How do you manage your emotional state?

"At some point I decided to carry on. What other choices are there?"

many others.

ed

I disagree. many other great choices listed above. "just say no" was a catchy slogan but didn't work.

ed

F8 and Mattamx -
During my 8 weeks of RT I met and talked with a lot of guys going through treatment. Some were in better condition (stage/Gleason, etc.) than me, others worse.

A common theme that we all tried to maintain was that when dealing with cancer in general, and PC specifically, there are a number of options available and any one of us would use any and all of them if/as required. However, at the same time it is a case of picking your poison. Literally.

We pretty much agreed that none of the available options are "great" and in fact in some regard (nausea, pain, hormonal issues, quality of life, etc.) almost all would probably be considered awful by any sane person. We all quietly wondered if it is worth it.

However, as mattamx indicated, at some point, you put your head down and say "I can do this." It is funny how your brain gradually removes certain thoughts and memories, allowing you move forward to the next challenge.

Personally, I just realized that, in my case, I can't really remember my sex life details before the prostatectomy and resulting ED... seems like a lifetime ago now.

As a Jimmy Buffett fan, two lyrics keep coming to mind - "Yesterday's over my shoulder so I can't look back for too long" and "Breathe in, Breathe out, Move on..."

In the long run, all we can do is make the decision to move on, enjoy today and take comfort from friends and family in facing tomorrow!