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.