News from MDACC

Samsungtech1

laserlight said:

Forgot one thing
Jungle rot, PTSD, and all of the other problems that everybody had no understanding of. The jungle rot was the worse. From my mid section down to my knees real bad rash and skin break out. What more can I say. I forgot, also diet of not being able to handle normal food. It was ugly again. My family was not able to undestand why I was yellow in color, how do you explain sun tan with yellow from the jaundice.

Now it is Prostate cancer, since that time I gained weight to a normal level. During that time I remember being unable to eat due to the heat and humidity.

I ran on about 1 meal a day, could not do any more due to the heat, enviorment.

Yes it was ugly, my whole body was wasted. I hated the odors, smells, and everything else.

I at this point in time enjoy the aisian diet and foods, they do have a healing effect.

What more can I say, Mike and Ralph you triggered memories that I donot regret Thank You. This is great.


Kurt

Smells
I remember when I first got there and when our mama san did our wash for the first time. The clothes smelled funny. Kind of ripe. Of course after a few months it did not smell anymore. When I got back to the states I was wearing kakhis. Everyone I was around kept sniffing like something was smelling bad. Took a friend of mine to tell me it was me. When they washed our clothes in any river they smelled but we did not know it. When I got back these people were smelling the mekong river. I did not know. It smelled, but only if you had never been there. I had my few civies washed before I came back and of course they smelled as bad, but only to civilians who had not been there.

Mike

VascodaGama

Samsungtech1 said:

Smells
I remember when I first got there and when our mama san did our wash for the first time. The clothes smelled funny. Kind of ripe. Of course after a few months it did not smell anymore. When I got back to the states I was wearing kakhis. Everyone I was around kept sniffing like something was smelling bad. Took a friend of mine to tell me it was me. When they washed our clothes in any river they smelled but we did not know it. When I got back these people were smelling the mekong river. I did not know. It smelled, but only if you had never been there. I had my few civies washed before I came back and of course they smelled as bad, but only to civilians who had not been there.

Mike

Smells
Mike

Your exchanging posts on smells, etc., made me laugh. It triggered memories I have from the Southeast Asian countries too. The fun is that I also experienced the smell of the Mekong in Vietnam as well as in Cambodia, Thai and Laos. The smell is equally “delicate” in all those countries.
My visit to the region (in the 1980s) was business at the “hands” of the Japanese Aid. I built many bridges some old and some that were bombed or pulled down during the war. Famous ones are the bridge at Phnom Penh and the new bridge at Savannakhet that connects Thai with Laos on the way to Dong Ha in Vietnam.

In my visits to the sites I saw lots of "scars" from the war in burned builds and twisted metal. I recall the tension still very much present in the locals (Vietnamese), when in meetings or in or presence (foreigners). No exchange of conversations or smiles at the sites and photographing the project areas was complicated. Many shouted intimidated words from their thatch houses.
At the time my team and I were not allowed to travel up country without a “guide” (plain’s clothes police or military) and the trip could be done only on their stipulated vans with their drivers.

The smell did impregnate not only in the clothes but in my skin. Once back to Tokyo it would take several months to disappear completely. Probably the sweat produced by the local food (fish sauce and shoyu) was in my systems. Many years have passed but I still recall it very well.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the countryside scenery in those countries. Very green, women wearing triangle shaped hats and men in green clothes and green conical hats (probably done at their military factories you did not managed to pull down). A Japanese friend farmer warned me to not eat the local rice for the contamination with AO.

Memories that I do not regret too.

VG

mrspjd

caseyh said:

I Hear You
Ralph:

Good Luck on your journey!!

To answer your question, I've had two Feraheme MRIs so we know there is no longer cancer in the lymph nodes. This is now a case of micrometastases. Who knows where?

God Bless

Caseyh

Questions for "caseyh" unanswered
Glad that your current PSA has "remained steady around 2.0 for last 11 months, that repeated scans show no disease," and that it seems you've had no ADT since 2009. That's awesome news! I was wondering what specific type of scans/imaging you had that have indicated no disease as well as what event(s) might trigger/initiate a "return to hormonal therapy and/or other drugs when and if necessary" as you stated? Perhaps you'd be open to sharing which drugs and/or protocol currently available, or in clinical trial, might be a consideration, that is, "if it became necessary." This info certainly could be helpful to many readers on this forum, especially with your experience as a long time PCa survivor.

dwhite1031

Stay in the fight Ralph!
If you recall we had same appointment days at MDACC Mays Clinic last month. I remembered you had told me you'd have your veterans cap & I had hoped to see you and we could chat some but they decided I needed a rush ultrasound of "the boys" due to the bad paid I had been experiencing. And it put us on the fast track just to catch our flight home.

We go back November 12 & then I have robotic prostatectomy on November 28th at MDACC.

Just wanted to let you know I'm in your corner!
I admire your courage both as a Vietnam veteran and as a PCa warrior!

ralph.townsend1

dwhite1031 said:

Stay in the fight Ralph!
If you recall we had same appointment days at MDACC Mays Clinic last month. I remembered you had told me you'd have your veterans cap & I had hoped to see you and we could chat some but they decided I needed a rush ultrasound of "the boys" due to the bad paid I had been experiencing. And it put us on the fast track just to catch our flight home.

We go back November 12 & then I have robotic prostatectomy on November 28th at MDACC.

Just wanted to let you know I'm in your corner!
I admire your courage both as a Vietnam veteran and as a PCa warrior!

VA Hospital
This week I go back to VA hospital to check my psa. If over 2.0, MDACC wants me back soon as possible for xray's and a Bone scan to see where my friend is?? Sorry we did not meet that day that puts face to the name, but there will be other days for I plan to be here longer than they say.

Thank for your service

God Bless

MLKisner

Please Stay Positive
Please stay positive it is your words that have given me comfort. My husband is on Zytiga as well for about a month now. His was metasticized to the pelvic bone and in the lymphnodes and stomache area before we even knew he had it. I pray everday that he will live to see our 3 year old grow up. I pray that they find a cure for this awful disease soon. Stay positive, I will keep you in my prayers also. My new friend. God Bless!