Systemic Treatment – my experience and update

Vasco,

Delighted that your PSA is holding below threshold set by your oncologist.

FDA approved Covid vac for US today.  Doses should start being administered tomorrow (Saturday), and began LAST week in England.    The Pfizer version is rated at an astonishing 90% effective (to be considered a useful vaccine requires about 70% efficacy).  I have asked my doc to qualify me for early application, due to status as immune compromised.

My state of SC is testing positive at about 20%, but of a population of 5,210,000, a total of 4,332 deaths have occured:   In other words, 1 in every 1,202.   The news rages hourly about 'surges.'  But they never report the liklihood of death in the general population, which is profoundly low.   Nationwide, the mortality rate is usually reported at about  00.2 %, which is a bit higher than the figure here.   Newspeople know that "what bleeds leads."   They focus on "surges."   I focus on 00.2 %

Hi All,

Very strange virus,some people show almost no symptoms and to otherwise healthy people it's fatal!!  Keep wearing your masks and stay at least 6' apart.  Hopefully the vaccine will knock the virus to very low transmission levels. Lets pray this is a 100 yr. occurance and we won't see the likes of this or something else for a long,long time.  As Rosanne Rodanadana said it's always somethin.  I'm ready to get back to normal..................

Dave 3+4

eonore said:

Math

Using your logic of total population, .2 percent mortality rate would equate to over six million deaths in the US.  I'm glad that 4332 deaths makes you happy.  Myself, I am profoundly saddened and grateful to the press which accurately reports on this scourge.

You also forget that even among those who survive, many are profoundly sick, and some are left with long term heart and lung damage.  Why don't you listen to the doctors and nurses who deal with the disease on a daily basis, and see what they day about the seriousness of COvid.  Or are they in on the scam also?

 

Eric

Thankfully, your more precise math assists my point, given that fewer than 300,000 have died of COVID in the US.  The final death rate will undoubtedly prove miniscule compared to dozens of other common maladies, but no death is 'irrelevant.'   When the WHO or CDC states that PCa is ordinarily very treatable with very high survival rates, they are NOT therefore saying that the tens of thousands of deaths annually from PCa are 'irrelevant' or a cause of 'happiness.'  My 'logic' is simple and the most relevant numeric, eliminating hysteria and virtue-preening.  And, the standards between states varies a lot, whith many areas at many times writing Covid as cause of death in anyone who tested positive, regardless of the effects of serious comorbities, statistically which almost all fatalities have manifested.  The actual death rate from per se Covid is undoubtedly a fraction even of the low numbers reported.

It is a total corruption and prejorative to say that I in any way suggested that 4332 deaths made me 'happy.'   Death is universal, and diseases and epidemics also.   What I suggest is perspective and objectivity.   This is the way public heath is supposed to be run and analyzed.   CDC and NIH suggestions have swung back and forth wildly, often directly contradicting themselves.   Many scientists and leaders have suggested that the hysteria is counterproductive and without justification.   You use sterotypical denigration of anyone who questions mainstream suppression of free speech and livlihood to cow the population.

Besides deaths, I also regret dramatic spikes in suicides due to isolation and loss of jobs and homes, failures of business. etc.    Political leaders who impose these things are commonly shown ignoring their own dictates at events.   

I myself for years have had lung fibrosis, asthma, anemia, and immunological compromise from multiple cancers and long-term chemo combinations, so I am conversant in side-effects.   I am not worried about this at all.   I use common sense and reasonable precautions;  I do not need multi-billion dollar public service announcements to teach me to wash my hands or avoid the public when ill.    Finally, I have never denied the reality of COVID as a pandemic, and actually do not know of anyone who has or does.  It is a real virus with real consequences.  If you know of some public figure who is a 'COVID Denier,' tell me the name, as I myself am unaware fo such persons.

Vasco is BACK! Good to see that the PSA appears to be steady. Enjoy your ADT vacation and best wishes to all forum members.

With respect to smart phones, in the USA one can get a very good deal on the updated iPhone SE (2020).

I got mine (NEW; 64 GB) for $250 from Consumer Cellular. Unfortunately, I am reasonably sure that this company doesn't operate in Europe, but maybe there's a similar company.

That is great news for you, Vasco, and I am so happy for you.  I will toast your great news tonight with a glass or two of red wine.

We on this PCa Discussion Board greatly value your knowledge, perspectives and sage advice.  I know that I always await your reply after each of my updates with great anticipation, as I want your perspective on each stop along my PCA journey.

Your orchard and veggie garden certainly deserve your time, as they are clearly an integral part of your daily quality of life.

I continue to wish you the best of outcomes on your PCa journey.

VascodaGama said:

In a slumber status

Hi all,

I am pleased to inform on my continuing "Observation" period (ADT vacations) with a PSA of 1.95 ng/ml of last week (Apr 2021). This is similar to the previous tests showing a sort of plateau along the last 24 months. I had today a consultation by phone (VIP style) with my new doctor (Dr. Jose Dias) that is substituting the previous uro-oncologist who has been moved to a different department. He gave me the perception that he is aware of the details of my PCa case. He said that the PSA was in a stable condition so that to continue this observation status. I inquire on the need of any preventive image study (BS or MRI) to which he replied in being unnecessary as I am asymptomatic. He recommended to continue the periodical PSA tests (including other markers too) and scheduled the next consultation for February 2022.
This vacation period is on its way to become ten years free of drugs and free from the symptoms that these would cause. I think I am fortunate.

Meanwhile I had the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine and got the second dose scheduled for May 5. The mRNA vaccine didn't cause any apparent side effect so that I am hopeful that the second shot follows a similar pattern. In any case, there has been news from Israel informing on several cases of heart inflammation in people that took the second shot of the Pfizer.

I want to thanks the many participants in this forum for the excellent comments they provide in their posts to fellow visitors. Thought I do not write much as before, I continue visiting the forum everyday and read all the new comments. Somehow my orchard and veggie garden has taken all my free time.

Best wishes to my comrades.

VGama 

 

VG Glad to hear everything remains stable.   Your sharing and insight to this disease is greatly appreciated by this PCA newbie.

Best regards,

CMO

Hi Vasco,

That is looking OK, as long as the PSA stays stable and the cancer is not doing something sneaky then you have a good chance of beating it off long enough to die of something else, which is the hope of all of us that suspect or know that the bandit is lurking in our corporeal undergrowth.
I see that the COVID-19 in Portugal is at a low as well, similar to us in Brittany where we are pretty free of the peste.
We will raise a glass to you this evening while looking out over the garden.
Cat is on full alert tonight having spotted two strange cats in her garden, she is a big cat but when the fur is up she is Corgi sized and she has a fearsome growl!

Yec'hed mad! ( Cheers in Breton )

Georges

Congratulations amigo. And thank for all of the thoughtful advice and commentary. I always look forward to reading your take all subjects here!

Well done. Can you choose me some lottery numbers too?