Not the news I was hoping for

[Golfmmad]

Following the recent thread about age and fitness I thought I would post this.

On Wednesday 6th October I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. To say I was devastated,shocked and in disbelief is an understatement. News such as this immediately gives you a completely different outlook on life.

But there are positives - it's Early Stage Prostate Cancer and localised. Which means it's confined in the Prostate and hasn't travelled around my body. Also I've caught it early and this is key in all cancers for the best chance of a cure.

I expect some might say, why put it up on a public forum, well, I'm not frightened of it and for me cancer isn't the taboo subject it once was. Having been touched by it over the last 17 years with three loved ones. So I know about the treatment and procedures etc, but in no way do I claim to be an expert.

The other reason for posting this is I'd like to think it may raise awareness and encourage anybody to have a simple blood test to check for PSA levels. What better place than here on a male dominated Forum, (no offense ladies). I do realise that those in their forties and younger probably never give things like this a second thought, and rightly so, enjoy life! All I would say though is, perhaps after reading this, just pop it in the back of your memory somewhere to call upon in future years, if needed. I really do hope you wont need to.

I'm having open surgery on 15th December and recovery will be between 6-12 weeks, so lots of reading and Sky Sports - mostly golf!

I'm aiming to be back and ready for the forum meet in Kent,so hopefully there will be a good turn out and look forward to catching up and meeting you guys then.

Golfmmad.

 

[brendy]

Positivity is certainly the key matey, early detection is fantastic too. Dont know what else I can say, best of luck though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sorry to hear that mate. I hope it all goes to plan. I do a lot of work with the nurses at Berkshire Cancer Centre and they all say the same thing about catching it early giving you the greatest chance. As you know my mum is suffering with stomach cancer (and secondary ling cancer) and has been told she'll never be in remission but we are hoping the chemo will at least give her some more time and ease the symptoms.

Keep up with all the goings on on here and I hope you are back swinging early in 2011

 

[RichardC]

Best of luck, and wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[rickg]

All the best Golfmmad. Hope everything goes OK.

 

[SwingSlow]

Best of luck with the treatment. They can do a lot these days.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I'm very sorry to hear your news but I wish you all the very best!!!

Early detection is the key, my friend, and in way of recompense, I promise not to put you out with Smiffy, JustOne or Leftie in April.....

 

[Screwback]

All the best mate, hope it goes well for you.

 

[Snelly]

Good luck and you have a great attitude to this already. Stay positive!

 

[Whereditgo]

Terrible news however I am very impressed with the positive attitude of your post.

Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Tommo21]

Chris, If it’s any help my mate has/had it and he’s now back playing no bother and that was after open surgery. I’m with you, I had the same scare myself but I'm lucky enough it’s benign and no real issue.

Guys, if you think something's not right or is slowly changing from the norm then don’t hesitate to go see about it.

 

[JT77]

Good luck mate I hope everything goes well for you, your attitude is fantastic and that's what you need. Get well soon, you think you can take your putter with you to practice the short ones in hospital?

 

[fundy]

All the best golfmmad, hope the treatment goes well

 

[Region3]

Echo everyone else's comments. Sad news but catching it early and a great attitude can hopefully help you in the long run.

All the very best from me.

 

[Ethan]

Nobody wants cancer, but if you have to have it, local prostate cancer with no spread is a pretty good one, and you have every chance of doing very well. PSA testing has a role in screening, but it is sometimes complicated to interpret properly and it will mistakenly identify more people without any cancer than people who have it. That is one reason why it is not part of a national screening programme. In technical terms, the sensitivity and specificity of the test are poor.

Since we are sharing health stories, in August, I developed heart failure, and it turned out that it was due to cardiomyopathy. In short, my ticker is broken, probably due to a viral infection, and although it might improve a bit with treatment, it will never return to normal. I reckon Golfmmad will outlast me.

 

[Golfmmad]

Guys,

Many thanks for all your best wishes, it means such a lot.

Dave, (Auburn), thanks for that, I can rest easy now, and there'll be no wee jokes!

JT, I nearly spat my coffee out, about the putter!

Golfmmad.

 

[Leftie]

Chris.

Very sorry to hear the news mate but very glad it's been caught in the early stages and that, combined with your positive attitude, means that you will be fine - if not a little uncomfortable for a while

Good luck mate and looking forward to playing (golf !!) with you in the spring

I would re-iterate some of the comments on this.....

If you notice any subtle changes - don't ignore them and don't be fobbed off by the doctor.

A couple of months ago my doctor wanted me to go for a standard blood test as I had never had one. Because both my father and grandfather have had prostrate problems (fortunately benign) I had a little worry at the back of my mind so asked if it included a PSA test and she said no, why would I want one of them. I patiently explained that I was of a certain age and had "disturbed" nights (just for effect you understand). Still a no so I had to play my family history card. Reluctantly, she eventually agreed. (Never suggested a rubber glove job though )

What is it with these newly qualified doctors? I thought that prevention was better and cheaper than a cure.

And yes, I do know that the PSA test isn't the be all and end all of tests, but it does give some reassurance and a base reading to work from in the future.

 

[Ethan]

A couple of months ago my doctor wanted me to go for a standard blood test as I had never had one. Because both my father and grandfather have had prostrate problems (fortunately benign) I had a little worry at the back of my mind so asked if it included a PSA test and she said no, why would I want one of them. I patiently explained that I was of a certain age and had "disturbed" nights (just for effect you understand). Still a no so I had to play my family history card. Reluctantly, she eventually agreed. (Never suggested a rubber glove job though )

What is it with these newly qualified doctors? I thought that prevention was better and cheaper than a cure.

Your doctor was correct and was simply following current best practice, for the reasons I mentioned above. The blood test is not very reliable and may result in unnecessary and risky investigations, or may miss genuine disease. PSA plus rubber glove is better, but still not terribly reliable.

'Prevention is better than cure' is fine, but only if prevention is reliably supported by an accurate screening test.

 

[JustOne]

I'm sure you've got a lot of stuff going through your mind at the moment Chris so I don't want to complicate things but couldn't help wondering if you've ever thought about moving the ball back in your stance a little?

I'll pencil you in for a par!

James.

 

[Golfmmad]

With what you say about PSA screening confirms what I've read about it - it's not a definitive test. My level was 3.74 and my Doctor thought it a little high so sent me for a biopsy.
Which contradicts what I read on the internet that for a man of my age (60) a level of 4 to 4.5 is ok. The Consultant said that they prefer 3-3.5. So good job my Doctor was on the ball.

Best wishes in your treatment Ethan - a good walk on the golf course must be good for you.

Golfmmad.