PSA down to .04

@vancouverislandhiker
Oh no, now it’s at .04.
I’ve had surgery on May 22, Firmagon starting August 6, Abiraterone starting on Sept 11, and radiation from Sept 17-Nov 7.

@johndavis60

WOOOOOWWW ! I LOVE IT !!! < 3 Oh my ! : ))))
Painting is BEUTIFUL John - and you just started painting !???? Amazing ! One of my favorite styles is impressionism : ))) - how lovely !!! < 3 : ))))
Did you know that you have such artistic abilities before all of this happened ? You should really be proud and never stop painting !!!! My father was painter (amateur but recognized by fellow artists in our town) and I am pretty good at drawing (I was actually studying architecture for a year before I changed my major to biology ) and always thought about trying painting but I never did. Always knew I could never compare to my father, but that is silly reason now that I turned 62 lol ). You really got that dance of light amazingly well !!!! : ))).
THANKS so much for sharing < 3 ! : )))

@vancouverislandhiker
I did read your profile Which told me about a number of things, but not your Gleason score or whether anything else was found in your biopsy. Most people don’t fill out any profile, but it really makes it easier to comment on their condition if they make a detailed one.

I suspect your Gleason score was seven, which is why your doctors don’t recommend ADT.

If you have another reoccurrence, that’s when they do it. I had surgery 3 1/2 years later, PSA rising, had radiation. They did give me ADT before the radiation, But only for the radiation. I went 2 1/2 years after that with no ADT. When it came back a 2nd time they put me on ADT.

Sounds similar to your case. Hopefully you don’t have a rise in PSA and can stay at that .0 “something” range.

My father died of Prostate cancer in 2008 at 88. He did get on Lupron after radiation And one day he said to me, “Lupron stopped working”. I did not really understand at that time what it was about since I didn’t have prostate cancer knowledge yet. He died in a lot of pain. As you said, if he was able to get the drugs we get, he would have lived a lot longer.

@jeffmarc Yes, you are right . Befor surgery they called in 4+3 , but after surgery they called it 3+4 , with a slight 'recent' 2mm extrusion from the Prostate , that "looked" very recent , the Surgeon said. He said he took tissue and lymph samples from all over my Pelvic region and they all turned up negative for any cancer cells. After the operation the PSa went down from 4.4 PSA to about 0.07 or so , then over about 2.5 year climbed to 0.14 . At 0.14 the RO said to me "... we can wait for it to rise to 0.2 or 0.4 , but im positive these cells are in your pelvic region. Let go pedal to the metal and get rid of them ! , this is what I would do if it were me " So 22 sessions about 2.5 years ago and no ADT by his request. I am praying that my PSA does not rise from here. I was the caregiver for my father 25 to 28 years ago. Back-and-forth to appointments and back-and-forth to palliative care once his cancer got very bad. He always told me to get my PSA checked and to visit the doctor every year for sure to get a physical. Despite him being a chemical engineer, and very smart, he didn't like doctors too much and didn't see a need for them. On one of his overseas trips, it was mandatory that he get a physical for his company's medical. That's when they discovered he had prostate cancer. I can't remember exactly what his PSA was, but I know he had left it way too long. The odd thing is, he had absolutely no symptoms as well. He elected for the external BM radiation and then was put on ADT when that became available. I don't know what type of ADT he was on, but it only lasted for about a year or so, and there was no backup. This experience has left some scars with me. My GP says that I suffer from post traumatic stress and anxiety because of the situation. Yes, I was there the night he died. I can still smell the hospital, hear the machines working, and the clank of metal on the various pans around his bed. I covered his body with a light sheet after he passed away and said a prayer for him as he was a good father to me. Unfortunately, when I got prostate cancer, I did not act or deal with it effectively. I was a mess for a couple months. It's strange because I was trained as a commercial pilot and trained to function under severe stressful situations. Yes, I can fly a commercial airline under very demanding and stressful situations, but when it comes to Cancer, I have a real tough time dealing with it. Since I am into this for more than 5 1/2 years, I have taken on some people that have been newly diagnosed. I want to get back to the community, I feel it's my obligation. One of the fellows that I'm dealing with right now, he's only 50 years old and has a Gleeson nine or 10. We're still trying to figure that out. The PMAPET scan does not look good. He has been offered a trial called a., GUNS TRIAL , at UBC and Vancouver General Hospital. I had my operation at the Royal Columbia Hospital, just outside of Vancouver 5 1/2 years ago, that was about the same timeframe as when I was building my house on Vancouver Island. I am semi retired now on Vancouver Island and travel and work abroad for about five months out of the year, mostly in southern Europe and southeast Asia. I would likely to be based out of Manila, Clarke, Air Force Base, and Cebu this winter for about four months. I will update my profile 🙂 God Bless Sir ! James

Reply to @vancouverislandhiker

I can understand your stress at this point. After your father’s history and your own reoccurrence, it’s never something you can stop and let go. The first six or seven years I also was anxious about everything going on with my treatment and my reoccurrence problems. There’s just nothing you can do but wait for the next test, and that was a stressful wait for me back then, and for you now.

Almost 5 years ago, I started really getting informed about as much as I could about prostate cancer treatment. I knew I would need it after four reoccurrences and finding out I was BRCA2.. It just became natural to help other people since I learn so much all the time, Might as well tell other people, the same things I was learning. Like the 50 years I spent in the computer field, Always learning new things keeping up with the latest going on, a constant challenge. So is PC With the constantly evolving treatments and drugs?

It’s interesting how so many people in this forum have/had quasi technical jobs. So many people don’t do much about their prostate cancer, but people in here want to know as much as they can find out. Part of that technical background, needing to get answers.

You are in a good position, Your PSA is staying stable and even if it were to rise the drugs available would keep you going for decades. That slow growing, 3+4 is really beneficial in the long-term. I know lots of people with BRCA2 that have higher Gleason scores than I have. They have much more aggressive prostate cancer than I have with my 4+3. Mine is slow growing, but I have to stay on the drugs, or it comes back quickly. No drug holidays here.

Keep the faith.

Jeff

@surftohealth88 thanks Surfer! I actually took a painting class in my first year of college back in 1994. I painted this picture of King Tut in that class, but after college I took a long hiatus from painting, but getting back into it now. I really find it’s very beneficial to my mental health and sort of a temporary escape from prostate cancer.

@jeffmarc Thanks for your time in commenting Jeff . I have watch your comments for a long time , and you provide great support for PC guys like me . Good for you for doing this ! Vast experience you have !
Your so correct, given my history with PC and caring for my father , boy, I have the 'stress factor' bad . It all started 5 1/2 year ago with my diagnosis . If fact , I was so petrified of getting PC, I would go to a Urologist every year after my yearly physical , just so he could say "everything is good James ! " . The URO appointments went well for about 10 years or so , until 5.5 years ago when the URO Dr went into the corner of the office and said " I think you may have the start of Cancer brewing here , if it is we treat it , if not , we know then . What do you think of your latest yearly PSA test James?" . I told him it was up 30% for no reason and I didnt like that . Biopsy came back as positive and 4+3 in some cores . It later turned out to be 3+4 after surgery . But , wow, trying times for sure . Thanks for understanding .

Yes , I was tested right away with the Dr testing me for all known DNA errors and BRCA2 . I was negative for all of the known DNA mutations . Go figure huh ?

My position is fine you think? I have another PSA test on the 18th of November , then URO appointment on Nov 28th . It appears to be going sideways at 0.069 for lower like 0.041 and so on . The Dr ( my GP) said its a non issue as your talking about the 1000th decimal place and subject to error and reading day . Maybe he is right ? the 3+4 is not too bad , but I didnt like that 2mm extrusion from Prostate . The Dr's dont seem to be too concerned about it as they said "no invasion in tissues around Prostate and no Lymph invasion, which leads the team to conclude it just happened not long before operation ... " . Simple for them to say this , but it was still a breach ! I worry ! Your 4+3 is slow growing , and with all the miracle drugs coming out now, gosh , I hope they can exterminate the PC cells for good one day ! My email is javar88@yahoo.ca , if you would like it . If you could give me a email on the 18th or 19th that would be great . That way we could communicate and I can ask you questions about my most recent PSA . I hope your OK with this . Keep helping the Reluctant Brotherhood here ... you do great work and you deserve the praise ! Thank-you for all you do with yoru knowledge and compassion ! James on Vancouver Island.

@johndavis60
OMG - this is beyond fantastic !!!! < 3 What was your major actually ? : )))
King Tut painting is truly AMAZING - what medium did you use ? It looks "alive", honestly. < 3
What can I say - great talent indeed ... NEVER stop painting and thanks for sharing ! < 3 : ))) Can not wait to see any future work you do !

@surftohealth88
I started out with a graphic design major at Finger Lakes Community College, which is a 2 year school. Took painting as an elective. I transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology and changed my major to computer science. For the paintings I always use oil paint. I always felt I had more control over oil vs water. Thanks 🙂

@vancouverislandhiker

Yes, the diagnosis part threw me- I am 73 and thought I was pretty healthy- cycle swim surf etc..but I thought I had either kidney stones or lingering UTI..urologist finally did PSA test and it was 60- biopsy Gleason 8 ..got going immediately with ADT July 11 and by early October, PSA was < .02 ( with 2.5 weeks radiation).

But the emotional toll on me has been great...I am making peace with it..the hot flashes are a nuisance and some fatigue but overall..I guess I am outwardly ok...I have always been so healthy and strong, this is just very hard to accept.

But I am gonna soldier on and see it thru...my new doc thinks I am doing pretty well...so maybe I will beat it ! But it will exact a price for sure