"Living" with prostate cancer.

[Thomas61]

Your strength, courage, wit and wisdom have never failed to impress and inspire me. We live forever in the memories of those we leave behind. Get that pain management sorted and carry on adding to those memories. Fight the low days live like a king and enjoy your time.

Take care

[zephyr]

Dear Rustic - inspiring and thank you for sharing your story. Your strength made big ripples in my mind I'm sincerely respecting your courage and support. (Apologies for my late post on this thread)

[rustic]

Originally Posted by zephyr

Dear Rustic - inspiring and thank you for sharing your story. Your strength made big ripples in my mind I'm sincerely respecting your courage and support. (Apologies for my late post on this thread)

Thank you for all of your support, I will give a short resume as to what I have had to face during the last 3 weeks a bit later.

There are no late threads on this topic, just a regular reminder to trigger regular visits to the doctor, should you have the symptoms.

Best regards,
Uncke Rustic.

[rustic]

In the past, I have been giving you updates, usually on the eve of the next chemo, well as most of you know, chemo was stopped 8th out of 10 (3aug) and it has been a downhill challenge ever since. PSA rising. need to increase morphine, and slow release morphine. Which on 3 Aug was 40 mg morning and night.
Had a week of fairly good days, a few boat stopovers and valuable time with our grandson.
Aug 18 son and family arrived from Bahrain, for 2 weeks stop over.
18 Aug slow release still 40 mg.
22 Aug... pain relief had to be increased to 50 mg.
25 Aug hip pain increasing
27 Aug tripped twice, bit of a wobble
1st Sept wobbly, tripped and broken humus left upper arm, just at the point where my shoulder transplant was fitted 2.5 years ago... bruised head badly and big bruise on right hip.
2nd Sept despite the broken arm, my wife drove me and the Maverick to the Rustic's road trip on Cannock Chase.
5th Sept slow release now 60 mg, vomited 4 times, now 4 days after fall called doctor... Ambulance straight to hospital, could be blood clot, immediate ct scan and xray to affected areas. All clear.
11 th Sept hip pain now extreme. Go to hospital had mri scan whole spine, not easy trussed up like an oven ready turkey for 1 hr 40 min, with a broken left arm wedged across my chest. slow release now 80 mg. kept in hospital to monitor.
14th Sept still in hospital, now had bone specialist brace my broken arm with a splint type brace. slow release now 120 mg Severe pain in left calf, leg etc pain killers extra morphine no effect at all. Now prescribed some muscle relaxant, to dissolve under tongue, seemed to work as a quick fix
They seem to think it might be a trapped nerve being compressed by the growing cancer.

19th Sept same situation, but slow release increased to 150 mg
21th Sept woke in complete agony, took muscle relaxant, requested a home visit by Hospice nurse to discuss pain relief, and why in less than a month it has gone up from 40mg to 150mg. Hospice nurse prescribed some pregabalin,
22nd Sept Woke up this morning, not too bad so far...

So today is exactly 3 weeks since I broke my arm, I hope in the next two weeks Or so I can start a few light dutes, but most importantly to get to see my grandson this Sunday in Oxford.. his 4th birthday.
If I can reduce the slow release and liquid morphine, then I might start to get some quality of life back again.

I think the diagnosis has been misread, as 4 different departments are involved, fractures, oncology, palliative care, linked with the hospice and our local GP .
One does their bit..... My bit works... and passes it on , with no one other than my wife Roz and I facilitating the meetings.

We have found out today that the cause of the pain in the spine is 'likely' to be Neuropathic pain caused by nerve root compression.

Uncle Rustic

Richard

[don simon]

Glad to hear that things are picking up after the downward blip.
We'll need that £350m per week that Boris promised us at this rate!
Keep fighting the fight.

[jims-terrano]

Hi Rustic, keep fighting it fella. We are all here for you.

[solarman216]

Richard I know what a traped nerve can do, I had a similar situation some years ago, saw specialists etc and was offerd an op to "fuse my spine" I told him impolitely to FO, so he suggested phydio which I accepted cos at least I will not have to pay for it which I had been doing so for many months with many different specialist that all said they could sort it but none did, I remember going to a mates wedding and being in severe pain downd a bottle of scotch but in the end had to leave early as was in tears with the pain and could barely walk, well to cut a long story short the NHS physio sorted me in two weeks with some very simple exercises, from my posture and a few simple tests as to how far I could move my limbs she pinpointed the problem and as I say two weeks later I was as I am now, I am not suggesting the same for you as clearly your cancer is responsible for the nerve pressure, but and it is a big but it may be worth a physio looking at you to see if the site of the pressure can be located and if so can anything be done to relieve it, regards Rick

[makeitfit]

Following on from Rick' s comment I'd be looking for a chiropractor. I've hurt my back so many times at work and play ( yeah I know , I should have learned by now lol ) . It's always been worth a few Bob for the relief. Recently my son hurt his back taking a head off an engine. He twisted under the bonnet with the head in front of him 😑 He's a strapping lad and was reduced to tears on his knees almost. I took him to my chiropractor for emergency session. I could see the muscle group all swollen and it was rock hard in spasm. After 20 mins of muscle relaxant work and deep massage
He was a new man. I was 40 pounds lighter too, so win win

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by makeitfit

Following on from Rick' s comment I'd be looking for a chiropractor. I've hurt my back so many times at work and play ( yeah I know , I should have learned by now lol ) . It's always been worth a few Bob for the relief. Recently my son hurt his back taking a head off an engine. He twisted under the bonnet with the head in front of him 😑 He's a strapping lad and was reduced to tears on his knees almost. I took him to my chiropractor for emergency session. I could see the muscle group all swollen and it was rock hard in spasm. After 20 mins of muscle relaxant work and deep massage
He was a new man. I was 40 pounds lighter too, so win win

I'd have just hit the vase and walked it off

Have you considered herbal relief Rustic?

[rustic]

Wow, what some great advice you guys are giving. I feel as though I am at a transition of finding out that there are several pain generating sites around the my body. Yesterday we went to see my grandson in Oxford, a 2 hour drive each way, and during the whole day I did not take any additional pain killers. I was close at bed time, but with the nerve sensitivity medication, pregabalin, it appeared to help a lol.

Originally Posted by solarman216

Richard I know what a traped nerve can do, I had a similar situation some years ago, saw specialists etc and was offerd an op to "fuse my spine" I told him impolitely to FO, so he suggested phydio which I accepted cos at least I will not have to pay for it which I had been doing so for many months with many different specialist that all said they could sort it but none did, I remember going to a mates wedding and being in severe pain downd a bottle of scotch but in the end had to leave early as was in tears with the pain and could barely walk, well to cut a long story short the NHS physio sorted me in two weeks with some very simple exercises, from my posture and a few simple tests as to how far I could move my limbs she pinpointed the problem and as I say two weeks later I was as I am now, I am not suggesting the same for you as clearly your cancer is responsible for the nerve pressure, but and it is a big but it may be worth a physio looking at you to see if the site of the pressure can be located and if so can anything be done to relieve it, regards Rick

Wow rick, what you say makes sense, it's as if we are at a new starting point. I certainly have been in tears with the pain. I have several specialists looking at different issues, yes the cancer is the cause. It's the breakout issues that need sorting too.

Originally Posted by makeitfit

Following on from Rick' s comment I'd be looking for a chiropractor. I've hurt my back so many times at work and play ( yeah I know , I should have learned by now lol ) . It's always been worth a few Bob for the relief. Recently my son hurt his back taking a head off an engine. He twisted under the bonnet with the head in front of him �� He's a strapping lad and was reduced to tears on his knees almost. I took him to my chiropractor for emergency session. I could see the muscle group all swollen and it was rock hard in spasm. After 20 mins of muscle relaxant work and deep massage
He was a new man. I was 40 pounds lighter too, so win win

I might consider this as well as physio, after consultation with my specialists.
My daughter in law has used a chiropractor in Sutton Coldfield.
I am having difficulty walking in a straight line and I am very wobbly, so I need to work on this, and physio should help.

Originally Posted by Banshee

I'd have just hit the vase and walked it off

Have you considered herbal relief Rustic?

Not tried that yet, although in the deep past I have used St Johns Wart, which is a no no with certain drugs, and I am taking so many different tablets, I'm not even certain if the drugs I am taking are compatible with each other.
I am very tempted to discuss my drugs with my pharmacist, we are on first name terms lol.

Well this afternoon my hospice nurse is coming, I will discuss these isseues with her.
Thank you so much for all your support.
Best regards, Rustic

[makeitfit]

I think Banshee is on about this http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides...-marijuana-faq
Worth a read and anecdotally hits the spot

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by makeitfit

I think Banshee is on about this http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides...-marijuana-faq
Worth a read and anecdotally hits the spot

[jims-terrano]

Hi guys, I’ve had a quick email from Uncle Rustic.

Here I am in hospital, McMillan ward, currently waiting for my wife. Things are not that good, we are changing medication, I have been here nearly two weeks and probably likely to be here for another week or so. My son and family are visiting for Christmas, from Bahrain, and my daughter for just Christmas day and Boxing day, hope to be home for a spell by then.
As the week goes on I will let you know some details as my brain starts to kick back in lol.

If you want to share with tge forum, then please do.
Best regards,
Richard and Roz.

[Blocky10]

Thoughts are with you and yours Rustic. You've battled through some bad times, make sure you do the same again.

[don simon]

Keep fighting the fight.