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Gwilym's Story

Ethnicity
Any other White background
Age
60-69
Work
Retired
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Geography
East Midlands
Relationship status
Married/In a Civil Partnership
Listen

Radiotherapy

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

Your attitude to sex changes, you don't look at women in the same way, you get a better understanding of the menopause

Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment

Your life will change completely, the only way is to embrace it

Tips and advice for any mental and emotional side effects of treatment

Not really

How this treatment impacted my life the most

1st time Prostate Cancer diagnosed: 06/10/16  radiological staging T3a N1 M0 (9mm suspicious looking lymph node near seminal vesicles). Returned to work about 2 months afterwards. My whole attitude to work was completely different. Shortly afterwards we sold our house and moved to Derbyshire 2nd time, was advised that my cancer had returned as my PSA level had risen dramatically from 0.04 to 17.5 Because of the pandemic I had to wait until the middle of May for a PET scan with contrast to be done, this highlighted the fact that I have nodular recurrence in at least 7 superior para-aortic nodes. (T3a N1 M1a) 5 months of chemo and steroids weight went up by 2 stone waist from 28 to 44 inches The only time I went out of the house during the treatment was to have a blood test and sit in the chemo ward for a hour while i had the treatment oh! and the 3 days when they thought i might have sepise

If I had to do it all over again, would I choose the same treatment?

Not sure

Why did I give this answer?

In different area's of the country they appear to give different options

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

not really, but write down all questions before hand because after you have been waiting a couple of hours to see consultant you will forget Take somebody with you so they will remember the things you forget

How this treatment impacted my life the most

Lost interest in work

If I had to do it all over again, would I choose the same treatment?

Not sure

Why did I give this answer?

different area's appear to have different treatment options

Chemotherapy

Tips and advice for any bladder or bowel side effects of treatment

2nd time Grade 1 peripheral neuropathy, 2 Nights spent in Hospital (6th and 7th September 2020) due to Neutrophil levels (white blood cells) being below 0.5 -- I.V. drip given, levels returned to acceptable level and was then discharged. Following 3rd, 4th,5th and 6th treatments I had to have injections in stomach for 5 days after chemo

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

you will forget what sex was like

Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment

Prior to chemotherapy treatment I Was Going to the gym 3 days a week (2 hours each) Going on Livewell Derby walks 3 days a week (1 to 1.5 hours each) Nordic walking 1 day per week (1 to 1.25 hour) Following / during treatment, I have gone from 80 kgs to 100 kgs and struggle to walk for more than 1hr per day, fatigue has been a big problem over the last 2-3 year.

Tips and advice for any mental and emotional side effects of treatment

you will cry, feel down at times

How this treatment impacted my life the most

Prior to chemotherapy treatment I Was Going to the gym 3 days a week (2 hours each) Going on Livewell Derby walks 3 days a week (1 to 1.5 hours each) Nordic walking 1 day per week (1 to 1.25 hour) Following / during treatment, I have gone from 80 kgs to 100 kgs and struggle to walk for more than 1hr per day, fatigue has been a big problem over the last 2-3 year.

If I had to do it all over again, would I choose the same treatment?

Not sure

Why did I give this answer?

treatment appears to be different in different area's

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