Anxiety over a recurrence in the future

Mine comes out Tuesday and I can tell you that I've had plenty of anxiety and second guessed myself numerous times and I am not on any sort of hormone treatment. The only solace I find is in trusting that the doctors I spoke to that all recommended the same treatment are experts in the field and know better than me.

There are a lot of experts I see about various things and I put it in their hands. When my personal trainer, who I pay to get both me and my pelvic floor hammered into shape pre-op, tells me to do something I do it and I do it because she knows more than I do in that regard. I won't ask her to fix my plumbing because I have a different expert that I trust for that who I also let do what they feel is best for the situation. This is to say that all the doctors I spoke with told me the same thing, I have to trust in that or go insane believing that there's always something better that I just am not doing.

What you are experience is very normal. Almost all of us have anxiety about our cancer and the treatments we have options for.

The real question is, Have you had any reoccurrence? Has your PSA risen 3 times in a row?

It could be you are cured and will never see any more treatments.

What was your Gleason score And what was your PSA when you decided on having the radiation? The more serious you initial case the more you really have to think about, “will it come back”? Also, what else did they find when they did the biopsy, That can also be a factor in whether you have to to be concerned about anything.

I suffer from anxiety. Everything causes anxious moments. When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer is was overwhelming. I took the option that completely removed it. I was gleason 6 with no elevated PSA. Its been 5 years since removal and all my PSA test are < .01. I am still anxious about it returning. For those of us that suffer its not an easy thing to overcome. I can say time is your best friend. Time tends to lessen the feeling. I try to move on to something else. Focus on exercise, working on kegels, family, just anything else. sorry you joined another club.

Anxiety comes from trying to control what you can't control. Easy to write and hard to act on, I know.

I wasn't born in a refugee camp or war zone, my parents always had enough food in the fridge, I've never been the victim of abuse or serious violence or incarceration, I haven't experienced illnesses like schizophrenia or addiction, and I had access to decent education and employment.

All of that gave me an illusion of being in control of my future through the choices I made, but it was really mostly luck. For me and people like me, prostate cancer is the first time we've felt totally out of control, and it's naturally very frightening.

My path to reduced anxiety was acceptance of where my life really is now, not grasping at false certainty about the future. Your mileage may vary.

Anxious about it returning after 5 years. Relax man. Their are so many other ways to treat it, if it does. My Gleason 9 was upsetting but all the non surgical treatments I received have me down to. < .01 for 25 months now. ADT/ RT worked for me.

Every 3 months, when I get a PSA test, my mind wounders into negative territory. I try to remind myself that we are here to continue enjoying the life we have. Monitoring regularly gives us a boost up in faster recognition and as @ecurb said, we have more options to choose from than ever before. Finally, after my blood test, since it comes back within 24-48 hours, I try and do some fun things that act as a bit of a distraction which many times nudges my mind into positive territory.

Thanks everyone. Your comments have been helpful. I appreciate the support. I will keep all of your suggestions in mind. I have always been a what if, worse case scenario, glass half full guy. Trying hard to work on it. Peace✌️

"I try and do some fun things that act as a bit of a distraction which many times nudges my mind into positive territory."

Yes, that's a good plan. Right after they pull my blood every 3 months, I always go to the Indian café across the street from the hospital lab for a fresh, home-made masala chai (and sometimes a snack as well). I find it rewires my brain a bit, so that I'm looking forward to the treat at least as much as I'm nervous about the test.

It could be a Dairy Queen Blizzard, a beer at a craft brewery, a stroll by the river, or anything you want, as long as there's *some* kind of positive ritual that you always associate with the test.

I too am a somewhat negative thinker….but only because he who fails to plan, plans to fail. When I go on Amazon to make a purchase I first look at the 1 and 2 star reviews; that’s the kind of guy I am - I always look for the worst instead of the best.
My wife calls me Mr Positively Negative.
I am a worrier and instead of making excuses for it or trying to change my ways, I’ve come to accept what I am. So when I feel doom approaching I laugh at myself, tell myself it’s just business as usual and embrace it.
You just cannot fight the way you’re made!

Mr Positively Negative = Realist / Pragmatist.

I'm the same, but maybe not quite as in the negative part of it, just I look at all angles. A lot of my military past helps me in some of this: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance is one I use a lot.