Zero Club Renewal, please

Yesterday was DaVinci +21 weeks.
Down to one pad a day for the last week (still a security pad for the random bad night), and got a second "undetectable" PSA from Bostwick. Yeah!
Renews the club and gives me another three month pass!
Schedule now set for 39 days of IMRT starting April 22nd, with Calypso markers being inserted next week. Sort of like a super biopsy, I'm told, but I've been there before.

Post Edited (142) : 3/19/2010 9:23:10 PM (GMT-6)

Path. was multiple extra capsular extensions, 3 positive margins, Gleason 4+5 bilateral multifocal, pT3a, 20% total involvement.

"Get on it"...and you are!  (where's the 'emoticon' for "thumbs-up"?)

"Undetectable" PSA is the best starting point (as an indicator of lower probability for distant spread; spread which wouldn't even show up on scans).

May I ask; my own curiosity and continued learning: What was your PSA result history?

Post Edited (Casey59) : 3/19/2010 10:15:54 AM (GMT-6)

Calypso is an embedded "GPS" type system. They implant the markers in the prostate bed to give the radiation a target.

I had no PSA history, and no family history of PCa. For some reason, with all the blood tests I've had over the years, there was no PSA on file. First test came back 7.4, retest 7.1, and off to the urologist a day later.
Biopsy came back 9 of 12 positive, with up to 90% positive, 7 Gleason 4+4; 2 Gleason 4+3.

Post Edited (142) : 3/19/2010 10:19:54 AM (GMT-6)

Age 56, it turned out. In theory I was getting whatever tests were required yearly, but either PSA didn't get done, or the results were "lost". The nurse noticed it, and had the lab add it to a periodic test just by chance.

Correct on the Calypso.

Post Edited (142) : 3/19/2010 10:28:12 AM (GMT-6)

142 being in the zero club before RT is a geat start I would think.  Enjoyed chatting with you Wed.

Cajun Jeff

Thanks for all the support. This is a good crew. Just wish I had been here before meeting Mr. DaVinci. It would not have changed my decision in perfect hindsight, but it would have given me a bit better of an initial orientation.
Yes Casey, I fell through the cracks of the system. I think testing for certain problems should be automatic, and obligated by the insurance companies. In a past life, working in a so-called socialist country, they did brutally complete physicals every year (DRE done faithfully every year in those days, on company time - fail to show up, lose your job). You failed, they sent you for treatment and early-retired you where it made sense. Here (in the US for our non-US folks) they can effectively control what doctors we see, and how often, why not add a test or two? No one thought to be sure the test was done, so it got lost. Maybe it was done and lost in the many transfers of records, or maybe it wasn't done at all. When all you see is hundreds of dollars of bills for blood tests with pages of long lists of descriptions, the tree is lost in the forest, if you can find the forest.
As a frequent international traveller, I always ask about Malaria, Hepatitis A/B/C, parasites, a long list of common problems. PCa? sure.

Glad you decided to stay in the club. I took a short break from the Zero club even though I did not resign my position as President. I think come April when I get tested again I will once again be a zero.
CONGRATS my friend that is great news

peace to you
dale

My husband will have to have radiation for a positive margin also and I wondered how they know where to target the radiation in the prostate bed. We haven't met with the radiologist yet. Are you saying they implant something in the bed which acts as a marker, using a method similar to the biopsy? Then the radiation is attracted to those markers? Also, is the IMRT 8 weeks 5 times a week? Thanks in advance for the answers.

Alice

Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. I've stumbled a bit and had a two-pad day today, but it isn't seven, so...

Alice, yes the Caylpso system (seems very new and in limited use, but there is a similar system that uses gold-metal markers) is a marker that goes in to the prostate bed area just like the biopsy comes out. So I'll be having a bad day Thursday. This is a mini-gps or RFID - sort of like the new passports - exposed to a specific radio frequency, they light up and send a signal. The radiation equipment is (and here I am going on a one-hour discussion) programmed to position the impact of the beam in relation to the three markers. There is still the molded shield to protect adjacent areas. I don't know how widespread the use of this is.

The treatments are each business day (so five days a week) for 39 days, no breaks allowed. I've been at the office several times, and there is always a flow of people in and out, so it seems that they are correct that it is a fairly quick daily effort. It will probably take longer to drive up and back than the treatment time. The big complication for me is that you have to drink a couple of glasses of water 45 minutes before, and actually hold it. That is to keep the bladder pulled up out of the way. I'm trying to "train" myself to do a better job holding water :(

Link - www.calypsomedical.com for those interested.

Post Edited (142) : 3/21/2010 12:09:33 PM (GMT-6)

142, I forgot to ask where you are from?

Good Luck on the IMRT. I sailed through with minor side effects. Lots of guys here went through it and can offer help when and if you need it. just ask.