A Prostate Cancer Journey

 As before, note I am not a medical doctor!  Once the MRI shows that your prostate is misshapen then the next step is a biopsy, where they take physical samples of your prostate & analyse them for cancer cells. This is where it starts to feel real because the biopsy is a surgical procedure with the chance of side effects. There are two main types of biopsy -  Transrectal. This is done through the rectum and generally does not require a general anaesthetic. Apparently it is a fairly quick & painless but uncomfortable procedure. Transperineal. The samples are taken through the perineum - the skin between the scrotum and anus, also known as the scranus. An ultrasound can also be inserted into the rectum to aid in precision.  There are pros and cons to both methods and lots of material on line, but the reality is that you don't get to choose. You will get whatever your doctor thinks is best. For me it was a transperineal biopsy, and for that I needed a general an...

As per my previous post, I am NOT a medical doctor and the below is just the experiences and musings of a random punter. If you have any doubt go and see a professional!  Because prostate cancer does not necessarily show any symptoms it can be hard to initially pick up without a blood test. In my case my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago and so I requested the blood test every year afterwards. My GP actually suggested it wasn't worth it this year and that biannual checks would be enough, and at times I'm still a bit regretful that I insisted. The primary blood test for prostate cancer is the PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen). This essentially picks up a byproduct of the cancer that is in your bloodstream. But it is very imprecise. It can be affected by ejaculation within 48 hours of the test, by riding bikes, by phsyical exertion and a host of other things. So the first thing to do if you have a high PSA reading is to not panic! Give it a few weeks, book...

 Before I start this post I need to restate that I am not a medical doctor. These are just my experiences and my interpretations, but if you're in any doubt go and see a medical professional. Don't be one of those people that 'Do TheiR ReseaRch' online because as we've seen recently that can end badly. OK, with that in mind let's begin.  The prostate is a walnut sized organ that sits between your bladder and the outside world. There is a tube called the urethra that runs through the prostate and out into the base of the penis. When you ejaculate the prostate adds seminal fluid to the mix that you expel.  This is all well & good when everything works as planned. But as you get older the prostate can get larger (for a couple of different reasons), and when it does it can compress the urethra and reduce the flow of liquid that can pass through it. Imagine you have a tank of water hooked up to a hose. If you open the tap the water will flow out at a set rate. I...

Hi - I'm a 52 year old man who has prostate cancer. There, I've said it. I have been diagnosed what has been described b y some as 'a cancer more people die with than from' or 'the cancer you want to get if you have to have cancer' and by others as ' the   second  most common cancer and sixth most common cause of death among men worldwide ' . It's a complicated and scary position to be in. The plan behind this blog is essentially to journal my experiences, thoughts, hopes and fears and (because this is the 21st century) to post my musings on line in the hope that it may help someone else at a later date. Assuming anyone ever looks at this because with the flood of information out there - well, why woud you?  A little bit about me and then I'll post this first entry and get it out there. My name is Mike - I'll leave it at that for privacy reasons (such as they are on the internet!) and I won't name any other names when I write. I'm re...