Prostate Cancer (treatment, surgery, cure, time)

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Charley

Thanks for asking. I'm in remission with clean PET/CT scans to show for it.

I do have several after effects from all the various treatments (IV chemo, spinal cord chemo, surgery and radiation). I'm working through a number of issues, some of which are being resolved and some may never be ... but remission is a wonderful place! I'm at the point where the percentage chance of relapse is now less than 50%.

I'm happy with my progress and I celebrate all my fellow survivors who continue to make those long-term statistics look better every day!

(Note: I responded here because the question was asked here, but my cancer was Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and not Prostate Cancer. I mention this only because I don't want anyone confused when they read the various treatments I had.)

Glad you are on the uptick!

I think all cancer treatments have after affects we have to deal with that may be rough, but verses the other option of doing nothing is much worse!

For what it is worth, when I started this thread I didn't know if it was going to have a positive outlook or not, but I wanted at least a place to vent what was happening. I've gotten a lot of emails and IM's in the past few years from people telling me about what they are going through. It is nice to have someone to talk with that has something in common with you to talk about and has an idea of what you are going through.

I tried to be humorous and as informative as possible with what I was going through, it was my hope that it may help others in dealing with the unknown and make it a bit less scarier than it is. There was a lot of good people along my treatment path that I owe my life to, and I thank them!

This isn't just about Prostate Cancer, but being positive about any of them, so glad you posted and are working on the small stuff.

[starlite9]

Well it's been about a year since my last Lupron shot (good for four month version) wore off in about June of last year. So it's been almost a year of getting my Testosterone levels back up, but was told that can take up to two years. After the Radiation treatments and seed implants there seem to be some side effects that will remain.

First issue is my right rib area, seems that my soft tissues took a big hit during the Radiation sessions. The place where the muscle attaches to the bone came loose, like boiling meat and it comes loose from bone I guess, but you can feel it and at times when I lay just right, it is painful, but not as bad as it was when it first happened.

Then in my upper solar plex area a hernia developed just after the radiation treatments were done, to repair that would take some kind on mesh insert and that causes issues as well so will leave it as it is for the time being.

There are other issues as well that will be life long, but for the most part I'm feeling a lot better verses a year ago. I certainly can't argue about the statement "If the cure don't kill you, the disease will".

The best thing I can glean from this is get tested early for any cancer you have have a family history of, in my case my Dad and Uncle (Mom's brother) had prostate cancer and I should have been tested in my early forties instead of some decade and a half later when it was at the last stages before leaving the prostate. Had the cancer been found early, the treatment wouldn't have been so aggressive and hard on my body. But the other option would be pushing up daisies by now, and I'm not a good garden type guy!

For those that find they are with some kind of diagnosis of life threatening issues, besides getting treatments I would suggest keeping a diary as I did. It has a couple of very positive points, one is the dark side, if you don't survive, it will let your family know how you felt and what your dreams are. But more compelling, is when you survive, it let's others know that there is a light at the end of the Tunnel and it isn't the Train!

The hardest thing about this journey is when my doctor gave me my "Clean bill of Health", he passed away in his sleep a few days later while in Seattle visiting his kid.... Life doesn't always seem that fair, but it goes on just the same!

Thank you to those that supported me to this point in life!

Now I get to deal with getting old and all the parts falling off normally! ;0)

[nmnita]

Thanks for posting. Hubby has just started his radiation (well about 10 days ago) He has a long way to go. His liipo Scarcoma, that was in his abdomin is gone for now at least. That is good news. Let's hope his does as well with the prostate. He had no side affects from the first round of radiation except for being a little more tired and the hormone shots seems to affect his muscles a little. He doesn't have the strength he used to have, in his legs. Lipron is one thing he isn't on and it appears he will not be, though many of his friends have had the shots. I think it has to do with hubby's age and life expectacy...

Anyway, good for you and keep us posted.

nitra

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Thanks for posting. Hubby has just started his radiation (well about 10 days ago) He has a long way to go. His liipo Scarcoma, that was in his abdomin is gone for now at least. That is good news. Let's hope his does as well with the prostate. He had no side affects from the first round of radiation except for being a little more tired and the hormone shots seems to affect his muscles a little. He doesn't have the strength he used to have, in his legs. Lipron is one thing he isn't on and it appears he will not be, though many of his friends have had the shots. I think it has to do with hubby's age and life expectacy...

Anyway, good for you and keep us posted.

nitra

I wish you and your husband the best and he has a speedy recovery. He still has dark days ahead but with your support that is a value that is priceless!

As the treatments progress, he will sink lower in energy and will be at times depressed, but just having you there as an Anchor will make a world of differance.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

[CarolinaWoman]

starlite9 ... you certainly have a gifted way with words ... I enjoyed reading your posts and happy to see your doctor gave you a "Clean Bill of Health!"

As a woman that suffers quietly from PSA Anxiety worrying about her husband ... you have had the seeds, radiation and now the Clean Bill of Health ... is your PSA Level 0 (zero?)

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by CarolinaWoman

starlite9 ... you certainly have a gifted way with words ... I enjoyed reading your posts and happy to see your doctor gave you a "Clean Bill of Health!"

As a woman that suffers quietly from PSA Anxiety worrying about her husband ... you have had the seeds, radiation and now the Clean Bill of Health ... is your PSA Level 0 (zero?)

Well as I type this, I'm waiting to see the Doctor, gave blood this morning but won't know the PSA levels till next week.

I (in Theory) should be at zero, since the prostate was pretty much nuked onto oblivion! My last test was nothing as well, but who knows. If your worried about your husband, all it takes most of the time for a positive yes/no test result is the blood test. Much easier than the blood drawn by an IRS Audit!

Should be no anxiety about the tests though, that would come from not getting them. I had no symptoms to tell of no issues, although my Gleason score was very high from the biopsy, the prostate itself wasn't swollen as in most cases, doing the blood test was the red flag that got the ball rolling!

If there is any kind of family history, get your husband treated! That way if it's zero, you can worry about something more important, like December 12 when the world is suppose to end according to the Mayan calendar! If he does have issues, easy to treat in the early stages!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Well as I type this, I'm waiting to see the Doctor, gave blood this morning but won't know the PSA levels till next week.

I (in Theory) should be at zero, since the prostate was pretty much nuked onto oblivion! My last test was nothing as well, but who knows. If your worried about your husband, all it takes most of the time for a positive yes/no test result is the blood test. Much easier than the blood drawn by an IRS Audit!

Should be no anxiety about the tests though, that would come from not getting them. I had no symptoms to tell of no issues, although my Gleason score was very high from the biopsy, the prostate itself wasn't swollen as in most cases, doing the blood test was the red flag that got the ball rolling!

If there is any kind of family history, get your husband treated! That way if it's zero, you can worry about something more important, like December 12 when the world is suppose to end according to the Mayan calendar! If he does have issues, easy to treat in the early stages!

Hubby's PSA was high, same as you, no other real signs anything was wrong. Not even frequent potty trips. The Gleason score was high in some samples, but not others. Now he is almost through with the second week of radiation. The only PSA that has been done since he had his first double hormone shot was 1.6, compared to over 9 a couple months before. They won't do another one until late next month.

Nita

[CarolinaWoman]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Well as I type this, I'm waiting to see the Doctor, gave blood this morning but won't know the PSA levels till next week.

I (in Theory) should be at zero, since the prostate was pretty much nuked onto oblivion! My last test was nothing as well, but who knows. If your worried about your husband, all it takes most of the time for a positive yes/no test result is the blood test. Much easier than the blood drawn by an IRS Audit!

Should be no anxiety about the tests though, that would come from not getting them. I had no symptoms to tell of no issues, although my Gleason score was very high from the biopsy, the prostate itself wasn't swollen as in most cases, doing the blood test was the red flag that got the ball rolling!

If there is any kind of family history, get your husband treated! That way if it's zero, you can worry about something more important, like December 12 when the world is suppose to end according to the Mayan calendar! If he does have issues, easy to treat in the early stages!

Starlite, Hubby opted for a radical prostatectomy in 2008. Since that time he still sees his doctor every three months. After the surgery I just assumed his PSA would be zero. Zap the prostate was gone thus no prostate specific antigen! We are into 4 years since the surgery and his PSA has only been zero the month after his surgery. It has not hit a whole number yet ... last visit 0.11 which was down from 0.13 (I realize this is nanograms.)

Originally Posted by nmnita

Hubby's PSA was high, same as you, no other real signs anything was wrong. Not even frequent potty trips. The Gleason score was high in some samples, but not others. Now he is almost through with the second week of radiation. The only PSA that has been done since he had his first double hormone shot was 1.6, compared to over 9 a couple months before. They won't do another one until late next month.

Nita

Nita, I hope and pray this is the end of cancer for your hubby. Is he finding this radiation different from his last bout with cancer?

My hubby never had frequent potty trips either ... but he ended up unable to urinate and a trip to the ER and on a catheter.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by CarolinaWoman

Starlite, Hubby opted for a radical prostatectomy in 2008. Since that time he still sees his doctor every three months. After the surgery I just assumed his PSA would be zero. Zap the prostate was gone thus no prostate specific antigen! We are into 4 years since the surgery and his PSA has only been zero the month after his surgery. It has not hit a whole number yet ... last visit 0.11 which was down from 0.13 (I realize this is nanograms.)




Nita, I hope and pray this is the end of cancer for your hubby. Is he finding this radiation different from his last bout with cancer?

My hubby never had frequent potty trips either ... but he ended up unable to urinate and a trip to the ER and on a catheter.

Actually hubby did end up in the ER with a similar situation but that was after the biopsy and the ER doctor thought it wa simply do to swelling from the biop. It is a long story, to keep it simple, let's just say we found a Urologist we love, not the case the first time.

So far he is having no radiology problems even though he has been through so much. His oncologist seems to think he will sail through this time because the area being treated is so small and the area before involved his entire abdomin (spelling) kidney's and surrounding tissue. I will keeep everyone posted.

Nita

Everyone have a wonderful and safe 4th and remember who's birthday it is....and why we celebrate..

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Actually hubby did end up in the ER with a similar situation but that was after the biopsy and the ER doctor thought it wa simply do to swelling from the biop. It is a long story, to keep it simple, let's just say we found a Urologist we love, not the case the first time.

So far he is having no radiology problems even though he has been through so much. His oncologist seems to think he will sail through this time because the area being treated is so small and the area before involved his entire abdomin (spelling) kidney's and surrounding tissue. I will keeep everyone posted.

Nita

Everyone have a wonderful and safe 4th and remember who's birthday it is....and why we celebrate..

Well I hope he can heal quickly!

Happy Forth to everyone!