Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 43
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default Diagnosed with Prostate cancer.

    Been quite lately due to more health issues, as the title said I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

    Quick Background: I've had a form of autoimmune arthritis since my late teens, 6 years ago I had a high PSA reading of 10 and I also decided to see a medical trained Naturopath, been to every real doctor and snake oil peddler (sometimes it's hard to tell them apart) over the past 47 years and nothing worked for the Arthritis except NSAIDS, weaned my self off them eight years ago and just went with the pain. Naturopath diagnosed (and confirmed by a real Australian medical lab) that my gut flora was totally shot from years of antibiotics, all due to Lifetime of Sinus infections - COMPOUNDED by NISADS - and not one of the dozens of highly trained Doctor over those 35 years ever mentioned the link, it's been documented for at least 30 years if even one of them had cared to look. - Massive Sinus surgery and no NSAIDS stopped all sinus infections and as a result no more antibiotics usage in the past 5 years.

    Back to the Prostate:

    Dad had prostate cancer diagnosed at age 60 after having an enlarged prostate bored out, a sample from the procedure was cancerous and a few months later they removed his prostate - full incision removal - that was 30 years ago and he is still with us.

    I've had PSA tests from age 55 because of Dads cancer, so I had a base line PSA. Six years ago my PSA shot up from 2.3 to 10, I endured a 30 needle Biopsy and they found nothing, I did not and do not have an enlarged prostate. I won't bore you and go into other details except that when the PSA was 10 and nothing found, the Naturopath mentioned above helped get my gut flora back working and as it did the PSA went from 10 to 3.5 in 6 months and stayed there until the past year.

    So PSA went up to 4.7 then 6 months later 7.5. I decided to see the best "laparoscopic urologist" I could find and pay for an MRI. Day one had the MRI, the following day the urologist had the results and a spot was found, the next day he did a robotic guided biopsy from the outside, two needles targeted the exact spot and 3 days later confirmed mild aggressive cancer. BTW No pain from the Biopsy, almost no bleeding, drove back home (2 hours) the next day.

    There is a cutting edge PET scan that is not approved in AU, it's for pinpointing any prostate cancer signal in the body, he wanted that so he knew exactly what we were dealing with in case the MRI blood tests missed something, he got approval for the injection and I signed my life away. The special Pet scan confirmed, as best as one could hope, that nothing had escaped and there was no other activity anywhere in the body, again I had to pay for this as nothing is covered by Health funds or Medicare, they would rather the surgeon go in blind. Also had to have a full heart echo stress test to assess surgery risks - again almost no coverage and huge expense, happily I was way above my age fitness level and everything looked fine, go figure.

    I looked at all options (I've been researching for 8 years for the inevitable) and I opted for a radical laparoscopic or keyhole prostatectomy.

    One week ago I had the operation, was up the following morning and walked 1 km (slowly around the wards) and was discharged in the afternoon. Wife drove the 2 hour trip back home and I had no real problem, I continued to walk 1km then 2km each day and on day six I had an Xray to check the join and any leakage around it, scan looked perfect and the catheter was removed.

    It's day seven and I have no leakage, I can control the bladder like a trap door and I can barely tell that I've had it removed except for the slight pain from the 6 incisions for the keyhole surgery, not on any pain meds (mainly panadol) since day 3. BTW got the results of the dissection of the prostate - no breach, fully contained, surgeon made sure to miss cutting anywhere near the small cancer, so he feels my margin for NOT needing any treatment down the track is around 95% to 98%. Await a PSA blood results due in a few months.

    I just have to remind myself not to lift or do anything much (except walk and then even more walking if I want) after 6 weeks the join between the Bladder and the urinary tube (where prostate was removed) will be at full strength and then I'm able to tackle more physical work around the workshop and yard.

    FYI I have always remained active and was walking 4 km every day at 6 to 7 km an hour for years (can't jog because of arthritis) I have always been very lean and the surgeon said that this combination was ideal for surgery and is the reason I have had no problems and a quick recovery from 3 hours of surgery.

    Feeling pretty dam good at the moment but unfortunately the Arthritis started attacking me even more a few years ago, so with the Cancer scare, the Immune suppressants are out of the question for some years, and NISIADS cause me almost instant sinus infections - so I'm still screwed. I'll just keep walking until I drop.

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    1,813

    Default

    While it’s most unfortunate you’ve had to deal with it at all I’m glad to hear the surgery went well and you’re back up and moving! All the best and keep us posted [emoji846]

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Mt Crosby, Brisbane
    Posts
    2,548

    Default

    They spent years looking for my tumor. Ultrasound found it. Had a normal prostectomy, was out the following day I think. I've got a scar to show people if the dinner conversation stalls. So far so good.

    Things about prostate cancer:

    I was shocked at how dismissive people are. It's not "cured". Depends on which type you get. It still kills a lot of people, mainly blokes...

    The recovery of pelvic floor and sexual function is individual. I think it has less to do with the person doing the procedure and more to do with the patient. My recovery was average.

    I'm happy to pay what it costs to have top people sort me out. Yep I've spent over $20k getting chopped up and probed over the last 6 years but it's money well spent...I keep telling everyone "not dead yet"
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong.
    Wait! No one told you your government was a sitcom?

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    I gather you have RA or one of it's cousins like PsA. I've found the only thing that helps is heat, I sit this very moment tapping the keyboard with my right hand, my left arm is wrapped in heat packs. I get some relief from Tramadol and Celebrex, but not a great deal. If not for heat packs I don't think I could function..

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    The way I looked it is this, I made the best choice I could considering the amount of research I have done over the years, if something shows up down the track then I won't be left with the "I should have" or "if only" conversations in my head.

    I have been doing pelvic floor exercises for 20 years as I found that having a strong pelvic floor made sex sooooo much more intense (great) as I aged. Despite all the arthritis, I have always pushed through the pain and worked with medium weights to keep my core abdominal muscle groups strong in order to support my back, doing so removed 90% of the pain I once suffered in my lower back from arthritis. Both of these muscle groups are now recognised as being critical to bladder control after prostate surgery, everything functions as it did one week ago before the prostate surgery, to say I'm stoked would be an understatement.

    My surgeon said, there is no 100% guarantee with cancer, but I'm close from the current state of the art tests that I've had done.

    BTW I had full top hospital cover and I now feel it's a joke. When it comes to cancer most cover almost nothing, i'm out of pocket $14,000 all up, only $5,800 was for his own surgical team which also includes a second surgeon. The rest is for the MRI's, PET scan, xrays and use of the Private hospital robotic equipment and specialist fees which are not covered by private insurance. One or two private health providers cover most of the robotics, mine, like most others, does not.

    Every time I see a specialist, like orthopaedic or rheumatologist it's like money pit opens and I fall in.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sacc51 View Post
    I gather you have RA or one of it's cousins like PsA. I've found the only thing that helps is heat, I sit this very moment tapping the keyboard with my right hand, my left arm is wrapped in heat packs. I get some relief from Tramadol and Celebrex, but not a great deal. If not for heat packs I don't think I could function..
    Yes PsA, unfortunately heat does not work much with me for some reason, Celebrex is off the table as are all others like it because of the infected sinus I now get from them, it's a shame because even a low dose helped take the edge off the pain.

    When my immune system was totally shot, the arthritis subsided for a few years, as soon as I started to fix the cause of the immune system failure the arthritis came back with a vengeance. Screwed wither way.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,756

    Default

    Sorry to hear bout your issues and expenses. Hope it all continues to go well.

    SWMBO has the antibiotics problem going back to the early 90s when she had CFS which we reckoned caused the CFS in the first place.

    Im fortunate that I have not had to pay for much for what I have. Specialist visits leave me $125 a pop out of pocket but there's only 3 of those a year. Almost all of the 2 hospital visits last year cost me less than $100 out of pocket. All my PET Scans are free but there are not supposed to be like that but are classed by the specialist as pre-cancerous otherwise sarcoidosis is not considered serious enough to warrant using PET Scans. I used to be able to walk @ 4 km/day at 6 to 7 km an hour but these days I can do 5km/day @ 5kph sometimes I do 6km. My arm and shoulders gets a really good workout chucking the ball for the dogs. I actually feel ok - just a bit tired in the early afternoon till I get my second wind.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Welcome Creek QLD
    Age
    75
    Posts
    146

    Default

    After researching all the options I had radiation therapy at the beginning of the year. Very few side effects. So far all good. I have a DVA Gold Card so didn't cost me a cent.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Posts
    615

    Default

    I also have PsA (mutilans) which, unfortunately, is untreatable. None of the DMARDS nor biologics help, the only respite I get is a little from Tramadol and Celebres and Ibuprofen. They also cause great nausea so I'm unable to stomach them for more than a day or so. I have an extremely aggressive form that has left me with elbow joints so badly eaten away an arthroscopy cannot be done. Luckily though, I also have a Gold card so it costs me nothing. I had most of my right lung removed last year also, Drs are mixed on whether its from PsA or smoking. The joys of getting old??? I had a TURPS a few years ago, I wouldn't wish prostate problems on anyone. I still have mine, its just a little burnt around the middle.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    sacc51 - I really feel for you with that variation of PsA Arthritis. I was on INDOCID 3 times a day for 35 years, then changed to a different NISAD, I never made the connection between the increase in chronic sinus and the NSIADS. Recently I tried to go back on them in an effort to stop the damage being done to my right knee. Within 20 minutes of taking any NISAD my back sinuses run like crazy, part of the surgery I had on the sinus was to open the rear sinus and insert drainage tubes (4 years ago) as these rear passages were so tiny and the main reason for my problems early on in life. Now that they flow freely, the connection between the NISAD's and my sinus is readily apparent. I went searching through the drug company propaganda and found that every one of them can cause this reaction in some people - all leading to a chronic infection caused by the NISAD.

    My reason for being stressed about this major surgery was the damage of almost 40 years of NISAD's, courses of methotrexate, sulphasalazine, and 2 or 3 courses of antibiotics almost every year for 35 years. C-reactive protein (CRP) marker for inflammation has been totally stupid at over 26 for all of these years, the specialists can't understand why I don't have Heart, lung, kidney and liver issues / disease. But every exhaustive test comes back normal - so thank full for that. But as I said, I've always forced my self to be active and eat / make reasonably healthy life choices, more so over the past 20 years.

    What really screwed with my mind was going in to see about a knee replacement, only to be told that my left arm is about to come through the top of my shoulder as it's ground out a new displaced joint into the shoulder bone (head eaten away and bone on bone for 44 years) so I have had to stop using my left arm to lift anything, especially if it swings back and forward with weight or force into the arm, so no more hand sawing, hammering etc. Sucks because I'm left handed. Right elbow and both wrists are damaged but the arthritis has stopped attacking them for a few years now, they don't hinder me much at all at this time, some luck there for now. But apart from having to helplessly watch and feel it slowly destroying my knee (not the joint directly but the massive amount inflammatory fluid is damaging everything around the knee joint, it's now starting to attack my hips again, the outcome is not going to be good. Then 2 weeks later finding my prostate PSA had shot way up and I now needed to cancel any thought of controlling the arthritis and tackle prostate cancer, some very hard mental challenges for me there, but at least I appear to have had a very positive outcome with the Cancer. Suddenly the arthritis does not seem so overwhelming just now.

    I'm not sure if all the exercise / walking was just me trying to run from arthritis or keeping it at bay, it's hard to really tell. The so called experts are surprised that I'm so physically fit at this age and stage in life considering all the joint damage and system wide inflammation I have, I guess I'll just keep doing what I've been doing and push on through the pain and walk / exercise until I drop.

    At least I can still move around, and while I can't fully understand your situation without living it, from your other postings I admire your efforts to keep making something of the situation despite the hard knocks. I wish I could switch off my feelings of hopelessness sometimes, unfortunately as you likely know, a lifetime of 24 /7 pain takes it's toll mentally as well as physically. I guess we need to remind ourselves not to be to hard on ourselves for our sad or angry moments and accept that it's OK to sometimes feel lost, but always find a way to find some enjoyment and purpose in our life.

    I read somewhere that pain is just natures way of reminding us that we are still alive. I'm still not buying it.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Sorry to hear bout your issues and expenses. Hope it all continues to go well.

    SWMBO has the antibiotics problem going back to the early 90s when she had CFS which we reckoned caused the CFS in the first place.

    Im fortunate that I have not had to pay for much for what I have. Specialist visits leave me $125 a pop out of pocket but there's only 3 of those a year. Almost all of the 2 hospital visits last year cost me less than $100 out of pocket. All my PET Scans are free but there are not supposed to be like that but are classed by the specialist as pre-cancerous otherwise sarcoidosis is not considered serious enough to warrant using PET Scans. I used to be able to walk @ 4 km/day at 6 to 7 km an hour but these days I can do 5km/day @ 5kph sometimes I do 6km. My arm and shoulders gets a really good workout chucking the ball for the dogs. I actually feel ok - just a bit tired in the early afternoon till I get my second wind.
    Thanks Bob, it's interesting that the latest investigation into out of pocket expense and the Health funds and Medicare shows that cancer and orthopaedic surgery are leaving people with massive bills. The MRI and scans I had from the orthopaedic specialist were covered, but anything new (MRI for prostate cancer has been used in Australia for the past 10 years or more) or some robotic's and cutting edge PET scans that have been in use for YEARS overseas are not even approved - and it has a 100% safety record overseas. Our health system is a joke, I had to pay $400 out of pocked for a Heart stress echo-gram that was ordered by the Heart specialist, $600 PET scan, $550 for prostate MRI, an X-ray to see if the new join to the bladder had healed correctly and sufficiently to allow the catheter to be removed, $200 and on and on it goes. What a joke our health system is.

    Fortunately Dad has a gold card, but man do they milk that for all it's worth with every test imaginable.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bucky View Post
    After researching all the options I had radiation therapy at the beginning of the year. Very few side effects. So far all good. I have a DVA Gold Card so didn't cost me a cent.
    The main reason I didn't go for radiation was the family history, my arthritis and what it's going to do to me over the coming years and my ability to take a major operation down the track if the cancer came back. Add to that my mental state in dealing with it just being there after mine tested as mid range aggressive, not knowing how long it would take to become a problem in any case, and especially if I need to go on certain meds for the arthritis down the track, I could not do so with any trace of active cancer in my body, even now I will likely have to wait 5 years before I can do that. So I chose to remove it.

    I hope that we both get the end result that we desired with this nasty and ever increasing problem for men, no mater what our chosen course.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    One thing I wanted to add for anyone wondering how traumatic full robotic prostate removal is (robotic prostatectomy):

    I had Sinus surgery four years ago and it took me 6 weeks before I started to even feel like living again, the first week was pure hell on this earth for me.

    Even now, 4 years later, I would rather die than have that same extensive sinus surgery ever, ever, ever, ever again - seriously!

    However, I cannot believe how quickly I have recovered from such major and long surgery as a robotic prostatectomy. Although the robotic surgery has a potentially quicker recovery time, it often takes longer under general anesthesia than full manual removal by open surgery. So in other words, if my prostate were to miraculously reappeared in 6 months time, I would have it removed again in a flash.

    I'm a bit of a pessimist lately (not good for your health I know) but this is the one time that I was totally prepared for the worst experience, but was for once totally and pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I would rate the past week as more of an inconvenience than anything else. The past week has gone in a flash, as I sit here now I can hardly believe that I have actually had anything removed, have to keep pinching myself and hoping that I don't jinx it by feeling so dam good.

    On the down side we are now a lot poorer, so now comes the struggle to pay for it. We applied for companionship release of a small amount of Wife's super weeks ago - what a bureaucratic nightmare, what a total run around and jumping through hoops, and we still don't know if the bureaucratic gods (who think it's their money anyway) will consider prostate Cancer as grounds for releasing some of our OWN money a little early, and not stealing 38% of it in tax in the process.

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Corvallis, Oregon
    Posts
    2

    Default

    I came across a recent study of non-opiate pain medicines. The study found that a combination of ibuprofen and Tylenol was as effective as opiates at pain control. A google search should find the full study. With respect, Marvin McConoughey

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Caboolture QLD AU
    Posts
    781

    Default

    Thanks for the info, but yes I've seen a few studies on various combinations, and while that may be of benefit to some, it does not work for me because ibuprofen is a NISAD and causes a sinus infection in me, even rubbing a gel containing any NISAD on my knee or any other affected joint will cause a reaction faster that taking a tablet - were talking around 1 minute - totally sucks.

    On the other hand, I have never really taken opiate pain medicines, they just don't seem to work with my condition and like everything else with the Human Body, what you could tolerate when your were young will usually cause serious side effects in older age. I guess when I reach the point where I can no longer function or receive any enjoyment from life then taking rat poison really doesn't matter that much.

    While on the subject, I also found that when ever I take NISADS I end up with a really bad restless leg / sciatica type condition, the condition is way more debilitating than when I'm not on NISADS, I suffered with that for 40 years before I made the connection.

    Exercise is the one thing that helps reduce the pain and has a beneficial effect on my health, but of course it also causes pain that makes exercising difficult to face sometimes, unfortunately, it does not stop the inflammation and autoimmune disease from destroying your joints, it just delays the inevitable.

    It's interesting though, Dad recently told me that when I was first diagnosed, the specialists pulled him aside and told him that with this condition I would not make 30 without being in a wheelchair, well I've more that doubled that prediction and still walking, kind of glad he never told me as that would be like "pointing the bone" for some of us.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. prostate cancer
    By hinterland in forum HEALTH ISSUES
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 20th July 2015, 10:25 PM
  2. Prostate cancer, i hope this helps.
    By fenderbelly in forum HEALTH ISSUES
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 17th June 2014, 05:09 PM
  3. Prostate Cancer
    By whitewood in forum HEALTH ISSUES
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 7th October 2010, 09:36 PM
  4. My battle with prostate cancer continues.
    By Sturdee in forum HEALTH ISSUES
    Replies: 204
    Last Post: 22nd February 2010, 09:10 PM
  5. Secret men's business or my Prostate cancer
    By Sturdee in forum HEALTH ISSUES
    Replies: 315
    Last Post: 18th January 2010, 10:18 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •