Life After
Radiotherapy
Much as I have not
been giving frequent updates about life after prostate cancer radiotherapy
treatment, I can say that life continues with gratitude.
The usual side
effects persist; the urinary symptoms are not as concerning and remain quite
manageable, there is no discernible bowel issue, and weekday nocturnal insomnia
gets some respite with weekend lie-ins.
My voice still
vacillates between a weak, hoarse whisper and the normal timbre I am known to
have. It does need checking out. When my mother first heard the weaker end of
my vocal spectrum, she started casting and binding in the name of Jesus on the
phone, with no exchange of pleasantries; it literally freaked me out.
Monitoring My
Progress
I have a biannual
consultation at the Christie Hospital with an Oncology and Urology nurse, as
part of the aftercare monitoring, which may continue for another couple of
years. This means that within two weeks of that appointment, I must obtain a
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test, usually from my GP.
My most recent PSA
level has now fallen to the lowest reading recorded since that first test in
February 2024, which began the journey to an aggressive prostate cancer
diagnosis.
I have written quite
a bit about what this has involved, but may I suggest that you also listen to
the AI Podcast for November 2025, where each of the terms related to a prostate
cancer diagnosis is explained in detail.
An AI discussion podcast
on blogs published in
November 2025
Sharing the Good News
Meanwhile, I am doing
fine, happy with the progress and thankful for the support and encouragement I
get from my partner, Brian, my friends, and my colleagues. Upon receiving the
result, I posted a comment in a wider Microsoft Teams chat, where I addressed
them thus, with a link for them to assess their prostate cancer risk:
For the boys in the room.
I got some good news earlier today. Having
undergone prostate cancer radiotherapy treatment about 18 months ago, my PSA is
now the lowest it has ever been. Obviously, there is a hospital visit to review
the situation.
Please, take some time to check your risk.
Thanks
Check
your risk in 30 seconds | Prostate Cancer UK
Take That First Test
I take every
opportunity to advocate for checking your prostate cancer health and going for
at least that very first PSA test.
Beyond that, I try to
address the concerns and fears that attend having your delicate bits inspected
by medical personnel, as I have been through the whole gamut of touches and
feel-ups. My verdict: nothing to fear and everything to gain, catching issues
early and dealing with them promptly.
I hope you all find
this helpful. Until the next update on men's things.
Blog - Men's
things XXXI: Can Intimacy Be Reclaimed After Prostate Cancer?
Blog - Photons
on the Prostate - Three Things I Wish I'd Known
Blog – Photons
on the Prostate - A year from starting radiotherapy
Blog - A
prostate cancer diagnosis, one year on
Blog - Men's things - Prostate Cancer blogs
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are accepted if in context to the blog, polite and hopefully without the use of expletives.
Please, show your name instead of defaulting to Anonymous, it helps to know who is commenting.
Links should only refer to the commenter's profile, not to businesses or promotions, as they will NOT be published.
Thank you for commenting on my blog.