Less than 0.1.
A deep sigh of relief. A new lease on life.
With that, as promised, I'm putting this blog to bed. Unless there is really big news in the area of salvage radiation, I don't plan on posting or updating. There is a news feed at the bottom of the page that's automatically populated by news from Google, but I won't be manually adding anything.
And if I hit the mark again on my next PSA, I will probably delete the blog, so that I'm not promulgating obsolete information.
In case you're wondering, YES, we will be celebrating. Magic Kingdom, here we come!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
the background picture
The background picture behind the blog title is a shot of the Milky Way I took out in the desert. One of my hobbies is amateur astronomy. I put my old 35mm film camera on a tracking tripod for 3 or 4 minutes.
biography of a prostate
Here's my history, mainly focusing on the time up until salvage radiation began. I was only 38 when we found I had a PSA that was out of range. My uro tried an antibiotic (Cipro) and high dose Motrin with some success. We then tried Avodart in an effort to prevent cancer (chemoprevention) without luck. I had 3 biopsies over the years, and a few urine analyses here and there (urinalysis never found anything).
Age 38
8 Dec 2000
bothered by frequent urination, went to primary care phys.
PSA 4.5
PCP said prostate was boggy
referred to Urologist
Biopsy Ordered
Jan 2001
Biopsy: negative for cancer, findings consistent with prostatitis
Start hytrin for blood pressure control; drug also provides some BPH relief
Age 39
16 Jul 2001
PSA 4.1
20 March 2002
PSA 6.1
START Cipro 500mg daily for 3 wks, Motrin 800 mg daily
Age 40
30 May 2002
PSA 5.7
Free PSA 11.9%
CONTINUE Motrin
Urologist believes probably prostatitis
30 Sep 2002
PSA 7.3
Free PSA 11.3%
START Avodart
STOP Motrin
ORDER Biopsy
November 2002
BIOPSY: negative for cancer, but PIN III found
31 Jan 2003
PSA 2.2
STOP Avodart
Age 41
03 Sep 2003
PSA 4.9
Restart Avodart
Urologist thinks PSA is elevated from BPH
23 Jan 2004
PSA 2.2
Continue Avodart
Age 42
24 July 2004
PSA 2.5
Continue Avodart
26 Jan 2005
PSA 3.3
Continue Avodart
29 Apr 2005
PSA 2.9
Continue Avodart
Age 43
11 Jan 2006
PSA 4.8 (on Avodart)
Abnormal DRE
Biopsy ordered
7 Feb 2006
Biopsy finds cancer
PIN also found
No perineural invasion
Gleason 3+4
20% on right
5% on left
24 Feb 2006
Pre surgical CT scan of pelvis and abdomen, and whole body bone scan. No mets evident. However, it looks like my shoulders are starting to wear out! (Degenerative changes in both AC joints showed up in bone scan). Plus a bulging disk in my spine at L5-S1.
17 March 2006
Pre-surgical chest x-ray is normal.
Age 44
14 April 2006
SURGERY
Robotic prostatectomy
Positive margin at apex and left lobe
No perineural invasion identified
Extension into capsule, but not through
Gleason 3+4
70% of gland involved
Prostate was 22.5 grams
Bundles on both sides were preserved.
stage t2c NX MX
24 April 2006
Catheter out
16 May 2006
PSA less than 0.1
15 Aug 2006
PSA 0.2
14 Dec 2006
PSA 0.6
REFERRED FOR RADIATION
Day before radiation commenced, PSA = 0.7
Radiation Jan-Mar 2007. PSA quickly fell to less than 0.1 and remains there as of late 2016. Note from radiation oncologist to urologist: looks like assumption of local-only recurrence was valid, judging by PSA response.
Age 38
8 Dec 2000
bothered by frequent urination, went to primary care phys.
PSA 4.5
PCP said prostate was boggy
referred to Urologist
Biopsy Ordered
Jan 2001
Biopsy: negative for cancer, findings consistent with prostatitis
Start hytrin for blood pressure control; drug also provides some BPH relief
Age 39
16 Jul 2001
PSA 4.1
20 March 2002
PSA 6.1
START Cipro 500mg daily for 3 wks, Motrin 800 mg daily
Age 40
30 May 2002
PSA 5.7
Free PSA 11.9%
CONTINUE Motrin
Urologist believes probably prostatitis
30 Sep 2002
PSA 7.3
Free PSA 11.3%
START Avodart
STOP Motrin
ORDER Biopsy
November 2002
BIOPSY: negative for cancer, but PIN III found
31 Jan 2003
PSA 2.2
STOP Avodart
Age 41
03 Sep 2003
PSA 4.9
Restart Avodart
Urologist thinks PSA is elevated from BPH
23 Jan 2004
PSA 2.2
Continue Avodart
Age 42
24 July 2004
PSA 2.5
Continue Avodart
26 Jan 2005
PSA 3.3
Continue Avodart
29 Apr 2005
PSA 2.9
Continue Avodart
Age 43
11 Jan 2006
PSA 4.8 (on Avodart)
Abnormal DRE
Biopsy ordered
7 Feb 2006
Biopsy finds cancer
PIN also found
No perineural invasion
Gleason 3+4
20% on right
5% on left
24 Feb 2006
Pre surgical CT scan of pelvis and abdomen, and whole body bone scan. No mets evident. However, it looks like my shoulders are starting to wear out! (Degenerative changes in both AC joints showed up in bone scan). Plus a bulging disk in my spine at L5-S1.
17 March 2006
Pre-surgical chest x-ray is normal.
Age 44
14 April 2006
SURGERY
Robotic prostatectomy
Positive margin at apex and left lobe
No perineural invasion identified
Extension into capsule, but not through
Gleason 3+4
70% of gland involved
Prostate was 22.5 grams
Bundles on both sides were preserved.
stage t2c NX MX
24 April 2006
Catheter out
16 May 2006
PSA less than 0.1
15 Aug 2006
PSA 0.2
14 Dec 2006
PSA 0.6
REFERRED FOR RADIATION
Day before radiation commenced, PSA = 0.7
Radiation Jan-Mar 2007. PSA quickly fell to less than 0.1 and remains there as of late 2016. Note from radiation oncologist to urologist: looks like assumption of local-only recurrence was valid, judging by PSA response.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
blood draw
Had blood drawn yesterday. Figured a lot of people would be at the polls--seems to have paid off. There was only one person ahead of me.
Now the dilemma that many of us face--to call the office or wait and get it in person? I usually can't stand the wait, and call. One time a nurse gave me an incorrect figure over the phone, leaving out the "less than", even when I questioned her..so I was needlessly anxious. That's the risk of getting it over the phone.
Reading "The Prize" by Daniel Yergin now. Recommended by a college professor I know. It's an enormous book, but so far very readable. It's about oil, in case you're wondering.
I'll post my PSA--which will be 20 months post-salvage radiation--as soon as I find out.
Wish I could skip the DRE...
Now the dilemma that many of us face--to call the office or wait and get it in person? I usually can't stand the wait, and call. One time a nurse gave me an incorrect figure over the phone, leaving out the "less than", even when I questioned her..so I was needlessly anxious. That's the risk of getting it over the phone.
Reading "The Prize" by Daniel Yergin now. Recommended by a college professor I know. It's an enormous book, but so far very readable. It's about oil, in case you're wondering.
I'll post my PSA--which will be 20 months post-salvage radiation--as soon as I find out.
Wish I could skip the DRE...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Miscellaneous
I ran in a local 10K (6.2 miles) event the other day. It's the first time I've run that far in years. I did pretty well, relative to my own past performance. I was still in the back of the pack, but I ran 12-minute miles, much better than the 14 minute miles I had been running up until then. I really got out of shape from just before surgery up until last month.
I usually don't eat before a long run. I use an energy gel (Carb Boom) about 15 minutes before, and if I'm going to be running for an hour or more I take another one with me. They taste pretty good--like pie filling. They're made from fruit and are fairly low in sugar compared to other gels. Just enough of a boost to do the run without getting shaky, and no stomach upset as long as I drink some water with the gel.
After running, I make a recovery smoothie in the blender that has ingredients like this--varying depending on what's in the fridge:
half cup frozen blueberries
half cup frozen strawberries
Half a banana
Cup of pomegranate juice
Cup of plain yogurt or cup of low fat vanilla frozen yogurt
Whey protein powder
a few ice cubes
OR--once in a while I have an Egg McMuffin.
Current reading list:
Nothing to Be Frightened Of (Julian Barnes)
2nd Chance (James Patterson) (tip of the hat to David E)
Moby Dick
Six Easy Pieces (Richard Feynman)
I usually don't eat before a long run. I use an energy gel (Carb Boom) about 15 minutes before, and if I'm going to be running for an hour or more I take another one with me. They taste pretty good--like pie filling. They're made from fruit and are fairly low in sugar compared to other gels. Just enough of a boost to do the run without getting shaky, and no stomach upset as long as I drink some water with the gel.
After running, I make a recovery smoothie in the blender that has ingredients like this--varying depending on what's in the fridge:
half cup frozen blueberries
half cup frozen strawberries
Half a banana
Cup of pomegranate juice
Cup of plain yogurt or cup of low fat vanilla frozen yogurt
Whey protein powder
a few ice cubes
OR--once in a while I have an Egg McMuffin.
Current reading list:
Nothing to Be Frightened Of (Julian Barnes)
2nd Chance (James Patterson) (tip of the hat to David E)
Moby Dick
Six Easy Pieces (Richard Feynman)
Friday, October 17, 2008
nail biting time
So I'm one month away from my next appointment with the radiation oncologist. Which means I'm less than three weeks away from the blood draw for the PSA.
I find myself Googling for anything about the effectiveness of salvage radiation that I haven't seen before. So far, nothing new.
When you look at the graphs, most men respond initially to salvage with a drop to 0.1 or below. However, for the next several years, people "fall off" the curve, moving out of the "percent progression-free" category.
Thus the return of PSA anxiety.
With luck, I'll have another "< 0.1" report and go back to living my life fairly normally for the next 6-12 months, depending on when the RO wants to see me again. And, as I've posted before, if that is the case, I plan on starting a shut down of this blog, to be complete upon the NEXT good PSA report.
I have developed a backup plan, however. If my PSA rises, I have identified a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer at a leading NCI cancer center that happens to be in a nearby city. I've decided not to see the medical oncologist I consulted before. Nothing wrong with him, but he does not specialize in prostate cancer.
I feel great, and continue to train for a marathon in January.
I find myself Googling for anything about the effectiveness of salvage radiation that I haven't seen before. So far, nothing new.
When you look at the graphs, most men respond initially to salvage with a drop to 0.1 or below. However, for the next several years, people "fall off" the curve, moving out of the "percent progression-free" category.
Thus the return of PSA anxiety.
With luck, I'll have another "< 0.1" report and go back to living my life fairly normally for the next 6-12 months, depending on when the RO wants to see me again. And, as I've posted before, if that is the case, I plan on starting a shut down of this blog, to be complete upon the NEXT good PSA report.
I have developed a backup plan, however. If my PSA rises, I have identified a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer at a leading NCI cancer center that happens to be in a nearby city. I've decided not to see the medical oncologist I consulted before. Nothing wrong with him, but he does not specialize in prostate cancer.
I feel great, and continue to train for a marathon in January.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Us Too University
This looks interesting!
Us Too! University
"Us TOO International is proud to bring you a vitally important event featuring leading experts in the area of prostate cancer issues and treatments, sharing the most current information you and your loved ones NEED TO KNOW. Topics range from emerging treatments, comprehensive treatment and care, post-treatment issues and solutions, and clinical trials currently underway.
Us TOO University Tempe will take place Friday, November 7, 2008 from 4:30-10:00pm at The Buttes Resort by Marriot. There will be free parking avaiable, free refreshments, excellent door prizes and overflowing goody bags. The night will include exhibitors with products & services and will end with time to discuss and answer your questions...."
Us Too! University
"Us TOO International is proud to bring you a vitally important event featuring leading experts in the area of prostate cancer issues and treatments, sharing the most current information you and your loved ones NEED TO KNOW. Topics range from emerging treatments, comprehensive treatment and care, post-treatment issues and solutions, and clinical trials currently underway.
Us TOO University Tempe will take place Friday, November 7, 2008 from 4:30-10:00pm at The Buttes Resort by Marriot. There will be free parking avaiable, free refreshments, excellent door prizes and overflowing goody bags. The night will include exhibitors with products & services and will end with time to discuss and answer your questions...."
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