3 Month Post CyberKnife Update Results
Comments
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TricareBeau2 said:Insurance
Kongo,
At one time you said you were on Tricare. Would that be Tricare Standard with a supplement?
I'm looking at doing some insurance switching, and am considering going back on Tricare. Where I once lived it was hard to find doctors who would take Tricare. I'm getting closer to retirement and being Medicare eligible, so Tricare for life (or whatever its called) is beginning to look more attractive.
Beau,
I use Tricare Standard. I haven't had any difficulty at all getting any doctor, specialist, or facility to accept Tricare and everything I did with respect to prostate cancer was covered. Of course, I am in the San Diego area with a large population of retired military in the area so it's kind of a no-brainer here. I used to have a supplement but my employer no longer carries that as an option based upon a nuance of the 2007 defense authorization bill. I just pay the difference, it's not that much for me and I can go anywhere.
BTW, if you are a Vietnam era vet and did time in-country or on certain ships that made regular port calls in Vietnam the VA will pick up the tab for everything as well as up reclassify your disability percentages. I was on a carrier in Yankee Station during that war so I don't qualify but if you are in that age group, you should check it out.0 -
TricareKongo said:Tricare
Beau,
I use Tricare Standard. I haven't had any difficulty at all getting any doctor, specialist, or facility to accept Tricare and everything I did with respect to prostate cancer was covered. Of course, I am in the San Diego area with a large population of retired military in the area so it's kind of a no-brainer here. I used to have a supplement but my employer no longer carries that as an option based upon a nuance of the 2007 defense authorization bill. I just pay the difference, it's not that much for me and I can go anywhere.
BTW, if you are a Vietnam era vet and did time in-country or on certain ships that made regular port calls in Vietnam the VA will pick up the tab for everything as well as up reclassify your disability percentages. I was on a carrier in Yankee Station during that war so I don't qualify but if you are in that age group, you should check it out.
Kongo,
Thanks.
I was not in-country. My neighbor was and as you said his PCa was covered by the VA. I'm not sure of the percentage of the diability he received.
I was looking at Tricare prime (HMO like) but I think I'll go with Tricare standard and add on a MOAA supplement. Thanks again.0 -
CyberKnifeBeau2 said:Tricare
Kongo,
Thanks.
I was not in-country. My neighbor was and as you said his PCa was covered by the VA. I'm not sure of the percentage of the diability he received.
I was looking at Tricare prime (HMO like) but I think I'll go with Tricare standard and add on a MOAA supplement. Thanks again.
I called CyberKnife of Indianapolis today. This particular practice does not treat prostrate cancer via CyberKnife. They referred me to a CyberKnife facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Something about not having the protocol to do prostrate treatment? I think it may be more of a business decision by the Urology group and network(s) that comprise CyberKnife of Indiana. Anyway, Fort Wayne is two hours away.
I asked CyberKnife of Indianapolis about other SBRT practices in Indianapolis. They indicated that St. Vincents Hospital has the Norvalis system. So I called St. Vincents and scheduled a consultation for November 11th, the same date as my consultation with Dr. Koch of the I.U. School of Medicine.
Seems like there is more to learn everyday.0 -
KONGOKongo said:Ck Vs. Proton
Hi, dasto, and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry that you too have to sort through all the options in dealing with prostate cancer.
In my own case I looked at several potential treatment options including surgery, brachytherapy, active surveillance, proton treatment, IMRT, and SBRT with both the Varian and CyberKnife systems. After reading several books on prostate cancer, looking at a lot of studies, and meeting with six specialists I ended up building a matrix that highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option according to my individual priorities and ended up ranking them.
For me, quality of life was the most important factor in seeking a treatment. I wanted to pursue an option that had a high likelihood of successfully treating the cancer while affording me the best potential of maintaining a quality of life closest to what I enjoyed before diagnosis. In the end, I felt SBRT was best for me. I ranked proton treatment as my second choice.
I was very impressed with the staff at Loma Linda where I consulted for proton therapy. I particularly liked their philosophy of treating the whole man and not just the cancer. In the end it came down to two things that led me to CK over proton.
Proton therapy uses protons instead of photon x-rays to address the cancer. In doing this there is a phenomenon known as the Bragg peak where the proton system adjusts the proton beam to concentrate its energy precisely where they want it on the prostate. When I looked closely at the various fall off points of the Bragg peak I could see that there was a small area of transition in the dosage curve (peak) that represented the possibility of delivering protons to surrounding tissue where it wasn’t wanted. Proton also does not take into account the dynamic movement of the prostate. Instead they attempt to immobilize the prostate via a saline filled balloon inserted in the rectum. After looking at this methodology compared to CK, it seemed to me that CK had the ability to more accurately control the delivery of the radiation and account for prostate movement in real time. There is a slightly higher percentage of side effects from proton therapy versus CK which, in my opinion, could be attributed to the accuracy of the delivery system.
The other issue with proton treatment was the time it would take for treatment. Eight weeks (or more depending on schedules and potential cancellations due to equipment glitches) was a lot of time for me to be out of the office and it involved some extra expense in moving to the treatment facility during treatment.
Finally, there are some recent studies that show that proton treatment offers no advantage in long term mortality or rates of recurrence over IMRT, brachy, or SBRT.
In the end, I think it comes down to your individual comfort level with the treatment protocol, the medical team you interact with, and how long you want to be treatment.
Best wishes for finding the best decision for you while sorting through all the data and opinions that are out there.
I just saw a local(Hawaii) prostate cancer discussion which included urologists and radiation/medical oncologists. It was very interesting to see how they freely acknowledged the competition for patients and the costs of the various treatments. One thing that really caught my attention is when they discussed the various radiation treatments and associated costs. In particular, imrt/sbrt vs. proton was discussed. You were spot on about the accuracy of the imrt/sbrt as compared to proton. They showed some slides which indicated that proton could not deliver as accurately as imrt/sbrt. Several photos showed proton affected adjacent areas to the targeted site thereby increasing the possibilty of side effects in the future. Although the cancer eradication rates were about the same for both treatments, the accuracy of imrt/sbrt over proton was something I was not aware of.Something good to know when you think about possible long term side effects. Cost wise, they claimed that proton was about three times more expensive. Don't know how true that is but I do know the cost of my adjuvant imrt treatment. I had 38 treatments over the course of 8 weeks and it cost $63,000. A nice piece of change to say the least. Just thought I would share that info in case it helps anyone who is struggling (as we did) with which treatment option is best for them--- I can't vouch for the accuracy of this info(except for my costs)but I thought it was interesting enough to share---Dan0 -
Gorilla in the RoomBRONX52 said:KONGO
I just saw a local(Hawaii) prostate cancer discussion which included urologists and radiation/medical oncologists. It was very interesting to see how they freely acknowledged the competition for patients and the costs of the various treatments. One thing that really caught my attention is when they discussed the various radiation treatments and associated costs. In particular, imrt/sbrt vs. proton was discussed. You were spot on about the accuracy of the imrt/sbrt as compared to proton. They showed some slides which indicated that proton could not deliver as accurately as imrt/sbrt. Several photos showed proton affected adjacent areas to the targeted site thereby increasing the possibilty of side effects in the future. Although the cancer eradication rates were about the same for both treatments, the accuracy of imrt/sbrt over proton was something I was not aware of.Something good to know when you think about possible long term side effects. Cost wise, they claimed that proton was about three times more expensive. Don't know how true that is but I do know the cost of my adjuvant imrt treatment. I had 38 treatments over the course of 8 weeks and it cost $63,000. A nice piece of change to say the least. Just thought I would share that info in case it helps anyone who is struggling (as we did) with which treatment option is best for them--- I can't vouch for the accuracy of this info(except for my costs)but I thought it was interesting enough to share---Dan
Dan,
Thanks for the feedback. One aspect of treatment options that you touch on yet we seldom address (at least in this forum) is cost of treatment. I was a bit surprised at your bill for $63K for IMRT as I thought that treatment was more in the $50K range (Perhaps there is a sunshine tax for treatment in Hawaii). CyberKnife is about $25K give or take. Proton is in the $100K range. I have read that surgery is in the $25-30K range. There are some other costs, obviously, such as biopsy (my biopsy cost was about $5500), fiducial placement was another $5K. Each of my consultant fees were about $800. I am sure these costs vary considerably across the country based on what insurance pay outs are or whether or not someone is self-paying.
I was never quoted a price for any treatment I considered in advance, only whether or not my insurance covered it.
Given the large number of men seeking treatment each year and the enormous cost of the potential treatments, it's easy to see why there is so much competition among the manufacturers and doctors in this area and why competing claims of efficacy are so difficult for the average lay person to sort out.
It's also easy to see why our nation's health care costs are soaring at such a fast rate. From a national perspective, I appreciate the challenge in addressing Medicare coverage for several treatment options for low risk prostate cancer when all of the treatments present similar long term survival rates. Of course, those of us faced with the decisions weigh much more than just long term survival but the luxury of being able to choose between so many options carries a significant cost to our system. I certainly don't have a better answer and I don't want to have my choices restricted by an arbitrary system. I also appreciate that without a financial incentive there is little chance that investments will be made to find newer treatment options. It just seems that it costs way, way too much money.0 -
Prostate Protocolsdasto said:CyberKnife
I called CyberKnife of Indianapolis today. This particular practice does not treat prostrate cancer via CyberKnife. They referred me to a CyberKnife facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Something about not having the protocol to do prostrate treatment? I think it may be more of a business decision by the Urology group and network(s) that comprise CyberKnife of Indiana. Anyway, Fort Wayne is two hours away.
I asked CyberKnife of Indianapolis about other SBRT practices in Indianapolis. They indicated that St. Vincents Hospital has the Norvalis system. So I called St. Vincents and scheduled a consultation for November 11th, the same date as my consultation with Dr. Koch of the I.U. School of Medicine.
Seems like there is more to learn everyday.
Daniel,
As I understand it, you need a prostate cancer specialist in radiology for CK to treat PCa. As you know by now, CK was initially developed to treat brain tumors and then was expanded to treat other soft tumor tissues in other parts of the body. It wasn't until about 2005 that the technology was developed that enables CK to track the movement of organs like the prostate in real time. Given the proximity of the prostate to other organs such as the bladder and colon, the dosage protocols require specialists in radiation planning and some exotic software that enables the machine to compensate for prostate movement in real time using implanted fiducials as a reference point.
Not all centers have the specialists needed to perform this type of planning or they do not have the upgraded equipment necessary to do the prostate protocol. I think this is what they were telling you.
I consulted with a Novalis specialist when I was doing my research. Although I was impressed with the technology, the hospital that was using it had only treated a handful of men in a SBRT scenario. Mostly it was used to deliver dosage in an IMRT protocol. I opted to go with CK locally as they had more experience in my particular cancer.
When you consult with the Novalis people, I would ask them to be very specific in explaining how their approach is similar to and different. My understanding of Novalis is that it does not track prostate movement in real time with the same accuracy as CK and relies more on a body form to hold the pelvic region as still as possible.0 -
KONGOKongo said:Gorilla in the Room
Dan,
Thanks for the feedback. One aspect of treatment options that you touch on yet we seldom address (at least in this forum) is cost of treatment. I was a bit surprised at your bill for $63K for IMRT as I thought that treatment was more in the $50K range (Perhaps there is a sunshine tax for treatment in Hawaii). CyberKnife is about $25K give or take. Proton is in the $100K range. I have read that surgery is in the $25-30K range. There are some other costs, obviously, such as biopsy (my biopsy cost was about $5500), fiducial placement was another $5K. Each of my consultant fees were about $800. I am sure these costs vary considerably across the country based on what insurance pay outs are or whether or not someone is self-paying.
I was never quoted a price for any treatment I considered in advance, only whether or not my insurance covered it.
Given the large number of men seeking treatment each year and the enormous cost of the potential treatments, it's easy to see why there is so much competition among the manufacturers and doctors in this area and why competing claims of efficacy are so difficult for the average lay person to sort out.
It's also easy to see why our nation's health care costs are soaring at such a fast rate. From a national perspective, I appreciate the challenge in addressing Medicare coverage for several treatment options for low risk prostate cancer when all of the treatments present similar long term survival rates. Of course, those of us faced with the decisions weigh much more than just long term survival but the luxury of being able to choose between so many options carries a significant cost to our system. I certainly don't have a better answer and I don't want to have my choices restricted by an arbitrary system. I also appreciate that without a financial incentive there is little chance that investments will be made to find newer treatment options. It just seems that it costs way, way too much money.
Everything is a little more expensive here in Hawaii and I believe medical is no exception. I carried my federal gov't medical into retirement so it took care of the lions share of the cost.I could have gone the VA route but I chose the civilian route instead after considering the skill and experience of the doctors. Like you, I just made sure that insurance covered my procedures and wasn't quoted any prices. One thing to note however, imrt is considered outpatient treatment and they hit me with a co-pay of about $1900 from the total cost of 63K. A small price to pay considering whats at stake. The surgery was completely covered as it was inpatient treatment. I'm thankful to have insurance. Some others are not as fortunate and I hate to think that someone with a life threatening disease would be denied treatment due to the inability to pay !!! Dan0 -
Dr. Kochdasto said:CyberKnife
I called CyberKnife of Indianapolis today. This particular practice does not treat prostrate cancer via CyberKnife. They referred me to a CyberKnife facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Something about not having the protocol to do prostrate treatment? I think it may be more of a business decision by the Urology group and network(s) that comprise CyberKnife of Indiana. Anyway, Fort Wayne is two hours away.
I asked CyberKnife of Indianapolis about other SBRT practices in Indianapolis. They indicated that St. Vincents Hospital has the Norvalis system. So I called St. Vincents and scheduled a consultation for November 11th, the same date as my consultation with Dr. Koch of the I.U. School of Medicine.
Seems like there is more to learn everyday.
Dasto, I just jumped back in here breifly and saw your appointment schedule with Dr. Koch and have to comment. I also interviewed him in my case (I'll post my history below so you can see) He's one of the best Docs in Indy for Prostate from my research and I would have gone with him but just couldn't put myself in the teaching environment vs. a non-teaching environment of a private practice and so I chose Dr Hollensbe and Scott of Urology of Indiana. Hollensbe's coment to me was if you are going to have this done here in Indy either Koch or myself should remove your prostate. You might want to interview Hollensbe and Scott as another surgeon team to consider. I had very good results. Knowing what I know about cybernife through Kongo's all encompassing log about it I may have considered but would have had to travel. You can see my situation is much different than both your's and Kongo's with regard to involvement and is partly why I wanted it physically removed.
If you would like to get in touch and talk just email me to Randy_in_indy@sbcglobal.net
52 years old
PSA 9/09 7.25
PSA 10/09 6.125
Diagnosis confirmed Oct 27, 2009
8 Needle Biopsy = 5 clear , 3 postive
<20%, 10%, 10%
Gleason Score (3+3) 6 in all positive cores
11/09 Second Opinion on Biopsy slides from Dr. Koch
(4+3) = 7 5%
(3+4) = 7 10%
(3+4) = 7 10%
Endorectol MRI with Coil - Indicated the Palpal tumor was Organ confined
Da Vinci performed 12/29/09 - Dr. Hollensbee & Scott
Sling installed at time of Da Vinci – not sure what name of it is but not the 800 that is causing all the problems. Attached to Coopers Ligament.
Post Surgery Pathology:
Prostate size 5 x 4 x 3.5 cm Weight: 27 g
Gleason: Changed to (3+4) = 7
Primary Pattern 3, 80%
Secondary Pattern 4, 18%
Tertiary Pattern 5, 2%
Tumor Quantitation:
Greatest Dimension, Largest tumor focus: 19 mm
Additional Dimension 18 x 15 mm
Location, largest tumor focus: Right posterior quadrant
Multifocality: Yes
Greatest dimension second largest focus 10 mm
Location: second largest focus: Left Posterior quadrant
Extraprostatic extension: Yes
If yes, focal or non-focal: Nonfocal
If yes: location(s) right and left antero-lateral
Seminal vesicle invasion: No
Cancer at surgical margin: No
If no, closest distance with location: less than 1 mm, right posterior quadrant
Apex involvement: No
Bladder involvement: NO
Lymph-vascular invasion: No
Perineural invasion: Yes
Lymph nodes: 9 from right pelvic 0/9 positive
Stage: pT3a, pNo, pMX
All nerves sparred - found two additional pudendal arteries
FIRST PSA TEST 2-11-10 <0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
Virtually Pad free 2-20-10
SECOND PSA TEST 5-26-10 <0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
THIRD PSA TEST 9-??-10 < 0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
Notes on Recovery: Was at my desk working (from home office – sales) 6 days following my surgery. No pain to speak of (very lucky as many have some pain) I think because I took the Tramadol they gave religiously and found it to be the best drug in the world. BM’s where the trickiest part and most uncomfortable in the early stages but improved with time – follow the diet they give you!...I strayed off and the next BM helped to get me back on track – I like food very hot and spicy - don’t recommend that for at least a month following surgery. Cream soups, mushroom, celery, and chicken worked great the first week following surgery. Mashed Potatoes…Ah the first time following surgery it was heaven!...the first really solid food I ate…..you will learn to appreciate food all over again as you add back your favorites following surgery when the time is right. Take all the help from everyone around you…it might be a while you get that opportunity again to be waited on hand and foot. Liquids are a concern but some affect people differently it seems reading through the discussion board…I found anything carbonated would cause much leaking…alcohol was not good either…but I justified doing it thinking It’s my training method to work on my bladder control!...lol I love homebrewed beers too much! And am an admitted hop head.
ED path:
Early on started on Viagra 100mg pills cut into 4ths so 25mg per day dose then a full 100mg on every 7th day.
Also bought pump and used sporadically to get blood flow to member. Within about three weeks or 5 weeks from surgery (cannot remember but probably posted on CSN somewhere) had usable erections.
Currently only need ¼ pill to get usable . Day 150 am starting to get semi hard without any drug.
Day 163 had usable erection without any drug!!!
Not finding I can go drugless permanently yet day 169 post surgery.
Still hit or miss on going drugless on day 194 since surgery - July 11, 2010
Still hit or miss on going drugless on day 315 since surgery – Nov 9, 20100 -
Randy and Kongorandy_in_indy said:Dr. Koch
Dasto, I just jumped back in here breifly and saw your appointment schedule with Dr. Koch and have to comment. I also interviewed him in my case (I'll post my history below so you can see) He's one of the best Docs in Indy for Prostate from my research and I would have gone with him but just couldn't put myself in the teaching environment vs. a non-teaching environment of a private practice and so I chose Dr Hollensbe and Scott of Urology of Indiana. Hollensbe's coment to me was if you are going to have this done here in Indy either Koch or myself should remove your prostate. You might want to interview Hollensbe and Scott as another surgeon team to consider. I had very good results. Knowing what I know about cybernife through Kongo's all encompassing log about it I may have considered but would have had to travel. You can see my situation is much different than both your's and Kongo's with regard to involvement and is partly why I wanted it physically removed.
If you would like to get in touch and talk just email me to Randy_in_indy@sbcglobal.net
52 years old
PSA 9/09 7.25
PSA 10/09 6.125
Diagnosis confirmed Oct 27, 2009
8 Needle Biopsy = 5 clear , 3 postive
<20%, 10%, 10%
Gleason Score (3+3) 6 in all positive cores
11/09 Second Opinion on Biopsy slides from Dr. Koch
(4+3) = 7 5%
(3+4) = 7 10%
(3+4) = 7 10%
Endorectol MRI with Coil - Indicated the Palpal tumor was Organ confined
Da Vinci performed 12/29/09 - Dr. Hollensbee & Scott
Sling installed at time of Da Vinci – not sure what name of it is but not the 800 that is causing all the problems. Attached to Coopers Ligament.
Post Surgery Pathology:
Prostate size 5 x 4 x 3.5 cm Weight: 27 g
Gleason: Changed to (3+4) = 7
Primary Pattern 3, 80%
Secondary Pattern 4, 18%
Tertiary Pattern 5, 2%
Tumor Quantitation:
Greatest Dimension, Largest tumor focus: 19 mm
Additional Dimension 18 x 15 mm
Location, largest tumor focus: Right posterior quadrant
Multifocality: Yes
Greatest dimension second largest focus 10 mm
Location: second largest focus: Left Posterior quadrant
Extraprostatic extension: Yes
If yes, focal or non-focal: Nonfocal
If yes: location(s) right and left antero-lateral
Seminal vesicle invasion: No
Cancer at surgical margin: No
If no, closest distance with location: less than 1 mm, right posterior quadrant
Apex involvement: No
Bladder involvement: NO
Lymph-vascular invasion: No
Perineural invasion: Yes
Lymph nodes: 9 from right pelvic 0/9 positive
Stage: pT3a, pNo, pMX
All nerves sparred - found two additional pudendal arteries
FIRST PSA TEST 2-11-10 <0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
Virtually Pad free 2-20-10
SECOND PSA TEST 5-26-10 <0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
THIRD PSA TEST 9-??-10 < 0.1 NON-DETECTABLE
Notes on Recovery: Was at my desk working (from home office – sales) 6 days following my surgery. No pain to speak of (very lucky as many have some pain) I think because I took the Tramadol they gave religiously and found it to be the best drug in the world. BM’s where the trickiest part and most uncomfortable in the early stages but improved with time – follow the diet they give you!...I strayed off and the next BM helped to get me back on track – I like food very hot and spicy - don’t recommend that for at least a month following surgery. Cream soups, mushroom, celery, and chicken worked great the first week following surgery. Mashed Potatoes…Ah the first time following surgery it was heaven!...the first really solid food I ate…..you will learn to appreciate food all over again as you add back your favorites following surgery when the time is right. Take all the help from everyone around you…it might be a while you get that opportunity again to be waited on hand and foot. Liquids are a concern but some affect people differently it seems reading through the discussion board…I found anything carbonated would cause much leaking…alcohol was not good either…but I justified doing it thinking It’s my training method to work on my bladder control!...lol I love homebrewed beers too much! And am an admitted hop head.
ED path:
Early on started on Viagra 100mg pills cut into 4ths so 25mg per day dose then a full 100mg on every 7th day.
Also bought pump and used sporadically to get blood flow to member. Within about three weeks or 5 weeks from surgery (cannot remember but probably posted on CSN somewhere) had usable erections.
Currently only need ¼ pill to get usable . Day 150 am starting to get semi hard without any drug.
Day 163 had usable erection without any drug!!!
Not finding I can go drugless permanently yet day 169 post surgery.
Still hit or miss on going drugless on day 194 since surgery - July 11, 2010
Still hit or miss on going drugless on day 315 since surgery – Nov 9, 2010</p>
Thanks for the continued information and support. I shudder at the thought of what would have happened if I had not stumbled onto this forum and all the helpful information.
Randy, thanks for the comments on Dr. Koch. It's good to learn of someone else here locally that can be a source of information. I'll keep your offer in mind and will likely contact you sometime on this journey.
I'll update after our appointments on Thursday.0 -
KONGOKongo said:Tricare
Beau,
I use Tricare Standard. I haven't had any difficulty at all getting any doctor, specialist, or facility to accept Tricare and everything I did with respect to prostate cancer was covered. Of course, I am in the San Diego area with a large population of retired military in the area so it's kind of a no-brainer here. I used to have a supplement but my employer no longer carries that as an option based upon a nuance of the 2007 defense authorization bill. I just pay the difference, it's not that much for me and I can go anywhere.
BTW, if you are a Vietnam era vet and did time in-country or on certain ships that made regular port calls in Vietnam the VA will pick up the tab for everything as well as up reclassify your disability percentages. I was on a carrier in Yankee Station during that war so I don't qualify but if you are in that age group, you should check it out.
Just out of curiousity which carrier were you on. I was stationed on the Bon Homme Richard during Vietnam which was homeported in San Diego ( North Island)-- Dan0 -
Go Navy!BRONX52 said:KONGO
Just out of curiousity which carrier were you on. I was stationed on the Bon Homme Richard during Vietnam which was homeported in San Diego ( North Island)-- Dan
Dan,
PJD was on the Bon Homme Richard and a few years later he was on the Constellation in Vietnam . Go Navy!0 -
mrspjdmrspjd said:Go Navy!
Dan,
PJD was on the Bon Homme Richard and a few years later he was on the Constellation in Vietnam . Go Navy!
what a small world !!! I was on the "BONNIE ****", as it was affectionately called by its crew, a little later than pjd. It was 68,69. I also remember the Constellation being over there on North Island with the Bon Homme Richard. Later I moved to destroyers!! Oh the memories. They didn't have the bridge to North Island at the time so we had to catch a boat to get across the bay! Thanks for sharing---Dan0 -
post script...BRONX52 said:mrspjd
what a small world !!! I was on the "BONNIE ****", as it was affectionately called by its crew, a little later than pjd. It was 68,69. I also remember the Constellation being over there on North Island with the Bon Homme Richard. Later I moved to destroyers!! Oh the memories. They didn't have the bridge to North Island at the time so we had to catch a boat to get across the bay! Thanks for sharing---Dan
Dan,
Of course, I was just a baby back then (really!...O.K., well, sort of...) and didn't know him when he was in the service...but I've heard the stories! We celebrate our 38th Wedding Anniversary this December!0 -
Yankee StationBRONX52 said:KONGO
Just out of curiousity which carrier were you on. I was stationed on the Bon Homme Richard during Vietnam which was homeported in San Diego ( North Island)-- Dan
Dan, Enterprise was my home away from home during that period...72-74. Was in one of the F-14 squadrons out of Miramar. After the war the navy sent me to Purdue for a commission and I served on CRUDES ships with a few carriers sprinkled in: Merrill, Ranger, Fife, WH Standley, Bronstein, Kinkaid, Clark, and finally DESRON 26 (embarked on George Washington) before I hung up the uniform.
We would need another forum to go into all the West Pac stories....Olongapo, Subic City, Pattya, Perth, Yoko, ...0 -
BronxBRONX52 said:mrspjd
what a small world !!! I was on the "BONNIE ****", as it was affectionately called by its crew, a little later than pjd. It was 68,69. I also remember the Constellation being over there on North Island with the Bon Homme Richard. Later I moved to destroyers!! Oh the memories. They didn't have the bridge to North Island at the time so we had to catch a boat to get across the bay! Thanks for sharing---Dan
Yes I remember driving around to get to Coronado from San Deigo before the bridge was put up…I spent a lot of time in Coronado. My Uncle was the Chief of Staff during your period on North Island… His name was Grant Donnelly0 -
LOL!BRONX52 said:KONGO
Just out of curiousity which carrier were you on. I was stationed on the Bon Homme Richard during Vietnam which was homeported in San Diego ( North Island)-- Dan
If I didn't know better, based on this off-topic discussion, I'd think that PCa was just caused by exposure to big boats and/or sea water. Funny . . . !!!!0 -
CK and Navy
Hello all; Frequent reader, non-frequent poster. I envey you youngsters serving on those big ships. I was on an APD (converted destroyer escourt) for 2 years. Carried Navy seal(Frogmen in those days) and Marine recon. Last ship was an AKA (cargo) that re-supplied the Antartic bases. McMurdo and Hallet Station. My trip there was in 1961. Discharged upon arrival at end of that cruise. Served four years as a radio-op. As far as CK goes. Recieved my treatment here in Cleveland at University hospital. My RO (PHD) is also a URO and has been using CK since its beginning. Just about 3 months post treatment and am still having a slight urinary (urgency) problem but had that prior to discovering Pca. Am able to obtain a useable errection (not quite like the old days) but useable. Age 710 -
Hey, Another Navy/CK Bro!YTW said:CK and Navy
Hello all; Frequent reader, non-frequent poster. I envey you youngsters serving on those big ships. I was on an APD (converted destroyer escourt) for 2 years. Carried Navy seal(Frogmen in those days) and Marine recon. Last ship was an AKA (cargo) that re-supplied the Antartic bases. McMurdo and Hallet Station. My trip there was in 1961. Discharged upon arrival at end of that cruise. Served four years as a radio-op. As far as CK goes. Recieved my treatment here in Cleveland at University hospital. My RO (PHD) is also a URO and has been using CK since its beginning. Just about 3 months post treatment and am still having a slight urinary (urgency) problem but had that prior to discovering Pca. Am able to obtain a useable errection (not quite like the old days) but useable. Age 71
What's up w/all you guys from the Navy? An odd coincidence, but welcome and thanks for uncloaking!!!
Great to find another CK patient -- that makes 4 that I know of: ViperFred, Kongo, me and you. Looks like you got CK about the same time as Kongo. I had my CK treatment about 1 1/2 months ago and like you had the same urinary urgency problem after treatment as I did before. Was taking 2 tabs of 160mg Saw Palmetto extract a day for awhile w/o any noticeable effect, then increased the dosage to 4-6 a day (2 morning, 2 afternoon and 2 evening) and the urgency has gone away. Have missed the afternoon dose a couple of times and doesn't seem to make a difference, so 4 a day may be enough. As for ED, your situation is probably due primarily to your age than to the treatment, as they tell you is likely to happen regardless of the treatment.
Try it to see if the Saw Palmetto works for you or not AND please keep in touch to let us know how your CK recovery is progressing. Good luck!!!0 -
ShiftSwingshiftworker said:Hey, Another Navy/CK Bro!
What's up w/all you guys from the Navy? An odd coincidence, but welcome and thanks for uncloaking!!!
Great to find another CK patient -- that makes 4 that I know of: ViperFred, Kongo, me and you. Looks like you got CK about the same time as Kongo. I had my CK treatment about 1 1/2 months ago and like you had the same urinary urgency problem after treatment as I did before. Was taking 2 tabs of 160mg Saw Palmetto extract a day for awhile w/o any noticeable effect, then increased the dosage to 4-6 a day (2 morning, 2 afternoon and 2 evening) and the urgency has gone away. Have missed the afternoon dose a couple of times and doesn't seem to make a difference, so 4 a day may be enough. As for ED, your situation is probably due primarily to your age than to the treatment, as they tell you is likely to happen regardless of the treatment.
Try it to see if the Saw Palmetto works for you or not AND please keep in touch to let us know how your CK recovery is progressing. Good luck!!!
I read this site almost every day but have been remiss in my postings.
My first follow up with the RO/UOR is in January and I will post the results.
Jimmy/Cleveland0 -
Nov 11 Veterans Day--Thanks for your serviceYTW said:Shift
I read this site almost every day but have been remiss in my postings.
My first follow up with the RO/UOR is in January and I will post the results.
Jimmy/Cleveland
Just thought it would be appropriate on this day, Nov 11, with the posts about military service sprinkled amongst the PCa posts in this thread and others, to say thanks to all of you have served or are serving. Thank you.
YTW,
Glad to see you have posted again recently, especially with an update. I had read your older posts, knew you were the 4th CK, and had often wondered how you were doing. I even asked Kongo (he can confirm my inquiry) a while back if he knew how you were doing, but if he did, his lips were sealed and he maintained confidentiality!
PJD is originally from the Cleveland area, but ultimately the Navy brought him to California. Small world indeed!
All the best in your recovery and PCa journey,
mrs pjd0
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