Ike's progress up to now.

Hi guys,
Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
problems so far, we are very lucky.
I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.

God bless you all and all of us.
Charlotte

"orchids58" <orchids58@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1184575623.032502.220250@k79g2000hse.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi guys,
> Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
> problems so far, we are very lucky.
> I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
> up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
> are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.
>
> God bless you all and all of us.
> Charlotte
>

No problems at all? That's great!

To what does he attribute such a fantastic outcome? Water? Exercise?
Sleep? Medicine?

On Jul 16, 3:47 am, orchids58 <orchid...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi guys,
> Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
> problems so far, we are very lucky.
> I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
> up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
> are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.
>
> God bless you all and all of us.
> Charlotte

Get one right after the treatment is completed, with or without
your doctor's order so you have a baseline figure compare to
as time goes on. In my case, I wished I had one done JUST BEFORE
my treatment, because right after my treatment was done, the PSA
was much higher (6 months prior to treatment I was at 7.4, then
6 weeks after treatment I was at 14).

"cmdrdata" <cmdrdata@mail.com> wrote in message
news:1184594878.891216.175630@k79g2000hse.googlegr oups.com...
> On Jul 16, 3:47 am, orchids58 <orchid...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Hi guys,
>> Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
>> problems so far, we are very lucky.
>> I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
>> up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
>> are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.
>>
>> God bless you all and all of us.
>> Charlotte
>
> Get one right after the treatment is completed, with or without
> your doctor's order so you have a baseline figure compare to
> as time goes on. In my case, I wished I had one done JUST BEFORE
> my treatment, because right after my treatment was done, the PSA
> was much higher (6 months prior to treatment I was at 7.4, then
> 6 weeks after treatment I was at 14).
>

I have never heard this advice before Commander. What purpose does an
immediate, and clearly significantly altered, PSA serve?

I did have one immediately prior to EBRT. It did not serve much purpose, as
I had already decided on EBRT when my PSA was 0.37. However, that 0.75 went
a long way to reassuring myself that I was making the right decision.

My first post-EBRT PSA was back down to 0.34 and very satisfying.




--
PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years
EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years
Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after
PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years
Casodex added daily 07/06
PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04 (06/12/2007)
Non Illegitimi Carborundum

On Jul 16, 9:48 am, "Steve Kramer" <skra...@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
> "cmdrdata" <cmdrd...@mail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1184594878.891216.175630@k79g2000hse.googlegr oups.com...
>
>
>
> > On Jul 16, 3:47 am, orchids58 <orchid...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> Hi guys,
> >> Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
> >> problems so far, we are very lucky.
> >> I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
> >> up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
> >> are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.
>
> >> God bless you all and all of us.
> >> Charlotte
>
> > Get one right after the treatment is completed, with or without
> > your doctor's order so you have a baseline figure compare to
> > as time goes on. In my case, I wished I had one done JUST BEFORE
> > my treatment, because right after my treatment was done, the PSA
> > was much higher (6 months prior to treatment I was at 7.4, then
> > 6 weeks after treatment I was at 14).
>
> I have never heard this advice before Commander. What purpose does an
> immediate, and clearly significantly altered, PSA serve?
>
> I did have one immediately prior to EBRT. It did not serve much purpose, as
> I had already decided on EBRT when my PSA was 0.37. However, that 0.75 went
> a long way to reassuring myself that I was making the right decision.
>
> My first post-EBRT PSA was back down to 0.34 and very satisfying.
>
> --
> PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
> Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
> RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
> PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years
> EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
> PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years
> Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after
> PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years
> Casodex added daily 07/06
> PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04 (06/12/2007)
> Non Illegitimi Carborundum


Steve, the reason I suggested geting one done right away
is more for peace of mind and knowing that the EBRT did
something good. Since my PSA reading was 7.4 six months
before EBRT, and then 14 something 6 weeks after EBRT,
I DON'T KNOW if my PSA doubled just before treatment
or due to treatment. Interestingly, the other patients in
my study protocol ALL have immediate drop to much
lower numbers. None of them showed a spike up like
mine. It has baffled the rad onc, and he too wished that I
had taken a new PSA baseline just before treatment.

On Jul 16, 3:47 am, orchids58 <orchid...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi guys,
> Ike finished his 38 treatments and is doing well. He is having no
> problems so far, we are very lucky.
> I don't know when he goes for PSA, I am not sure he even has it set
> up. When do you normally have this done after radiation treatments
> are done. It will be 5 years since his RPx July 18.
>
> God bless you all and all of us.
> Charlotte

Hi Guys, again I am back, just to say he has an appointment with his
urologist Sept 19, 3 months from end of treatments for PSA test and he
did have one right before radiation that had gone up to .3.
I also want to tell you he climbed a 2 mile up and 2 mile down hill
(whatever, very high) with our son and his family last Tuesday ouside
Seattle at Rattlesnake lake. They made a few rest stops, in 1 hour and
45 min.

I also wanted you to know he is doing fine in the bedroom department
without any help from pills or anything ( well still a little
vaseline Curtis we haven't gotten further than it yet. We forget
about trying out other lubricants until its to late.

I am not bragging on him, I am just saying there is hope even when he
and I both thought that after his RPx and his 38 radiation treatments
it would be the end each time. I think that is so important to him,
you guys, we love you period.

He has no frequent unrination, day or night. His bowels are back to
normal, but we keep an eye out for constipation, no straining I
know.

I am sorry I am not writing this for all of you guys, thats the
heartbreaker. He does worry constantly about dying, and having cancer
still, which is his worse problem. We are Catholic, and I wish he
could take it in his stride, he would be mentally healther if he
could. I know, more easy said than done.

His sister is in hospital after surgery for cancer removal in Kidney
and area, still has one, but we will learn more later after pathology
report where she stands.

Now all 7 of his siblings have had cancer and 3 are left, lung cancer
for rest, kidney for his mom and prostate for his dad who was 85 when
he died. I think his mom was 78. His dad was born in 1881 , wow
thats a kicker. The brothers were 60 to 71 when they died. ( 6 boys,
1 girl.)

He had a light night sweat last night and that scares him, its usually
a sign of cancer he thinks. I will be 67 on Sunday, and have nights
sweats off and on my whole life after a small illness of some sort.

Ike will be 70 on Sept. 5. His weight went down to 165, but is
starting to come back a little now.

God be with us all.
Charlotte

"orchids58" <orchids58@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1184675222.515604.84430@e16g2000pri.googlegro ups.com...

> Hi Guys, again I am back, just to say he has an appointment with his
> urologist Sept 19, 3 months from end of treatments for PSA test and he
> did have one right before radiation that had gone up to .3.
> I also want to tell you he climbed a 2 mile up and 2 mile down hill
> (whatever, very high) with our son and his family last Tuesday ouside
> Seattle at Rattlesnake lake. They made a few rest stops, in 1 hour and
> 45 min.

Four 25-minute miles is damned good right after radiation.

> I am not bragging on him, I am just saying there is hope even when he
> and I both thought that after his RPx and his 38 radiation treatments
> it would be the end each time.

You have a great deal to brag about.

> He had a light night sweat last night and that scares him, its usually
> a sign of cancer he thinks.

I have never heard of that being a symptom of cancer, nor a side effect of
anything but HT. Tell him he's almost 70 and the body does strange things
at that age; but it's not because of prostate cancer.

> I will be 67 on Sunday

Happy Birthday, Charlotte!!