A week away

well, there has to be another box of ammo around here somewhere. I'll go see what I can find.

and venting is legal.

Andrew

I think each med is going to work better and longer because you did so well with Provenge.   Also your docs might mix things up like Snuffy Myers does and keeps the bear confused so he goes back into hibernation.   It is good to be on the lookout for Mr. bear......don't want him sneaking up on us.

Todd, the bear may come, but then again may turn off onto a different trail.

But until that time, keep choking the life out of every one of the "Bonus Days" that come your way. Without that positive, full of life and living spirit that you have, the bear may have come a lot sooner.

When I replied to a "How are you today" with my "Every Day is A Bonus in MY World", the young lady said yes I understand. She went on to say, "Every morning when I wake up, see the sun has risen, suck in a deep breath and see the grass from the blade side, it is a GREAT DAY".

The thoughts you are having are normal in all respects. I am just about to start the path of drugs and I already have some doubts and concerns that I have not had since the beginning of this crappy journey. But I try to calm those as fast as possible, enjoy the days, enjoy the new pool and plan for the gathering of my friends who will be here in March.

That thought will keep me positive for the next few months and then I will find another that will push me forward for a while. Always looking for that next positive enjoyment of life activity that replaces anything that may bring me down.

It is the only way I know to keep the spirits up and not dwell on the downside of anything that life throws my way. And so far it is working.

Sonny

Todd,
You have a remarkable track record given your initial diagnosis and you are still relatively early in using your ammo arsenal. If you have gotten this mileage out of the small caliber stuff so far, there is no reason to expect that the big guns will not do some serious damage against the beast. In stock buying terms, go long! Hang in there!
SC

Mel old buddy,
I believe it did. I experienced 14 months of side effect free, progression free living and felt very healthy the entire time. My psa was rising but only made it to 26 before I went to something else to bring it back down. I believe it is still working I am just not willing to see the psa go up.

To everybody else who has replied so far, Thank you very much. I guess we all need encouragement from time to time. Todd

With any luck if we can run fast enough and long enough they'll find a bear trap that stops the beast in its tracks. Best wishes to all the hunters out there.

Tom

Hey Todd - thanks for sharing your thoughts.... sorry to hear you're kind of down.

I guess we all have our ups and downs don't we? Your fighting spirit is inspirational, but there are limits, ebbs and flows, high and low tides to everything. I think we're both hitting troughs at the same, albeit for different reasons. Highs are often followed by lows, but lows are often followed by highs.

If we lived closer together, I'd take you out for a beer! Here's a long-distance toast anyway, to a guy who's been outrunning those bears for a long time (and as I posted about my brother in law today, I've seen that some of the bears are much faster than others). Lace up those sneakers and keep running!

Todd
We all have our days. All I have to add is this. Very few men have started this journey with your initial stats. The fact that you are where your are today is a feat in its self. I believe its a good indication that the next bullets will be very effective. After all....you are a ROCK STAR -_- ...tom

Todd,

That bear behind you isn't Mike Ditka. Turn around and take a closer look. It's Smokey and he's dragging his hose and trying to flag you down. You are far from running out of options. There are plenty of different approaches out there. Some may include "re-challenging" with combinations of resources that you've already employed.
Relax ... leave those cans of whoop ass on the shelf for now. Pour yourself a nice cocktail, pick up your guitar, kick back and enjoy the day. Your posse is here if and when you need us. You don't need no stinking guns.

Jim

Todd, as long as you can keep the bear at a distance you may be able to find some more bullets. Research is always coming up with new ways of fighting this bear.

Todd,
On our cruise we talked about an event that occured about 200 years ago when a rag-tag group took on a bear of a force that seemed to have all that it took to eat the group but as the song says
"We fired our guns but they kept a-coming".
So it is with you , my friend. You have fired your guns and the bear is "still a-coming" but it may not be as strong as "it was a while ago".
Let us hope that your battle can end like the on in Chalmette and the bear will "get to runnin' " all the way down to that blessed z-e-ro.

Todd, ready for a bear joke? well, ready or not:

This man decides to take his grandson out bear hunting for the first time. They go to a hunting cabin way back into the hills and when they get there the old man sets about setting up housekeeping - putting food away, sweeping the floor, lighting a fire, getting bedding ready and tries to get the grandson to help. The grandson is very annoyed and says, "Come on grandpa, we came here to hunt not play house - let's grab the rifles and go."

"Now, just relax, we'll get to bear hunting when we're ready but first we've got to be ready. Now you get them rifles and start cleaning 'em," says the old man.

The grandson, impatiently grabs a rifle, runs to the door and yells, "The heck with that, I'm going to get me a bear." Then he runs outside and into the woods.

The old man just shakes his head, "kids. Well, he'll be back empty handed soon."

about an hour later the cabin door bursts open and a bear comes running into the cabin and the old man hears his grandson yell, "Here you take care of this one, I'm going to go get me another."


Bet you feel like the grandpa once in awhile...