How am I meant to feel?

I was diagnosed with early prostate cancer in June 2023, when a shadow was spotted during a scan for my heart issues. I guess that I'm lucky it was spotted early and that treatment followed after tests to confirm. I started with a hormone treatment by injections at 3 monthly intervals, later requesting radiotherapy treatment, which had been offered from the start. I completed the radiotherapy within 6 weeks and now have follow up interviews with PSA results.

I had no idea how to react to the diagnosis, or the treatments and still don't know how to react now. I didn't feel unwell or disadvantaged in any way. I was receiving treatments and that was that. Any side effects or changes I've experienced and still experiencing are accepted as being much better than outcomes if I hadn't received treatment.

Like others, I suffered weariness after each course of radiotherapy and still get very weary now. I have a few bathroom inconveniences every now and then and am learning to control those. Despite love and sympathy from my family I sometimes have feelings of loneliness. 

That's enough for now. How do others cope?

Mike R

  • Hi Boltonoboy

    Id say from your account that you are dealing with cancer very well due to your pragmatic and balanced outlook. Fatigue is the most common side effect of cancer itself and the treatments given, that's for all of us. At the end of the day regardless of how much love and support we receive it is us that have to go through it and it is sometimes a lonely journey. So your feelings are pretty much shared by everyone with cancer. Wishing that your coping mechanisms see you throigh whatever the future holds for you.

    Ed