Prostatectomy + RT + ADT

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  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    #82
    Feeling fluffy

    Hi all,

    Seven months since the last shot of Firmagon and things are really getting back to normal.
    My physical sexuality is returning and I am getting a bit fluffy round the chest!
    I still have some leg pains and the occasional hot spell at night.

    Whoopee!,

    Georges

  • eonore
    eonore Member Posts: 185 Member
    edited April 2020 #83
    Hi George’s,

    Thank you for updating us, and I am glad that things are returning to normal.  I am now ten months post hormone therapy and my testosterone remains low, with the only side effect at this point a kind if lack of vitality.  More importantly, as of Feb. 24, my PSA is still undetectable, so I am very grateful.

    Eric

     

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    edited May 2020 #84
    Bad days

    Hi Eric,

    I feel pretty OK most of the time but I do have days when I feel lethargic.
    One noticable thing is that my cold tolerance has dropped off, I cannot stay outdoors for a long time in cold weather.
    Before the diagnosis I was to all intents and purposes a fit and pretty slim 55 year old.
    I reckon you need as long as you were on ADT to recover and I doubt it is possible to recover completely from long periods, I will be as normal as I am ever likely to be by Easter next year.
    Even if the cancer does not return I feel that the treatment has had permanent effects on my overall health.

    Best wishes,

    Georges

  • hewhositsoncushions
    hewhositsoncushions Member Posts: 411 Member
    edited May 2020 #85
    Georges Calvez said:

    Bad days

    Hi Eric,

    I feel pretty OK most of the time but I do have days when I feel lethargic.
    One noticable thing is that my cold tolerance has dropped off, I cannot stay outdoors for a long time in cold weather.
    Before the diagnosis I was to all intents and purposes a fit and pretty slim 55 year old.
    I reckon you need as long as you were on ADT to recover and I doubt it is possible to recover completely from long periods, I will be as normal as I am ever likely to be by Easter next year.
    Even if the cancer does not return I feel that the treatment has had permanent effects on my overall health.

    Best wishes,

    Georges

    I find persistent fatigue a

    I find persistent fatigue a thing but I wonder how much is in my head or due to allergies

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    #86
    Complex subject

    Hi Hew,

    I think it is a complex subject.
    First thing is your age and state of health going into the treatment.
    I recovered from the surgery quite well but I doubt that if I had been doing a heavy physical job I could have returned to work for a long time if at all.
    Next up was the radiation, I was quite lucky with this but without doubt taking 66 Gy to the pelvis is not going to do you any favours.
    Last up was the ADT, without doubt there is a balance between doing enough to increase your chance of being cancer free and doing so much that it has a bad effect in itself.
    After six months most men do get back to normal quite quickly, 18 months like me is pushing it, three years is just too long to really recover in most cases, but if it gives you a longer life it may be a good idea.
    I feel that prostate cancer has diminished the quality of my life and if I do not die of the thing, my life will have been shortened by the treatment I have received.
    When is the good news on your PSA in the post?

    Best wishes,

    Georges

  • hewhositsoncushions
    hewhositsoncushions Member Posts: 411 Member
    edited May 2020 #87
    Well it's made worse by

    Well it's made worse by random sleep apnoea. I e lost a lot of weight but need to lose more. Lockdown comfort eating does not help Laughing

     

    Test is in a few weeks. I'm trying not to think about it but deep down it niggles me. Que sera sera.

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,707 Member
    #88
    Quality viz-a-viz Quantity

     

    “ I feel that prostate cancer has diminished the quality of my life and if I do not die of the thing, my life will have been shortened by the treatment I have received “

     

    George, you say it well. I think the same as I saw myself deteriorating at each phase of treatment along the years.
    I have no doubts that treatments gave me life but the balance between quality viz-a-viz quantity have provided me a better grip on the situation as I aged. I wonder if instead of sequential, a more aggressive treatment at the beginning would have eliminated the bandit for good in my case.

    Fatigue has been the longest worst enemy in terms of quality living, since ADT 8 years ago. It has lost some intensity but it prevails. I also can’t blame my age for feeling tired after some physical or my active life style. Though I do not attend a gym I think I am fit for the daily routines and walks. Now I am confronted with the idea that I may have to change my hobby-farm because I can’t look after the orchard or keep the land clean from weeds. Worse still is that we can’t find helpers here in the southern region. I would be very happy to have Cushions here helping me in my orange grove. It would help him in losing weight treating his sleep apnea. Lol

    Great post, great comment.

    VG

     

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    edited June 2020 #89
    Cautious optimism

    Hi there,


    Another trimester, another round of blood letting.
    My blood glucose is slowly declining, I think this is due to recovering testosterone and regular long walks.
    PSA remains below the limit of detection, I think if this continues for another six months I will declare myself in remission.
    I have circulating testosterone if there is active centres of prostate cancer it should wake them up.
    It could return in two, five, ten or more years but something else could get me.
    I will see Tigger in September.
    The level of coronavirus here now maybe very low, we have a few official new cases a week but maybe that is the tip of the iceberg, there are an unknown number of cases that are asymtomatic or only sniffles so the person recovers without testing. Without testing a sample of several thousand spread across Finistére it is hard to get a handle on what is happening so people make their own decisions on the basis of very little in the way of facts.

    Best wishes,

    Georges




  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,707 Member
    edited July 2020 #90
    Keeping peace of mind

    Hope things go well and that the meeting of September gives you peace of mind. Good to know that covid-19 is running out of steam in your area. Not here in the Algarve. The positive confirmed cases are increasing and there are no proper facilities to handle covid patients. Albufeira was declared as an area for the covid focus. Planes arrive by the thousands. We will have the vast majority of mutated sars-cov2 of Europe in just one place. Maybe the virus speaks various languages too.

    I will try to keep safe. You do too.

    Best.

    VG

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    #91
    September 2020

    Hi all,

    Another PSA result less than the limit of detection.
    I will get all the rest of the results over the next few days so plenty of time to find out if I am dying of something else! :-)

    Best wishes,

    Georges

  • hewhositsoncushions
    hewhositsoncushions Member Posts: 411 Member
    #92
    Ptschhh!!!

    Ptschhh!!!

    That was the sound of the can of beer opening to celebrate.

    H

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    edited September 2020 #93
    Thanks

    Hi Hew,

    I took the Mini for a celebratory spin on my own!
    I have the rest of the lab results now with the exception of testosterone, the latter is definitely in the normal range now, and everything is normal.
    Given my initial PSA results and treatment, etc, I am healthier than I have a right to be.
    Sadly it is going to be a long cold winter with COVID-19, keep safe everybody!

    Best wishes,

    Georges

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,707 Member
    #94

    I am glad to know about your remission. Hopefully it will keep that way for ever.

    Covid is on the increase again. Let's be careful with whom we celebrate.

    Best.

    VG

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    edited October 2020 #95
    Happy birthday to me

    Hi everybody,

    So here I am on my 58th birthday which is three years and a smidge from my diagnosis.
    My PSA is below the limit of detection and my testosterone is back in the normal range at 230 ng/L, 798 nmol/L.
    Blood pressure, blood sugar and electrolytes, etc are normal.
    I went to see Dr Tigger this morning and I have PSA tests in March and September next year and I will see him next October.
    All we can do now is wait and see, if the PSA stays where it is I am in remission, if it pops out of the woodwork I am not.
    Drinkies tonight!

    Best wishes,

    Georges

     

  • eonore
    eonore Member Posts: 185 Member
    edited October 2020 #96
    Happy Birthday!

    Enjoy the day and continued good news!

    Eric

  • hewhositsoncushions
    hewhositsoncushions Member Posts: 411 Member
    #97
    ????Well done !!!!

    ????Well done !!!!

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    edited December 2020 #98
    Getting cocky

    Hi all,

    I had a spare prescription for a PSA test floating around so yesterday I went down the lab and did the deed.
    Yep, fourteen and a half months since my last shot of Firmagon and I am still below the limit of detection.
    I am beginning to feel like one of the penguins standing well back from the front of the ice sheet wondering if the leopard seal of prostate cancer is hiding below the waves.
    We have the tree up, loads of mince pies, special treat as this is France and such sophistication is generally unknown here.
    It will be three including the cat for a socially shielded Christmas dinner, strangely there is more COVID-19 in Jersey where I lived than there is in the wilds of Finistère where I am currently resident.

    Best wishes,

    Georges

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited December 2020 #99
    Joyeux Noel!

    And yes, you do want to stay well back from the front of the ice since it is melting...

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,707 Member
    edited December 2020 #100

    My Christmas wishes are that we all attain similar levels in PSA results. Remission Status is to be celebrated. I will raise a glass of Esporao again to your success.

    Congratulations.

    VG

  • Josephg
    Josephg Member Posts: 460 Member
    #101
    Great News!

    I'll toast your great news tonight with a glass or two of red wine!

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