After some rushed appointments with specialists who were extremely generous with their time just days prior to Christmas, we have decided on a plan of action. We had originally hoped that surgery may have been an option for my husband, but these hopes were dashed when we were told honestly that given the high Gleason score (9), and the high volume of cancer (80-95%) in 11 out of 12 cores, it seemed extremely unlikely that the cancer was contained within the prostate capsule.
After reviewing the options available and recommended to him, my husband has opted on the following treatment plan:
- Immediate start with hormone injections and tablets.
- Rebore ( TURP) surgery with removal of some lymph nodes in late January.
- External beam therapy some time thereafter
- High dose Brachytherapy (again some weeks thereafter).
The time line after the rebore is undecided yet, but it appears likely that we are looking at a 4-5 month period altogether.
So, taking one step at a time, I am very keen to hear from others who have gone down the External Beam Radiation path, regarding things that they wished they had known prior to the event.... e.g. hints, thoughts, suggestions, recommendations etc. I feel that all knowledge and other men's experiences can only help us to be as prepared as possible for all eventualities.
It seems rather ironic to say that we are "happy" with the path we have chosen, but we do have a huge sense of relief knowing that we have a definite direction to follow, and will start on this path in a day or so. My husband wanted to have Christmas without any reference to Prostate Cancer, and it has been a very happy Christmas indeed.
So, please give me your ideas and hints/suggestions to help us out. We will have to relocate temporarily to a bigger centre (Brisbane) to have this treatment and this in itself may warrant some further ideas and recommendations.
Thank you all.