B-12

laserlight said:

B-12
Last year I was out from surgery by about 6 months and feeling real slowed down and real tired. I spoke to my primary care doctor and she ran a blood test on me and found that I was real deficient in the B vitamin and also D-3. So she started me on doses of these vitamins. The following blood test indicated that I was returning to normal. From what I can tell or think, this deficiency has to do with the Prostate cancer and your immune system working mega overtime fighting it. This goes back to proper nutrition and the need to pay close attention to this during cancer treatment and recovery. After I started these vitamins I satrted to feel better and had more energy. Now my primary care doctor runs these tests on every visit, I have another one comming up and will see where I am at

B12
Does taking aditional suppliment of B12 help incontinancy after radical prostactomy

VascodaGama said:

Goods and Baddies
Mike

Supplements are good but should be taken with care, particularly when one is in treatment with drugs. Medicines interaction is common.
I always read about the benefits of vitamin D in patients on HT. The B-12 got some guys justifying its goodies but some relate it with the risk in getting prostate cancer (which we already got). Nevertheless you may want to get more practical information from your doctor. Here is a link to information on B-12 and PCa;
http://www.livestrong.com/article/426055-b12-prostate-cancer/

Wishing you peace of mind.

VGama

B12
I supplement with B12 for I have been on the equivalent of the UCSF diet for better than two years, and my blood work came back a year ago showing deficiency in B12 due to lack of red meat, etc. Water soluble vitamin involved in brain and nervous tissue action, but more importantly for me, in blood formation, which I was low on.

I do not take a vitamin supplement in the general sense but use large doses of Vitamin D3 to keep me above the 55ng level and the Vitamin B12 just to supplement that which I am missing from red meats. Both of these are on my doctor's recommendations.

Samsungtech1 said:

B-12
Just had my visit today with onc. He told me myB-12 maker had broken. This happened during a two month period after I quit HT. After all the side effects I suffered through now the things that make B-12 in my body do not work anymore. I can not say what caused it, but if I had to guess I guess HT.
We have been debating about starting HT again. He said he was going to check into injecting me in my legs. It is not going to stop the side effects, but he is saying when the cancer comes back it is going to be bad.
So I will try it again. Now I am getting more pills to get ready for the side effects. I will give it a shot, but if I get all the side effects again I am quitting and let nature take its course.

Mike

The mojo of B-12
Mike

Your post made me laugh. Please do not take it as pertinence but your comment on “…the things that make B-12 in my body do not work anymore….” Is just so funny.
I think your doctor is referring to the bacterium that helps in synthesizing B12. The vitamin cannot be absorbed naturally and the supplements would be worthless without the bacteria from meat foods. What puzzles me is the relationship between the HT shot and the B-12. Is the bacteria influenced by the lack of testosterone?
Can you provide some details?

I hope the shot goes "smoothly" and that you improve you cancer control.

Best.
VG

Samsungtech1 said:

Broken parts
Vasco,
What he told me was the B-12 is absorbed into the stomacg lining and then it goes to , some name I can not remember but it was Latin, then it transfers to so ething else, and then he said it goes to the rectum wall. He did not tell me what happens after that.

I found out he had been testing me all along for B-12. It started dropping two months ago and was one point below minimum. I got a good rush during the last two shots. It really perks you up. He said in a month I would have to start dropping a mega does of 20,000 units . He said this would force my stomach to absorb it.

Sorry not being clearer but hard to remember the latin.

Mike

Mike thanks for the reply
Mike thanks for the reply. I hope it all goes well with your continuing treatment.

PCa issues with me are fine. I got some strength back since stopping HT.
However I am not relaxed with the colon issue. The doc sent me for a CT (virtual colonoscopy) but I want a normal one where they can pick a sample of any suspicious finding. I am just waiting for the next appointment.
Unfortunately my best friend Fellow (my dog) also got a nasty prostate hyperplasia. They do not biopsy to look for cancer because dogs are not operated, and now he is on HT drugs too. Probably he must be castrated. (Does it run in the family?)

Best
VG

Samsungtech1 said:

It is all good
Vasco,
Iam first generation American. Iam applying for my duel citizenship with Ireland. I am closing down my business and then I plan on going to Europe. Hoping I can make Puc fair in Kerry. I lived in Ireland for a year working for a friend of mine in Cork City. Had a job in London, working in a produce market. When they shut dow for holiday I went to Barcelona, lived in a tent and found out about the four piseta deposit. It was all gravy after that.

I get this trip going I would love to visit Portugal. Seems like a beautiful place. My friend, we served together in Viet Nam, has his Mexican citizenship and we are planning a trip to Cuba, for the cigars.

Would love to stop by on the way to Barcelona and say Hi. Will let you know how this goes.

Mike

It is all good
Mike

You are welcome to my little corner of the Europe. I will invite you for a Guinness and drive you around the Algarve, golf, etc., where I live. From here you can continue the travel to Barcelona stopping along the way and visiting other cities at the southern coast (Seville, Granada, Almeria, Murcia, and Valencia to Barcelona). You can do it driving on a rented car which you can return to the agent at Barcelona; and then fly to Ireland.

Do you have relatives living in Ireland?

Ireland is very green in contrast with Portugal. It rains a lot so many prefer the weather of Portugal. There are many irish families living here. What are your plans in the future, is your family willing to live in Europe?

I know about the puck fair through my pal Liam, an Irish guy from Dundalk. He moved to Portugal ten years ago and now he is my neighbour. The Puck fair takes place in August. Are you involved in any exhibition?

I hope you do manage to live without your business. I have given up with my job (civil engineering) 7 years ago because of PCa. The stress was friendling the bandit after surgery (PSA climbing) so I decided to put a stop on it. Returned to Portugal, retired and now I am enjoying the free time, nice weather, mediterranean food and excellent wines. My house is at the outskirts of Albufeira in the Algarve.
http://www.albufeirauncovered.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbG4M--OlsU&feature=related

Will pick you up at the airport.

Best.
VG

VascodaGama said:

July/August period is the High Season
Swing; …. You are welcome too.
There are four seasons in the Algarve being summer the most pronounced. Not much rain in winter or hot summers. The weather is mild varying in day and night times. The daily medium goes from 14-16 C in January to 27-29 C in August. We got close to 300 days of sunshine with clear blue skies.
http://www.algarveuncovered.com/algarve-info/weather.aspx

The coast line is beautiful so that many tourists come for the beaches. July/August is the high season. The period I like best is February to May.

Mike; …. Ryanair flies direct between Dublin or Cork from/to Faro airport in the Algarve. You can check on the net at Ryanair.com. They also fly Faro to Porto city in northern Portugal which is also a beautiful place to visit and drink Port Wine. From Porto you can fly with them to Dublin too.
http://www.gooporto.com/

Ryanair is cheap and depending on the season or scheduled day you fly, tickets can cost just US$30 one way. Check their site and confirm ticket the earliest for the best fare.
From Faro they also fly to Madrid direct. Then you could travel by TGV-train to Barcelona and enjoy the scenery at the speed of 300Km/hour.

You and your wife will enjoy it and forget about PCa.

Best
VG

Thanks!
I'll look into it.

One of my fondest memories is of a 2 week motorcycle tour of the Alps that I went on over 20 years ago -- Munich (Oktoberfest), Salzburg, Grossglockner, Innsbruck, St. Moritz, Cortina d'Ampezzo & Lake Garda were the highlights.

Haven't owned a bike for several years but I still have all my cycle gear & riding license. Found several motorcycle rental agencies located near you in Portugal and Spain online. So, I may take this opportunity to tour Europe by motorcycle again.

If I come, it'll probably be in Sept-Oct to "celebrate" my 62nd b-day and I'd plan to travel along the Mediterranean through Portugal, Spain and the south of France for a month or 2. Otherwise, it'll have to wait until 2013.

We'll see . . .