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John's Story

Ethnicity
White British
Age
70-79
Work
Retired
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Geography
South East
Relationship status
Widowed
Listen

Hormone Therapy (tablets)

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

It was a long time ago but I think I avoided having too much to drink before going to bed.

How this treatment impacted my life the most

I cannot remember much about the effects of the hormone tablets because I have had other treatments since then.

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

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

I can only assume it was effective, given the amount of time that has passed since I had it.

Radiotherapy

How this treatment impacted my life the most

The main thing I can remember was the need to keep a full bladder for my radiotherapy treatment. I therefore got to know all the places where I could stop for a pee during my drive to the hospital, which could be an hour.

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

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

Bearing in mind it was over 17 years ago when I had this treatment and I still feel well, especially as I has a high Gleeson score which I was told could mean a fast spread of the disease.

Focal Therapy

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

Passing pee was extremely painful after this treatment. When needing to pee I knew it would be a very painful experience and I think it lasted for a couple of weeks or so. A small price to pay for being able to have this treatment.

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

I was warned that there might be this side-effect and it should pass although there was no guarantee. Unfortunately that proved not to be the case and the problem persisted.

Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment

As mentioned before, the pain when try to pee was a side-effect I had to accept for a while.

How this treatment impacted my life the most

Only the points raised above. It was over 12 years ago now and I cannot remember a great deal.

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

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

I was given the opportunity to have this treatment as part of a trial and It therefore made me feel optimistic that it was available to me on top of what I had already experienced. I can only assume it had a beneficial effect due to the fact that I am still able to enjoy life 12 years later..

Hormone Therapy (injections and relugolix tablets)

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

Drink plenty of water, it seems to help the flow. Insufficient liquid seems to make the matter worse. I have been advised to sit down to help empty the bladder when peeing if I am having a problem. I also had a cystoscopy to determine any abnormalities but nothing of note was found.

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

It is a matter of coming to terms with this problem and accepting it if it occurs. There are other sources of help if required.

Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment

I initially had quite few side effects when starting this hormone therapy and was therefore given the option of intermittent treatment, i.e having the hormones for a few months then a rest from it for a period before resuming if PSA rises again. I was told that this might help reduce the side-effects. I tried this for a while but there seemed to be no clear guidance as to which of the two options was the better. After a while, as my worse side -effects (hot flushes etc) had just about disappeared I opted to remain on the continual treatment and now have injections every 12 weeks.

How this treatment impacted my life the most

I have accepted this as a necessary treatment to help stave off further problems with prostate cancer. I have to ensure that I plan my injections in advance (every 12 weeks) so it can mean making sure that I am not away when they are due.

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

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

I am happy with this treatment to date although my PSA has started to rise a little over recent months whereby the injections are now backed up with Bicaludamide tablets on a daily basis. I was told at the outset that hormonal treatment would lose their effectiveness over time but I am happy that it has worked for me so far.

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