Testicles shrunk to half normal size during hormone therapy. Surgery removed the nerves which control erection which means normal erection is no longer possible
On the plus side my body is beach ready with no hair 😆
I can no longer have sex which is an issue but not as much as it would have been if I was younger. This is a perceived frustration but probably not as big an issue as it seems. Because my penis has shrunk and my bladder control is poor urinating needs much more care than it used to. I have to wear incontinence pads all the time as I occasionally leak unpredictably normally only in small amounts. As a gig rower this is a sporting challenge. I have found physical activity much harder since treatment. However, before surgery and radiotherapy I got very fit which I think helped reduce side effects. I had no noticeable side effects from 6 weeks of radiotherapy. I did not exercise vigorously during treatment upon advice from radiotherapists but I did still walk my dog twice a day
Not sure
I didn't choose my treatment I was told what I needed. I expect treatment options will change as time goes by and knowledge increases
After surgery, I cannot get an erection due to the removal of the nerves which control erection. There are procedures which can address this but I have not undergone any.
The surgery occurred in the first week of lockdown so the after effects were limited as whilst I was immobile I was isolating anyway. I got really fit on a rowing machine before surgery and I think that limited the effects of surgery and helped recovery
Not sure
I was given no choice - I was told that I needed surgery as I had Gleeson 9 cancer and it was likely to spread. In fact, it had already spread to the bladder neck by the time I had surgery. I was extremely lucky to discover asymptomatic cancer and have surgery on the last possible day before non-essential surgery was canceled. The hospital was a bit chaotic
I got really fit on a rowing machine before radiotherapy and that helped minimise side effects
I lost every morning for 6 weeks driving an hour to the hospital having treatment and driving back. It was during the pandemic so we had to sit miles apart in the waiting room so it wasn't easy to talk to fellow patients about experiences. Also i didn't see any medical staff apart fro radiologists who were very busy and couldn't really talk or discuss the treatment I have stil never met an oncologist
Not sure
I wasn't given an option but I am not convinced I needed as much radiotherapy as I was given. I was told by a radiologist that having radiotherapy increases the chance of developing other cancers later in life.
The fact that I can't get an erection was not a problem at the time as I had no desire for sex
In addition to the above I had memory problems during hormone treatment
After hormone treatment, I had no body hair. My penis and testicles are about half the size they used to be. During treatment, I had no sexual desire the inability to have sex was not an issue. Upon completion the desire is starting to return so there is some frustration. My body strength has also declined but it is difficult to know whether this is treatment related or age-related but sport is definitely harder now
Not sure
I don't know if I had a choice and as I have never met an oncologist due to the pandemic I haven't been able to discuss it properly, however, my PSA is <0.01 so it appears to have worked.
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