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What should I expect moving forward
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (9)Comment receiving replies
Back in February I, too, was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer: my PSA has gone from 43 to 67 in two weeks, my Gleason score was 4+5 (9) and my oncologist said my disease was too advanced for surgery. A pet scan showed intrusion of the pelvic lymph nodes and I was prescribed Abirtiga and prednisone then scheduled for 30 sessions of radiation in starting July - the doctor wanted to start sooner but I had planned a bike tour of Finland so she agreed to postpone the radiation until I was back in country.
At the time of diagnosis, the urology nurse recommended:
*I update my will
*I join Gilda’s Club
*I apply for a spot in hospice care
And she recommended that my wife start shopping for funeral homes - she had a list of ones she thought were fair.
Needless to say, my wife burst out in tears.
I am an athlete and I have suffered from back pain ever since I crashed my bicycle at 40 mph on a training session some five years ago so any change related to cancer would not be noticed. (The bike, my favorite, didn’t survive the crash).
So, despite the dire diagnosis, I continued to ice speed skate, winning a silver medal the following month while skating against five men decades younger than my 67 years. At the same time, I also began training for an endurance bike race scheduled for June but I purchased insurance in case the cancer made it impossible to ride. I did finish the 67 mile ride and, while I wasn’t as fast as the year before, at no point did I feel like giving up.
I continued to train during the radiation sessions with an eye on riding the Peninsula Century - 100 miles - two weeks after the radiation treatment ended … and I DID ride it, finishing in 6h13m.
This week I started training for the speed skating season. Radiation has slowed me so I have trouble sprinting but I’m a hard core competitor and I’m not going to let the cancer win.
Replies to "Back in February I, too, was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer: my PSA has gone from..."
@madisonman0326 I wish YOU could be in a TV commercial for PCa!! Those old farts playing shuffleboard and doing swim aerobics got nothing on you, man!! You ROCK!
Phil
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@madisonman0326
What you describe looks awfully familiar, did you post this in another place?
With what you have, it’s not time to throw in the towel. Your oncologist has you on ADT and an ARSI. I see you’re already on Zytiga (abiraterone) which can be pretty hard on the body and cause fatigue for a lot of people. If you’re handling it well it’s a great choice. If it becomes a problem, you should ask for Nubeqa To replace it. It is much easier on the body and doesn’t pass the blood brain barrier. I know a number of people in their 80s taking it because it’s Side effects are easy to manage. I’ve been on Zytiga and it wasn’t too bad, but it gave me a lot of heart issues, I am now on Nubeqa An after 15 years of PC, and four reoccurrences, I’ve been undetectable for almost 2 years. Side effects are not even noticeable, I’m 77.
It sounds like you have less than five metastasis, Which would make radiation sensible. The thing is radiation. Will probably give you some more time and then you have a choice of Pluvicto or chemotherapy If it comes back. Those treatments can give you more time.
I know a number of people who had Gleason nine and many metastasis issues and are still around five and 10 and more years later. A few of them were given five year or shorter Life expectancy by their doctors and blew by those.