Curious to know how many men here are still working. I was diagnosed aged 50. I stopped working after my chemo (docetaxel) treatment 4 years ago. I’m now 59.
I couldn’t conceive of a 40 hour a week job, by mid most afternoons I’m wiped out. I’m on an ADT holiday at the moment, slowly rising PSA means I’ll be back on it soon, I’m so fatigued now, I dread to think what ADT will do to me.
Steve. I was diagnosed at 51, in Dec 2019, and stopped working July 2020. I fortunately have Long Term disability insurance through my employer.
I just past the one year mark on ADT, and I am dreading it. In short, it basically causes men to age at a very rapid pace. Frail bones, muscles lost, sex gone, heart damaged, Diabetes, and more...
I totally get how you feel in the afternoons.
I forgot to mention I also have income protection insurance which covers my lost income. I’d be screwed without it!
Diagnosed at 49 and am going to be 61 this summer. I still work. For the last 20 years I do all of a big phone company's real estate work in the mid-Atlantic area. Plan to put in a couple more years since my CPA wife says age 67 is the age I should be shooting for to retire. We'll see about that....can probably afford it today....just mentally not ready to retie.
First diagnosis in 2015 at 49. PSA was 950, metastases in lymph nodes and skeleton. Treated with ADT, surgery, Zytiga, Xofigo, Xtandi, currently in a study. I have been an early pensioner for half a year. Greetings Theo
My husband is still working, but we're just a year into this. (Diagnosed May 2020 at age 53, 4+5=9, PSA 210, multiple bone mets.) His fatigue mostly comes in the evenings after the kids are in bed, which I'm grateful for right now. I have a feeling that a more intense exercise routine would help a little bit.
Yes there’s a lot of studies showing the benefit of exercise to combat fatigue. I don’t think it necessarily needs to be intense. I know Edith Cowan University in Australia have done a lot of research into exercise for prostate cancer
I exercise via bicycle mostly and have no fatique and I am 58. I still work full time-ish, and ride approx 75-130 miles a week, I like to get out 3 or 4 times if time permits. My normal ride this time of year is approx 40 to 50 miles unless I am on a mtn bike. Also lots of yard work this time of year and I try to walk on the days I don't ride. I will be on ADT 2 years in Oct. Exercise works for me and my MO thinks it's why I am tolerating ADT so well. No hot flashes and no fatique, that's not saying it isn't doing anything, just not those. In many ways from weight loss after my diagnosis and pushing myself harder I am fitter than I was 20 years ago. I take much better care of my body than I did 20 years ago. Sucks it took cancer to get my attention.
Gave up job on day of dx at age 58
Actually, I’m retiring on Friday. I’m 62 and was diagnosed about 3 1/2 years ago. My condition was a big factor in my decision. My cancer is under control at the moment. I decided to stop working and enjoy what time I have left, which is hopefully a long time. Plus this is my second round of ADT and I’m feeling more fatigue this time. It’s definitely impacting my work. And most importantly I just don’t feel like f*king working any more! I’m done!!!
I was stage IVb at diagnosis at age 55. Still working at my desk job two years later. ADT has caused mood swings, memory problems, and cognitive problems, which are making work difficult, but I am hanging on as long as I can, if only for the health plan. I've noticed in the past few months that I often feel like napping in the afternoon. If I can press through it, it usually goes away after a half hour or so. If I give to it, I find have trouble getting to sleep that night. I have had a very hard time getting back to exercising after my last chemo set ended in March. Both strength and stamina are still very poor, coming back only very slowly, which is frustrating.
Hi. I have just this week finished. I had a desk job, mainly working at home this past 12 months and realised much more to life and that I needed to be less sedatory. I have started volunteering in a charity shop to keep moving. I will look to do more volunteering. I'm ok financially, so that made it easier as well. I do not think there is a right or wrong answer but it feels right for me, even though I am only 54, diagnosed 12 months ago, PSA 1,311. Good luck with whatever decisions people take.
I was diagnosed just before my 51st birthday in October 2018 and immediately went on disability as at the time the cancer in my bones made sitting painful and with all the cancer stuff going on there was no way I'd be able to concentrate on work.
In July 2019 I returned to work full time, but working from home two days a week, and had 80-90% of my usual energy. I celebrated one year of survival by running a half marathon (see profile picture), on Lupron, Abiraterone, and Xgeva. By January 2020 I was diagnosed with neuroendocrine prostate cancer with mets to my liver, went back on disability, and haven't been back since. The NEPCa and its treatment is very rough, it's been a long slow slide downhill for the past 18 months. I'm just hoping my next scan shows further improvement so we can adjust treatment to something resembling "maintenance" instead of "throwing the kitchen sink at the disease" and maybe, just maybe, I can get back in shape for running.
So many young diagnosis... I thought I was an anomaly, lol, what was I thinking!
Diagnosed 3 years ago (age 54) with recent graduation to Stage IV and just last week finished my 6th and final Docetaxel infusion! Haven't worked since surgery in December and I'm on the fence to retire! Could retire and probably will... Problem is that the normal thinking was that's something to worry about later... But with a time clock ticking...
Anyways, I always reflect back to a blog post I had read early on after my diagnosis, a nurse talking about cancer patients and their last moments, the dozens she had been with and comforted... How she related that not a single one who she'd they had worked more, or finished that project, or made more $... So accordingly, I definitely want to enjoy what's left, 2 years or 20!
Old Japanese Maxim:
Ichi Go Ichi
Each Moment, Once!
No time for silly stuff, got some life to enjoy and I can't see doing that while working, lol.
Disclaimer: I work(ed) in a very competitive high profile and high stress industry. Time to pass the torch without a worry!
