Lastest Update

This is part of a recent e-mail I sent to a relative giving an update on how I'm
doing.


Thanks for your concern and prayers. My mobility is increasing to where
my walking is about back to normal. That is normal for a 65 year old (not as good
as when I was 25). I am noticing that I tend to need more rest and a good
45 minute to an hour nap late morning/early afternoon is needed. However that
is really not new as I've operated on that principle for many years (except the
naps are getting a bit longer--well a good bit longer). I notice I'm still physically
weaker than normal but seems to be gaining there also.

The shots I received about 3 weeks ago seem to be working (am getting some
very mild hot flashes) and will be getting another shot next weekend (July 21).
Over the next six months or so I'll be getting some of the scans redone to monitor
the growth (hopefully shrinking) of the cancer. The shots are helping me to sleep
on my back again (a problem before).

I am active walking and swimming and working on various research, writing and art
projects. I have started going back to church services and other social activities.
I have resigned from my part time job. Physical labor to any great extent may be a
part of the past for me.

My attitude is good not depressed--there's too much to do for that. I desire to make the
most of the time I still have whether its 5 or 10 years or more or less. Still have things
I want to do. I thank God that I've had the amount of time on this Earth that I've had.
I am looking forward to Heaven but I think that is still a ways off.

Last Two Weeks

This past two weeks have been difficult for me physically.
On June 15 as I worked at my job I noticed that I was slowing
down and looked forward to the end of the day--10:30 PM
even more than usual. I wasn't able to work the next day
as scheduled. I physically wasn't able to. I was no longer
able-bodied. The next several days I had difficulty walking
around the apartment and has a great deal of lower back pain.
I thought somehow I had a slipped disc or herniated disc in my
back. I called one of the pastors of the church and asked if
they had a walker I could borrow. This is a senior's church
and they did and he brought it over and was very useful over
the next several days. (It's a cool one with wheels and
bicycle hand brakes).

I called my doctor--the radiologist and she approved an MRI
and a bone scan. I had the MRI scan last Sunday, June 16
and the bone scan (with some additional x-rays) on Thursday,
June 20. Providentially I was able to get an appointment
with the doctor the next day, Friday, June 21. The MRI was
somewhat unclear on what it showed but the bone scan
revealed that my prostrate cancer had spread
into my bones, basically in my thorax (ribs, spine, shoulders
and pelvis).

The doctors and I discussed my situation. When I started
IMRT (radiation) treatments in Nov. 2011 I had a 50/50%
chance of a cure. I was given some secondary hormone (Lupronen)
shots that helped to radically decrease the PSA levels. However,
I had to discontinue those shots because of the massive expense
involved. On Friday, I did agree to some new medical injections that
should (in the stomach) be helpful in retarding the
growth of the cancer. I will (thanks to Medicare) be resuming the
Lupronen shots in a month. My doctors are operating on the
premise that my back pain problems are cancer-related rather
than mechanical and structural. The scans were not showing
disc problems.

The cancer at this point is not life threatening. My cancer
experience at this time is a management phase and a
"quality of life" issue. I am currently walking without the
walker but a lot slower and less far (I'm starting to do some noodle
swimming). Over the past two weeks my appetite dropped off-
lose 9 lbs. during that time. Not that I couldn't stand to lose
some weight but that just a hard way to do it.

For those of you who value the power of prayer there are two
things I've appreciate prayer on now. One is that the treatment
regiment I'm embarking on would be effective in giving me a
decent quality of life. Second, about a decision whether to try to
continue with my part time custodial job. It has proved to be a
small but important source of income and would prefer not to
give it up. It is a physical labor job and whether I can continue with
it is problematic. Pray for a good decision and sources of
replacement income if that becomes necessary.

Once again I appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I go through
this next stage of life.

God bless you,
Don

News Update

 April 15, 2013

This afternoon I had an appointment with my radiogist. My
PSA (from a blood test this March) has had risen again from
a previous blood test in December. This is a sign the prostate
cancer may still be active. PSA is Prostate Specific Antegon.

I was on Luponen shots (basically female hormones) as I
was going through my radiation  treatments last year and
they suppressed the male hormone production which lowers
the PSA. Because of the cost involved I had to forgo the shots.

However next month I will be 65 and am going on Medicare.
I'm looking at Medicare Supplemental insurance
(as well as Medicare A & B) plus prescription
program. This is coming in time to help fight the
cancer. I will be going back on Luponen shot (oh, boy
"warm flashes" again).

There will be other treatments that I will go through
and will keep you posted on them.

I appreciate you thoughts and prayers as I continue
on this journey. I am overall doing well. I continue
with my part-time job, am just winding up a three
year tenure as president of the local genealogy society,
am publishing a magazine, comic books, doing artwork
(on my new I-Pad) and am physically active and am not
in pain (oh, except for an occasional backache :).

God bless,

Don

News Update

In June 2012 I had another blood test to check my PSA level. It was
good news (very good news). A year ago my PSA level was around 12.
As of mid-June it was now 0.2. This is where it should be at this point
perhaps even better than expected.

The treatment side effects are starting to subside. It was a bit longer than I
thought they would take. I continue to do my usual schedule with part-time
work and other activities. I will be having another PSA blood test in
September.

Once again thanks for your kind thought and prayers.

Don

Treatment Update

Some folks have asked me how I'm doing at this point. I have had some side effects from the treatments. These side effects are slowly going away. Probably the major issue is just the great expense of the treatments.

I am able to go about my daily and weekly schedule normally. I continue social activities, various writing and art projects, exercising and my part-time job. I have a convention over Memorial Day weekend and another (in San Diego) in July that I will be attending and participating in.

I will be having a follow up meeting with my doctor at the end of June. Once again thanks for our prayers and concerns.

IMRT Finished!!

As of yesterday I completed my radiation treatments at University Medical Center (UMC). These have been going on since my last post on November 21. The radiation was divided up into two sections. The first 23 treatments covered a more widely dispersed area (lymph nodes, seminal vesicles and area around the prostate) and the last sixteen were more specifically concentrated  on the prostate itself.

As far as side effects are concerned they have been relatively minor. The radiation did cause a continuing flare up of hemorrhoids. I actually found out I had hemorrhoids a few years ago when I had a colonsocopy. With the hemorrhoids I experienced painful and difficult bowel movement. I have been using Suppositories (HC), Preparation H and medicated pads (witch hazel) to deal with the hemorrhoids. More frequent urination (caused by radiation irritation of the bladder) was another side effect. There is some fatigue associated with the treatments. However what other folks have experienced these are relatively minor problems.

While the IMRT is a long procedure (39 treatments--five days a week) the actual telling of the results will take much longer. Finding out how effective the radiation has been depends on the PST (Prostate Specific Antigen) count. It will be some months before I will have a reliable PSA count. This is even more complicated because i've had several Lupin shots which artificially reduces the PSA count.

More often than not, I drove myself to the treatments, I did have several folks (some from my local church) take me in on several occasions. This was a real blessing on several levels. First it allowed me to have a day off from the stress of driving and also it provided an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with folks I hadn't known well. Two of my male drivers were prostate cancer survivors. We had a lot in common.

I have continued with my work with Green Valley Recreation through this time. Overall I believe that this treatment regimen will be effective in dealing with the cancer. I feel well (people say I look good-I haven't lost my hair:). Actually I have lost some hair but not where you will see it! I'm looking forward to getting back to a more normal diet (I was put on a low fiber diet) and more frequent exercise. Also I'm looking forward to have more time to work on various projects.

I want to thank each one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this times. I very much appreciate it. I am including a couple of photos with me in one of the radiation machines from which I received my  treatments. One photo shows me in the "bed" just after my treatment. They uses a thick plastic to vacuum seal my lower extremities  to the table (90 pound per inch). The other photo shows the "bed" that was perfectly formed to my body to help precisely target the prostate with the radiation beams. I will probably send out another report when I have more specific results. I do have a follow up doctor appointment for Feb. 22. Once again thanks for your concern and prayers. God bless you.

Radiation Treatments Beginning

(Nov 21. 2011)
While I've written some of this already here is a run down on my prostate cancer situation. At the end of last year (2010) I had a routine blood test for my annual physical. My doctor spotted that I had an elevated PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) count. This can be an indication of prostate cancer. This lead to my getting a prostate biopsy in early April (the delay was caused by health insurance issues). The biopsy showed that I did indeed have prostate cancer (much to my surprise though not shock). I received some counseling by the attending urologists on treatment options. During the next two months I received a second opinion and studied prostate cancer and its various treatments. The book "Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" by Dr. Patrick Walsh proved to be very helpful in the evaluation process. I also spoke with many men who have had prostate cancer and the treatment methods they chose. This also proved very helpful.

By the end of June I decided to go with IMRT (Intense Modulated Radiation Therapy). IMRT is a long range treatment that is effective in a very high percent of the cases. In order to get into this type of treatment I had a CT scan and a bone scan (during July). These scans were done to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the prostate itself (into the lymphatic system and bones). The results on both scans were negative. At the end of August I was given a Lupron shot. This shot is done to suppress the making of male hormones which the prostate cancer cells feed on. There is a two month gap between the Lupron shot and when the radiation can actually happen. During this time I had some gold inserts placed beside the prostate (an outpatient procedure) and another CT scan (I received three small tattoos on my lower abdomen). The gold inserts and the CT scan are for correct radiation beam targeting and planning. After the CT scan (Nov 1) the radiation technicians spent several weeks planning my treatments.

Also in October I began a hospital sponsored small group course called "The Seven Levels of Healing." This group meets once a week through November and takes different aspects of the cancer experience and is facilitated by a registered nurse and a hospital social worker. Some of the sessions have proved very helpful and I appreciate getting to know other cancer patients and family members.

At this point I am feeling fine. I continue doing my part time job and my daily activities pretty much normally. I do have some "hot flashes" from the Lupron injection.



So today (November 21) I'm starting my radiation treatments which will continue for two months (five days a week for two months.