IT'S DONE- IT'S OVER- #35 IS IN THE BAG

WHW
WHW Member Posts: 189
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
It is official and I have the graduation certificate to prove it, I have completed my IG/IMRT therapy of 35 treatments. My T-shirt has had all of the numbers crossed off and the techs have all signed it.

First PSA is scheduled for 6 weeks out, so we won't know the effectiveness of it til then.

One thing I know for sure is that starting tomorrow I am through with getting up at 5:30am Monday through Friday.

The hardest part going forward will be to re-train my dog that he is not going out at 5:30am in the mornings anymore. He is just going to have to learn to cross his little legs and wait it out until I get up. I am normally an early riser, but 5:30am is even early for me. He'll mope and sulk for a few days, but eventually he'll get over it. He has to, he doesn't have any thumbs to unlock and open the door.

This is just another example of how PCa affects everyone in the family.

Thanks for all of your support over the last 7 weeks. You have all been great.

I have been blessed in two ways on this. I have had each of you by my side and I have had very minimal side effects. All in all the only real difficulty was the going every day. It is just reassurance that I don't miss having a full time job and facing the same thing each day. Blessed are the retirees, for they can lay on their butts and let each day happen as it will.

So this is my final update on the IG/IMRT process.

Thanks to all for being here,

Sonny

60 years old when diagnosed
PSA 11/07 3.0
PSA 5/09 6.4
Diagnosis confirmed July 9, 2009
12 Needle Biopsy = 9 clear , 3 postive
Gleason Score (3+4) 7 in all positive cores
da Vinci 9/17/09
Post Surgery Pathology: GS 4+3=7
Stage: T3a
Tumor Volume 12.5%
positive margin, extra-prostatic extension
30 day PSA 0.4, 50 day psa 0.53, 64 day psa 0.6
IMRT completed 1/15/10 35 treatments- 70Gy

Comments

  • NM
    NM Member Posts: 214
    #2
    Good news
    Hi Sonny, sounds like you are doing well and still have a great attitude. My prayers are with you for a super low or non-existent psa. Thank you for your posts about radiation as they have helped me understand the process just in case I must go through it.

    I also understand about the dog as i have 2. This disease effects us in many different ways and im finding out every day something new.

    Peace to you and my prayers as well.....Nick
  • whipple
    whipple Member Posts: 11
    #3
    Congrats and best
    Congrats and best wishes.
    Your post with the web sites was very helpful. My husband had divinci 1-04-09.
    62 Years Old
    Biopsy PSA 4.6 Gleason 4+3=7
    Pathology
    Tumor volume 40%
    Postive base margin
    Perineural invasion
    Lymphatic/vascular invasion
    Lymph nodes negative
    Surgen Nadler Northwestern/ said lupron and radiation next. Have not met with the radiation oncologist yet. Have an appointment with a medical oncologist.
    I found another artical from the site you listed that was helpful and said goserelin after radiation had possitive results.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelp/br.fcgi?book=cmed&part=A26975.
    Cancer Medicine e.5 Neoplasms of the Prostate

    I'm a hodgkins and breast cancer survivor.
    My husband does not want to look anything up or know what I've found. He doesn't know at this point what stage he is. When the surgen called after the surgery he told my husband that he would need radiation as a precaution. He didn't ask any other questions. I got a copy of the pathology report and stated to research. He appreciates me doing it and has a good attitude. He said to one of his freinds on the phone that my wife says I'll be fine and if she isn't worried then he's not. I must have a good poker face.
    This is the way he needs to handle it and thats fine. I'm sure he will know everything once we meet with the oncologist.

    It is hard for an average joe to find web sites so your help was great. Your in my thoughts and prayers.
    Jude
  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    #4
    NM said:

    Good news
    Hi Sonny, sounds like you are doing well and still have a great attitude. My prayers are with you for a super low or non-existent psa. Thank you for your posts about radiation as they have helped me understand the process just in case I must go through it.

    I also understand about the dog as i have 2. This disease effects us in many different ways and im finding out every day something new.

    Peace to you and my prayers as well.....Nick

    Great to Hear Sonny!
    Sounds like you will have extra time now to hit the golf course for some 6am tee times...or just sleep in! I am fortunate that my job consists of working from my house...like I am right this very minute..lol. Sure makes it easy to deal with all the issues that way. I'm on day 17 from Da Vinci and had my first usable erection last night...and it worked to completion! Not the same feeling at all but on day 17 I will go cheerfully forward and practice more! Now I just need to start getting serious about my Keggles and get the leaking to stop. I feel like I now have about 65-75% control...and am only leaking when I get lazy and the usual...pass gas, laugh, cough, blow nose.... For now I am just waiting for the first PSA 6 weeks out set for Feb 11 and then visit with Doc on the 17th. With no postitive margins and only extraprostatic extension I am expecting a <0.1.

    Again good to hear you completed the theraphy and we all will be waiting for the PSA results to be the correct number or lack thereof.

    Randy in Indy
  • 142
    142 Member Posts: 169
    #5
    whipple said:

    Congrats and best
    Congrats and best wishes.
    Your post with the web sites was very helpful. My husband had divinci 1-04-09.
    62 Years Old
    Biopsy PSA 4.6 Gleason 4+3=7
    Pathology
    Tumor volume 40%
    Postive base margin
    Perineural invasion
    Lymphatic/vascular invasion
    Lymph nodes negative
    Surgen Nadler Northwestern/ said lupron and radiation next. Have not met with the radiation oncologist yet. Have an appointment with a medical oncologist.
    I found another artical from the site you listed that was helpful and said goserelin after radiation had possitive results.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelp/br.fcgi?book=cmed&part=A26975.
    Cancer Medicine e.5 Neoplasms of the Prostate

    I'm a hodgkins and breast cancer survivor.
    My husband does not want to look anything up or know what I've found. He doesn't know at this point what stage he is. When the surgen called after the surgery he told my husband that he would need radiation as a precaution. He didn't ask any other questions. I got a copy of the pathology report and stated to research. He appreciates me doing it and has a good attitude. He said to one of his freinds on the phone that my wife says I'll be fine and if she isn't worried then he's not. I must have a good poker face.
    This is the way he needs to handle it and thats fine. I'm sure he will know everything once we meet with the oncologist.

    It is hard for an average joe to find web sites so your help was great. Your in my thoughts and prayers.
    Jude

    Thanks for the update
    Sonny,

    I'll be starting follow-up radiation in April - so I've been watching your reports. Hope you'll be singing "I've got plenty of nothing" when the PSA comes back. Pity I'm not able to retire yet, but...
  • lewvino
    lewvino Member Posts: 1,010
    #6
    Waiting to hear about your 0
    Waiting to hear about your 0 in six weeks.
    Larry
  • Ocean-View
    Ocean-View Member Posts: 26
    #7
    lewvino said:

    Waiting to hear about your 0
    Waiting to hear about your 0 in six weeks.
    Larry

    Great News
    Great News Sonny!

    Tom D Orlando
  • whipple
    whipple Member Posts: 11
    #8
    did you have lupron?
    Wondering if you had or are planning of having lupron?
  • WHW
    WHW Member Posts: 189
    #9
    whipple said:

    did you have lupron?
    Wondering if you had or are planning of having lupron?

    Whipple NO Lupron for ME
    Whipple,

    I did not have Lupron or any other drugs prior to radiation. My RAD did not feel it necessary.

    Additionally, while I will continue to monitor PSA levels at the prescribed intervals, Lupron or any HT therapy is not in my future.

    It is a personal thing and decision based upon my feelings and conversations with my wife. It just ain't in the cards for me.

    Bless you and your husband and the best of luck to you,

    Sonny
  • fathersson
    fathersson Member Posts: 121
    #10
    WHW said:

    Whipple NO Lupron for ME
    Whipple,

    I did not have Lupron or any other drugs prior to radiation. My RAD did not feel it necessary.

    Additionally, while I will continue to monitor PSA levels at the prescribed intervals, Lupron or any HT therapy is not in my future.

    It is a personal thing and decision based upon my feelings and conversations with my wife. It just ain't in the cards for me.

    Bless you and your husband and the best of luck to you,

    Sonny

    Congrats
    Good for you my friend. You will be fine.
  • lion1
    lion1 Member Posts: 241
    #11
    fathersson said:

    Congrats
    Good for you my friend. You will be fine.

    Sonny Congrats
    Sonny,

    You inspire all of us with you're incredible attitude. I wish you the best. It's folks like you that keep the rest of us positive about whatever adversities we're going through.

    You truly are courageous and indredible.

    Lion1
  • whipple
    whipple Member Posts: 11
    #12
    WHW said:

    Whipple NO Lupron for ME
    Whipple,

    I did not have Lupron or any other drugs prior to radiation. My RAD did not feel it necessary.

    Additionally, while I will continue to monitor PSA levels at the prescribed intervals, Lupron or any HT therapy is not in my future.

    It is a personal thing and decision based upon my feelings and conversations with my wife. It just ain't in the cards for me.

    Bless you and your husband and the best of luck to you,

    Sonny

    Thanks for your reply and
    Thanks for your reply and again for the web sites. Keep smiling and best wishes to you and your wife.
    Jude
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,346 Member
    #13
    horay
    take it easy.........wishing you the best...........Ira
  • WHW
    WHW Member Posts: 189
    #14
    Thank You My Friends
    Thank you very much for you kind words and positive vibes.

    Today marks the beginning of the next chapter in my journey and I started it off in grand fashion. I DID NOT GET UP AT 5:30AM to get ready for treatment. I lazily slept in until 7:45am and it felt sooo good.

    I do not feel a bit guilty about it and the dog cooperated by waiting patiently and not imposing his will on me to get up. I did however do a little pre-planning by dragging him out of his slumber last night at 11:30pm for one last trip to the front yard. I don't think he cared for it too much, but he grudgingly obliged.

    Here's hoping that each of you enjoy the start of a fresh new week and chapter in your own journeys.

    Bless you all and your families,

    Sonny

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