Newbie to the group.

[JP63]

I followed this group for a while and think it's time to get a little more involved😀. Thanks Apollo123 and gregg57 for responses to my questions.

My story. I was diagnosed and successfully treated for a head and neck cancer 6mths prior to my PCa diagnosis so this was a real kick in the guts. I'm was 52 and my PSA was 5.3 and I was initially treated for prostatitis. A biopsy came back gleason 8/9. Scans show mets to pelvis and a pelvic lymph and possibly mets in spine and femur. I was totally shocked. I started on lupron and then a course of Docetaxel chemo. 12 months on my PSA is 0.8 and seems stable. For anyone in the UK look up Maggies centres they offer great support for anyone with cancer. No appointment necessary just drop in. I have found that meeting with people in a similar situation with a different disease gives you a great sense of perspective. In a way we are "lucky" to have a fairly common disease for which there is lots of funding and research which in turn means there are many new treatments, which gives us all hope. Reading people's stories on this site and others has been a great help. It also helps to discuss treatment options and get other's views and experiences. I now take pomegranate juice and vitamin D once a day (not sure it helps but it makes me feel better:-). I try to eat a healthy balanced diet (but I still have pizza and an indian curry now and again and exercise regularly (walking and gym). I suffer fatigue some days which means I curtail how much I do. I still have my moments of uncertainty for what lies ahead but in general I feel positive about my future. It certainly makes you appreciate the here and now. I think the key is to accept your new "normal" as nothing will ever be the same again.

[Dr_WHO]

Welcome!

[JamesAtlanta]

Welcome to our group 😊

You sum things up very well. I guess we all try and take the new 'normal' one day at a time. I certainly appreciate every day more! And hope you do, too! Perhaps it's the one positive 'gift' of PCa.

Have a great day!

[BigRich]

Welcome aboard!

Rich

[Hidden]

Welcome to our diverse group. It's truly a pluralistic society here. Sounds like you have a very long road ahead. Good luck.

[Scruffybut1]

Welcome JP63 to this cheerful gang of men like us and our ladies who are quite naturally stronger. I was dxd Oct '14 PSA 167 rising in 3 weeks to 200. Bone scan showed some 40 mets usual hips, spine, ribs, chest and both scapulae. Pelvic girdle lymphs and seminal vesicles ca. Now no mets (this month) no new lymph spread AND 2 months ago wandered into Maggie's. Go every time I am at Charing Cross Hospital in London and many times in between. I agree with everything positive you have said. I even go back to my old chemo ward to chat with patients. Every smiling ex patient helps. Am incurable and cheerful. All the best.

[j-o-h-n]

to JP1963

Hello to you across the pond. You're right nothing will ever be the same again... except every day that passes nothing will be the same again. So keep your chin up, keep smiling and laughing cause that's how to beat the little bastard.

Good Health and Good Luck.

j-o-h-n Sunday 09/24/2017 10:12 AM EST

So there's this guy walking past an insane asylum surrounded by a large wooden fence and hears many voices behind the fence chanting "143 143 143". So the guy's curiosity gets the better of him and he puts his eye to a knot hole in the fence to see what's going on when suddenly someone on the other side of the fence pokes him the eye and he hears the voices start chanting "144 144 144".

[pete0550]

Hi JP63

Best wishes from a fellow 'traveller' along this road in York. I'd not come across Maggies before but a quick google tells me they are planning a centre in Leeds at Jimmy's where I had my radiotherapy. They are also holding a fundraising culture crawl around Leeds next Friday night so I'll have to try to get along.

Live for today is now my motto.

Take care

Pete

[paulofaus]

Welcome JP63. I am British by birth, but I've lived in Australia most of my life. Sorry you had to become a member, hopefully you'll find some good support here. Us young guys need to stick together!