Almost a year ago, I was told I might not live another two years. Although I looked okay, I was being eaten from the inside out. My prostate cancer had advanced into my bones.
I was sent to Vanderbilt to see a specialist. The specialist recommended six treatments of a new chemotherapy, Jevtana. I took three treatments and then had another scan done. The chemo had failed. The cancer had moved into more areas of my spine and ribs. My local oncologist said "there is nothing more I can do."
As you now know, I went to see a doctor in Virginia, Dr. Charles Myers. He put me on Ketoconazole, an anti-fungal drug. It's a pill. Since the late 1980s, it's been known that Ketoconazole kills prostate cancer cells. Dr. Myers uses it with his patients that have failed traditional chemotherapy drugs. He prescribed me some other drugs and some supplements, but they are mostly to treat side effects of the high-dose Ketoconazole.
In November 2011, my PSA was 78.9. I started taking Ketoconazole on Dec. 13. On Jan. 9, my PSA had fallen to 3.3. I had not even been on Ketoconazole for a whole month.
On Feb. 1, I had another PSA test. My PSA is now 1.45.
From 78.9 to 1.45 in less than two months. That is more than a 98% drop.
Besides the dramatic drop in PSA, I am feeling stronger every day.
Join me in praising God for His goodness. Please pray that my PSA continues to fall, even into the "undetectable" range.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
I'm Energized
Okay, a lot has happened in a short time.
The last time I posted, I had been to my new doctor in Virginia, Dr. Myers. When I saw him on Nov. 17, my PSA was near 80. It was the highest it had ever been. He said there was a 70% chance my PSA would drop 80% in the next 90 days, if I followed his treatment plan. Such a drop would take my PSA down to 16.
He prescribed a pill called Ketoconazole. It is a very old, very generic, very cheap medicine. It was produced to fight fungal infections. They have learned that it kills prostate cancer cells very well. Dr. Myers uses it a lot with his patients.
First, I had to get the medicine. I have to mail-order my medications, so I sent the prescription in the week before Thanksgiving. The medicine did not come until Dec. 13. So, I haven't even been on the Ketoconazole for a month yet.
Last Wednesday, I got my blood drawn for my monthly labs. Today, I got the results. My PSA has dropped to 3.3. That is over a 95% drop in under 30-days. PRAISE THE LORD!
I am actually feeling very well right now (even before I got the lab results.) The Ketoconazole can cause severe fatigue and vomiting and even liver damage. So far, I've had none of that. My energy level is greater than it was for most of 2011. Dianne and I are trying to walk every day and I try to do water aerobics at the YMCA about 3 times weekly.
For the holidays, we traveled with my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren to Brazil to visit the home of my son-in-law's parents. We stayed about two weeks. I did very well keeping up with everyone, even in the airports, where we had to walk for long distances.
Just a week before we left for Brazil, I went back up to Virginia to have a bone biopsy done. They biopsied the diseased bone in my spine and sent it off for genetic testing to be compared against the known genetics of prostate cancer. The results would show which medication would best treat my cancer. I got those results last week. It indicated the Ketoconazole is the best drug to fight my cancer. Dr. Myers is going to call me on January 13, and discuss the results over the phone. I may learn more then.
So, I've been busy, as you can see. But, instead of being fatigued, I'm energized.
God certainly has His hand in this. I give Him all the praise and glory. I'm thankful He led me to Dr. Myers.
For all those who have prayed for me, I thank you. You are wonderful and caring friends and I love and appreciate you all.
The last time I posted, I had been to my new doctor in Virginia, Dr. Myers. When I saw him on Nov. 17, my PSA was near 80. It was the highest it had ever been. He said there was a 70% chance my PSA would drop 80% in the next 90 days, if I followed his treatment plan. Such a drop would take my PSA down to 16.
He prescribed a pill called Ketoconazole. It is a very old, very generic, very cheap medicine. It was produced to fight fungal infections. They have learned that it kills prostate cancer cells very well. Dr. Myers uses it a lot with his patients.
First, I had to get the medicine. I have to mail-order my medications, so I sent the prescription in the week before Thanksgiving. The medicine did not come until Dec. 13. So, I haven't even been on the Ketoconazole for a month yet.
Last Wednesday, I got my blood drawn for my monthly labs. Today, I got the results. My PSA has dropped to 3.3. That is over a 95% drop in under 30-days. PRAISE THE LORD!
I am actually feeling very well right now (even before I got the lab results.) The Ketoconazole can cause severe fatigue and vomiting and even liver damage. So far, I've had none of that. My energy level is greater than it was for most of 2011. Dianne and I are trying to walk every day and I try to do water aerobics at the YMCA about 3 times weekly.
For the holidays, we traveled with my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren to Brazil to visit the home of my son-in-law's parents. We stayed about two weeks. I did very well keeping up with everyone, even in the airports, where we had to walk for long distances.
Just a week before we left for Brazil, I went back up to Virginia to have a bone biopsy done. They biopsied the diseased bone in my spine and sent it off for genetic testing to be compared against the known genetics of prostate cancer. The results would show which medication would best treat my cancer. I got those results last week. It indicated the Ketoconazole is the best drug to fight my cancer. Dr. Myers is going to call me on January 13, and discuss the results over the phone. I may learn more then.
So, I've been busy, as you can see. But, instead of being fatigued, I'm energized.
God certainly has His hand in this. I give Him all the praise and glory. I'm thankful He led me to Dr. Myers.
For all those who have prayed for me, I thank you. You are wonderful and caring friends and I love and appreciate you all.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Please Excuse My Silence For So Long
Please excuse my silence on this blog and other email updates. I know it's been a long time.
In September, after three (of six planned) chemotherapy treatments of the new drug cabazitaxel, my oncologist sent me for a bone scan. Unfortunately, the scan showed the cancer had spread into more of my bones even while taking chemo. My oncologist basically said, "I have nothing else for you."
I told him I was planning to make an appointment with Dr. Charles Myers in Charlottesville, VA. I had discussed this doctor in VA with my oncologist on several occasions. He agreed it would be worthwhile to make the appointment.
Dr. Charles Myers is an oncologist also. The difference is, he has prostate cancer himself. Since he was diagnosed, in 1999 I think, he went from being a research doctor to having his own private practice treating nothing but prostate patients.
As a result of his own diagnosis, he began searching out any drugs and supplements that have an effect on prostate cancer. He has treated hundreds of patients and his patients have a median life expectancy much greater than the national average for other prostate cancer patients. Also included in his treatment plan is a switch to a Mediterranean diet.
I had my appointment with Dr. Myers on Thursday, Nov. 17. It could not have gone better.
I had begun transitioning from my normal diet (fast foods, high fat content, etc.) to his recommended diet. I no longer can eat red meat, dairy, or eggs. I can eat chicken, turkey, skim milk, egg beaters, veggies and fruits. I've been doing this diet for almost eight weeks. It's not been as hard a transition as I thought it would be. When your back is against the wall, you do what you have to do.
I kept a food diary and showed it to him during my visit. He said I was doing very well on everything except my breakfast. I was shocked! I thought my breakfast was the least of my worries since I almost always eat Raisin Bran (with skim milk) and a glass of tomato juice. He said the tomato juice is great, it's the Raisin Bran that is bad. Why? I asked. It's the carbohydrates, he said. Almost any cereal would be just as bad. It's all carbs and no protein. The carbs turn into sugar. He said if I added protein, it wouldn't be too bad of a breakfast. So, I've got to start adding whey protein to my breakfast cereal, or may a whey protein shake with fruit.
Anyway, that's just the nutrition part. He then went on to tell me which prescription drugs he will prescribe and which supplements he recommends. I could list them here, but it would get long and technical. The important part is, he is saying that these things will have a killing effect on my prostate cancer cells. Better yet, he says I should see dramatic results in 90 days.
There is a 70% chance, he said, that my PSA will drop by 80% in 90 days. My PSA is currently 80. That means it could drop to 16. It could drop to undetectable, he said. If it dropped to undetectable I would be in the 29% of his patients that have had such a dramatic result. Of those 29%, he has not had a patient death in over six years.
This is incredible. It's also a blessing from God.
What is the difference? Why aren't all my doctors treating prostate cancer this way? The answer ultimately lies in the fact that he has prostate cancer himself. At least that is my belief.
There is no statistical evidence that any one of the major treatments for prostate cancer out performs the others. I started with surgery. Then I had chemo. Then I had radiation. Then more radiation. Then more chemo. Then more radiation. Then more chemo. All totaled, I've had 15 chemo treatments, 84 radiation treatments, two radio-frequency ablation procedures on my right lung, and the initial surgery to have my prostate removed. For the past four years, I've taken shots and pills that have stopped the production of hormones which feed my cancer.
All these treatments are textbook procedures. Doctors all over the world do what has been done to me as the patient's PSA rises and falls. Dr. Myers told me, "You have had good treatment."
Had Dr. Myers not been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he might still be in his research position. By the way, Dr. Myers is a renown researcher and doctor. He was on the team of researchers who devised the AZT cocktail of drugs for AIDS patients.
Dr. Myers is also a trained pharmacologist. He studies drug interactions with other drugs. One of the pills he has prescribed for me interacts violently with Tylenol. If I take Tylenol while on this drug, I could have liver failure.
So, despite the bad news above, God has blessed me with good news from this doctor.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention another thing. I will return to Virginia sometime in the next 30 days. Dr. Myers wants the local hospital there to take a bone biopsy on my diseased bones. The biopsy will be sent away for genetic testing. From the tests, they will be able to identify a chemotherapy agent that will kill more of my cancer. I've had two of the most powerful chemo agents used for prostate cancer. Both drugs failed. I asked Dr. Myers if there was anything else. He said the genetic testing will show which known chemo agent will kill my cancer. It doesn't matter if it is used for prostate cancer or not. It might be used for breast cancer or colon cancer, but if the test says that this known agent will kill my cancer, they will use it.
I thank each of you that may have prayed for me. Just knowing that you care enough to pray for me has sustained me many times. Please don't stop praying. Pray that these new drugs and supplements have the dramatic effect that Dr. Myers predicts. Pray that I will hold up under the introduction of these drugs into my system. One of them in particular can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe fatigue.
I should say before I close that I am feeling fine at this point. I'm a little slow and perhaps a little unsteady on my feet, but I still get around. I do get fatigued upon exertion. I have no bone pain from the metastasis. You may see me at the mall or at Walmart (is there any place else that retirees can go?)
In September, after three (of six planned) chemotherapy treatments of the new drug cabazitaxel, my oncologist sent me for a bone scan. Unfortunately, the scan showed the cancer had spread into more of my bones even while taking chemo. My oncologist basically said, "I have nothing else for you."
I told him I was planning to make an appointment with Dr. Charles Myers in Charlottesville, VA. I had discussed this doctor in VA with my oncologist on several occasions. He agreed it would be worthwhile to make the appointment.
Dr. Charles Myers is an oncologist also. The difference is, he has prostate cancer himself. Since he was diagnosed, in 1999 I think, he went from being a research doctor to having his own private practice treating nothing but prostate patients.
As a result of his own diagnosis, he began searching out any drugs and supplements that have an effect on prostate cancer. He has treated hundreds of patients and his patients have a median life expectancy much greater than the national average for other prostate cancer patients. Also included in his treatment plan is a switch to a Mediterranean diet.
I had my appointment with Dr. Myers on Thursday, Nov. 17. It could not have gone better.
I had begun transitioning from my normal diet (fast foods, high fat content, etc.) to his recommended diet. I no longer can eat red meat, dairy, or eggs. I can eat chicken, turkey, skim milk, egg beaters, veggies and fruits. I've been doing this diet for almost eight weeks. It's not been as hard a transition as I thought it would be. When your back is against the wall, you do what you have to do.
I kept a food diary and showed it to him during my visit. He said I was doing very well on everything except my breakfast. I was shocked! I thought my breakfast was the least of my worries since I almost always eat Raisin Bran (with skim milk) and a glass of tomato juice. He said the tomato juice is great, it's the Raisin Bran that is bad. Why? I asked. It's the carbohydrates, he said. Almost any cereal would be just as bad. It's all carbs and no protein. The carbs turn into sugar. He said if I added protein, it wouldn't be too bad of a breakfast. So, I've got to start adding whey protein to my breakfast cereal, or may a whey protein shake with fruit.
Anyway, that's just the nutrition part. He then went on to tell me which prescription drugs he will prescribe and which supplements he recommends. I could list them here, but it would get long and technical. The important part is, he is saying that these things will have a killing effect on my prostate cancer cells. Better yet, he says I should see dramatic results in 90 days.
There is a 70% chance, he said, that my PSA will drop by 80% in 90 days. My PSA is currently 80. That means it could drop to 16. It could drop to undetectable, he said. If it dropped to undetectable I would be in the 29% of his patients that have had such a dramatic result. Of those 29%, he has not had a patient death in over six years.
This is incredible. It's also a blessing from God.
What is the difference? Why aren't all my doctors treating prostate cancer this way? The answer ultimately lies in the fact that he has prostate cancer himself. At least that is my belief.
There is no statistical evidence that any one of the major treatments for prostate cancer out performs the others. I started with surgery. Then I had chemo. Then I had radiation. Then more radiation. Then more chemo. Then more radiation. Then more chemo. All totaled, I've had 15 chemo treatments, 84 radiation treatments, two radio-frequency ablation procedures on my right lung, and the initial surgery to have my prostate removed. For the past four years, I've taken shots and pills that have stopped the production of hormones which feed my cancer.
All these treatments are textbook procedures. Doctors all over the world do what has been done to me as the patient's PSA rises and falls. Dr. Myers told me, "You have had good treatment."
Had Dr. Myers not been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he might still be in his research position. By the way, Dr. Myers is a renown researcher and doctor. He was on the team of researchers who devised the AZT cocktail of drugs for AIDS patients.
Dr. Myers is also a trained pharmacologist. He studies drug interactions with other drugs. One of the pills he has prescribed for me interacts violently with Tylenol. If I take Tylenol while on this drug, I could have liver failure.
So, despite the bad news above, God has blessed me with good news from this doctor.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention another thing. I will return to Virginia sometime in the next 30 days. Dr. Myers wants the local hospital there to take a bone biopsy on my diseased bones. The biopsy will be sent away for genetic testing. From the tests, they will be able to identify a chemotherapy agent that will kill more of my cancer. I've had two of the most powerful chemo agents used for prostate cancer. Both drugs failed. I asked Dr. Myers if there was anything else. He said the genetic testing will show which known chemo agent will kill my cancer. It doesn't matter if it is used for prostate cancer or not. It might be used for breast cancer or colon cancer, but if the test says that this known agent will kill my cancer, they will use it.
I thank each of you that may have prayed for me. Just knowing that you care enough to pray for me has sustained me many times. Please don't stop praying. Pray that these new drugs and supplements have the dramatic effect that Dr. Myers predicts. Pray that I will hold up under the introduction of these drugs into my system. One of them in particular can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe fatigue.
I should say before I close that I am feeling fine at this point. I'm a little slow and perhaps a little unsteady on my feet, but I still get around. I do get fatigued upon exertion. I have no bone pain from the metastasis. You may see me at the mall or at Walmart (is there any place else that retirees can go?)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Radio Frequency Ablation
On Tuesday, Feb. 8 I had radio-frequency ablation. The doctor poked a needle through my chest wall and threaded a tool through the needle and deployed a small umbrella (without the fabric). He then applied electrical current to the tool and the tines of the umbrella directed the energy into a metastatic prostate tumor in my right lung. He heated the tumor up to about 400 degrees F to kill the cancer cells.
The procedure was done on the bed of a CT scanner. He put me through multiple passes of the CT scanner to help him direct the placement of the tool. I was pretty much asleep the whole time. They would back off the sedation and tell me to hold my breath and then again to start breathing normal. I can remember hearing them asking me to hold my breath, but I have no memory of physically doing it. They said I did great, so I believe them.
I went home the same day and felt fine. However, on Wed. and Thur., the pain in my chest was too much to bear without pain meds, so I called them. They had me come in for a chest x-ray to make sure I did not have a collapsed lung. I did not. The pain, they said, is from having to go through my pectoral muscle to get into the lung. My pectoral muscle was quite angry with them. It hurt. A lot! They put me on Loritab. That worked initially, but by Friday morning was having no effect. I called them again and they increased the strength of the Loritab. I took one at 7 p.m. another at 11 p.m. and slept soundly without any pain. It's now Sat. and I've had no additional pain medication. I'm still quite weak and can't take a deep breath without feeling it around the procedure site.
On March 8, they will do the same procedure on a second tumor in the same right lung, but in the lower lobe. For this one, they will have to go through my back. I will be lying on my stomach on the CT scanner and they will sedate me just the same as the first time.
I appreciate everyone's prayers. They have helped, I feel certain. So, thank you.
Throughout the past 6.5 years since I was diagnosed, I have believed that God is in control. My time on this earth has not been diminished just because I got a cancer diagnosis. God knows the hour I will meet him in person. He's known it all along. I trust in Him.
The procedure was done on the bed of a CT scanner. He put me through multiple passes of the CT scanner to help him direct the placement of the tool. I was pretty much asleep the whole time. They would back off the sedation and tell me to hold my breath and then again to start breathing normal. I can remember hearing them asking me to hold my breath, but I have no memory of physically doing it. They said I did great, so I believe them.
I went home the same day and felt fine. However, on Wed. and Thur., the pain in my chest was too much to bear without pain meds, so I called them. They had me come in for a chest x-ray to make sure I did not have a collapsed lung. I did not. The pain, they said, is from having to go through my pectoral muscle to get into the lung. My pectoral muscle was quite angry with them. It hurt. A lot! They put me on Loritab. That worked initially, but by Friday morning was having no effect. I called them again and they increased the strength of the Loritab. I took one at 7 p.m. another at 11 p.m. and slept soundly without any pain. It's now Sat. and I've had no additional pain medication. I'm still quite weak and can't take a deep breath without feeling it around the procedure site.
On March 8, they will do the same procedure on a second tumor in the same right lung, but in the lower lobe. For this one, they will have to go through my back. I will be lying on my stomach on the CT scanner and they will sedate me just the same as the first time.
I appreciate everyone's prayers. They have helped, I feel certain. So, thank you.
Throughout the past 6.5 years since I was diagnosed, I have believed that God is in control. My time on this earth has not been diminished just because I got a cancer diagnosis. God knows the hour I will meet him in person. He's known it all along. I trust in Him.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Great News!
I've been waiting for something BIG to report and I finally have it. I got the results of the latest CT scan today. The two prostate cancer tumors in my right lung have shrunk. One is down 32% since chemo began. The other is down 17%. Also, a lymph node in the region that has some involvement with the cancer has shrunk 59%. My PSA is down to 3.2 (from a high of 8.0). My oncologist said that other men with metastasized prostate cancer have PSA in the 200 range. Also, the CT was of the whole abdomen and no other nodules (tumors) were found on the scan. We are truly fighting just what we know is there, and it is working!
I had chemo treatment #4 today. My white blood cell count is headed down and I will feel ill by the weekend. Already, my taste buds are affected and everything tastes metallic. That will last about a week and a half and then start a turn around. I'll regain my strength around Wed. or Thur. next week.
I'm really praising God for these good results and that I'm tolerating the treatments so well. I thank you all for your prayers on my behalf. Please keep praying.
I had chemo treatment #4 today. My white blood cell count is headed down and I will feel ill by the weekend. Already, my taste buds are affected and everything tastes metallic. That will last about a week and a half and then start a turn around. I'll regain my strength around Wed. or Thur. next week.
I'm really praising God for these good results and that I'm tolerating the treatments so well. I thank you all for your prayers on my behalf. Please keep praying.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New Developments
Well, I finished 25 radiation treatments on June 29. My PSA was 3.0 before I started. I truly expected (and prayed for) my PSA to drop to undetectable levels following the radiation. But, I had to wait six weeks after radiation to have it checked.
I got the results last week. My PSA is 6.8. It more than doubled in two and half months, despite the radiation. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
A couple of weeks ago I made an appointment with my new primary care physician, Dr. Julia Finley. I told her I have 3 doctors looking after my prostate cancer but nobody looking out for the rest of me. She gave me a physical and did a routine chest x-ray.
When she saw the x-ray, she called me and said she sees a "thickening" on the right side and wondered if I had had another recent x-ray taken. I had. Back in April, leading up to the radiation.
I told her where I had it taken and she contacted them and compared the April one to the August one. The "thickening" wasn't there in April.
She scheduled me for a CT scan last Friday morning. By lunch time, she had the results and was calling me. They found two, one-inch diameter tumors in my right lung. She guesses that it is the prostate cancer metastasizing in my lung, rather than a secondary cancer.
Well, that certainly explains the PSA going up.
Dr. Finley sent me for a biopsy of the tumors in my lung. That was today (Thursday, 8/12). They went up my nose and down my throat with a tool (I was asleep and felt nothing). Unfortunately, the doctor could not get close enough to the tumor to poke it with the tool to get a sample. The airway became too narrow and she had to stop.
She will consult a radiologist to see if he can reach it with a needle biopsy (between my ribs, under my right arm). If not, she will try again next week with a new machine that has finer (smaller) tools.
Also, this week I saw both of my oncologists (radiation and chemotherapy) plus my urologist. They all said I need to be treated systemically (something that goes throughout my body) to be sure it attacks any other metastasis that might be hiding in other organs. What that means is I will be having chemotherapy again.
I have to wait until they get the biopsy and know for sure what we are fighting. Also, my oncologist says he will send me for more imaging to look for more metastasis.
I know this catches most of you by surprise. It certainly caught me and Dianne by surprise. Even my doctors are surprised because prostate cancer tends to go to bone before it attacks the organs.
How do I feel? I feel great, right now. I have no symptoms of anything going on in my lung. Unfortunately, the treatment will quickly change how I feel. Chemotherapy is a bad experience.
I really need you to pray for me, Dianne, Bryan, and Emily. Cancer affects the whole family.
God is the only one who was not surprised by this. He is in control of me and my life. I trust in Him and will honor Him even through this.
Thank you for your prayers. You and your prayers mean so very much to me. I thank God for each of you.
I got the results last week. My PSA is 6.8. It more than doubled in two and half months, despite the radiation. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
A couple of weeks ago I made an appointment with my new primary care physician, Dr. Julia Finley. I told her I have 3 doctors looking after my prostate cancer but nobody looking out for the rest of me. She gave me a physical and did a routine chest x-ray.
When she saw the x-ray, she called me and said she sees a "thickening" on the right side and wondered if I had had another recent x-ray taken. I had. Back in April, leading up to the radiation.
I told her where I had it taken and she contacted them and compared the April one to the August one. The "thickening" wasn't there in April.
She scheduled me for a CT scan last Friday morning. By lunch time, she had the results and was calling me. They found two, one-inch diameter tumors in my right lung. She guesses that it is the prostate cancer metastasizing in my lung, rather than a secondary cancer.
Well, that certainly explains the PSA going up.
Dr. Finley sent me for a biopsy of the tumors in my lung. That was today (Thursday, 8/12). They went up my nose and down my throat with a tool (I was asleep and felt nothing). Unfortunately, the doctor could not get close enough to the tumor to poke it with the tool to get a sample. The airway became too narrow and she had to stop.
She will consult a radiologist to see if he can reach it with a needle biopsy (between my ribs, under my right arm). If not, she will try again next week with a new machine that has finer (smaller) tools.
Also, this week I saw both of my oncologists (radiation and chemotherapy) plus my urologist. They all said I need to be treated systemically (something that goes throughout my body) to be sure it attacks any other metastasis that might be hiding in other organs. What that means is I will be having chemotherapy again.
I have to wait until they get the biopsy and know for sure what we are fighting. Also, my oncologist says he will send me for more imaging to look for more metastasis.
I know this catches most of you by surprise. It certainly caught me and Dianne by surprise. Even my doctors are surprised because prostate cancer tends to go to bone before it attacks the organs.
How do I feel? I feel great, right now. I have no symptoms of anything going on in my lung. Unfortunately, the treatment will quickly change how I feel. Chemotherapy is a bad experience.
I really need you to pray for me, Dianne, Bryan, and Emily. Cancer affects the whole family.
God is the only one who was not surprised by this. He is in control of me and my life. I trust in Him and will honor Him even through this.
Thank you for your prayers. You and your prayers mean so very much to me. I thank God for each of you.
Friday, May 14, 2010
More Radiation Coming My Way
I had a consultation with my radiologist this morning. He showed me the imaging done in my recent prostascint scan with the CT overlay. It's quite amazing to see.
Anyway, he showed me the area that showed up on the scan as having some prostate cancer cells in it. He will mark it up and put into a computer to get a 3-D image of the area to be radiated. The area is behind my major organs but in front of the spine. It is not a tumor that showed up, just an area of tissue that has PCa cells in it. It might be the size of my fist, but I forgot to ask.
The area includes some of the small intestines that kind of flow or bounce through there. Radiation to them can cause some cramping and diarrhea. Another side effect is fatigue.
The total dose I will receive is slightly more than half of what I received two years ago. To give a larger dose would be to invite more side effects. The worst that could happen, he said, is that the bowels would be damaged enough that surgery would be required to fix them. He doesn't anticipate that. It's just a warning.
I will have 25 treatments, given daily except for holidays and weekends.
I will go next Tuesday, May 18, for a simulation. If he is able to complete all he needs to do to program the computer/radiation machine in a week, then I will begin treatments on Tuesday, May 25. If those dates hold, I will complete treatment on June 30. I would then leave for our planned vacation on July 3. He wants me to take the vacation and says nothing should prohibit that.
I'm encouraged by all he said today. I asked about other forms of radiation treatment not yet available at Erlanger, such as CyberKnife, and proton beam therapy. He said both of them deliver higher doses for shorter periods and could cause more negative side effects for the sensitive bowels.
God has instilled a peace within my heart for all that is being done to fight my cancer. I believe, totally, that He is in control. He has led me to excellent doctors in every aspect of my treatment and I thank Him for that. Each new day is a gift. Not just for me, but for everyone.
Please continue to pray for me. I thank you for caring enough to want to know the details and for praying. God bless you all.
Anyway, he showed me the area that showed up on the scan as having some prostate cancer cells in it. He will mark it up and put into a computer to get a 3-D image of the area to be radiated. The area is behind my major organs but in front of the spine. It is not a tumor that showed up, just an area of tissue that has PCa cells in it. It might be the size of my fist, but I forgot to ask.
The area includes some of the small intestines that kind of flow or bounce through there. Radiation to them can cause some cramping and diarrhea. Another side effect is fatigue.
The total dose I will receive is slightly more than half of what I received two years ago. To give a larger dose would be to invite more side effects. The worst that could happen, he said, is that the bowels would be damaged enough that surgery would be required to fix them. He doesn't anticipate that. It's just a warning.
I will have 25 treatments, given daily except for holidays and weekends.
I will go next Tuesday, May 18, for a simulation. If he is able to complete all he needs to do to program the computer/radiation machine in a week, then I will begin treatments on Tuesday, May 25. If those dates hold, I will complete treatment on June 30. I would then leave for our planned vacation on July 3. He wants me to take the vacation and says nothing should prohibit that.
I'm encouraged by all he said today. I asked about other forms of radiation treatment not yet available at Erlanger, such as CyberKnife, and proton beam therapy. He said both of them deliver higher doses for shorter periods and could cause more negative side effects for the sensitive bowels.
God has instilled a peace within my heart for all that is being done to fight my cancer. I believe, totally, that He is in control. He has led me to excellent doctors in every aspect of my treatment and I thank Him for that. Each new day is a gift. Not just for me, but for everyone.
Please continue to pray for me. I thank you for caring enough to want to know the details and for praying. God bless you all.
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