Interview 11

Age at interview: 64

Brief Outline: No cancer diagnosed, but some concern about cell changes,TURP in 1998.

Background:

Describes how maintaining a full bladder for the scan was uncomfortable.

I think there were 3 or 4 of us in the waiting room and of course we had to drink gallons of water and not go to the loo so one can imagine there were 3 or 4 of us all sitting there cross legged praying that our appointments were not going to be late. Anyway in I went, the scan was done across the two sides, and it wasn't until he put it on my stomach that I thought I was actually going to pee all over him but it didn't happen I'm pleased to say. I then went along to have my flow tested.

So I didn't realise they scan you from outside, not from inside?

No from outside both sides and then on your stomach and of course if you've been waiting to go to the loos for yonks it can be a problem. Anyway I didn't disgrace myself but I then went into the room to pee into a bucket to test the flow and I couldn't go and I was desperate to go. And the nurse came in, expecting to take everything away and say goodbye to me, only to find that I hadn't even started and it was some time before I did. So I realised that that was pretty uncomfortable, that experience. I then had an appointment with the GP.
 

Comments that his symptoms of difficulty in passing urine got steadily worse.

Well I think it goes back many months. I realised I was going to be a candidate for prostate yonks ago when I had great difficulty passing urine and wanted to pee all the time. So it's that terrible combination of wanting to do it then not being able to do it and of course the embarrassment of going for a pee and finding loads of other people come in to a public loo at the same time and they've all gone and you're still there trying to start 

(laughs).

How long ago did all that problem start?

I would think that's probably been going for 2 or 3 years and steadily getting worse and more noticeable at night when I would get up probably 4 or 5 times and I supposed dribble more than anything. I never knew whether it was wanting to go to the loo that was waking me up or in fact I was just a poor sleeper and when you don't sleep you want to go to the loo.