Prostate cancer update....

G

Glenn/RZ500

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...had my annual sit down with my radiation oncologist last Monday at Durham Cancer Center/Lakeridge, bloodwork done 2 weeks prior. All is good five years on. I`ve mentioned I was diagnosed in Aug. of `20, had brachytherapy and 15 external beam radiation treatments a few months following diagnosis, Dec.`20 to Jan.`21. My PSA #`s are running at 1.8 plus/minus for 5 years, I figure some of us here have dealt with cancer or have family or friends hit by this horrid F`n disease. Stay on top of your screening gentlemen, it`s easy to do. I had an aggressive level of cancer and had no indication anything was wrong, had I ignored it I`d have met a quite unpleasant demise by now. If you`re 50 plus,....take care of business.
 
TK4 said:
I was diagnosed about 5 years ago as well. At this point the doctor says it's something I'll die with rather than from. Get checked out, what's the worst that can happen ?
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There`s lots of variables with prostate cancer. A percentage of men do die with it but not from it, mostly at a well advanced age. If it metastasizes, spreads to other parts of your body, as would have happened to me,....you`re in serious trouble. Get checked is right, like a .50 cal. machine gun, it`s nothing to be F`d with. It kills lots of men.
 
Lightcycle said:
Dad diagnosed with prostate cancer about 15 years ago, mom diagnosed with breast cancer about 30 years ago. Both survivors, but I know I'm high-risk so I get the finger up the bum regularly. Also, I get my prostate checked by my doctor every year.
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Well played. Prostate cancer is nothing to die of embarrassment about, lots of men just don`t want to do it. Ya gotta` wonder...we have x-rays, CT scans, MRI`s and Ultrasound yet the DRE is king.
 
ToSlow said:
I would be afraid my wiener would get over cooked by the radiation.
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That explains my puzzled look when they handed me the squeeze mustard. I got 4 blue dot tattoos, positioning markers, to ensure accuracy with the external beam radiation circular ray gun. One above my navel, another mid groin and one on each hip, line `em up and zap away. The treatment took about 20 minutes, daily M-F for 3 weeks. The bad part was my daily 2.5 hr. round trip. The initial brachytherapy was more involved, I was knocked out for 4ish hours, had gold seeds implanted in my prostate and zapped with high intensity radiation. In at 6am, out noon-ish. During the whole process the only bit of slight discomfort was the prostate biopsy, sounds worse by far than it was. The team at the DRCC was superb, I`m forever grateful, they saved my life. That whole journey, as corny as it sounds, changed me for all time. I see everything from a new perspective. I hope my account can help anyone here facing a fight with that SOB cancer.
 
nobbie48 said:
A lot of people want to think they're invincible. They aren't and being pro-active is the way to go.
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It`s the only way to go. I actually cancelled my first appointment for my prostate biopsy. I`d built up big anxiety and trepidation and bailed out. The thought of getting a needle/freezing up the hoop, followed by some little pickle grabber thing :eek: taking tiny bites out of my prostate in a number of locations identified by a CT scan got to me. As I mentioned, all for nothing, a zero event. I talked with the OR Nurse during the whole procedure...about birds, while the Doc. did his thing, over in no time. All I actually felt was a vague kind of pressure, no pain. That was at Peterborough, PRHC, again a tremendous team helped me there too. If any men here are looking at this in their future, I hope this puts their mind at ease, you`ll be in competent and caring hands...no worries. (y) I`d like to add that from diagnosis to prep for the procedures and the day of, you are given a ton of information to deal with...rather overwhelming compounded by the worry and stress I had. Again,...I was guided one step at a time, the teams were super empathetic, calm and caring.
 
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The local plumber up at the cottage was tough, take no BS from anyone, type of guy. Never went to the doctor, never sick, no need to.

When his abdominal and hip joint pain became so bad he could not soldier on he went to the MD and after a series of tests found out he had Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.

Over the next 3 years his treatments failed and he became bed ridden, incontinent, no money for respite care or supplemental home care and he hung on for many many months. Terrible situation for him and his family.

Regular PSA blood tests and digital exams would likely have caught this earlier, before the spread to other areas of the body and would have improved his chances of survival.
 
ReSTored said:
The local plumber up at the cottage was tough, take no BS from anyone, type of guy. Never went to the doctor, never sick, no need to.

When his abdominal and hip joint pain became so bad he could not soldier on he went to the MD and after a series of tests found out he had Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.

Over the next 3 years his treatments failed and he became bed ridden, incontinent, no money for respite care or supplemental home care and he hung on for many many months. Terrible situation for him and his family.

Regular PSA blood tests and digital exams would likely have caught this earlier, before the spread to other areas of the body and would have improved his chances of survival.
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I have a friend who is afraid of doctors and needles. He's approaching the age where things can start happening. He is screwed if he gets a disability as he and his family are living large on cash flow from his work. No investment stash.

Taking a bit of time and money to maintain your vehicle costs a bit. Not taking the time and money costs a lot more. Your body is the same.
 
My grandfather died of colon cancer. I am trying to get proactively screened (scope or poo on a stick) as I am getting older (and it will make my mom happy as my grandfather was a farmer and like most farmers, left things way too long and it wasn't discovered in time to intervene). Unfortunately, until you are 50, it isn't that easy to get. If my father had it, I can get tested. If I had symptoms, I can get tested. If I was 50, I can get tested. I'm following up next week to see if I am in purgatory, declined or if something will happen. My guess is purgatory.
 
GreyGhost said:
My grandfather died of colon cancer. I am trying to get proactively screened (scope or poo on a stick) as I am getting older (and it will make my mom happy as my grandfather was a farmer and like most farmers, left things way too long and it wasn't discovered in time to intervene). Unfortunately, until you are 50, it isn't that easy to get. If my father had it, I can get tested. If I had symptoms, I can get tested. If I was 50, I can get tested. I'm following up next week to see if I am in purgatory, declined or if something will happen. My guess is purgatory.
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Correct about the olde tyme farmers, they were hard people, I had a number in my family. I`ve had a number of scopes, I`d take that over poop on a stick if you can arrange it. Somehow I figured you are around my age,68, wouldn`t your grandfather be family history enough to qualify? The scope procedure is nothing really, I had a gastro and hoop scope last July, same time,...have a snooze and come home. The colonoscopy prep for me is now predictable, drink the juice and power wash the toilet for a while, `ain`t that bad. Whatever the outcome, you`ll be OK, this part of the medical system still works well, as did my trip thru the prostate cancer system. Stay mellow, you`ve got this. (y)
 
Glenn/RZ500 said:
Correct about the olde tyme farmers, they were hard people, I had a number in my family. I`ve had a number of scopes, I`d take that over poop on a stick if you can arrange it. Somehow I figured you are around my age,68, wouldn`t your grandfather be family history enough to qualify? The scope procedure is nothing really, I had a gastro and hoop scope last July, same time,...have a snooze and come home. The colonoscopy prep for me is now predictable, drink the juice and power wash the toilet for a while, `ain`t that bad. Whatever the outcome, you`ll be OK, this part of the medical system still works well, as did my trip thru the prostate cancer system. Stay mellow, you`ve got this. (y)
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I'm a few decades younger. According to my family doc, grandfather is not sufficient family history to qualify. They need mother or father (or maybe sibling?) with cancer to advance timelines. I am not worried about the camera. It's better to catch things early.
 
Just a comment in that a FIT test is a basic, non invasive, screening test.

If the FIT test indicates a problem, you'd then have a colonoscopy.

Lifelabs will do a FIT test for $75. No MD needs to be involved, order kit online.

FIT Testing – LifeLabs

www.lifelabs.com www.lifelabs.com
 
ReSTored said:
Just a comment in that a FIT test is a basic, non invasive, screening test.

If the FIT test indicates a problem, you'd then have a colonoscopy.

Lifelabs will do a FIT test for $75. No MD needs to be involved, order kit online.

FIT Testing – LifeLabs

www.lifelabs.com www.lifelabs.com
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Thanks. I didn't know pay yourself was an option. If doc says public path is declined, I'll buy the kit.
 
GreyGhost said:
My grandfather died of colon cancer. I am trying to get proactively screened (scope or poo on a stick) as I am getting older (and it will make my mom happy as my grandfather was a farmer and like most farmers, left things way too long and it wasn't discovered in time to intervene). Unfortunately, until you are 50, it isn't that easy to get. If my father had it, I can get tested. If I had symptoms, I can get tested. If I was 50, I can get tested. I'm following up next week to see if I am in purgatory, declined or if something will happen. My guess is purgatory.
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That's another friend's story. No use for doctors and avoided them for almost four decades. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Then he fainted and a blood test had white blood cell readings off the scale. Colon cancer, two operations and he's alive a decade + later. Radiation did things to his nerves so trouble walking.
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