Prostate Cancer
Living with prostate cancer
The initial diagnosis of prostate cancer was a devastating shock to most men (see 'How it affects you'). However, after the initial shock and emotional trauma, many men were able to lead fairly normal lives. Men were often able to continue working while they had their treatment, though some had to give up work when symptoms got worse, or because of stressful occupations. Fatigue, and the side effects of treatments, encouraged early retirement (see 'Side effects of treatments' section). Some men took time off work to have a radical prostatectomy but returned to work once they had recovered from their surgery. Some men described continuing to enjoy many of their activities, including sports and travel. However, this was not always possible.
Explains that he continued to work quite normally after radiotherapy.
Explains that he continued to work quite normally after radiotherapy.
No I don't think so, I think tiredness comes with it if you're stressed up, I think that, it's just relief. No I didn't feel anything like that, I continued to work quite, quite normally.
Explains he could continue with an active life at first but was concerned that his GP knew little about prostate cancer.
Explains he could continue with an active life at first but was concerned that his GP knew little about prostate cancer.
I was leading a very active life. I was playing golf, I was going to the health club and working out three times a week and I though, well okay it's not stopping me doing anything that I want to do, it's not so bad after all. The GPs I worked with kept reassuring me that, you know, it's probably slow growing, it probably won't affect you, you'll probably die of something else, all the things that I've since found GPs rely on to put patients at their ease, because I also found out that most GPs know very little about it.
Explains how he found fatigue to be a pressing problem that started to affect his lifestyle.
Explains how he found fatigue to be a pressing problem that started to affect his lifestyle.
Were you still working?
That was about the time that I decided to stop working, I was by then 63 years old.
Comments that he was amazed at his recovery after 4 months.
Comments that he was amazed at his recovery after 4 months.
Explains how he tries to enjoy life as much as possible.
Explains how he tries to enjoy life as much as possible.
Comments on how he feels even closer to his wife and has a positive outlook.
Comments on how he feels even closer to his wife and has a positive outlook.
In fact somehow you adapt, we've had many more cuddles and it's almost, it brings you closer together the whole operation, the whole problem and the whole trauma of going through it all has changed your perspective about what you might do at work, when you might retire, what you might do in the way of holidays what you might spend your money on, what you might do in your social time. Even though the prospects for me are now extremely good you still realise you've had a scare and decide that you're not going to pussyfoot around and you make the most of it because you just don't know what's round the corner. So it's, if it's possible it's given us more pleasure in a way because we're determined to do things that we might have delayed doing otherwise, whether it be putting on an extension or having a nice holiday abroad or whatever your hobbies and job or pastimes are. You want to make sure you do the thing, and don't just put it off, and say 'Oh we'll go to the Lake District or South of France', whatever you want to do, do it, sooner
That's been a really positive
It's been a very positive, yeah it has.
Describes how his outlook on life has changed.
Describes how his outlook on life has changed.
Describes how he lives for now rather than have concerns for the future.
Describes how he lives for now rather than have concerns for the future.
Not a great deal, it's made me less worried about the fact that I haven't actually got very good pension provision because I've worked overseas much of my life and I work in a charity, or I've worked for charities of one sort or another and I haven't built up much pension so I suppose in a way that's a bit of a relief really you know I sort of recognise that I'm probably not going to be one of the statistical, one of the people who needs a statistical age expectancy for or above the statistical age expectancy for men. I actually work for a charity that works with older people and you know I mean I do see a lot of differences in the way people enjoy or otherwise their old age. So you know I'm quite, I'm quite sort of philosophical I suppose about having, I suppose I'm more interested in sort of good quality active living for as long as possible than say you know ending up may be sort of rather chronically ill so I suppose that does influence me a little bit yeah. But I cycle by the way and I also do yoga and both of those I think keep me reasonably mentally and physically fit, I think that's quite helpful.
Last reviewed July 2017.
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