Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest reassurance from anyone who has been through this. I am currently waiting for another MRI scan, with a transperineal prostate biopsy to follow. I don't have a date for the biopsy yet, and the day-and-night anxiety is completely dominating my thoughts.

To be honest, I am far more terrified of the actual procedure than I am of the possibility of cancer. I have managed to get the hospital to agree to a general anaesthetic, which is a massive relief, but the prospect of the procedure itself still feels completely overwhelming.

Right now, my urinary and sexual functions are near perfect. I am terrified that the invasive procedure is going to cause severe, permanent damage to my plumbing. It feels like a barbaric thing to go through, and I can't shake the fear that it's going to ruin how things work down there. I know they will likely only make 2 punctures through my actual perineum skin, but they are taking 24 internal samples—I’m terrified!

I’m also really dreading the aftermath. The thought of ejaculating or passing urine that is red, rusty, or bloody for up to 6 weeks is incredibly disconcerting to me, and the timeline feels like an absolute lifetime to cope with.

The stress is causing me to sleep badly and I'm having really rough nights, so I think I am going to have to see my GP soon to ask for some short-term sleep or anti-anxiety medication just to cope. I've also just put in a self-referral for NHS Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), though to be honest, I don't really understand what it is and I'm not at all convinced it can actually help with a physical terror like this.

I had to completely stop researching this on the internet 18 months ago because the extreme horror stories were giving me panic attacks. I'm hoping to hear from ordinary guys on here who had this done under GA and had a relatively acceptable, normal experience.

How did you cope with the waiting? Did your function return to normal? Any reassurance or real-life experiences would mean the world to me right now.

Thanks in advance.