I was prescribed Cialis which helps to allow blood to flow into the penis and therefore get an erection that lasts longer than viagra.
I was a Lecturer in Engineering, so hot sweats and increased sweating in class was a major problem for me, particularly in summer. At one point my shirt was literally dripping wet and my very red face caused one mature student to ask if I was OK, since he was concerned that I might be having a heart attack. I took to keeping spare clothes in my locker and also in the boot of my car, including a urine bottle just in case I got caught short. At times, I also had to leave the classroom very quickly in order to get to a toilet to urinate, which led some students to complain about me doing this. Dribbling was also a problem leaving a wet patch near my groin, potentially very embarrassing. I was glad that heaters for drying hands were available in the toilets so I could dry off any wet patches before returning to the classroom. I drank less and always went to the loo before entering the classroom. I also made sure if we went out anywhere, I knew where access to toilets were. I ensured that in college meetings that people who were there knew about my problem with a red face etc since it could have been construed by them that I might be lying, according to staff who might be familiar with body language theory. One arrogant employer I disliked intensely and chose not to tell about my disease, complained about my problems in class and insisted I was withdrawn from teaching his students. Very, very stressful. Fatigue was, and still is, a major problem as was lack of short term memory due to hormone therapy. I could not remember student names or my new lecture notes, recently compiled. In the end I retired because of these symptoms and problems.
I made colleagues and some people and students aware of my health issues so that they could understand why I was having these symptoms. By doing so, one member of staff asked me what symptoms I had when diagnosed. I told him and suggested that he ring his doctor ASAP and get checked. It turned out that although he did not have prostate cancer but he did have testicular cancer and had one testicle removed. It may have saved his life?
Hormone therapy (Zoladex) was the major problem because of its side effects; loss of short term memory caused me to retire from teaching which was financially worrying initially and stressful for me and for my wife since I could never remember recent requests, so they did not get done; lack of sex drive was very frustrating also; lack of energy and hence fatigue was a major problem, I could 'nod off' for England; lack of strength to do work at home; As a rugby player, I was always proud of my physique and fitness until I put on about 2.5 stones (about 16 kg) in weight due to the hormone therapy and I was told by my oncologists that I could do nothing about this. My clothes did not fit me any more so larger ones had to be bought. I also suffered from osteoporosis and needed a knee and hip replacement, which I could not have due to my BMI being too high. I could not exercise because I did not have the energy to do so and was on walking sticks for 2 1/2 years before contacting the 'PALS' (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) of my hospital and complaining about my predicament.
Yes
My wife was a nurse who had worked on a cancer ward and so knew the symptoms of prostate cancer. She suggested I have a PSA blood test, that showed that I had prostate cancer which was caught just in time. She thus saved my life. The combination of treatments I was given, also helped to save my life and although my initial prognosis was shocking; a 50/50 chance of living up to 3 years, it is now 17 years since I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The NHS staff I have been treated under have all been fantastic and I cannot praise them enough.
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