel free to drop me a line via this thread. I know that when I was in that position I greatly appreciated talking to others who had "been there, done that". Cheers Zol   PS: It would be valueable if others who elected to have radical surgery rather than radiation/androgen injections give an outline of their experience and how they are going now. ... View more

Hi Terry2, Thank you for your post on androgen injections. It is certainly comforting for those of us who are relatively new to PC that it is possible to tolerate this theraphy long term; albeit with the typical side effects.   In my previous post I forgot to mention the hot flashes. My wife bought me a bandana type scarf which has water absorbant crystals in it. When I sensed a flash comming on I wet the bandana and tied it around my neck. In the summer I kept it in the fridge to keep it cooler. This minimised the flash discomfort.   For those who experience mild depression during androgen treatment may I siggest ACT: Acceptance &  Commitmen Theraphy. Its a branch of modern Psychology which has been very useful for me. A good starting point is a book by Russ Harris "ACT Made Simple". Once you read and understand the basic principles you can view videos about the subject and its techniques (mindfulness) on youtube.   The gist of the theraphy is simply to except one's past, concentrate on the here and now with emphasis on ones considered values and, in a nutshell, to be psychologically flexible. You could also kick-off your journey by consulting an ACT psychological theraphisy. For pensioners the forst 10 sessions may be free if your GP provides a referral.  Another good book is " The Upward Spiral" by Alex Korb PHD. These books may be available from your local library or via Amazon.com.   Have you had bone & soft tissue scans recently?   Cheers and thank you again for your most informative post on androgen injections and your personal PC journey.    Perhaps others reading these posts could also post their PC experience; the more the merrier!   ... View more

Three and a half years down the track since my diagnosis, I'm motoring well despite my almost "gender reassignment" via radiation and androgen injections.   I am pleased to report that : -my body hair is sprouting again (like a second puberty; eh !) -my testicles have reversed their shrinkage and are now back to 75% -my willie is back to 80% but who is measuring ! -my foreskin is still a tad tight but I was lucky not to take my urologists advice and have    a circumscision when things were minature. (I should have had a circumscision before      treatment ) -my bowel & bladder movements are fine (I dont have to get up at night if I don't have    liquids after 8 pm.) -my weight has peaked and I'm on a serious weight loss program /exercise program so that     I can reclaim  my wardrobe.   In today's scientific world where evidence/data is everything there has been an unreal silence about the sexual aftermath of radiation/androgen injections in general and  anejaculation in particuluar. Admittedly my oncologist is a very competent lady in her  late 40s and it is difficult for a mature gentleman like myself to broach this subject tastefully. The conversations invariably get sidetracked into diet, mindfullness and excercise and sleep hygene.   Just the mention of the loss of libido, without going into the mechanics of it, induces  perceptable signs of anxiety not the least in my first wife who monitors the visits. She likes to document things on the Ipad just in case either of us looses our marbles later on. Dont laugh; a generous share of the over 80s are hit with dementia  and one thrid of those get Alzheimers to boot.   So my advice to all who are considering treatment just qualify the likely ourcomes first; particuluarly all things sexual. For me it would not have made any difference to my treatment program but it would have just spared me the surprises and the speculation and the  epiphanies of  body & mind changes.   Zol    PS: For those struggling with the horrors of diagnosis and the prospect of a protracted  and unsure treatment program, may I suggest ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy). A good starting point is " Act Made Simple" by Russ Harris. You can order it from your local Library or online.     ... View more

While I was going through my radiation, this was my favourite music:   ... View more