Robert
Crew and Fiona live in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. He was 53 when he was diagnosed
on June 30, 2009. His initial PSA was 4.7 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 7 and although
he says he was staged T2, it seems from his narrative that he would have been
staged T1c. His choice of treatment was EBRT (External Beam Radiation Therapy)
with neo-adjuvant ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy). Here is his story.
Hi
My
name is Rob I live in Derbyshire, I was recently diagnosed and it felt really
strange because at first it was surreal and as if it was happening to some one
else.
I had been having a few problems with my waterworks none of which
were classic symptoms. In fact I had put it down to the fact that I had eased
off drinking my favourite tipple (Jack Daniel's) and had started drinking beer
again. My bugbear was that I had an urgency to go when required and I thought
that it was the increased volume of intake that was the problem.
My wife
Fiona is a qualified nurse and basically bullied me to go and see my doctor. She
did all the usual tests and took blood tests. The results showed a slightly raised
PSA level of 4.5 which she was not unduly worried about and re-scheduled a further
blood test in 3 months.
The results of that test were slightly higher at
4.7, she carried out a DRE. and could find nothing untoward. She gave me the option
of waiting for another blood test or a referral, I chose the referral, I went
into the Urology Dept and was examined and the nurse straight away said there
was a problem and I would need a biopsy. The biopsy was done almost immediately
(not the most pleasant procedure) and I was told to return in seven days for my
results.
The problem being it as our second wedding anniversary week and
we had planned to go away. We still went and cut short our holiday, travelling
back on the morning of my appointment. I was summoned into the office and I went
in alone leaving Fiona in the waiting room, I was asked if I was alone and when
I told them about Fiona they summoned her in also. As soon as she walked in I
could see on her face she knew what they were going to tell me. As I said before
it was as if it was not me and I just took it matter of fact. Fiona on the other
hand was devastated.
I carried on working, have been totally open, and
thought I was handling it well. Told my boss at work "I would keep going till
I fell over"; on Friday 4th October, 2009 I fell over. I started Hormone Therapy
early August and have experienced tiredness, but also am suffering from insomnia,
my head will just not switch off at the moment.
So I took the conscious decision
to take some time off and be with my wife. It was either that or do something
at work that would have seen me fired or fall asleep on the motorway driving home.
My
Radiotherapy starts on 3rd Dec am looking forward to finishing the Hormone Therapy
and my head getting back to normal.
Please wish us luck as we do to all
out there who are on the same path.....
Regards
Rob and Fiona
Later:
Hi
Things
have started to move on now went for my Planning Scan on Friday 20th November
2009 and had the tattoos. Have my Verification on the 3rd December 2009 and start
treatment on 7th December 2009 through till 29th of Jan 2010.
Mentally
feeling a bit more lifted as Fiona and myself have started attending the Cancer
Support Centre near my Oncology Hospital. I have enrolled on the Positive About
Life course, and Fiona has enrolled in the Carers course. We are both benefiting
from this and wish we could have discovered it earlier, we had paid privately
for counselling before this. The price for not being online while our service
providers were changed.
Last
Hormone Implant on Wed 25th Nov thank god, slept through for 8 hours last night
without aid of drugs or drink, think my fatigue caught up with me at last. A
Happy
Christmas and a Good New Year to all my fellow Journeymen.
Best
regards Rob and Fiona.
Rob's e-mail address is: robertcrew@sky.com
and he asks anyone who has any advice for Fiona on coping with this to please
e-mail her on fionacrew@sky.com
