I have accepted that there are significant impacts on sexual function. You have to really work hard to achive any form of orgasum. My partner has not been sexally active for a long time so efforts are all solo and need a significant amount of simulation and not particularly rewarding so over time I have lost interest. If for some reason you do find yourself with an erection and oppourtunity don't waste it!!!
Hot sweats come and go in frequency and are worst at night, I add ground linseed/flaxseed to my breakfast and sometimes cakes. Evidently it contians natural eastrogen which helps reduce the frequency and intensity of the sweats. I think it has worked and reduced them.
The best indicator is comments from the family, I am grumpy granddad on the run up to the results of my four monthy PSA test. I do get anxious as if is rising it tells me if the cancer is waking up. To date it has been low and stable but it is a ticking bomb and always in the back of my mind. The best way I find to deal with it is to keep busy and focus on other things.
Loss of sexual function and pleasure otherwise the treatment has not had a major impact. It has not prevented me from living normally. I am retired but if I was working it would not have caused any problems.
Yes
It is as far as I know regarded as the best practice for treatment (I think lately it has been modfied to include an additional medication). It was the best option to extend my life. I also had six chemo sessions and it follows best practice from a study clled 'Stampede' so I don't think there was much to think about other than get on it asap.
I do not think the chemo was overly aggresive, it complements the hormone therapy and helps quickly reduce the cancers activity. The anxiety was watching the PSA score come down from 940 to low twenties (during the six sessions), and my Gleason Score at time of diagnosis was 4 + 5 so 9 overall. I did not want to loose my hair and I opted to use the cold cap which worked well. I lost toe nails and body hair. Keeping my hair was an important part of maintaning my well being, vanity, yes but important to me and my interaction with the rest of the world.
Yes
The 'Stampede' study indicated it could add a significant amount of time to life my expectancy so well worth the short term inconvenience and risk of side effects.
The chemo I had was in addition to and at the same time as I started hormone therapy (injections) Hence I have only listed side effects that I can attribute to the chemo.
Anxiety over knowing it was have an effect and reducing the PSA and hence reducing the cancers activity. It gets worse towards getting the results followed by relief if the PSA has reduced since the last session. .
Yes
In the end you have to accept that the trament could extend your life expectancy and take that as a positive
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