Moronika
General Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Dunrobin on December 30, 2021, 09:36:47 AM
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I was recently diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, which has spread and created a tumor the size of my fist in my right pelvis region. It may have also spread to my adrenal glands and possibly the tail end of my spne (more scans are being set up to verify those.) I am just beginning a treatment to stop the growth of the cancer (and hopefully even shrink it a bit), and we will be looking at surgery and maybe radiation therapy to remove it.
Not exactly the kind of news you want to hear to start your new year off with, but that's life for ya.
I was a wild and crazy youth. I ran away from home to join the Army when I was 17. I lived in the wild out west more than once; I hitch-hiked back and forth across the U.S. many times in the 70s and 80s, and I loved to party. The fact that I ended up surviving into full adulthood without having destroyed my liver, broken any bones or catching a venereal disease is something of a miracle. LOL
So I can't really complain. I've had a lot of fun over the years. I've lived in, vacationed in, or at least traveled through, 38 of the 50 states - most of them by the time I was 30. I've done a wide variety of jobs, including, in no particular order: oil field roustabout, printing press operator, security guard, secretary to the Director of Nursing at a nursing home, gas station cashier, stock clerk, swept up pasta at Prince Spaghetti, purchasing agent at an overhead door manufacturer, patio furniture salesman, steel salesman, dishwasher at a Jewish temple, automotive materials expeditor, internet tech support, web site developer, and of course, whatever the heck I've been doing at the hospital for the last 20 years.
I've always enjoyed the good times, and I've usually gotten through the bad times without complaint. (Well, without too much complaint, anyway) I'm looking at this current situation as just another challenge to overcome. :)
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Rob, I’m keeping you in my prayers. Please keep us updated whenever you see fit. Hopefully they either eradicate the cancer or at the very least, keep this under control. There is hope and I’m glad you’re keeping a positive attitude. From experience seeing my grandfather when he had cancer, that really does have a positive effect on your body.
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Best wishes to you Rob & hopefully you'll beat the cancer....
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Rob, I’m keeping you in my prayers. Please keep us updated whenever you see fit. Hopefully they either eradicate the cancer or at the very least, keep this under control. There is hope and I’m glad you’re keeping a positive attitude. From experience seeing my grandfather when he had cancer, that really does have a positive effect on your body.
Thanks, Doug. Fortunately, no one has been talking about chemotherapy and that was what concerned me the most. I remember how miserable my mother felt when she was going through it, and it seems as though every one I've known who had it went through hell, and looked like it. My father looked like a skeletal version of himself when he died. I'm hoping that once we get it under control through the hormone therapy, they will be able to remove it through surgery and kill off any remaining traces with radiation (which I understand is also not fun but better than the chemo.)
So yeah, I'm keeping a positive attitude. I'm even looking into starting to go to a local gym, as a couple of the side effects from the hormone therapy can be both muscle loss and weight gain - and I'm more than fat enough and out of shape enough already! (Who knows - maybe I'll even finally meet Mr. Right! lol)
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Damn, Rob. I'm sorry that this has happened.
I wish you all the best in the world, and I hope that you can beat this.
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Best wishes to you Rob & hopefully you'll beat the cancer....
Damn, Rob. I'm sorry that this has happened.
I wish you all the best in the world, and I hope that you can beat this.
Thanks, guys. Obviously, I hope so, too, but I've always taken the attitude that something is going to take me out sooner or later - nobody gets out of life alive - so why worry about it. :)
Or, as the brilliant philospher, Alfred E. Newman, said,
(https://threestooges.net/images/whatmeworry.jpeg)
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Dang, sorry to hear this, Rob. We'll be definitely praying and thinking about you! Keep a still upper plate, kid! You can overcome this too!
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Dang, sorry to hear this, Rob. We'll be definitely praying and thinking about you! Keep a still upper plate, kid! You can overcome this too!
Thanks, Paul. I definitely appreciate the good thoughts! :)
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Hope you come out of this. Best wishes.
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So sorry to hear about this. As everyone else has said, I’m hoping for the best for you to overcome this.
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Hope you come out of this. Best wishes.
So sorry to hear about this. As everyone else has said, I’m hoping for the best for you to overcome this.
My thanks to both of you for the kind thoughts. :)
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I apologize, everyone - I knew that I hadn't been on the forum for a while, but it's obviously been a lot longer than I realized.
My doctors started me on hormone suppression therapy last month, which means my body's testostrone production gets shut down. Apparently prostate cancer feeds off of testosterone, so starving it should not only stop the growth of the cancer but may even shrink it some. I have to get an injection every 3 months, plus a daily pill.
Of course, they warn you that there can be side effects, and I initally thought I had a doozy. About three days after first starting the daily pill, I started feeling some "testicular discomfort" (as I euphemistically put it). It basically felt like the aftermath of a good knee to the crotch. It started early Friday evening and finally eased up by Monday, and since I had an appointment with them for the injection on Wednesday I didn't bother to call them. I just kind of assumed it was one of those "side effects". I mentioned it when I was at the doctor's office, but I guess I downplayed it or something, because they didn't follow up on it. I got my infection and went home.
That Friday evening I started feeling some REAL "testicuar discomfort" - like someone was repeatedly kicking me in the nether regions! All day Saturday and most of Sunday I was in agony - pain relievers made it barely tolerable - but by Sunday evening it was easing up and Monday I felt okay again. But what the hell! So I called my urologist and asked him if I wa going to have to keep expecting such "side effects" and what can I take to mitigte it? His response was "Umm, you shouldn't be having ANY pain - anywhere - from these meds. I think you have an infection." So he prescribed some antibiotics and sure enough - the problem went away. lol
But there are side effects. The primary one for me so far, which started recently, is hot flashes. They don't sound like much until you spend a sleepless night dealing with alternately roasting and freezing (while the stupid themometer insists your temperature is perfectly normal.) Hot flashes suck, but fortunately my doctor recommended trying fish oil or flax seed powder first, and that seems to have helped. At least, I haven't had any more of them since I started taking the fill oil pills every day.
Sunday I have to go to the hospital (30 miles away) for an MRI. The doctors are concerned about my adrenal glands, which apparently showed some indications when they did the CT scan in December, and I guess which treatments they recommend will depend on whether the cancer has spread to them.
The joys of growing old. I have even less energy than usual. But other than the above, I'm doing okay.
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Now that your balls are OK, I hope the adrenal gland tests come back negative. This all sucks, but I’m glad, relatively speaking, you’re doing OK. Keeping you in my prayers.
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Now that your balls are OK, I hope the adrenal gland tests come back negative. This all sucks, but I’m glad, relatively speaking, you’re doing OK. Keeping you in my prayers.
Thanks, Doug. Yeah, I've never had a testicular infection before - not sure how I had one now - and I hope I never get one again.
Ironically, I got a call from the hospital this afternoon and it turns out the the damned prior authorization for the MRI has expired - again. They keep issuing the damned thing for 30 thirty days, and then I don't even get the notice about it until two weeks have gone by, which makes it hard to get into the schedule in time. We were kind of prepared for it this time, though - I immediately rescheduled it for three weeks from now, and my doctor's office will re-submit the request next week, so my new appointment should fall into the authroization period this time. In the past I've had to wait because I wasn't sure when the request would be submitted. (Another part of the problem the last couple of times was also trying to schedule around the holidays at last minute notice. I might have been able to make it under the wire this last time if I had gone for the 3 AM appointment they offered me, but I wasn't driving 30 miles into the city at two in the morning.)
Of course, I could still go in this weekend - I'd just have to sign an agreement accepting full responsibility for the bill if the insurance company declined to pay it. Been there, done that, back in the days when I didn't have any insurance; I'm not rushing into major medical debts again it I can help it. lol
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Please keep us updated with the results in three weeks.
A shame getting an appointment is so complicated. 3AM appointments? Yeesh! Surprised those are even offered, but I guess since they have doctors on staff 24 hours, it makes sense.
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Rob, don't let the pills make you too "nutty." That's what Three Stooges shorts are for: keep you smiling. My uncle has prostate cancer, and he basically just'll keep taking the pills as long as it isn't spreading since it's nearly impossible to remove the darned thing because it's just a *wee* bit important. He's been on the pills for years.
You know we'll give you any moral support you need.
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I just realized that it's been a couple of months since I last updated. My apologies - I'm just not normally one of those people who post updates about themselves, so I don't tend to think about it. I also tend to not really notice the passage of time, until something happens to bring it to my attention. (I'm a natural born hermit, and I've worked from home for more than a decade, so one day tends to blend into another, and before I know it weeks or months have passed by.) Fortunately, the news I have is all pretty good.
I finally managed to get my MRI done. I got sneaky the last time that we had the authorization problem, and immediately rescheduled the MRI for three weeks later, then the doctor's office applied to the insurance one more time, and this time we managed to have an active authorization covering the appointment! That was about 5 or 6 weeks ago. I got to say, I'm more claustophobic than I would have thought, but I managed to get through the whole procedure anyway. They put headphones on you so they can communicate with you (it's ridicuously loud in there while they are imaging your innards), and they let you pick what music you want to listen to. Fortunately, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull were able to help me keep my cool during the occasional panic attack.)
I meet with my urologist yesterday to get my three-month jab in the butt with the hormone suppression injection, and to discuss the results of the MRI. I had already reviewed the results in my chart, but it was still nice to have my interpretation of it confirmed by the doctor. When I had the initial CT scan and Whole Body Bone scan done, they were concerned about some apparent abnormalities that turned up, particularly in my adrenal glands, next to the kidneys. The MRI provided a much more detailed view, and those abnormalities turned out to be just some benign cysts. The MRI didn't detect any cancerous tissues beyond the prostate and the pelvic tumor we already know about, so it seems the cancer hasn't spread any further. The hormone suppression therapy seems to have stopped any growth and may have even shrunk the cancer a bit. I'm less conscious of the tumor than I was before we began this therapy, and I recently realized that my urine stream is a bit stronger these days - still not great, but better than it was, which implies that my prostate isn't blocking the flow quite as much.
So, like Paul's uncle, it looks like I'll be on these drugs for at least the next several months. I've got to get some blood work done, and they'll be scheduling another scan in a few more months (he said they normally do them about 6 months apart) to confirm whether the cancer has shurnk.
I still get hot flashes occasionally, but since I started taking the fish oil supplement those hve been a lot less frequent, and usually milder and of shorter duration. Forutnately, the ceiling fan in my bedroon has a remote control, so when one hits in the middle of the night I can just grope for the remote and switch it on until it passes, without getting up. lol
Oh, I do have another piece of heath news. Around the end of February, my brother and his girlfriend both sick, and she started losing her sense of smell and taste. My brother could get a free Covid test at the pharmacy in the store where he works, so he did that and picked up a testing kit for his GF. They both tested positive for COVID-19, and then a day or two later I got sick. I never bothered with a test, but under the circumstances it was pretty obvious that I got it too, although ironically I had the mildest symptons. I felt crappy for a day or two over the weekend, but felt better enough by Monday to sit in front of the computer and do my job like always. I was completely recovered in less than a week, while Sally (the youngest of the three of us) felt bad for two weeks, and wasn't fully recovered until another week or two after that.
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I’m glad the cancer is shrinking and has not spread beyond where initially expected. Very happy to hear some good news and it’s good to know if I ever need a procedure, Ian Anderson might be available.
Thanks for the update, Rob. I’ll continue to keep you in my prayers.
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Surely do appreciate the update, Rob! Just know that we're pulling for you, and are awfully glad to hear that your MRI looks good, and you're starting to feel some improvement. Hang in there! (Yeah, I know that's easy for me to say, but I do mean it).
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I’m glad the cancer is shrinking and has not spread beyond where initially expected. Very happy to hear some good news and it’s good to know if I ever need a procedure, Ian Anderson might be available.
Thanks for the update, Rob. I’ll continue to keep you in my prayers.
Surely do appreciate the update, Rob! Just know that we're pulling for you, and are awfully glad to hear that your MRI looks good, and you're starting to feel some improvement. Hang in there! (Yeah, I know that's easy for me to say, but I do mean it).
Thanks, guys. I truly appreciate the good wishes. Besides the hot flashes, the worst effects of this has been a loss of energy (and I'm a lazy bastard by nature) and a total lack of interest in sex (which is kind of frustrating). But other than that and the usual aches and pains that come from many decades of not taking care of yourself, I'm doing pretty good. lol
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My mom has hot flashes regularly, so I can see how frustrating that can be. I'm glad you are recovering.
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Rob, don't let the pills make you too "nutty." That's what Three Stooges shorts are for: keep you smiling.
Well, those and the shitload of pot I smoke on a daily basis. [pot] [smoke]
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My mom has hot flashes regularly, so I can see how frustrating that can be. I'm glad you are recovering.
Thanks. Ask your mom if she is taking fish oil supplements (https://smile.amazon.com/Triple-Borage-supports-healthy-B00AZ10SQA/dp/B00AZ10SQA?pd_rd_w=iCvH6&pf_rd_p=e19298cc-53cc-437e-954a-a37f25383b20&pf_rd_r=KFT8DQ1XA05NCW0GHBFX&pd_rd_r=50a4fa4d-f1d6-49c1-aae8-ea4cfcd310c7&pd_rd_wg=VclJx&pd_rd_i=B00AZ10SQA&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_12_i). I take 3 of those big pills every day, and while the hot flashes haven't stopped completely they are less frequent and much less intense. (My doctor also recommended flax seed powder, but I haven't tried that.)
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Thanks for the update, Rob. Keep fighting, and I'll keep praying for you on my end!
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I just realized that it's been a couple of months since I last updated. My apologies - I'm just not normally one of those people who post updates about themselves, so I don't tend to think about it.
I can relate, Rob. Great to hear the good news, and hopefully said news keeps getting even better!
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Just a quick update: I got the results of my blood work, and my doctor is very pleased with the results of the hormone suppression therapy so far. My PSA level, which is normally supposed to be at or below 4.500 ng/ml, had shot up to just over 100 ng/ml by this past Dec. 21st, when we started the therapy. My result this week was a reading of 0.158 ng/ml - damned near zero! The PSA is an indicator of cancerous activity, so the low reading means it has been stopped in its tracks (and I have reason to think it may have even shrunk a little.)
I go in for another injection in July (the day before my birthday, no less. Happy birthday, here's a jab in the butt!) They'll do another blood lab then as well, and, depending on those results, I'll probably have to go in for some more imaging scans so they can compare them over several months. I guess at that point they'll be making recommendations on removing it.
So I guess the hot flashes and total loss of interest in sex are worth it, if it keeps the cancer at bay. [scratchchin]
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Great to hear this news, thanks for giving us updates. Hopefully you can still enjoy your birthday this year, despite the circumstances.
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Glad to hear you're doing better Rob. Here's hoping for the day when you're totally cancer free....
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Rob, glad to see you're doing so well. Maybe, just maybe, you'll be one of those tough guys who completely kicks cancer in the nuts. [pie]
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Great to hear this news, thanks for giving us updates. Hopefully you can still enjoy your birthday this year, despite the circumstances.
Glad to hear you're doing better Rob. Here's hoping for the day when you're totally cancer free....
Rob, glad to see you're doing so well. Maybe, just maybe, you'll be one of those tough guys who completely kicks cancer in the nuts. [pie]
Thanks, guys! [stooges]
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Hi everyone!
I know it's been quite a while since I last updated this thread, but to be honest there hasn't really been anything more to say, as everything has been pretty much the same. I've been continuing the treatments, and today I got confirmation that it has been working!
The mass in my right pelvis has shrunk significantly. Originally, it measured 8.0 x 5.2 cm, but today it measured 2.8 x 1.6 cm, It's down to around a tenth of its original size. My enlarged prostate has also gone down a bit, from 6.5 cm across down to 4.9 cm.
So I guess the hot flashes, no sex drive and lack of energy have been worth it. lol I'll post another update after I hear from my doctor on where we go from here.
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I’ve been listening to really long progressive rock live albums this week - a sure sign my sex drive is also gone. [pie]
Glad you’re doing well, Rob. That’s really good news and I hope it continues.
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I’ve been listening to really long progressive rock live albums this week - a sure sign my sex drive is also gone. [pie]
Nonsense. PINK FLOYD RULES! [headbang]
Glad you’re doing well, Rob. That’s really good news and I hope it continues.
Thanks. I haven't heard from the urologist yet, but I'm hoping they'll say it's small enough now to easily remove the remaining bits altogether. :)
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Rob, this is fantastic! Thanks for the update!
Also, yes, Pink Floyd is awesome! But, I've got to get on with these reviews... [pie]
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Metaldams made a comment in a PM that made me realize it's been several months since I posted an update, and since a lot has been happening I decided that I should share it here as well. :)
Just to recap, throughout 2022 I was receiving quarterly injections of a drug call Luprin, and taking a daily dose of bicalumatide, which shuts down the production of testosterone, which is turn starves the prostate cancer. So far, so good, and I even had a consultation in late December with a Radiologist to discuss radiation therapy to finish the cancer off.
But life interfered. It turns out that when you buy a nice, brand-spanking new van from a dealership, they give you the cheapest set of tires they can get away with (at least if you're not paying attention.) We hadn't noticed before, but when winter hit we realized that the tires were practically bald. Radiation therapy would require me to make an 80-mile round trip down into the city for the 20-minute procedure every weekday for a month, and I wasn't prepared to do that in a west Michigan winter on bald tires. So that all got put on hold until we could get new tires (we did, btw) and/or the weather improved.
And in the meantime my work life suddenly became a hell of a lot busier. The hospital I work for decided to shift all of their current database systems into a unified Oracle cloud system, and it has turned out to be a much bigger project than they initially anticipated. They know that I have database and SQL experience (I've been running my own server for the finance department for 20 years), so I got recruited to help them extract data for the conversion. It's (for me, at least,) fun and challenging, as I've never worked with any of those databases before, nor the applications that use them, and they have little or no documentation for them. So I get to blindly grope in the dark, so to speak, trying to figure out where the data we need to extract is stored. It's always so satisfying when you realize that you are finally pulling together the right data! lol
But that's been keeping me distracted, and I suddenly realized this past weekend that I couldn't remember going down to the city in January to get my quarterly Luprin injection. I checked my Google calendar (I've always been absentminded, so I rely on it to remember things I need to do,) but the last entry was for the appt. back in October. I always make my next appt. while I'm there at the urologist's, and I usually enter it into my Google calendar before I leave, but I must have gotten distracted in October and forgot to do it.
So, anyway, I called the urologist's on Monday, told them what happened, and scheduled an appointment for today to get the injection. But when the nurse called me yesterday to confirm the appt., I told her what had happened (apparently whoever I talked to Monday didn't pass it on) and she sort of freaked, since it's been 5 months since my last injection. I guess there's a specific sequence for these injections, and apparently since I went so long since the last one we have to start over again. So I'm re-scheduled now for this coming Tuesday to re-start the injections, and I'll probably have to get more blood work done. Oh well.
So that's my news. I'm feeling okay - I mean other than getting more arthritic, cracking and creaking when I stand up and move, having little energy and absolutely NO sex drive - but otherwise I'm fine. lol
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Rob,
Hard to believe that a drug that stops testosterone production would kill the sex drive. Almost like that stuff is involved in getting a boner.
Hopefully the next medical report is positive!
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Rob,
Hard to believe that a drug that stops testosterone production would kill the sex drive. Almost like that stuff is involved in getting a boner.
Hopefully the next medical report is positive!
It's called "chemical castration" when they give it to sex offenders, but for prostate cancer it's called "hormone suppression therapy." It's effective in both cases. lol
Yeah, I'm hoping I didn't mess up too much by being absent-minded. I'll know more next week.
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Definitely keep us updated some more Rob. Hopefully this injection procedure gets back on track and everything is fine. You’re in my prayers.
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It's been a long time since I've been on here. Sorry to hear about your illness. I hope that you get to feeling better soon.