Don's Story

Ethnicity
White British
Age
80 or older
Work
Volunteer
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Geography
North East
Relationship status
Married/In a Civil Partnership

Radiotherapy

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

Hormone tablets caused erections to disappear. Last ability to go, last ability to return. Don't get anxious. It can take months but worrying can delay return even more. I seem to remember that it was about 3 months before I was "active" again. Needs a loving partner but don't hesitate to use porn. Radical prostatectomy carries much greater risks of incontinence or impotence, but hormone treatment on its own carries minor risks and even radiotherapy and hormones carries lower risks. Chances are you'll be fine.

Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment

Do your best not to overeat. Provided you don't overeat, don't be overly concerned if your weight increases, but when treatment is over, it's a wonderful opportunity to do a dietary reset. You need to rebuild your resources and grow strong again. Veg, fruit, nuts, fish, especially oily fish from salmon to sardines. And long walks - relaxation plus blood circulation improvement. All encourages a "feel good" factor. And we all need that to aid recovery.

How this treatment impacted my life the most

Coping with anxiety and worry of family members, especially my two daughters who were convinced that I was going to die. This was the greatest impact of my treatment. I found having to pay daily visits to the treatment centre was irksome and disruptive as every day was broken. Being drained of energy and losing my ability to have an erection only came about towards the end of the treatment.

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

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

The outcome was very successful. My PCa was on the cusp between a pussy cat and a tiger. At worst, my PSA was 33 ng/ml and the doubling rate was accelerating. In 2022, my PSA was 0.1 ng/ml and I am neither impotent not incontinent. The treatment was without pain

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