I am Finally Cured

Seriously? Are you on other drugs-LOL? We have patients with perfect looking post opt stats whom can or did recurr even up to 10 yrs.+ later after looking cured all those years. Low psa can be very temporary, but like your optimistic thinking. Adding T is controversial as heck, Dr. Lebowitz and others have info on such.

If you are serious I hope this does not bite you back in the ____blank!

Monitor this closely is a good idea.

Post Edited (zufus) : 10/27/2011 4:58:37 PM (GMT-6)

I don't want to rain on your parade but like Zufus, I think you are over-optimistic about the cure.

All of us here at best are "in remission" and are never "cured" until we die of something else (my opinion of course!) And I would caution going against your doctors' advice without *very* good reason.

But it's great you are feeling so optimistic, and let's hope you really are cured.

OK, being optimistic is great, but ...

I can't imagine ever thinking I'm cured until I die of something else -

I feel like I get closer to being able to say I'm cured every year, but like other people have said, I don't think I'll ever say that with 100% certainty. I am glad to be in remission, and after 4 years of <0.1 results, I'm hopeful of a cure.

I am concerned about this posting as well as the others who have written about it.
It seems like the tail is wagging the dog and directing those to follow the tails orders.

I am glad you are confident and feel good. But there are other variables, including the addition of testosterone, which can feed any remaining cancer cells.
I would take a deep breath - be pleased with your results - and plan a regular schedule of monitoring your state of remission.
A year and four months seems awfully short for concluding any further treatment.

I have looked over your previous postings and feel you may be reacting to the chemical imbalance you feel due to the HT you have been on.

sickofbeingsic said...
I spend $1,246.00 per month on cobra insurance. I have lost my ranch, all the cars as well as almost losing what little sanity I had over this surprise in my life and and all I want to do is spend as many years with my 7 year old as possible.

Wishing you all the best.
Bronson

Post Edited (tatt2man) : 10/27/2011 9:01:51 PM (GMT-6)

c'mon guys .... .

ed

 

Wow. I know I'm new here, but I guess all I can say is that I echo my much more experienced Brothers here. I wish you all the best. For myself, I'm with the thought process that once I know I'm going to die of something else, I'll never declare myself cured of PCa.

Comments "should" be directed towards the original poster and not each others

Thank you for playing the "Let's keep it civil game."

 

Hello again,
I am sorry I did not repost since yesterday, however I have a 7 year old and he does require a certain amount of attention.
I am surprised and bewildered at some of the responses that I got from my post.
I remember when I first joined the forums was to not only educate myself, but talk to people that all had something in common. PC.
When I posted and showed signs of depression, I was told that attitude would be a huge help in my recovery from all that was being done to me. (although I never heard anyone say that if he had a better attitude he would have lived longer).
I remember the humiliation of going through the testing with having to put my feet in stirrups and let some 25 year old girl shove an ultra sound device up my ___ and then say ooopps I forgot something and walk out the door without closing it for all to see who walked by. I am tired and the treatment has been one heck of a ride. My primary Doc told me that I would not likely die from PC but from the treatment. Quality of life has changed for me to the point I have considered ending it if you know what I mean. I have nothing to lose and a life to gain by having this new attitude.
Tattman may be correct because I am peaking on the chemo at this time and lunacy is kicking in hard. But I also found no evidence of PC at this time.
I chose to start the T treatment because I could not come up with any logical reason to feel this bad for 2 to 3 years waiting for my T level to come back o its own and give me the energy that I once had.

I did a personal study based on 2,500 signatures from this forum and 2,500 signatures from another forum and came up with the conclusion that I was cured. I will remain cured until someone presents evidence to the contrary. The word remission is not good enough for me.
To sit around and say that I have PC with no evidence to me is not smart.
I will get my life back and I will let the chips fall where they may, in the mean time please do not fault me for trying to better my life.
I realize that the majority based on my stats are sitting back and assuming they are in remission and who knows they might be cured as well but are afraid to take a chance.
I am past the fear factor and refuse to wait 10 years and worry for 10 years to see if I am cured. As far as I am concerned I am cured now and I look forward to a better life soon.

All of you may be right, I may be making a mistake, however in my heart I believe that my life will be better soon.
I was originally told that I would may survive 10 years and a possibly be cured if I accepted the treatment regimen that was suggested. Well I was diligent and followed all of the poop they put me through and now it is time to find out if it worked.
I am not afraid to use the word cure, since there is no evidence to the contrary.
I will have PSA checked along with other normal blood test such as cholesterol and sugar etc. every 6 months as normal, however I will not sit and feel sorry for myself and suffer from this kind of anxiety any longer.

Sorry for pissing some off and thanks to those who are supporting me through this tough decision?
Art

" Cured" is a word that is too often misunderstood in dealing with any cancer. We all want to be cured but what does that mean? We hear and see Internet advertisements from various PC treatment URO's and centers who make claims of  certain high % of cure rates that IMO often gives false hope to many PC patients. Does cured mean if you do not die from PC you are cured? Does cured mean it doesn't reappear or is detectable before you die from some other cause? If my PC stays in "remission" the rest of my life am I cured? I think, if the original poster is not pulling our legs here, in his mind he is cured and I hope we all pray that he is. My URO told me that I will be a patient of his the rest of my life and if my PSA stays detectable for 10 years I most likely have beaten it, but he will not use the "cure" word. I do not sit around worrying about this issue, I feel better than I have in many years, I am continent and I expect to live long and prosper and die from anything other than PC. Do I need to believe that I am "cured"? I can answer that no I do not have to believe I am cured, but I also do not believe my PC will come back, only time will answer this for me.

I am not an expert and far from from it, but IMO I understand why the OP wants to get off the HT  and chemical treadmill with low undetectable PSA numbers. Again IMO and from what I know from my research I would caution doing any Testosterone replacement treatment just in the remote possibility any PC cells are still alive in his body. Going off the HT and letting your body naturally raise the T levels back up may be more prudent and in any case PSA needs to be  monitored more than twice a year for the next few years.

Many of us here tell new members to HW that when it comes to making treatment decisions there are no right ones other than the ones we make for ourselves as we are the ones who have to live with those decisions. I think we have forgotten that in the case of this member.

Terry TWG

Hey sic, I dont think anyone really means you any harm. The various responses reflect the individual thoughts and conclusions of others who are similarly effected by this disease, be that emotional, physical and most often all-of-the-above.

You can be sure all the others wish you were "cured" - however we define that. I think the problem is that most who looked at your situation think that you might be fooling yourself by coming to that conclusion, to your potential detriment.

On the otherhand, as much as the indignities this disease has caused each of us (and I CAN appreciate your story of the nurse - been there, and it reminds me of calling to get my post rrp pca results.. and I could TELL that the nurse didn't have a cluse about the impact of the decimal point... ).

I guess when you;ve had enough you have to decide to live yourlife instead of living your life fighting a cancer that there is no proven cure for. And things look dark, the drugs dont help, the low t adds to it.

But remember this, the zero psa is GREAT NEWS, so try and think of it as keeping in touch with the drs your trust, compromise. You apparently have fought a hrad and good fight - dont throw away the fact that, at a minimum, youve apparently bought yourself some hard earned years.

If the dr was originally telling you 10 years. Maybe youve bumped that to 20. So use some of those to allow your testosterone to come back natuarally so you dont incite any remaining cells.

Maybe in a year or 2 your hair will be back, your sex level returns, you still have zeros, and with the years you've gained perhaps down the road you can help your son learn how to love his son as you do him.

I hope so. Dont get too high or too low. Try not to anyways.

My prayers are with you today..

 

Post Edited (BobCape) : 10/28/2011 8:18:02 AM (GMT-6)

I am just tired guys.

I was told that I should be on the HT for 3 years or until immune. I feel I will not live that long. This stuff is bad. I believe sometimes I am already dead and this is the hell that god talks about.
Since I am peaking on the HT right now, that makes me susceptible to changing my mind a lot too.
I feel bad for those that are cured and are scared to say it. My docs call it cancer free but I just laughed and said there is nothing free about cancer.
Sitting home watching Gilligan's island all day and saying I am in remission is not for me. That is pure balderdash. I want to have fun with life again.

I am saddened by some of the reactions that I got from my OP but I understand.

If ignorance is bliss then some on here would be very happy people LOL
I am sure that someone will figure out why I made this decision sooner or later. There is a method to my madness.
Art