Hello JagChamp, 

It's nice to know that your husband was treated successfully 10 years ago and that he is currently fit and well. It's good that he is having regular PSA checks every year so that they are regularly monitoring him and keeping a close eye on him. Try not to worry too much if you can as the fact that his PSA is rising is something to keep an eye on but it doesn't necessarily mean that the cancer is back for example or there is anything of immediate concern but they seem to be very thorough and it's good that he will be referred to urology and that they will check everything closely. 

It's normal in your place to be worried about what the future might hold after learning about this referral but I am keeping everything crossed for you that it isn't necessarily a sign of relapse. Obviously you will only know exactly what is going when you have had your appointment and I hope that none of this will have any impact on all the exciting plans you have for the next year. I hope you won't have to wait long for your urology appointment as the wait can be the hardest thing and make your mind go into overdrive and fear the worst. We have some helpful tips to help you cope while waiting for important news which I hope you will find helpful. 

I hope all goes well for you both at the appointment - keep us updated on what you find out if you have a minute. And if you have anything you would like to talk through with one of our cancer nurses, don't hesitate to get in touch with them on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm (though closed this bank holiday Monday and exceptionally this Thursday 9th May due to training). 

Best wishes to you and your husband, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello Lucie,

Thank you for your reply and very grounded positivity - it is truly appreciated as I think I’ve immediately catastrophised and prepared myself for the worst possible scenario. 

You’re absolutely right, it IS the not knowing that is the worst. He was told at diagnosis the first time that his was a slow growing cancer and if he chose to do nothing at the time, it would be 8 - 10 years before it became a problem. I’m hoping that if it’s the same ‘beast’ returning, it may be the same prognosis too. At 77 he has choices then about whether he goes through RT again or just AS. Hopefully he will get to chat to his doctor this week to discuss the result more fully. 

Thank you also for the link and the number. Really useful to have and just knowing there are people out there that can just listen and understand is incredibly reassuring. And I am so grateful you kindly took the time to reply over the Bank Holiday weekend too. 

Best wishes from us too and I’ll update once I have more information. 

Dear JagChamp, 

I just discovered this chat service only to find your post which I could have written myself. Husband, 72, had successful brachytherapy treatment two years ago, all good but then yesterday we had the call about a rising psa and I have fallen straight into doom mode. 
so reading your post and the response is really helpful. 
Wishing you all the best 

Hello there SLB1961,

Maybe can we have a ‘virtual’ handhold in this club that none of us want to be part of? 

I get exactly the conflict of emotions you are riding at the moment. The logical side tells your mind to stay calm, it might not be what you’re anticipating, and if it is, better to start the ball rolling as soon as possible and plan how to tackle this next phase. The emotional side then steps in; what if, why, what’s next, why now, how will we both cope, what made it change? 

I’m online every day at some point and will pick up any messages or thoughts you might want to leave on here. Please keep posting updates and I will definitely read them. I know we’re far from alone in this situation, but having someone who is in a very similar position and knows exactly what feeling you are experiencing, is supporting and reassuring.  

Hi JagChamp and thank you for your lovely reply. It really is a comfort to speak to someone in a similar position. Like you, we have plans made, travelling and three days ago another new grandchild so this ‘blip’ is badly timed. My husband is 72, fit, active and looks ten years younger. We were so relieved to have got through the anxiety of his initial diagnosis and brachytherapy was so quick and worked like a dream. I suppose we have been complacent in thinking we could draw a line under it. But as the lovely lady said to you, this raised PSA result may not be as bad as we think. We have a phone call early tomorrow with our nurse specialist and will take it from there. 
Do let me know what point you are at and in the meantime I send all best wishes x

Hi there! 

You’re so very welcome and more than happy to share any updates. 

My husband had a telephone chat with the doctor today. His PSA has gone up in the last year from 3.2 to 6.8 so in view of his history, he’s been referred back to urology. With a couple of hours of the chat, he received a call from the department and he’s booked in for a scan this Sunday. It’s brilliant that they’re so proactive, but of course I’m now overthinking it and convincing myself that the speed might not be a good sign - but our very pragmatic daughter keeps reminding me to take one step at a time and not get ahead of things.

My husband, being the chirpy positive type, is pleased the ball is rolling quickly as he doesn’t want any treatment to interfere with a holiday we have booked at the end of June!

Wonderful news and congratulations on the safe arrival of  your latest grandchild. Exciting stuff and another very real reason to beat this very unwelcome intruder into our lives!

Best wishes to you both and please let me know how the call goes tomorrow. X

Glad to hear you have had some progress and absolutely identify with your overthinking!!! Oh for a switch to turn off the brain, especially in those wee small hours  . 
Our call this morning was reassuring. The specialist nurse said  not to panic as there may be a number of reasons for the PSA increase including the post operative’bounce’ phenomenon. When my husband got the call from our surgery telling him his PSA had risen they said that a urine sample should be submitted to see if a UTI could be the cause. This was dropped off on Friday and today we tried to get the result in advance of the specialist nurse call. Lo and behold the practice has no trace of the test so it has had to be repeated which is poor to say the least and reminds me how much being ill is almost a full time occupation!! 
So the waiting game continues but I feel more relaxed having heard the specialist nurse say that my husbands cancer is of a slow growing type so am trying my best to live in the present until we know more. It does seem that the majority of men have this ability to be positive and are able to compartmentalise. Enviable…                                  Do keep me updated once the scan has been done and hope you can enjoy this amazing weather. 

Hmm I did post again a couple of minutes ago but what I wrote days ago appeared in the chain and what I wrote today has disappeared… obviously being idiotic.

Hi there,

Please forgive my apparent lack of response. Usually I get an email notifying me, but I just happened to check in here and saw you had replied.

Good news that your husband’s cancer is the slow growing type. I know ideally you’d both rather there wasn’t any at all, but knowing that is reassuring and certainly takes the worry down a few notches!

We’re still in the system. Husband has had a CT scan and today having a bone scan, so we will probably know where we’re are heading once the results are in from these. 

I’m veering between feeling philosophical and then wracked with anxiety but we’re on the ‘motorway’ hurtling towards who knows where at the moment. Luckily, he’s still very positive and optimistic that it’s not a big deal. 

Certainly enjoying the weather. Makes everything seem slightly better than the dark, cold days of winter. Fingers crossed for you both.