My treatment has effectively left me chemically castrated, grown a pair of breasts and reduced my penis size down - I no longer have any sexual interest and this is highly upsetting for me and partner. This is one of the hardest parts for me about the illness and treatment - however, being more open, honest, talking, hugs and telling them how much they mean to me has brought us generally closer together... Work together and try and make the best of it.
My hot sweats are due to the drugs, as is weight gain, fatigue. Chemotherapy caused hair to drop out which has still not returned to many parts of the body Pain is caused by the spinal metastasis and effects of spinal cord compression It has been an extremely rough year - and what will come out of it is a new you... You may not like this you at first, be frustrated by him and what he cannot do, how he looks, but you need to learn to like the new you - accept the changes - worry about what you can change, not what you cannot...
This illness has been life changing for me - going from a fit and active man to a disabled man with his spine held together with rods and pins, learning to walk again, learning to catheterise, becoming medically retired as well as all the side effects from the drugs keeping me going has been physically and mentally exhausting. I could not have got though the past year without: Good drugs - don't be scared of the painkillers Friends and family - draw them near, don't push them away Counselling and a clinical psycologist - be a man, take the help and support Cancer support groups including my cancer support coordinator - group help helps, know you are not alone Neuro rehab team - ok, this one is just for me :-) - but use the teams Be more open, talking helps... Set goals and write down your wins each day... Life is different but try to look forward - and most of all - avoid Dr Google, the biggest depressent around
I had no real choice in my initial treatment - I had lost feeling below the waist and was in extreme pain - to find out the cause was cancer was devastating. The decompression surgery (inserting rods and pins to hold my spine together) saved my life but I now know the cancer is in my bones, on my spine, liver, lungs, adrenal glad and started in the prostate, The Palliative Care Team gave me my diagnosis while telling me the illness will be life limiting - but, 15 months on, I am still here and fighting....
Yes
I chose life!
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