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It's been a funny* few months. After chatting to a friend in August who had a bit of a scare regarding his prostate I booked in to have a PSA blood test. That led to an MRI which led to a transperineal biopsy (which is as fun as it sounds) which led to a diagnosis of prostate cancer ("intermediate risk, contained and treatable") earlier this month. We're meeting with the consultant his week to discuss what next. It looks like surgery but may possibly be one of the radiotherapy options. Not sure until we find out exactly what's going on in the old prostate.
I guess that there maybe a few here who have had to deal with this situation. I know out of all the things that I could be worrying about, being concerned about when I might be able to ride my bike again should be down the list. But I've been doing it for nearly 40 years and it does me good physically and mentally, so an enforced layoff will be difficult.
What's the STW experience of getting back up to speed after prostate cancer? A friend who had prostate surgery recently says he was was told no manual work for 12 weeks, and I imagine sitting on a bike saddle may be longer again. Time to trade in my steel hardtail for a full suss eeb?
We've been doing our best to stay positive, and talking to friends who have gone through similar situations has given us an idea of what's ahead. Just interested to get the cyclist's view I guess!
*funny peculiar, not funny ha ha.
Extremely interested in this. I am in the same situation, albeit with a longer lead time as I was on "active surveillance" for a few years with low grade, low risk cancer which has only recently progressed to the point it needs to be treated. Thankfully detected by the surveillance.
I've opted for surgery, which should be in the next few weeks although I don't actually have a date yet. I know a few people who have had the surgery and most have recovered fairly quickly and got back to being active within a couple of months. One was back on his bike within 2 weeks (as soon as the catheter came out), but he admits that was way too soon and it set back his recovery. I think the issue is, externally you are left with very small wounds (especially if you have robotic assisted surgery) which can lead you to think you are on the mend very soon. The reality is, internally you have had some major surgery and an organ removed, so you need to allow a good amount of time to heal.
I plan to stick to daily walks of increasing distance and pace, as soon as I'm able for at least 6 weeks to a couple of months. Then some gentle rides if all goes well.
The very best of luck whatever you decide, it's a scary time and an emotional rollercoaster but the prognosis post surgery/radiation treatment is very good. My low point was waiting for a couple of weeks for a bone scan result to check it hadn't spread outside my prostate. Thankfully negative, but it was an extremely anxious wait. Now I just want the unwelcome visitor gone ASAP!
Happy to chat if you want.
Also.... if you fancy doing a charity ride of some sort next year after we have both recovered from surgery, I'd be up for that! 👍
It would be great to have a focus post op to motivate me to get fit again. I'm sure we could tap the STWerati up for a few quid towards Prostate Cancer UK.
Stay positive fella and again, the very best of luck!
Glad to hear that it's been monitored and caught!
My consultant seems to be a speedy operator. I had the bone scan last Thursday afternoon, then got a call from his secretary first thing Friday asking if (1) I'd decided on surgery and (2) if so, could I come in on Wednesday for it? I haven't even spoken to him about the biopsy results yet, so I declined. Long story short, I'm seeing him on Thursday, and if surgery is what we decide on then I'm provisionally booked in for the 7th of November.
I very much intend to follow the recovery guidelines, as much as I love riding getting back on the bike after two weeks seems "optimistic" at best. I'm self-employed so being able to safely get back to work (in some capacity) will need to take priority. I don't want to set my recovery back doing something superfluous! We live in a rural part of Herefordshire, so walks up and down the lane of increasing distance will be on the agenda as soon as I'm able.
As I mentioned in my original post we have a friend who recently went through prostate surgery. In the last couple of weeks he's had results of the post-mortem(?) they do on the prostate and it should that the cancer hadn't spread, and his PSA is next to zero now. He is dealing with some of the longer term side effects of the surgery, but he reports that they are lessening over time too. That was encouraging to hear!
Like the idea of a fundraiser, and a chat too. Let me report back after my consultant chat on Thursday.
Having been through a scare last year (it came to nothing but need to watch), but now having been off the bike for almost 2 months with a broken thumb I would definitely be up for a charity ride next year as a way to show support and help with regaining fitness. WRT to the OPs question I can't offer any insight sorry, but wish you and BUTR all the best over the coming weeks. Speedy recoveries and hope to see you both on the bikes next year.
@welshfarmer thanks, much appreciated. Sorry to hear of your scare but pleased it was only that. Stay vigilant though, and hope the thumb heals ASAP! 👍 I don't want to fully commit to a charity ride just yet, until I'm over the surgery and have a better idea of how long it will take to recover from the op and return to fitness. It's very much my aspiration though. I'll post on here when I have a firmer idea of what/when.
@iainc is one of the chaps who has had surgery for prostatectomy. I've had a TURP and that was 6 weeks of rest to avoid tearing the plumbing scars open. You'll probably need to be certain your pelvic floor has enough strength to avoid any bladder leakage first. There's an app for that too! (Search Squeazy on your phone app store of choice).
Hey, good you have posted up. Everyone has different experiences and my surgery was almost 11 years ago, I understand now it can be more gentle with regards to recovery and side effects.
I was one of the lucky ones in that what was initially diagnosed as not overly aggressive, but then found at biopsy to be rather nasty, was fully contained and I remain cancer free, with PSA tests still every 6 months.
Bike wise, I swopped saddles to ISM ones on all bikes a few weeks before the prostatectomy, which was keyhole but not robotic. I tried back on the road bike after I think 9 weeks and it was painful, by 12 weeks it was fine and I was back to MTB about then too.
i was diagnosed at same age as Sir Chris Hoy was, and along with a few others I found on here, who remain good pals, we had a bit of an awareness campaign around it too :
https://singletrackmag.com/2016/04/prost-8-riders-aim-high-for-prostate-cancer-uk/
please feel free to drop me a message at any time and I’d be more than happy to chat any or all of it through.
I had radical prostatectomy in 2018. Like you, I wanted to get back on the mtb as soon as possible before surgery, but felt pretty bashed up by the whole thing and started with the road bike first after about three months. I started riding on the mtb at around six months.
I've since spoken to a couple of people who've had surgery and they said that they felt that their recovery was faster.
Good luck with whatever path you take.
Thanks all for sharing your experiences and insight. It is worrying, although I'm hoping that it has been caught in time. I think the thing playing on my mind the most is the recovery side of it (and the side effects of surgery in that neck of the woods). Getting back on the bike is a goal that will hopefully help me be disciplined in sticking to the necessary recovery pathway.
Talking to the consultant on Thursday so will know more about my prognosis then...
Quick update: Spoke to the consultant this morning and (thanks to a cancellation!) I'm in for surgery next Friday (31/10).
Back to the hospital this afternoon for pre-op and assorted clinics. Got a busy week ahead it seems.
Relevant to STW he says no cycling for at least six weeks 🙁 but people are dealing with waaaaaay worse so no biggie.
Wishing you all the very best for as smooth a process as possible, a good outcome and swift recovery. I've got my date now but a couple of weeks later than initially told. It's now the 25th of November. I have a weird mix of impatience to get it done, but also anxiety about the recovery, side effects and efficacy. But as you say, people have to deal with far worse!
Duplicate post.
Good luck all. A friend has recently had the robotic surgery. Still somewhat tender - doesn't do sport though, but had been off work a few weeks.
Unbelievably I'm coming up on 20 years since my treatment. Mine was quite a nasty Gleason 8 and through the capsule, so locally invasive.
Old style, pre robotic or keyhole surgery and 6 weeks of radiotherapy, then drugs for 5 years. Things have progressed a lot since then with the treatment options available.
I was back on the turbo after 6 weeks, possibly a bit early, but like you I was impatient to get back going. It was about 8 weeks until I was on the proper bike, but gently to begin with.
Now I'm probably as fit as I've ever been, just older, thankfully 😊
Good luck with it all.
What's the STW experience of getting back up to speed after prostate cancer? A friend who had prostate surgery recently says he was was told no manual work for 12 weeks, and I imagine sitting on a bike saddle may be longer again. Time to trade in my steel hardtail for a full suss eeb?
Bowel Cancer surgery in my case rather than prostate, but all of an inch away... And for what it's worth my Dad is just going through the outfall of Chemo and Radiotherapy for Prostate cancer now too...
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but DO NOT put a time frame on your recovery... It takes as long as it takes! I had 4 surgeries over an 18 month period, and couldn't sit on a bicycle saddle for almost 2 full years all told... My Dad can't imagine sitting on a bike saddle right now, but he's been told things will settle down within a few months and that he should be able to consider trying to ride a bike again next summer all being well.
DO NOT PUSH IT!!! I can't stress this enough... Your body will let you know when it's ready to ride again... Listen to it!
Now is the perfect time for you to revisit some other old hobbies and interests, or make new ones... I bought a little Mazda MX-5 which kept me sane through the worst parts of not being able to sit on a bike (keen motorcyclist too, couldn't even sit on one of those for some time either!). I got back into Cricket somewhat too, though only played a couple of times, I did spend a lot more time watching it again.
I hope your experience is a lot swifter than mine was of operations in that area, but honestly, it's not worth taking the risk of pushing yourself to get back in the saddle too soon... Worse than the physical trauma it might cause, the mental trauma that people put on themselves for expecting to be able to do something again much sooner than is realistic, or to the same level etc... Can be REALLY debilitating...
Oh yeah, and if you haven't got one already... Start window shopping eBikes for when you are ready to get back in the saddle again...
We live in a rural part of Herefordshire, so walks up and down the lane of increasing distance will be on the agenda as soon as I'm able.
That's a good thing for sure... Rural walks will help loads...
Where in Herefordshire? I'm not far away in Worcester (Hereford side too, just off the A44) if you needed a chat, any support etc...
I was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer (Gleason score 6) earlier this year - this is the lowest grade. Whilst I was offered both surgery or radiotherapy, I’ve chosen not to as it’s no immediate risk and there are other procedures available that are not as invasive/as severe side effects. Talking with my specialist last week, it is not unknown for prostate cancer to reduce in severity or even to disappear through natural processes. I have radically changed my diet, cutting out processed and sugary food and focussed on more natural foods. As well as losing a chunk of weight my PSA has dropped 30% in 6 months. I’ll get another MRI in a few months to see where I am.
Whilst this probably doesn’t answer the OP’s question, it was much as information to others. I was under surveillance due to a diagnosis of BPH (enlarged prostate) which meant I got regular PSA tests and MRI. Early diagnosis means there’s more scope/time to look at options rather than jumping to more radical procedures. Whilst not under-estimating the severity of some cancers, a significant proportion of prostate cancers are relatively benign and won’t kill you.
That was me. Grade group 1, Gleason 6. Described as "Contained, low volume, low risk". I also opted not to be treated and was on active surveillance for 3 years. I also lost weight, improved diet and kept fit. Despite this, my PSA gradually rose and an MRI and biopsy over recent weeks showed it has changed to Grade 3. I now HAVE to have treatment. I admire your optimism and I really hope it pans out as you hope, but low grade cancers don't always stay that way. Stay vigilant and I hope yours remains benign.
Mine was a Gleason 7 and the surgeon was moderately relaxed about it. Thankfully it was out within 2 weeks and the biopsy showed it to have been a rather aggressive little beggar, with the consensus that it was removed ‘just in time’.
11 years next month since surgery 🤞
I made a few, now very good, friends when I posted up looking for help and advice back then.
Here’s me and crewlie chewing the fat at Aberfoyle yesterday 🤪
I had a radical prostatectomy in 2021 after around 3 years of active surveillance - as mentioned above apart from having a catheter for a couple of weeks the only visible evidence is about 5 very small scars, but this hides the fact that your insides have been all messed up particularly around your abdomen including your bladder. So any exercise you do too soon could impact on any internal stitches and wounds healing, and also lead to urinary incontinence. I got back into 'fitness' by walking up and down the swimming pool at my local gym and it took me several days to even contemplate gently swimming one or two lengths as any stretching was quite sore. Remember to do the lower abdominal muscle exercises to help avoid urinary incontinence.
It's a big operation so let your body heal properly and build back up the exercising and cycling slowly.
Again, thanks to everyone who has commented on their experiences. It is really useful to get the insights of multiple people, and encouraging to hear that the treatments have been successful.
To add a little more context to my brief message on Thursday: my Gleason was 7 (4+3) and the cancer is described as T2c, so I wonder if that's why the consultant is keen to move things along. The bone scan showed no spread (although it really highlighted my shonky right knee!) which was a relief. The team in Hereford hospital have been excellent, can't praise them highly enough.
I've been told no driving or lifting for six weeks, consultation after eight, and no heavy manual work for up to twelve. It's going to make things a bit tight as I'm self-employed and our savings are going to take a beating but I'm fully intending to follow the medical advice. I'm stockpiling books, the latest ST mag has been put to one side and who knows, I might get another r/c Tamiya to build (I'm leaning towards the 911 RSR on the TT-02 chassis if anyone has any experience of that!)
Thanks again for all the input, and if anyone is wondering about getting a PSA test then I say definitely get one done. Also, if you're starting out on the diagnosis journey I'm happy to share my experience so far if that would help.