Prostate Cancer - Biggest Killer of Men in Ireland

[Hardy]

Best of luck to your da. Prostate cancer is very curable once caught. Take the doctor's optimism as a positive. He'd hardly say that lightly.

As he put it " all that crap cos I was too afraid to let my doctor put his finger up me hole!"

You don't even have to have that these days. A simple blood test (PSA) does the trick.

[Galwaybhoy]

Best of luck to your da Sligonian and for your wifes uncle too Tony.  I pray that both make a full recovery.

[5 Sams]

Maybe this deserves a sepearate thread but I would urge anyone who has blood coming out of their hole when going for a dump to get it checked out. (Excuse the vernacular)

I had a bit of a scare recently, went and saw about it and touch wood its nothing worse than a bad case of Johnny Giles.....but bite the bullet and get it checked and the tests will tell you if its something serious or not. The grapes won't kill you but the alternative isnt worth thinking about.


Now where's that soft cushion and cream

[Tony Baloney]

Maybe this deserves a sepearate thread but I would urge anyone who has blood coming out of their hole when going for a dump to get it checked out. (Excuse the vernacular)

I had a bit of a scare recently, went and saw about it and touch wood its nothing worse than a bad case of Johnny Giles.....but bite the bullet and get it checked and the tests will tell you if its something serious or not. The grapes won't kill you but the alternative isnt worth thinking about.


Now where's that soft cushion and cream

Very eloquent description there 5 Sams. You're of an age now were getting your hole probed is par for the course. Don't ruin it for us young 'uns.

Having said that I agree with you entirely as I come from a family with a history of bowel cancer and I regularly give the mersey trout an examination. It's a pretty common cancer in Ireland due our less than healthy diet.

[5 Sams]

Maybe this deserves a sepearate thread but I would urge anyone who has blood coming out of their hole when going for a dump to get it checked out. (Excuse the vernacular)

I had a bit of a scare recently, went and saw about it and touch wood its nothing worse than a bad case of Johnny Giles.....but bite the bullet and get it checked and the tests will tell you if its something serious or not. The grapes won't kill you but the alternative isnt worth thinking about.


Now where's that soft cushion and cream

Very eloquent description there 5 Sams. You're of an age now were getting your hole probed is par for the course. Don't ruin it for us young 'uns.

Having said that I agree with you entirely as I come from a family with a history of bowel cancer and I regularly give the mersey trout an examination. It's a pretty common cancer in Ireland due our less than healthy diet.

When stuff starts going wrong down there Tony you don't be long losing your inhibitions...nothing to be ashamed of...especially if it might save your fckin life.

[tbrick18]

Sorry to hear about your Da, from experience I know initial shock is devastating.
A year does seem ridiculous to get results....I wouldnt stand for that myself.
This type of cancer though is touted as being the best one to get (maybe not the best way of putting it) but it is the most curable form. My Da was diagnosed on his 50th birthday and after steriod treatment and radiotherapy has been all clear for about 6 years now. He still gets regular check on the PSA level in the blood which can go up and down but as its monitored regularly it means an future treatment required should be given at the earliest possible opportunity.

Another thing to remember is that it is a very slow progressing illness. My Da was just sent for a random routine check as he displayed no symptoms...and he was told when diagnosed that he might not have had symptoms for another 10 years. So I know it's now comfort, but in the year it took to get test results there should have been very little progression of the disease (well at least that's my laymans understanding anyway).

Hope it all works out.

[mylestheslasher]

Sligonian - I hope that you auld man makes a full recovery. That 12 months for Biopsy results is a disgrace, I presume it is not a misprint. I would bring that to the attention of the media of I were you. I have an uncle in England who went for a scan there due to stomach pains and got the all clear, 4 months later a massive tumour in his intestine explodes almost killing him. He was in a coma for 2 weeks and now needs an ostomy bag. We hope the cancer had not spread as he is too weak for chemo. I must say the care he got after the operation was 2nd to none but surely prevention is where the focus needs to be put. We too are hoping for good news in the coming months. S

[SLIGONIAN]

Ya thanks lads, hope all the other posters that have family affected have a speedy recovery. Feeling more positive this week after the initial shock but i guess living on your own a couple a thousand miles doesnt help.

I need to clarify what exactly happened regards time, im thinking alot clearer and just got it explained again to me, sorry if i made mistake above but its not far off the truth anyway, my Dad since his Heart attack gets his bloods checked for all these type of things at 3 month intervals, about 12 months ago his bloods showed something wrong with regards to prostate. From that point an appointment was made and he had to wait 10 months to get Biopsy in Sligo General and a further 2 months for the results of that biopsy which we got last week with bad news. So getting the Biopsy appointment is where the questions will be asked because I dont think thats acceptable to have wait 10 months from making an appointment to getting one. Am I right there?

Anyway he has appointment this Wednesday and I'll let ye know the score, again thanks for messages of support and as posters have said if in doubt get yourself checked, you get blood tests first anyhow, nothing too scary in that.

[ludermor]

Hope he makes a full and swift recovery.

[saffron sam2]

My father has been clear of it for a few years now after a bout of radiotherapy. Certainly one of the most treatable ones, my da was told that at his age he was more likely to die with it than from it.

Also one of the most hereditary cancers. It's good to have the warning.

Hope everything works out for you.

[magpie seanie]

Only spotted this thread now. Sligonian - you and your Da and family have my thoughts and prayers. As many have said there is reason to be positive and positivity shouldn't be underestimated. I'm sure if your Da is anything like you he's optimisitic and thats a good help.

Our Health System in the ROI is completely broken. The health minister is actively dismantling it to create her vision for how health should be dealt with. You will have two systems - a private, expensive, good one for those who can afford it and a public, slow, inefficient and soon to be poorly funded one for the rest. This is not happening because she is clueless - this is by design.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Only spotted this thread now. Sligonian - you and your Da and family have my thoughts and prayers. As many have said there is reason to be positive and positivity shouldn't be underestimated. I'm sure if your Da is anything like you he's optimisitic and thats a good help.

Our Health System in the ROI is completely broken. The health minister is actively dismantling it to create her vision for how health should be dealt with. You will have two systems - a private, expensive, good one for those who can afford it and a public, slow, inefficient and soon to be poorly funded one for the rest. This is not happening because she is clueless - this is by design.

She is not one bit clueless. She is a real visionary. It's only a pity it is an awful, awful vision. Sligonian I'm only after stumbling on this thread. I hope your father comes through this and threads like this are very good because they open a few eyes and might help a few catch it in plenty of time.

[magpie seanie]

Yeah, that's what I meant R&GSniper.

[RedandGreenSniper]

I know, I was agreeing with you! But it didn't read that way. My bad

[johnpower]

Ya thanks lads, hope all the other posters that have family affected have a speedy recovery. Feeling more positive this week after the initial shock but i guess living on your own a couple a thousand miles doesnt help.

I need to clarify what exactly happened regards time, im thinking alot clearer and just got it explained again to me, sorry if i made mistake above but its not far off the truth anyway, my Dad since his Heart attack gets his bloods checked for all these type of things at 3 month intervals, about 12 months ago his bloods showed something wrong with regards to prostate. From that point an appointment was made and he had to wait 10 months to get Biopsy in Sligo General and a further 2 months for the results of that biopsy which we got last week with bad news. So getting the Biopsy appointment is where the questions will be asked because I dont think thats acceptable to have wait 10 months from making an appointment to getting one. Am I right there?

Anyway he has appointment this Wednesday and I'll let ye know the score, again thanks for messages of support and as posters have said if in doubt get yourself checked, you get blood tests first anyhow, nothing too scary in that.

Best of luck ,it is indeed a terriblle system .Two Tier with such a gap between the top and the bottom . Private health care will soon become one of the biggest outgoings of most people if this trend continues . I hope your Dad gets good news