Being There

I make no apologies for bringing up the subject of Prostate Cancer again. Since it is the biggest killer among men, comparable to Breast Cancer in women, the more we are aware of it and how it can be diagnosed and treated the better we will be at looking out for the signs and getting treatment earlier.

I applaud the way that it is being brought out in the open now after so many years of hearing about it but not knowing what to look for or knowing if there is a chance of survival if you got it.

In an article in the Daily Mail recently a well known male singer talked about the way he had to deal with it and after his operative surgery, how he is now getting on with life again.

The signs are slightly varied in some cases but one of these is difficulty in urinating. Wanting to go to the toilet but not being able to empty the bladder fully and hence wanting to go again after a very short time. Going to the toilet can be uncomfortable and even between visits there can be discomfort..

If this is apparent in your circumstances, it is imperative that you go to your doctor immediately and he will refer you for blood tests. If these results confirm that the PSA levels are raised there may be a chance that you could have Prostate Cancer and then you will be referred for a biopsy. If this proves to be positive you will require surgery and recovery will depend upon the stage at which the cancer is and whether it is contained within the gland.

Treatment options are; Cryosurgery, where the cancer is frozen; Radiotherapy, this is using radiation x-rays; Brachytherapy; using radioactive seeds implanted in the prostate.

There are also two surgical techniques that completely remove the prostate gland, one being traditional surgery or open surgery where an incision is made into the abdomen and then there is a new keyhole surgery where 4, 1cm incisions are made in the abdomen and a camera is introduced through one of these incisions relaying pictures to a monitor that magnifies the images about 200 times. The gland is removed by instruments introduced through the other holes and is placed in a polythene bag whilst still in the abdomen and prior to it being extracted through one of the holes.

The latter of these treatments seems to be the way forward but urologists trained in this method are in short supply at this moment. Advantages are; less chance of infection, patients recover in third of the time compared to open surgery. There is less bleeding, less chance of being incontinent or impotent.

After the operation and when they come to, most patients have an ache similar to having done too many sit-ups. Most patients can drink after 6 hours and eat after 12 hours. They are mostly walking next day and erections return after the nerves have recovered although they are sterile, this is because the prostrate plays such a vital role in the production of semen. After 1 month most patients are back to normal compared with 3 months for open surgery.

After surgery patients will have to have PSA tests every two/three months for a year and then yearly for 5 years.

If you require any further information you can go to www.prostatecancercentre.co.uk or for support for those having had prostate cancer. www.prostate-project.org.uk

Cancer is one of the major killers in today’s society. It is not the feared condition that it used to be and big strides have been made in the treatment and cure of the disease. Cancer has no respect for age or gender nor is it aware of class or lifestyle. In the treatment of today much effort is given in educating people about the attitude of positivity and there is a growing belief that this is a great support for any treatment.

It is becoming widely believed that positive thought is a great help in avoiding as well as treating many forms of illness.

It is an interesting to think that we are able to control the quality of our lives by the way that we conduct our thoughts, we know that there are many things that we can or cannot do because of the way we think. If we convince ourselves that we cannot do something it is expected that we will not do it, on the other hand if we are confident and believe that we are capable of doing something we will most probably succeed.

Healthy thinking as well as healthy living and avoiding stress can contribute to a good approach to Senior citizenship.

Exercise of the mind is as important as that exercise of the body and in healthy proportions both contribute to a life of energy and interest.

Stress, whether it is real or imaginary, is one of today’s biggest problems and is known to be a killer if not checked. All forms of relaxation are essential if we are likely to live through a time of stress and at this time one of the benefits comes from activities like yoga and meditation. This is the time that imagination becomes a key point. Imagination can work for us or against us and with the disciplines that accompany most relaxation activities, we take charge of the mind and direct it in the way that we know it will work for us. Visualisation is essential for this and the better we can visualise the results that we want the better they will manifest. Care should be taken to ensure that we only visualise what we want and not what we don’t want.

No amount of thinking can stop the years rolling by but, with the right kind of thinking, we can motor through it with as little stress as possible.

Of course, not even stress need be a burdena. Stress in control can be utilised for achievement and gain.

The following is an excerpt from the Daily Mail under the title” A Tale of Two Cancers”

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