Prostate Cancer

Quote by 1nwguy

Kite, I am glad that you have some good news to share. You may not be out of the woods yet, but it seems that you may have rounded the corner and are on your way back to being in good health. Please keep us updated!

Thanks the next update is coming soon

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Kite, did you ask about the Happy Ending? I mean, how do you know, if you don't ask. and please video record and share with us if you get one.

You really need to get your mind out of the gutter...

No, I did not ask and if I there are any videos taken I will only be sharing them with the people concerned.

Quote by noll

As a baldie myself I would suggest shaving it all off once the hair loss starts. If your head is somewhat symmetrical, that'll look better than random bald patches. Be aware for cold weather though, because even the tiniest bit of hair makes a difference.

Good luck!

Thanks noll

The plan was to wind my mother up because she would get very twitchy about that... that intent only lasted a few days as it was easier to control where the hair went that way.

I have myself a nice woolly hat now

Quote by Smoocher

At 74 yrs I had a "rotor rooter" procedure done and that has immensly helped in the pee situation. However, Ive lost ability to get erection enough to shake hands with much less have sex. Cialis and Viagra haven't helped one bit so gonna see if Doctor will let me try Levitra. My biopsi procedures were done thru rectum in hospital setting. Ive had it done in Doctor's office but NEVER AGAIN... way too painful. Good luck in the future!!

Thanks Smoocher.

My biopsy was through the perineum, not much room in my rectum with the ultrasound probe up there

It wasn't pleasant but I would not say it was painful at all.

Good luck with the drugs if you can get them.

Chemo 1 update... bit of a long one.

Soon after my talk with my oncologist I got a call from the admin of the chemo ward wanting to book me in to start my treatment. And as such, January 7th was booked in.

With Xmas and the new year out of the way I had a full week leading up to my 1st cycle.

3rd – T-minus 4 days – in the UK because of where NYD fell, this was a public holiday so nothing related to cancer or treatments was booked.

4th – T-minus 3 days – I needed to get a blood test done, which was booked in at my GP and then had to head straight over to the hospital for a PCR test as I was being admitted to a ward. This will be a regular routine 3 days before each cycle starts.

5th – T-minus 2 days – I was scheduled to have a pre-chemo chat for the morning, but it turns out that they don’t do the chat in the morning and my booking shouldn’t have been made then. Anyway, this was basically going through all that would happen and possible side effects etc. I was on the phone for about 40 minutes

6th – T-minus 1 day – another cock up and not in a good way. I supposed to have my 3rd massage, we had booked it especially for the day before starting. When I arrived they could not find the masseur and after checking all around the building I was sent away with a promise that there would be a follow up.

Sure enough, the following day I got a call apologising that she was ill and I should have been called. The upshot, the 6 original sessions have now been doubled to 12.

7th – Day 1 – D-Day, etc. I was advised to get someone to give me a lift and so my sister agreed to do this. I walked in and was labelled (had an ID bracelet attached). After having some measurements were taken I was taken to my bay – 2 seats either side of a computer, looked after by a chemo nurse. Bets were laid leading up to the day whether I would be getting Channing Tatum or Eve Myles… it was Eve.

In these days of pandemics and omicron the hospital is in lockdown… I had to go in by myself, the chair next to each treatment chair was now being used as a table. Despite that, my best friend was with me throughout the morning and it is no small thanks to them that I had remained calm leading up to and through the morning.

I had 2 drips to go into my arm during the treatment, so Eve started with putting a cannula in. She happily explained that the needle had to go up my arm so the chemo went in smoothly. If it went down and the chemo backed up, it could burn the vein. Thanks Eve! But she was good and I didn’t feel it go in.

She went through what was coming next, which had already been gone through on the phone a couple of days before. It was a drip of steroids which also acted as an anti-sickness drug too, this lasted about 25 minutes. I had a coffee while I was sitting there, later Eve showed me around, there’s space for treating about 20 people at a time along with a kitchenette where we can help myself to drinks, biscuits, fruit and sandwiches.

Once the steroids were done the drip was switched to the chemo which was due to take about an hour to go in. Again straight forward enough, sit and be filled up. There were a few moments that felt like cold liquid running up my veins other than that there was no problem. The biggest issue of the day was waiting for my drugs, the porter (who happened to be called Rob, we chuckled at this), seemed to take forever to come back with my 2nd bag of gear. 3 injections for me to administer over the 1st 3 nights, 3 days of anti-sickness drugs and steroids to keep me going until the next round. Overall I was in the hospital for 3 hours.

The injections went in easily, I only felt the 2nd one a little bit. There was about 12 hours when I felt like I had been run over and 12 hours either side leading up to and coming down from this, that was day 5. Other than that, physically, I have been fine… until… It was exactly 2 weeks after that I was scratching my chin and a clump of my beard came away in my fingers. The next day my head started to shed too and I had a pile of hair on my knee after about 20 minutes. Today I bit the bullet and shaved my head and beard as much as anything to control the mess. Another thing that has happened over the 3 week so far is my mood seems to be bouncing up and down daily, one I feel fine, the next I’ve been really down.

Today I also start the lead in to my next treatment – PCR and blood test 3 days before. Tomorrow a review with the oncologist and Thursday booked in for my next massage before round 2 on Friday.

This is what I expect, routine wise for the next 5 cycles. It is supposed to be cumulative, so I'm expecting worse side effects, though some people do go through it with minimal... so I'm also hoping. Realistically, there will be little point updating this thread further until I'm out the other side, unless something extraordinary happens.

Thanks to everyone that has offered me support and I hope this helps someone facing the same or similar.

---

TLDR - went fine, only felt shit on day 5, day 14 hair started falling out and mood swings kicked in.

Good luck! And if positive thoughts work eight time zones away, know that I am sending positive thought in your direction.

You got this, KiteAres! After all you are the freakin God of War!! And maybe you can read your smutty stories to the other chemo peeps to pass the time ... or your hot nurse? 😉

Hi Kite,

I’m sort of new here but wanted to thank you for this post. I saw this link in your signature line on one of your Rumplations posts today and decided to glance at it. An hour later and I’m really glad I did.

My regular doc of 20 years has just retired and I have an appointment with my new Dr. next month. I don’t think I have any symptoms (when you say “reduced flow” what do you mean? a trickle? a little less force?) but your post turned this from an abstraction to something I want to take seriously. I have a lot of cancer on the maternal side (though I don’t recall prostate cancer being on the list) so I’m slowly becoming more vigilant about this sort of thing.

Anyway, just wanted to thank you for documenting your struggle for the sake of others…and to wish you luck in your recovery.

Quote by Reagent264

Hi Kite,

I’m sort of new here but wanted to thank you for this post. I saw this link in your signature line on one of your Rumplations posts today and decided to glance at it. An hour later and I’m really glad I did.

My regular doc of 20 years has just retired and I have an appointment with my new Dr. next month. I don’t think I have any symptoms (when you say “reduced flow” what do you mean? a trickle? a little less force?) but your post turned this from an abstraction to something I want to take seriously. I have a lot of cancer on the maternal side (though I don’t recall prostate cancer being on the list) so I’m slowly becoming more vigilant about this sort of thing.

Anyway, just wanted to thank you for documenting your struggle for the sake of others…and to wish you luck in your recovery.

Thank you so much for letting me know!

In answer to your question my flow was not as powerful as it was, it was still beyond a trickle, and even clenching my muscles and trying to force it out made no difference to the pressure.

Although there may not be a history of prostate cancer in your family, as I understand it, just the history of cancer is significant (there's no history of prostate in mine) and it is related to breast cancer (my aunt had this 10 years ago). Some resources also say that all men will get prostate cancer if they live long enough. How true that is, I have no idea.

I'm really pleased that my post has prompted you to take it more seriously, some of the investigations are not pleasant, but then not having them is even less so. I hope you don't have to go what I am but if you do I hope they catch it early and cure it as quickly and easily as possible.

It is brave and generous of you to share your experiences here. Godspeed! Sounds like things are going as well as can be expected. I watched my Dad battle prostate cancer: he got weaker and smaller for a couple years, then it was like he was blossoming, every day stronger and more assured. It was moving and heartening to watch, and I wish the same to you! Keep us all posted please!

RE: nausea

You've probably head about it before but just in case of the long-shot you haven't, ginger in almost any form is good for nausea from chemo, and pretty much any nausea evidently.

That crystallized ginger from the produce department seems to be about the most convenient but you can make tea with the powder in the little spice bottles or use ginger preserves as well. You can also slice the fresh root about the size of a quarter and make hot tea with that or just suck on it like a lozenge.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Quote by BadBoyCool

RE: nausea

You've probably head about it before but just in case of the long-shot you haven't, ginger in almost any form is good for nausea from chemo, and pretty much any nausea evidently.

That crystallized ginger from the produce department seems to be about the most convenient but you can make tea with the powder in the little spice bottles or use ginger preserves as well. You can also slice the fresh root about the size of a quarter and make hot tea with that or just suck on it like a lozenge.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks I had heard. Like anything on this thread, if it helps someone then that is brilliant!

Ginger is, I thought, a fairly well known help to settling nausea. My dad when he was going through chemo used to nibble on ginger biscuits. I've been adding it to one of my meals from before I was even diagnosed, only because I like it.

This is wonderful thread of sharing, Kite! And "C" got nuttin' on you! The God of War, Ares, will crush it!!! 😎