Living with Prostate Cancer: Meet others & introduce yourself

What can I say? Just these three words -
“You have cancer!” heard over a short phone call has changed the course of my life forever.

It is nuts!
I think, if Jerry Seinfeld had cancer, instead of his current Netflix series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” he would be doing “Comedians with Cancer Getting Chemo!”

“You are nuts!”
Yes, that is exactly what I told my doc when he gave me the stage 4 news last week. Then he added, “In fact, your nuts are the main problem!”

I love nuts! Don’t get me wrong.
I am not allergic to them. It seems they are good for you. They have lots of good fats and protein. (By the way, this is just some info about nuts and has no connection to my story)

I turned 59 a few days ago; and all these years, I never really thought about, or paid any attention to my nuts until last week when my world was turned upside down. I thought, the pair was doing just fine leading a quiet life by hanging loose, lying low, and never wanting to see the day light. But now, suddenly, they are the center of attention. They are in the spotlight!
Never in my wildest dreams, I thought that, one day, I would be writing about them! Now, out of the blue, this group of people, who call themselves - “Medical Oncologists,” has emerged from nowhere( I never knew this group existed), and they are very boldly and confidently, pointing an accusing finger at my nuts!

To cut a long story short, I just got on the program! I took my first Bicalutamide pill yesterday. I’ll be getting a shot of Lupron injected into my buttocks next week. That little blob of Luprolide Acetate is going to stay under my skin, send signals to my brain and try to control my gonads! This will be for the rest of my life!

If I tell this to anyone outside of this group, I am sure they are going to say, “Only a nutty professor can concoct such an insane scheme.”

Well, I am not sure how many words one is allowed to write in a single post on this message board, but I may be testing the limits so I am going to stop.
If you don’t like what you have read so far, let me know and I’ll leave the group. You’ll never hear from me again. If you think this torture is nothing compared to the pain you all have already tolerated, I will continue my story next week.

What can I say? Just these three words -
“You have cancer!” heard over a short phone call has changed the course of my life forever.

It is nuts!
I think, if Jerry Seinfeld had cancer, instead of his current Netflix series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” he would be doing “Comedians with Cancer Getting Chemo!”

“You are nuts!”
Yes, that is exactly what I told my doc when he gave me the stage 4 news last week. Then he added, “In fact, your nuts are the main problem!”

I love nuts! Don’t get me wrong.
I am not allergic to them. It seems they are good for you. They have lots of good fats and protein. (By the way, this is just some info about nuts and has no connection to my story)

I turned 59 a few days ago; and all these years, I never really thought about, or paid any attention to my nuts until last week when my world was turned upside down. I thought, the pair was doing just fine leading a quiet life by hanging loose, lying low, and never wanting to see the day light. But now, suddenly, they are the center of attention. They are in the spotlight!
Never in my wildest dreams, I thought that, one day, I would be writing about them! Now, out of the blue, this group of people, who call themselves - “Medical Oncologists,” has emerged from nowhere( I never knew this group existed), and they are very boldly and confidently, pointing an accusing finger at my nuts!

To cut a long story short, I just got on the program! I took my first Bicalutamide pill yesterday. I’ll be getting a shot of Lupron injected into my buttocks next week. That little blob of Luprolide Acetate is going to stay under my skin, send signals to my brain and try to control my gonads! This will be for the rest of my life!

If I tell this to anyone outside of this group, I am sure they are going to say, “Only a nutty professor can concoct such an insane scheme.”

Well, I am not sure how many words one is allowed to write in a single post on this message board, but I may be testing the limits so I am going to stop.
If you don’t like what you have read so far, let me know and I’ll leave the group. You’ll never hear from me again. If you think this torture is nothing compared to the pain you all have already tolerated, I will continue my story next week.

What can I say? Just these three words -
“You have cancer!” heard over a short phone call has changed the course of my life forever.

It is nuts!
I think, if Jerry Seinfeld had cancer, instead of his current Netflix series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” he would be doing “Comedians with Cancer Getting Chemo!”

“You are nuts!”
Yes, that is exactly what I told my doc when he gave me the stage 4 news last week. Then he added, “In fact, your nuts are the main problem!”

I love nuts! Don’t get me wrong.
I am not allergic to them. It seems they are good for you. They have lots of good fats and protein. (By the way, this is just some info about nuts and has no connection to my story)

I turned 59 a few days ago; and all these years, I never really thought about, or paid any attention to my nuts until last week when my world was turned upside down. I thought, the pair was doing just fine leading a quiet life by hanging loose, lying low, and never wanting to see the day light. But now, suddenly, they are the center of attention. They are in the spotlight!
Never in my wildest dreams, I thought that, one day, I would be writing about them! Now, out of the blue, this group of people, who call themselves - “Medical Oncologists,” has emerged from nowhere( I never knew this group existed), and they are very boldly and confidently, pointing an accusing finger at my nuts!

To cut a long story short, I just got on the program! I took my first Bicalutamide pill yesterday. I’ll be getting a shot of Lupron injected into my buttocks next week. That little blob of Luprolide Acetate is going to stay under my skin, send signals to my brain and try to control my gonads! This will be for the rest of my life!

If I tell this to anyone outside of this group, I am sure they are going to say, “Only a nutty professor can concoct such an insane scheme.”

Well, I am not sure how many words one is allowed to write in a single post on this message board, but I may be testing the limits so I am going to stop.
If you don’t like what you have read so far, let me know and I’ll leave the group. You’ll never hear from me again. If you think this torture is nothing compared to the pain you all have already tolerated, I will continue my story next week.

I live in Kansas City, had my surgery in March 2014 at age 58, and SRT in March 2016 after the SRT failed I went to Mayo for the C11 Choline scan and consult with Dr. Kwon at Rochester in January 2017.

The scan found four pelvic lymph nodes involved but no organs or bones.

We agreed to do six cycles of taxotere, 18-24 months of Lupron and 25 more radiation treatments.

I did all my treatments back in KC, returning to Mayo every 3-4 months for a C11 Choline scan and urology consult.

I had full confidence in my radiologist here in KC, latest equipment, top notch radiology team and a willingness to work with me and Mayo on the treatment plan. She built a 3D model, consulted with Mayo on the treatment fields, boosts to the four sites, treatment margins and total dosage.

That may be an option for you, a local radiologist working in concert with Mayo to develop and execute a treatment plan.

Hi Group! I was diognsed with PC at the age of 49. I had surgery to remove the prostate. My Gleason score was a 7. The pathology report indicated that there were tumors on the margin and could not rule out that the cancer may have spread. The first couple of years my PSA was undetectable. The next couple of years it was detectable at .1. The next few years it was .13, .15, .17. This year (8 years post Surgery) it has risen to .22. My Dr wants to do a 3 month follow up PSA and go from there. Initially at the appointment with the .22 reading he discussed an MRI of my pelvic area and meeting with a radioligist oncologist. Then he called me the next day and said let's wait and do a 3 month follow up PSA. I'm debating on whether to get a 2nd opinion.
Thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at an intermediate stage and will visit Mayo in AZ soon to explore their pencil beam therapy. I would like to find out how other Mayo patients in AZ felt about the pencil beam treatment, where they stayed for their therapy, and any suggestions they have. Many thanks.

Responding to @gvanourek , I am currently under pencil beam therapy for similar stage prostate cancer.
I feel blessed to have this therapy at Mayo, and would not discourage you from this course of treatment for any reason. It is gold standard treatment at a world-class facility.

Thanks for these encouraging words. I am very impressed with what I have heard about Mayo. Any side effects of note during or after treatment? Are you local in Phoenix or did you reside in a hotel or condo? Any recommendations for places to stay? Happy to chat if that is easier. Please private message me.