Addicted to this Forum - Stressed

I know it's hard not to stress about it but I'd look on the bright side. For now you have avoided surgery, celebrate! I don't know all your stats but If your repeat biopsy can't confirm the G7 you may be a good candidate for AS and be able to remain on it for a long time, or perhaps forever and never needing any invasive treatment.

You may be getting ahead of yourself on the BM question but I will tell you what I know - Post surgery you would want to take stool softeners and not push at all by either bearing down or pushing anywhere else. With enough softeners in you there would be no need to push anything. In fact you would likely want to sit every time because there is often a little surprise that comes out on it's own when you relax to urinate.

Good luck on the biopsy. Hoping they can't find anything and you are headed for AS.

Jon


PS> I should have added you are a prime example of why the biopsies should be sent for a second expert opinion. It truly put your treatment plan on a different course.

Well, yeah, it put in on a different course...the one some might argue it should have been on in the first place. Still, I feel for you Mitch and your anxiety...but holy cow...this barely seems anything to worry about at all at this point. Maybe you should worry that Trump might win. :)

Hang in there Mitch. Don't stress too much about stressing too much. I think it's a process we need to go through mentally, some more then others. I think it's unfair to believe that you should have less stress because others have it worse, while that maybe a thought to allow you to put things in perspective we all get stress and anxiety over different things of varying size and degrees. Sometimes it is just the state of mind we are in at that time,. Some days I can handle everything and anything thrown my way and some days I can feel like I would crumble at the smallest of things. If stress were based only on comparing the stressors and who has it worse well then only a few would be allowed to suffer anxiety because there seems to be always someone who has it worse.

I've learned at times that my stress is usually a signal to get some things done, move towards solving the issues giving me stress. In your case it might be moving forward with getting the proper diagnosis like you are attempting to do. Many of us here were very stressed during the diagnosing and deciding on treatment phase of this process. Many, myself included had a big release of the stress once treatment was finally decided. It took me over 3 months to get to that point and it was a very stressful time.

Cut yourself a break and understand that it is a stressful time for you. Move forward with getting as much information as you can. It is very understandable that you would have a hard time with this. Continue to educate yourself on your choices should you face treatment or active surveillance or what your plan for followups will be should this new biopsy come back negative. Remind yourself that while you may be in a worse position then someone who never faced a cancer diagnosis that you are in a manageable situation as far as cancer goes and you will get through it and you will be able to handle it. As you continue to face this as most of us have or are currently you will find the strength. It's amazing what we can handle when we have no other choice, stressful yes but we find a way to manage it.

And for coping maybe it's time to find a hobby or a group or a class, something to help get your mind off it at times. Try a prostate support group also, just meeting people and getting out can help.

Best of luck Mitch, stay strong. You will get to where you are supposed to be....Jim

Hello MITCHDEN4,

I read your post ... mindful of your worries and anxieties that you described ...

With that being said ... just a few ideas ...

You might want to set a time limit on your internet searching ... log in, check your favorite websites, and then move on with the rest of your day.

From there ... for the worries and anxieties you described ... there is no substitute for some daily EXERCISE ... whatever form you like ... take a stroll around the neighborhood ... walk the dog through the city park ... stop by the local gym ... jump on an exercise bike ... do some yard work ... round of golf with a buddy ... anything that suits you ...

I promise ... you'll feel better afterwards ... and it would be even better to find a walking partner to join you ... or some other folks to visit with, if you stop by a local fitness gym. Many gyms offer "one day passes" ...

From there ... think about your favorite hobbies, interests, and pastimes that you enjoy most ... might be time to get back into a favorite hobby ... start a new project, inside or outside ... think about some volunteer work that you might do that would benefit your community, a local school, a public library, a local hospital, an animal rescue shelter, a church mission project, a care center, a homeless shelter ... the list goes on. Reaching out and helping others would be a GREAT way to take your mind off your worries and anxieties ...

Lots of ways to get involved these days ... think of your skills and talents and find a way to share these in your community with some volunteer work ...

Some advice, from one "brother to another brother" --- stay active --- keep busy --- get together with family and friends --- and these simple steps will go a long way towards keeping the "wolves of worry" at bay.

Start with something simple ... pretty soon, one activity will lead to another ...

Just wanted to reach out today, with a few thoughts that might be helpful !

Sent with my best,
"Cyclone Fan" ~ Iowa State University

Hi mitch I understand totally about the pushing on the perineum to poop. And i also understand totally how we can have personal, private little rituals with our bods or whatever....it makes is fear we are so different because of these little quirks or things that we do or how we are that no one does or no one else is like us. Don't worry about it man. You're gonna have enough go juice in your bowels that you will poop. And I also understand that whether you poop or not isn't the issue. It's "a little more than that".

Have you spoken with your surgeon about this? Assuming you sometime in the future do in fact have to have you prostate removed.i don't know that what you are describing would even be a problem. Just tell your guy and see what he has to say about it. He may very well say he doesn't care what gets pushed where by your hand.

The generalized anxiety about the whole deal? Great.advice so far. Just know this...nothing we're talking about so far with you is permanent. And even if it was...you'd deal with that too. That's not a promise, it's a fact of life.

How did it go Mitch? Doing okay?
H

Herophilus said...
How did it go Mitch? Doing okay?
H

I'm doing ok, thanks. Although I was highly stressed about this repeat biopsy, as far as pain, it was about the same as the first one (2 months ago). Uncomfortable, but not too painful. I took a pain pill before the procedure but was surprising calm in the doctors office. Didn't need a valium.

In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't have it done under sedation in a surgical facility. I asked the doctor about a lidocaine injection and he told me it sometimes distorts the ultrasound image that he uses to select the locations of the cores. Notwithstanding that, he left it up to me. Since he didn't give me lidocaine the first time, I trusted his judgement and didn't have it.

I didn't count the number of "spring gun" reloads, but I do know that he took 3 or 4 cores in the area that the pathologist diagnosed the Gleason 7 (3+4). In any case, I'm happy it's over and will do everything possible to deal with the stress of waiting (i.e. exercise, spend time with my grandchildren).

My doctor told me he will call me as soon as he gets the results. He also told me to keep the Aug. 9 appointment. For the initial PCa diagnosis, he told me when I met with him so I was a little surprised he said he'll call me this time.

Mitch

Mitch, the mental part is the worse for me. In therapy with a little success and meds help out too but they have some SEs. I work out a lot. Really helps and I am trying meditation.

All the best

Keeping my fingers crossed that your biopsy results are nothing but good news!

mitchden4 said...

The people on this forum are great and extremely supportive. I'm addicted to these forums, however, I sometimes find myself feeling worse after I read some of the posts - particularly those discussing problems with the Da Vinci surgery..................................

Mitch

Well Mitch, you probably already know this, but maybe you could benefit from a reminder. If discussions of problems with Da Vinci surgery depress you- not really an unreasonable response in my personal opinion- then do not have surgery, and stop even thinking about it. I am -in case you already knew this- reminding you that there is absolutely no reason on earth why you must have surgery. If you are indeed a 3+4, it is at least debatable as to whether you have to do anything right now. But even if you feel you must have some form of treatment, you most certainly do not have to make that treatment surgery. And by not having surgery, you do not increase your odds of ever dying of your 3+4=7 PCa by any significant amount. In fact, some will probably argue you have a better chance of a cure with RT.

So if the potential SEs of surgery bother you and cause you stress, simply put that option out of your head forever as though that does not even exist. I sort of wish I had done that myself. But you can be sure that if I had been a 3+4 I would never have considered surgery. You don't have to either, there is no reason that you should( unless of course you just want to for some reason). And once you realize you will never have surgery, and that it almost certainly will not increase your odds of death from PCa ( average lifespan = 78 before something gets us, most likely something other than PCa ), I would hope that your mental distress due to thinking about surgery should go away.

So, there you go!

LOL @Todd. Thanks for the chuckle.