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Posted 10/2/2008 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I guess I should unlurk again.  I guess lately I have been trying not to think of

cancer.

My first PSA following salvage radiation was not what I hoped for.  0.1 is not equal to 0.0.

My Dr. though says radiation is different than the operation in that it takes a while for the

cancer cells to die.  I hope so.

Still no drop in PSA is not what you hope for with salvage radiation.  But then again when you

are dealing with measurements so small perhaps it did drop from say 0.14 to 0.06.  Who knows.

I guess the net is that I am still in limboland.

Posted 10/2/2008 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
I am going to send all good wishes and thoughts your way. Hopefully your doctor is correct and the next PSA will drop. Unfortunately, I understand your worry and hope you can stay positive. Always good to see you on here, but wish the news was better. Hang in there.
Posted 10/2/2008 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Mozart

Stay positive and here's hoping you just need some more time for your readings to drop. I finished salvage radiation in June and had my first follow up PSA in August. My doctor had told me the same thing that he hoped to see any kind of improvment or at least stay the same, he just didn't want to see it rise anymore which yours did not also. He said he has seen it take as long as 12 months or more to reach <.1 again. I appear to have been lucky as my PSA dropped from .4 in March to .09 with my August reading. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that your next reading is the one it takes it back down to 0 for good.

Stay strong and keep the faith
Norskie
Posted 10/2/2008 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
I am a new member, and don't understand any of the procedures and tests numbers and ramifications. I do, however, understand stress and pain and discomfort and frustration. I hear in your post a little of all of these. I can also appreciate the need to disappear from cancer and anything else that is uncomfortable, as well as the need to reappear and unlurk. I have been impressed by the outpouring of love and caring expressed in so many of the posts. This defintiely feels like the right place to be, and i hope you find solace from the support of so many, including me too. I wish you the best.
Posted 10/2/2008 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Rob,
Good to see you post again. I prefer to use "holding pattern" instead of limbo. And in your case, talented and positive!. I must admit I haven't checked you site as much, but I will tonight. Be well, and lurking is still staying with us. Glad to know you are still hangin' out.

Tony
Posted 10/2/2008 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
Rob,
I can appreciate your concern over not seeing a drop in the PSA reading. After I got my first reading as <0.1 I was relieved. When I got the results for the 6 month test I had a little concern seeing the reading @ 0.1. The Dr. said not to worry. When I stopped to rationalize what was going on, I remembered that the second test was run by Lab C. and the first one was done by "Q" lab. Labs use different standards to test against and having worked in a research lab for 30 years I know that you can run the same sample many different times and different results. Differnt techs can run the same sample and get different results. Also, they may get a reading of 0.04 but report the reading as 0.1, especially when there is a disclaimer on the test report that says " readings lower than 0.5 is considered as undetectable". I keep telling myself that as long as it stays steady I'm good.

Wayne
Posted 10/3/2008 10:28 PM (GMT 0)

Mozart250,

Hang in there. There is always a margin of error in these test. If this really bothers you, I would request new blood test ASAP to confirm th 0.1.  Go for it, there is nothing to loose. The best to you.

Geon

Posted 10/4/2008 12:22 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Rob, as you can see, my PSA has hovered at 0.5 even after salvage radiation, doc says sometimes it takes a long time for the cells to die, hopefully that is true for you (and me), guess it's just a waiting game brother.

All the best, Mal.


Posted 10/4/2008 12:18 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for all the posts.

The more I think and read about it, I guess my situation is not that unusual.  A 0.0 would have been excellent news.  However, a 0.1 is not necessarily bad news.  So it is what it is I guess.

Tony, I guess I sort of stopped the blogging thing.  My wife didn't like the idea of me putting my life out on the internet.

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