how has this disease changed your life

I was finally the husband most times I wasn't I became a friend a friend would lime to have. Going fishing was no longer an imposition. Hung out more with family. Read the good book and contemplated life. Sky diving, mountain climbing bull riding. Experianced the wonder of the world through new eyes. Tim McGraw paraphrased.

Aside from the obvious, how has your life changed??

For example... in my case I stopped being afraid of what people think or of anything else for that matter. I also have a new found respect for life. All life.... Today I rescued and released to the bank of the river a baby possum. It was about 6 inches long and some of my not so swell co-workers had a noose around it's neck. I really believe this disease has had a positive effect on my life. TODD

I decided to retire early and do a little more traveling, and spend more time on personal matters. We have just sold our 4 bedroom colonial and are in the process of downsizing.

I don't think it's changed mine enough yet. I don't think I was scared enough and I think thinking/fooling myself that i dodged the bullet didn't allow me to make wholesale changes. I don't think I grew as much from it as I could have.

Todd,

Good thread topic.

When I weathered my first 3 cancer bouts, I was younger and was able to bounce back, still work, and it was all good.

With my PC, it changed my world/life completely. Never expected to become disabled at a fairly early age, and not be able to work. That is still more an issue in my mind, then any of the physical things that I talk about. Things are never going to be the same for me, and over 4 year later, my brain still won't accept that part of it. Just trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Some days I feel better about than others. I have to remind myself, that there are others in medical situations a million times worse than my own.

david

I like logoslidat's response a lot.

For me, I feel like my body betrayed me, and now I have trust issues with it. :)

I used to worry about my hair turning gray.  I now don't care if it turns gray.  Noone should have advanced PC and not one strand of gray hair.

 

I carry a sadness.

Anybody on the PCa roller coster can comprehend the strata of how it impacts plenty in your life. Might be easier to go through the eye of the needle, than for a PCa patient to not have any emotions or impacted by the experiences that lie within. How one deals with it varies alot, confronting an early departure is not a pleasant thought and a harsh realization for many of us. On the humorous side (which is actually non-existent in this), I comprehend fully what W. C. Fields stated many years ago: 'Youth is wasted on the young'.!!!

Of course with age comes wisdom and knowledge.....when you can remember how and when to use it!!!

Here we go. Elaborations are allowed. Ill tell you a joke that I actually sold, { not told} to a guy that was selling[selling not telling} jokes in Central Park Manhatten. I will tell it as if it was me. " I was having lunch with a new acquaintance and was going on and on about myself, what I did, what I liked, who I knew etc, and sensed,….troubled,…. , that my new friend was getting edgy , bored. I sez to him/her. ' well enough about me, lets talk about you…… What do you think about me?'

Hope you got a smile from that . Join us, we are a wild wacky bunch of bruddahs and seestahs

I am pleased that for so many of you, it appears to have changed your life for the better.

I can't say that for myself. It has added an element of stress in the form of that elephant in the room. I have a hard time dealing with the constant appointments and tests.

Sorry -- for me PC sucks

Mel

I feel like even the good news is just not bad news yet. Yes, enjoy the moment, but there is now a tinge ever present. I have work to do on what is going on deep inside which is not shown on the outside . Just tying to match the strength of my man. Keep the fears in check and not look too far ahead.

..I have always thought about the afterlife. I feel that I am a spiritual being stuck in a physical world for now. I am a Christian and love Christ. Life is bigger than I know and deeper than I can understand. I have read about these things in different context for many years prior and feel some what prepared. Now though I feel a lot closer to the thoughts I once had, right in between mortality and the afterlife, one foot through the door. I am feeling many things but will not allow fear in. I am a bit more aware, a bit more receptive to the wind blowing the leaves on the trees and watching the green color flutter back n forth different shades of green reminding me of the images inside my minds eye of rolling hill tops with tall grass along the Utah country side.
..After all this is what we have been preparing to do our whole life long, die. I want to die a good death and this takes preparation in life. I have been preparing for years, I am not over confident just humble, I am just a man, I have tried to consider these things with regards to the afterlife..

..I hope I do not offend anyone in trying to get a bit deep in thought. I enjoy pondering with the best of them, for in asking we receive. I was born a seeker, I'm searching low and high, I won't get to get what I'm after, till the day I die..

....Blessings........Nick.......

So far, not for the better.