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Active Surveillance rolling the dice? From Gleason 6-7 to Gleason 6, & my PSA going down.

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Posted 12/16/2014 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Yes Bill. Either way I believe it is important to be eating "right" for us before and after whatever treatment.
In the vein of loaded words I would say the word "diet" is pretty loaded itself. Many people associate it with weight loss and/or doing without. There are other associations with the word diet as well which I won't go into but for those of us who want to do the "right food for us" over the long haul I would like to ask a couple of questions.
What is food for? Is it primarily to be enjoyed? Or, is it primarily to provide nutrition and/energy? What does our personal value system tell us? I have no doubt in my mind what I want from food or rather what I think I need to get from it. Thinking along these lines helps me to stay focused.
A short food story. I had been real anal for several months on my macrobiotic thing and was laid over at a fancy hotel in Lisbon for a night. The airline laid on a huge outrageous wonderful buffet brunch. I succumbed to it in style. Every food a SAD guy could wish for. I went for it with both hands and strangely enough it just wasn't the same, not like I thought it would be. I did murder five or six slices of fried bacon before this dawned on me however. I suspect after a while of clean organic hormone free eating our taste buds simply get reeducated. Interesting?
For me eating "right" is hard. I live like a monk but at sixty four I can say that I've never felt better in my whole life and when I say that I don't just mean physically.
I get the impression from your posts that you are a sincere, intelligent and thoughtful person who will continue to enjoy live as long as you have decided to.
Good luck with the present.
Baldeagle.
Posted 12/17/2014 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
Baldeagle,

I only just noticed your "resume" or history at the bottom of your posts. PSA drop from 5.88 to 4.2 is very impressive. Keep up the good work! :-)

Jaybee
Posted 12/17/2014 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Baldeagle,

Thanks for the reminder about it's okay to enjoy eating, and it doesn't need to be . . . if you don't eat this and this and this, then such and such is going to be the penalty. For myself, there's often a lot of tension around eating, and I know there doesn't need to be. I do better when there's some sort of umbrella master plan for eating, like what macrobiotics provides, so I don't even have to think about a vanilla milkshake or a quart of eggnog, which has been tempting me recently. Guilt-free eating is my goal.

I'm just starting to get my bearings again after getting the jolt of bad news from my recent MRI. I had been going along expecting AS to last years, with my low Gleason score (6s), and PSA hanging around 5. So it was a shocker to learn some cancer has escaped my prostate. Whole new ball game with that. I think I did what is called a "negative selection" meaning it seems that immediate action is imperative, and given a choice between radiation and surgery, I cannot abide radiation, so the choice was simple. Surgery. Which will happen at Johns Hopkins in mid-January sometime. Surgeon is H. Ballentine Carter, who has done thousands of these (I asked his assistant). Just what I want. A very experienced guy.

I'd love to hear from anyone out there who had their prostate removed when they were 70/70+ years young, and the surgeon used the old-fashioned, tried and true "open" procedure instead of DaVinci robot-assisted, and how long it took you to recover and return to work? And if some cancer was outside the capsule, like I've got, did the surgeon get it all?

Since last summer when I got diagnosed, I've rested easily with the knowledge of the low Gleason, etc., so haven't educated myself sufficiently about what I'm getting myself into with open surgery. I know most men my age (70) opt for radiation, but my emotional response to radiation is so thoroughly anti radiation, and that was a non-starter for me, so surgery it is. Maybe I'm a tad older than most surgery candidates, but I'm pretty fit, so I'm going with the attitude it's a walk in the park.

I've been keen right up until a couple days ago to cure myself with diet and non-traditional alternative therapies, but like i wrote recently, I feel my cancer has turned somewhat aggressive, so there's no time for CDBs (cannabidiol, a cannabinoid) to work its magic in my body (CBDs are newly appreciated for their anti-cancer properties). Non-THC containing cannabinoids can be extracted from industrial (legal nationally) hemp. A Southern California major company, Hempmeds, (www.hempmedspx.com), sells it.

With my extracapsule cancer outside my prostate, and any spread of that cancer a very inauspicious development I want to short-circuit with the upcoming surgery, I feel I have to fight fire with fire .... with an industrial strength prostectomy to get rid of my expanding cancer, stop it in its tracks. As my Hopkins surgeon forcefully put it last Friday, "respond with surgery or radiation before the cancer inside you kills you, which it will if you don't act NOW."

Jaybee and Baldeagle, love reading your posts. Baldeagle, thanks for the kind words. I guess because it's so close to me I don't see it, or appreciate my good fortune enough, but I was greatly touched by you saying you feel from my words that I'm, I think, intelligent, thoughtful, and sincere. That kinda made my day! I can see how I might have some of those qualities, or more I feel like, they have me. Whenever I get feeling "Oh, what a mess" or something like that, I remind myself of how much I have to be grateful for .... good friends, and living on this beautiful planet that takes my breadth away, dozens and dozens of times every day. My cancer is a fact, not a problem. Hopefully, soon, "no longer playing in a theater near me."

Bill Positive
Posted 12/18/2014 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All -- Hope this is useful as a resource. The overall subject is CBDs, meaning the legal cannabidiol cannabinoid, one of approximately 85 unique chemical cannabinoids under study, mostly abroad. CBDs are devoid of all psychoactive properties, and are in the medical and general news for their claimed powerful disease – including prostate cancer – curative/healing properties.

Everything in this post is purely and utterly for educational purposes only. Seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have. There’s the blanket disclaimer.

Documents A, B, C, and D are reproduced from the website URL www.projectcbd.org.

Documents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 are reproduced from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) and PubMed. Document 6 is published by Scientific Research, which notes “open Access.” I found explanations for questions I’ve had since I was diagnosed last summer. There are good clear, simple explanations here. Plus sophisticated discussions for the medically and scientifically savvy.

All that follows are quotes published on the internet.

_______________
Document A
_______________

[open quote.]

Project CBD > about > What is CBD?

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol — CBD— is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. The fact that CBD-rich cannabis doesn’t get one high makes it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and/or anti-spasm effects without troubling lethargy or dysphoria.

Scientific and clinical studies underscore CBD’s potential as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, PTSD, antibiotic-resistant infections, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders. CBD has demonstrated neuroprotective and neurogenic effects, and its anti-cancer properties are currently being investigated at several academic research centers in the United States and elsewhere.

Project CBD provides educational resources for physicians, patients, and the general public. We respond to inquiries from all over the world. Almost everyone wants to know where to get CBD and how to use it for maximum benefit. After decades in which only high-THC cannabis was available in North America and beyond, CBD-rich strains and products are now accessible to medical users.

On this website, you’ll find cutting-edge information on developments in cannabinoid science and therapeutics, as well as practical information from doctors and patients who are exploring the use of CBD-rich cannabis. You will also learn how you can participate in a grassroots, populist effort to harness the curative qualities of CBD-rich cannabis.
_______________________
Document B
_______________________

Project CBD > about > Mission Statement

Mission Statement

Project CBD is a non-profit educational service dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical utility of cannabidiol (CBD) and other components of the cannabis plant. Project CBD was conceived in 2010 by two journalists who had been covering the medical marijuana story – the science, the movement, and the industry – in the pages of O’Shaughnessy’s, the journal of cannabis in clinical practice. They felt that the reintroduction of CBD-rich cannabis into the grassroots supply merited special attention. The serendipitous reappearance of whole plant CBD has given doctors and patients a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of cannabidiol.

Project CBD:

• Updates doctors and patients on developments in cannabinoid science and therapeutics.
• Supports the efforts of physicians and other researchers to collect, aggregate, and publish data from patients to determine patterns of CBD efficacy — or lack of efficacy.
• Reports on the reintroduction of CBD-rich cannabis into the grassroots supply.
• Reviews and certifies CBD-rich products.
• Refutes the slander that medical marijuana is “a front for stoners.”
We emphasize CBD not to privilege one cannabinoid compound over another. Rather, we emphasize CBD to challenge the notion of equating cannabis with THC. THC is a remarkable molecule in its own right, but THC is not the whole plant, and neither is CBD. Project CBD defends and supports whole plant cannabis therapeutics.
___________________
Document C
___________________

Project CBD > about > Caveats Hemptor

Caveats Hemptor

Some caveats as we seek to identify and harness the therapeutic effects of CBD:

• Although CBD is not innately psychoactive, does not cause a high, has no known lethal dose, possesses no major toxicity, and exhibits no abuse potential, it is still on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because CBD in its natural form is a component of the cannabis plant. Therefore, CBD derived from cannabis grown in the United States is considered illegal by the federal government.

• The amount of CBD present is not the only factor influencing the effects of a given cannabis-based medicine. The ratio of CBD to THC may be as or more important. Terpenoid and flavonoid content are also very important.

• We are capable of placebo-effecting ourselves individually and collectively. We must not exaggerate the possible benefits of CBD or raise false hopes.

• Marijuana prohibitionists will try to exploit the news about CBD to further stigmatize high-THC cannabis, casting The High Causer, THC, as the bad cannabinoid, whereas CBD is pegged as the good cannabinoid. Project CBD categorically rejects this dichotomy in defense of whole plant cannabis therapeutics. Scientific studies show that CBD and THC work best in combination and potentiate each other’s therapeutic effects.

• Analytical labs serving the medical cannabis industry in California and other states have not been properly audited and some labs may not be providing consistently accurate data.

• Products listed and discussed on this website have not been tested or certified by Project CBD unless otherwise indicated.
_______________________
Document D
_______________________
A Tale of Two Cannabinoids: The Therapeutic Rationale for Combining THC & CBD,
is a lengthy document, not reproduced here, and may be found in full text on the www.projectcbd.org website.
_________________
Document E
_________________

Project CBD > about > Project CBD Services

Project CBD Services

Project CBD, a California-based nonprofit organization, provides educational services for physicians, patients, industry professionals, and the general public. Project CBD’s original reporting on cannabinoid science, therapeutics, and political economy is available via the Project CBD Newsfeed and various social media. Project CBD services include:

• Publishing educational materials, including articles, books, e-booklets, and brochures

• Speaking at conferences and seminars

• Training dispensary staff and product-makers on CBD’s benefits

• Reviewing and certifying CBD-rich products

• Helping dispensaries and patients identify top-quality sources of CBD-rich concentrates and other cannabis products

• Maintaining a state-by-state roster of dispensaries and collectives that provide CBD-rich cannabis medicine

• Supporting the efforts of researchers to collect, assess, and publish data from patients regarding CBD’s therapeutic properties (or lack thereof)

• Strategic counseling for investors and industry professionals

• Maintaining a a free newsfeed, CBD community bulletin board, and other unique online services

• Responding to frequent inquiries from people around the world

first document
_____________________________________

Br J Pharmacol. 2013 Jan;168(1):76-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02121.x.

Towards the use of non-psychoactive cannabinoids for prostate cancer.

Pacher P1.

Author information

Abstract

The palliative effects of Cannabis sativa (marijuana), and its putative main active ingredient, Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which include appetite stimulation, attenuation of nausea and emesis associated with chemo- or radiotherapy, pain relief, mood elevation, and relief from insomnia in cancer patients, are well-known. Because of the adverse psychoactive effects of THC, numerous recent preclinical studies have been focused on investigating other non-psychoactive constituents of C. sativa, such as cannabidiol, for potential therapeutic use. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, De Petrocellis and colleagues present comprehensive evidence that plant-derived cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol, are potent inhibitors of prostate carcinoma viability in vitro. They also showed that the extract was active in vivo, either alone or when administered with drugs commonly used to treat prostate cancer (the anti-mitotic chemotherapeutic drug docetaxel (Taxotere) or the anti-androgen bicalutamide (Casodex)) and explored the potential mechanisms behind these antineoplastic effects.

Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Comment on

• Non-THC cannabinoids inhibit prostate carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo: pro-apoptotic effects and underlying mechanisms. [Br J Pharmacol. 2013]
PMID:
22849856
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3570005
Free PMC Article

________________________
Second document
________________________

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Feb;75(2):303-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04298.x.

Cannabidiol as potential anticancer drug.

Massi P1, Solinas M, Cinquina V, Parolaro D.

Author information

Abstract

Over the past years, several lines of evidence support an antitumourigenic effect of cannabinoids including Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC), synthetic agonists, endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid transport or degradation inhibitors. Indeed, cannabinoids possess anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects and they are known to interfere with tumour neovascularization, cancer cell migration, adhesion, invasion and metastasization. However, the clinical use of Δ(9)-THC and additional cannabinoid agonists is often limited by their unwanted psychoactive side effects, and for this reason interest in non-psychoactive cannabinoid compounds with structural affinity for Δ(9)-THC, such as cannabidiol (CBD), has substantially increased in recent years. The present review will focus on the efficacy of CBD in the modulation of different steps of tumourigenesis in several types of cancer and highlights the importance of exploring CBD/CBD analogues as alternative therapeutic agents.

© 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

PMID:
22506672
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3579246
Free PMC Article

______________________
Third document
______________________
Br J Pharmacol. 2012 Nov;167(6):1218-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02050.x.

Cannabidiol inhibits angiogenesis by multiple mechanisms.

Solinas M1, Massi P, Cantelmo AR, Cattaneo MG, Cammarota R, Bartolini D, Cinquina V, Valenti M, Vicentini LM, Noonan DM, Albini A, Parolaro D.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Several studies have demonstrated anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic actions of cannabinoids on various tumours, together with their anti-angiogenic properties. The non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) effectively inhibits the growth of different types of tumours in vitro and in vivo and down-regulates some pro-angiogenic signals produced by glioma cells. As its anti-angiogenic properties have not been thoroughly investigated to date, and given its very favourable pharmacological and toxicological profile, here, we evaluated the ability of CBD to modulate tumour angiogenesis.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH:

Firstly, we evaluated the effect of CBD on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and viability - through [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay and FACS analysis - and in vitro motility - both in a classical Boyden chamber test and in a wound-healing assay. We next investigated CBD effects on different angiogenesis-related proteins released by HUVECs, using an angiogenesis array kit and an ELISA directed at MMP2. Then we evaluated its effects on in vitro angiogenesis in treated HUVECs invading a Matrigel layer and in HUVEC spheroids embedded into collagen gels, and further characterized its effects in vivo using a Matrigel sponge model of angiogenesis in C57/BL6 mice.

KEY RESULTS:

CBD induced HUVEC cytostasis without inducing apoptosis, inhibited HUVEC migration, invasion and sprouting in vitro, and angiogenesis in vivo in Matrigel sponges. These effects were associated with the down-modulation of several angiogenesis-related molecules.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:

This study reveals that CBD inhibits angiogenesis by multiple mechanisms. Its dual effect on both tumour and endothelial cells supports the hypothesis that CBD has potential as an effective agent in cancer therapy.

© 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

______________________
Fourth document
___________________

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013 Apr;45(4):e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.02.002.

The inhibitory effects of cannabidiol on systemic malignant tumors.

Kapoor S.

PMID:
23544909
[PubMed

___________________
Fifth document
___________________

Biochem Pharmacol. 2010 Apr 1;79(7):955-66. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2009.11.007. Epub 2009 Nov 13.

Cannabidiol inhibits cancer cell invasion via upregulation of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1.

Ramer R1, Merkord J, Rohde H, Hinz B.

Author information

Abstract

Although cannabinoids exhibit a broad variety of anticarcinogenic effects, their potential use in cancer therapy is limited by their psychoactive effects. Here we evaluated the impact of cannabidiol, a plant-derived non-psychoactive cannabinoid, on cancer cell invasion. Using Matrigel invasion assays we found a cannabidiol-driven impaired invasion of human cervical cancer (HeLa, C33A) and human lung cancer cells (A549) that was reversed by antagonists to both CB(1) and CB(2) receptors as well as to transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). The decrease of invasion by cannabidiol appeared concomitantly with upregulation of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1). Knockdown of cannabidiol-induced TIMP-1 expression by siRNA led to a reversal of the cannabidiol-elicited decrease in tumor cell invasiveness, implying a causal link between the TIMP-1-upregulating and anti-invasive action of cannabidiol. P38 and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinases were identified as upstream targets conferring TIMP-1 induction and subsequent decreased invasiveness. Additionally, in vivo studies in thymic-aplastic nude mice revealed a significant inhibition of A549 lung metastasis in cannabidiol-treated animals as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Altogether, these findings provide a novel mechanism underlying the anti-invasive action of cannabidiol and imply its use as a therapeutic option for the treatment of highly invasive cancers.

Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID:
19914218
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

________________
Document 6
________________

PP> Vol.5 No.8, July 2014

open Access

In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Plant-Derived Cannabidiol on Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Download as PDF (Size:1856KB) HTML XML PP. 806-820
DOI: 10.4236/pp.2014.58091 649 Downloads 1,799 Views Citations: Google Scholar

Author(s)

Manju Sharma, James B. Hudson, Hans Adomat, Emma Guns, Michael E. Cox

Affiliation(s)

ABSTRACT

Prostate Cancer, Androgen Receptor, Cannabidiol (CBD), Anti-Inflammatory, CB1, CB2, Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Cite this paper

Sharma, M. , Hudson, J. , Adomat, H. , Guns, E. and Cox, M. (2014) In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Plant-Derived Cannabidiol on Prostate Cancer Cell Lines. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 5, 806-820. doi: 10.4236/pp.2014.58091.

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2015 International Conference on Pharmacology and Toxicology (ICPT 2015),June 12-14, 2015,Suzhou, China

Copyright © 2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

______________________
Document 7
______________________

Abstract

Anticancer Res. 2011 Nov;31(11):3799-807.

Induction of apoptosis by cannabinoids in prostate and colon cancer cells is phosphatase dependent.

Sreevalsan S1, Joseph S, Jutooru I, Chadalapaka G, Safe SH.

Author information

Abstract

AIM:

We hypothesized that the anticancer activity of cannabinoids was linked to induction of phosphatases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and the synthetic cannabinoid WIN-55,212 (WIN) on LNCaP (prostate) and SW480 (colon) cancer cell proliferation were determined by cell counting; apoptosis was determined by cleavage of poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3 (Western blots); and phosphatase mRNAs were determined by real-time PCR. The role of phosphatases and cannabinoid receptors in mediating CBD- and WIN-induced apoptosis was determined by inhibition and receptor knockdown.

RESULTS:

CBD and WIN inhibited LNCaP and SW480 cell growth and induced mRNA expression of several phosphatases, and the phosphatase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate significantly inhibited cannabinoid-induced PARP cleavage in both cell lines, whereas only CBD-induced apoptosis was CB1 and CB2 receptor-dependent.

CONCLUSION:

Cannabinoid receptor agonists induce phosphatases and phosphatase-dependent apoptosis in cancer cell lines; however, the role of the CB receptor in mediating this response is ligand-dependent.

PMID:
22110202
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3280884
___________________

[Close quote.]


Bill Positive
Posted 12/19/2014 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill,

Wow! Great post. You got me all excited about hemp oil again! lol Did a little research online just now. Quoting from your post, Project CBD states, "Scientific studies show that CBD and THC work best in combination and potentiate each other’s therapeutic effects." Which makes sense to me, as research indicates that both CBD and THC are effective as cancer-fighting agents. So why settle for one, when I can get both for less? I checked prices online, and the CBD alone is 67% more expensive than a combined THC/CBD product that has substantial amounts of both substances in it.

I'm gong to have to do more research before I buy. I can't figure out why CBD is so much more expensive. I suppose there is a reason, but would like to know why. Am leaning towards the blend, aren't two cannabinoids better than one?

Anyhow, thanks for the briliant post!

Jaybee
Posted 12/19/2014 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Jaybee,

Thanks for the compliment, first. My long post kind of wrote itself. Which is always great, when it happens that way. I've been doing my research so the info was all in my head. Just took 2-3 hours to organize it into the long post.

I initially got excited about hemp oil when I first came upon the HempMeds website, <www.hempmedspx.com>. But my excitement quickly turned to hesitation. Hemp Meds makes no health claims whatsoever for it's CBD products. Perfectly understandable. If their biz is booming without mention of health benefits, why make any claims?

But that's less encouraging to me than at least one company which seems established and credible, located just north of San Francisco, which is proud of it's products helping its customers with serious disease to, seemingly, have medically successful outcomes, partially or wholly due to the company's products. This particular company has a rigorous screening process so they know their customers (a) live in California, (b) are suitably medically certified by the State of California, and (c) have provided the seller with the appropriate paperwork (scans of documents)

The HempMeds website describes the raw hemp material as being grown in the European Union, presumably processed into oil in the EU, shipped to San Diego, and then processed and tested a bit more in HempMeds So. Calif. facility, to meet their advertised CBD three potencies of 13%, 17.5%, and 18% ($399, $449, and $499) for a 10 gram plastic syringe shipped to your residence. Wow!

The hemp oil www.hempmedspx.com sells claims to have those respective percentages of CBD (cannabidiol) and no percentage of THC. I'm thinking of Project CBD's comment you highlighted, "Scientific studies show that CBD and THC work best in combination and potentiate each other's therapeutic results." So far I've passed on buying Hemp Med's products. When one's life is on the line, time to get the best surgeon around if surgery is the decision, or purchase the highest quality and purity and potency natural cure stuff available.

Which gets to the heart of this inherently complex situation. CBD is legal. Obtaining THC requires medical initiatives (in force legislation) favoring the patient's circumstances. The prospective purchaser needs a physician to authorize and sign the requisite paperwork the patient has a medical condition that will benefit from medical marijuana, specifically two of the many constituents of cannabis, CBDs found in legal hemp, and federally (USA) illegal TCH (still a Schedule I drug, despite what Colorado, Washington State, California, etc. are doing).

According to the Project CBD website, the most medically potent proportion of CBD to TCH is 4:1, four times more CBDs than TCHs. The Project CBD website may also recommend oil that is 3:1, 2:1, or 1:1, CBD:TCH, as being excellent for medical curative purposes re major diseases, including cancer.

My impression of why the cost of CBD/THC oil with ratios of CBD to THC of 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, and 1:1 costs so much, and is claimed by many to be the most promising product out there for successfully healing, say, prostate cancer, is one must first purchase about a pound of the highest quality bud of a strain known to have one of these good ratios of CBDs to THC, and then somehow convert that material into oil. The disclaimer. I'm not suggesting anyone do that. This post is solely for educational purposes. Consult with your physician with any questions you may have.

Here's some additional educational-use-only information. The cost of raw materials alone from the one Northern California legitimate established company I am thinking about -- a little research by you should yield it's name -- is $400 per ounce x 16 ounces = $6,400. Way above my pay grade.

Which is why I've signed up to have a radical prostectomy three weeks from now. My extracapsule prostate cancer I know is indifferent to the maddeningly almost within reach -- move to California, get enrolled in the legislated program, etc. -- and is just doing it's thing ... growing and expanding and perpetuating itself ... so at this moment in time, I'm going forward with the mid-January surgery. My treatment of choice by far is 4:1 CBD:THC oil, but I would have to start consuming 55-60 grams of that oil, like, yesterday. Very pricey stuff. And I wouldn't do that because this is purely hypothetical; this discussion is for educational purposes only.

I want others with a little less pressure than I'm facing, and with the needed resources too, to pursue a natural cure for their prostate cancer. I'll be standing on the sidelines cheering them on. If I had the $6,400 I'd move to Calif tomorrow, get enrolled in the system, and, yes, gamble my life on about 60 grams of 4:1 CBD:THC oil curing my prostate cancer. One ounce of product is alleged to yield about 3-4 grams of oil. Hence the math is 16 ounces of raw material x 3.5 average grams of oil per ounce yield equals the 56 grams. Again, one last time, let me emphasize this discussion is for educational purposes only.

Have a great weekend! Happy holidays!

Bill Positive
Posted 12/27/2014 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi -- five months after joining the forum, interesting how some things have changed, some things haven't. I've gone from adamantly anti-conventional treatment of any kind, surgery or radiation, to having my prostate out in 2 weeks. That's a big change. What hasn't changed are the lasting friendships formed here, the many light and humorous moments, and the deep humanity and sincerity of everyone who contributes.

I thought I was looking at easy times ahead with Gleason 6s all around, indicating a very slow-growing cancer. Maybe it was slow-growing earlier, but now it appears to have turned aggressive. I had high hopes for diet slowing or stopping the growth of my cancerous tumor (apparently not). And I was comforted by my acceptance into a leading Active Surveillance program meaning I had years and years to go without any problems.

Got jolted with the results of a Johns Hopkins MRI Dec. 5th: "The MRI of your prostate suggests that you have a large cancer with likely extension beyond the prostate. The molecular tests that we did on your cancer show that your cancer is more likely to cause you harm because of the loss of a gene. I would agree with Dr G that your cancer should be treated with either radiation or surgery." The phrase that persuaded me the time for surgery is now was that first sentence, "The MRI of your prostate suggests that you have a large cancer with likely extension beyond the prostate." The author a senior urologist/surgeon at Johns Hopkins. Very, very experienced guy.

Two urologists in September said good Gleason scores are meaningless for someone with a palpable encapsulated (at that time) tumor, and their advice back then was to start radiation or have surgery. Six months out from diagnosis here I am about to have Radical Retropublic Prostectomy two weeks from this Monday, on January 12. H. Ballentine Carter will perform the surgery.

I realize the surgery event is not necessarily the end of my cancer story. I'm hoping the procedure, which will be of the "open" (non-DaVinci non-obot-assisted) style -- the only kind Dr. Carter does, gets all of the cancer. I've read many places the single most relevant factor that will determine whether side effects in a 70 year old man will be many, few, or none, is the experience and skill of the surgeon. Dr. Carter has performed over two thousand of these, so I'm confident he's the guy!

If I knew then, back in September, what I know now, I would have gone for the surgery in September, as soon as inflammation had died down from the late July biopsy. I can hear my non-Hopkins urologist then saying a palpable tumor trumps a great diet, low Gleason scores, everything. I didn't listen. With the cancer now "with likely extension beyond the prostate," not to be too self-critical or beat myself up about waiting, I'm focusing on staying positive and maintaining a good, responsible diet, after the surgery. Maybe 4-5 natural chapters as my battle with prostate cancer proceeds: (1) Diagnosis; (2) an achingly brief Active Surveillance (no more than a month or two); (3) the recent fateful MRI; (4) Action (open surgery in two weeks); and (5) the post-surgery period.

I've read much of Patrick Walsh's book, very thorough. Fortifying myself with zinc, B-6, both important to wound healing. Have begun consuming fresh oysters for their exceedingly high natural zinc content. I'm so slow healer in general so boosting my zinc intake makes sense to me. Laying off garlic, onions, aspirin, anything known to thin the blood these next 2 weeks. Don't want any unwanted excessive bleeding during the surgery.

Got the lowest except one, PSA, 4.3, on December 17th from a visit to my medical oncologist. Seems odd to be getting my next to lowest PSA score immediately before a radical prostectomy. Don't understand it.

Seeing my cardiologist on Monday to answer the question, "Am I fit enough, healthy enough, can my heart with a stent in it stand the surgery? Am I strong enough physically to have this major surgery? The question is actually a little academic to me, since if my cardiologist nixes surgery, I'll be out of options, with radiation off the table by personal choice. What I'm saying is I'm for going forward with the surgery regardless what my cardiologist says. Take my chances.

Having a major league disease kind of puts everything into perspective. It's easy not to appreciate the miracle of life, of living, until a man hears the diagnosis for the first time. "Bill, you've got prostate cancer." Not an easy meeting to forget, and don't want to forget it either.

Belated Merry Christmas to all, and Happy New Year's too.

The absolute best humorous great skit I've ever seen in my life with the absolute last word on, say, separating the wheat from the chaf, or keeping things in good perspective, is this old, famous, You Tube Bob Newhart Stop It! bit. The moral is don't worry about what you don't have to worry about.

Here's the link:

Bill Positivevideo.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0LEVipEzZ5UvvQAn5oPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBsa3ZzMnBvBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--?p=youtube+Bob+Newhart+%22Stop+it!%22&tnr=21&vid=AB6DD38DCC3188000E01AB6DD38DCC3188000E01&l=381&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DUN.607986873524749377%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOw0lr63y4Mw&sigr=11bis9t38&tt=b&tit=Bob+Newhart-Stop+It&sigt=10jng8a11&back=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DYou%2BTube%2BBob%2BNewhart%2B%2522Stop%2Bit%2521%2522%26ei%3DUTF-8%26hsimp%3Dyhs-001%26hspart%3Dmozilla&sigb=13hn8ie0n&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

Bill Positive

Post Edited (Bill Positive) : 12/27/2014 3:26:02 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/29/2014 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill.

Well the countdown has begun. No pain, no gain? Here's hoping that 2015 will be cancer-free and the best year of your life!

I was just wondering whether your surgery will be followed by chemo and/or radio. Isn't that usually the way it is done, to make sure to get any little stray cancer cells that may have evaded the surgeon's scalpel?

As for me, I am pretty much betwixt and between, not clear on what I am doing. You thought my characterization of my diet as anorexic was a bit over the top. Bad connotations, you said. But there is no getting around it, as I look a bit anorexic now. Been compromising on my diet in the interest of cosmetic concerns (how I look), but with not really much success to date. I did gain about two pounds in 2 weeks, not so bad, but have lost that and more since Xmas. Earlier, I made reference to a bad experience, when I initially went off my vegan diet a couple of months ago. That was when I ate some Crab Cioppino at a local well-regarded restaurant. Got terribly ill, thought it was food poisoning. Mentioned it to the restaurant owners, who blew me off with a statement to the effect of "that's not our problem, you're obviously allergic to crab." I was a little insulted, never been allergic to any seafood. Than on Xmas day, went to my daughter's house for a big family get together. She was serving...., you guessed it..., fresh crab! Get deathly ill again, not quite over it yet, can't keep anything down except fruit, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Could not eat any bread, it was like a rock in my stomach, which cramped up pretty bad. There went my two weeks of compromising my diet for the sake of weight gain. Oh, well, I am feeling mostly better this afternoon, so will try again tomorrow.

I should be going for another PSA soon, but am a little afraid of it this time. Last time I was chomping at the bit, sure I would get good results, and not disappointed. Now I have been distracted by business problems, and between that and illness, suddenly find all my research efforts, and some of my dietary discipline going by the wayside. But tomorrow's another day. We do what we can, and keep on plugging. I am not giving up, just feeling a bit anxious.

The one thing about me that is a bit odd is that I am not even tempted by burgers, pizza, pasta, or my normal comfort foods. On the contrary, I am repulsed by them. not because they don't taste great, but because I see them as deleterious to my health. Never been tempted by nachos, not even my beloved potato chips, kettle style. I intend to put brown rice back on the menu. What could be the harm in that? But somehow it doesn't happen. Yet.

What I guess I have been focusing on more is herbs, and supplements, mostly herbs. Love sleeping late, hanging around the house, lovingly cooking "healthy" style meals in my own inimitable fashion(my cooking tastes great to me!). Eating small meals every few hours, and, in between, drinking loads of herb teas I have blended myself, with my medical needs in mind. Drinking lots of tea, fairly swimming in the stuff. Enjoying every drop of it, even the bad-tasting stuff, though most of it tastes a treat!

Then the phone rings, the texts, and emails upset my peace, and I am off and running, for God-knows how long, courting clients and "putting out fires."

Ah, well, it is all in a lifetime. And a good life it has been. ;) And will be, for a long time to come, I hope. But who really knows what the future holds? For any of us. You place your bets, roll the dice, and live with the results. Or not, if you are one of the unlucky ones. I have always been one of the lucky ones. Sure hope my luck holds out.

Happy New Year to you, Bill. And to all the good people here at HW.com/PCa forum.

Jaybee

Post Edited (Jaybee_007) : 12/28/2014 6:26:42 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/29/2014 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
Best of luck with your surgery Bill.
Posted 12/29/2014 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Jaybee !

Here's hoping that 2015 will be cancer-free and the best year of your life!

Thanks Jaybee, and the same toast back to you!

... wondering whether your surgery will be followed by chemo and/or radio.

I'm taking things one step at a time. I'm holding out my great, celebrated surgeon will get it all, one and done. I abhor the thought of follow up chemo and/or radiation. But, like I've crossed the bridge and decided on going for surgery only when I more or less ran out of options and there just wasn't time to go the R.S. route to eradicate my Prostate Cancer, I'll cross the bridge about radiation and/or chemo when and if the time comes.

I've just completed about 5 weeks attempting to cure some skin cancer with the natural non-invasive method, the skin cancer site looks pretty darn good, but I have to get it biopsied by my dermatologist to know whether my experimental approach cured me of skin cancer (or not). I can't turn the clock back on my now inside and outside my prostate, cancer, such that the alternative method has time to knock out my tumor, but I'm holding out for the R.S. method to clean up any teeny bits and pieces of cancer cells which my surgeon doesn't get. I mean, isn't an individual cancer cell impossible to see with the naked eye? Doesn't it take super high powered electron microscopes to see an individual cancer cell? * read someplace there are something like 27 thousand trillion individual cells in a human body, give or take. And if I'm way way off, I do remember the actual number was unimagineable, in the same way 27 thousand trillion is an unimagineable number.

I am feeling mostly better this afternoon, so will try again tomorrow.

Glad to hear it!

... some of my dietary discipline going by the wayside. But tomorrow's another day. We do what we can, and keep on plugging. I am not giving up . . .

That's the spirit.

I am not even tempted by burgers, pizza, pasta, or my normal comfort foods. On the contrary, I am repulsed by them.

Ditto my own experience. I used to look at a slice of steaming hot, mushroom and onions pizza with longing. Now .... pizza and other comfort/fast foods do nothing for me. Nothing like a nice big salad.

I have been focusing more on herbs, and supplements, mostly herbs. Love sleeping late, hanging around the house, lovingly cooking "healthy" style meals in my own inimitable fashion (my cooking tastes great to me!). Eating small meals every few hours, and, in between, drinking loads of herb teas I have blended myself, with my medical needs in mind. Drinking lots of tea, fairly swimming in the stuff. Enjoying every drop of it, even the bad-tasting stuff, though most of it tastes a treat!

All sounds good to me!

Then the phone rings, the texts, and emails upset my peace, and I am off and running, for God-knows how long, courting clients and "putting out fires."

Hope your business settles down. Sounds like you have a lot of responsibility.

Ah, well, it is all in a lifetime. And a good life it has been. ;) And will be, for a long time to come, I hope. But who really knows what the future holds? For any of us. You place your bets, roll the dice, and live with the results. Or not, if you are one of the unlucky ones. I have always been one of the lucky ones. Sure hope my luck holds out.

Today I received two inspiring reminders from friends: "Existence is FOR you" (Paul Lowe said it) and, "It's a friendly universe." (Byron Katie said it). The concept is sooo B I G. Very calming and inspiring.

Happy New Year to you, Bill. And to all the good people here at HW.com/PCa forum.

Thanks Jaybee. And a Happy New Year to you.

By the way, I think there is a little envelope symbol maybe in the upper right hand corner of all of my posts. Clicking on that takes you to either my HealingWell email address or to my actual main gmail address. My principal mode of communication, aside from this forum, is gmail. I think you mentioned once you live in the SF region. I spent the 70s in L.A. Now that was fun! I'm in the mid-Atlantic area. If I ever make it out your way, I'll buy you a cup of herbal tea at the local Starbucks. And if you ever come east on business, ya gotta look me up between business meetings.

Bill Positive
Posted 12/29/2014 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Dreamerboy,

Many thanks! And I'm reminded from your signature block and history that you so far haven't gone over to "the dark side." -- the humorous phrase for folks who've signed up for surgery or radiation or chemo. More power to you! Hope you never have to train the big guns of conventional cancer treatment on yourself.

Happy New Year to you!

Bill Positive
Posted 1/7/2015 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Bill.... Jeez-ma-knees, man, have you seen this thread?

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3290428&g=3291482#m3291482
Posted 1/8/2015 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Jaybee !

Good to hear your voice here. Have missed you. Yup, the link you posted, about alkaline diet and PSA and good Chinese medicine, and the awful comments some docs gave to Sparky's father-in-law, quite amazing. Human behavior happens across a wide spectrum, from admirable to it's opposite. And whenever a man behaves badly, most likely explanation to me is he/she wasn't loved enough as a child. Doesn't almost everything in life remain rooted, in part, in our childhood?

Because my Radical Retropublic Prostectomy is now only 5 days away, next Monday, I recently began two new threads -- here's one of them, www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3287624 -- discussing the very practical stuff about immediate post-surgery questions. That thread is titled "catheter and other post-surgery practical questions."

I also started a thread asking roughly "can I drive my car home 24-48 hours after an RP?" I didn't intend it to be a joke, I really wanted to know, but a number of men wrote, "Are you nuts, Bill? This is crazy talk!!!" This is what I love about the HW site. No matter how outrageous or absurd (one interpretation) the question, the man asking the question is going to get his question answered, and I got mine answered, every single time.

I've not been back over here on "Active Surveillance rolling the dice?" for awhile. I'm incredulous this site in another day or so will surely hit 10,000 views, which itself just leaves me wobbly kneed. I feel good all the discussions about diet and alternative treatment methods and some digressions here and there, has generated as much interest as it has in the past, and still does.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy some organic apple juice, maybe Martindale's sparkling stuff, or some kombucha, that trendy and delicious (if you like it) stuff (Synergy's juices with chia seeds and rasberry juice is my favorite, and toast all of the men who have posted on, or simply took the time to read, the 187 or so posts on this thread.

Hat's off and a big thank you (and maybe a big hug thrown in there too for good measure) to all of us.

Friendship is alive and well here on HW. I think I said at the top in the very first post back in September, this is just one heck of a terrific website. Was true then. Is true now.

God or Existence or the Ultimate, however we see things, Bless Us All.

Me, I'm off Monday early morning to Johns Hopkins and my own first-hand experience of major surgery. Looking forward to the adventure of it, and grateful I've got one of the best surgeons out there performing the surgery.

I understand there's a floor on some wing of Johns Hopkins Hospital where every single bed is occupied by a man who is there to have his prostate removed. Wow! Hopkins is great at prostate surgery in part, I'm sure, because they do so darn many of them. When it comes to RP, the thing a man wants is a talented, skillful, and experienced surgeon. Johns Hopkins is a good place to find one. And fer sure, there are others around the country too.

Bill Positive
Posted 1/9/2015 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck, Bill. Will look forward with great interest to your narrative of the RP process on your other threads. Hang in there, buddy!
Posted 1/11/2015 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Jaybee, and to everyone who has wished me well about my RRP surgery tomorrow morning at Johns Hopkins. My ride is driving me to Baltimore an hour from now (Sunday noon here). I'll stay at a B&B near Hopkins tonite and catch a cab to the hospital at 3:30-4am Monday morning. Good chance of freezing rain is the forecast for late tonite, early Monday. If need be, I can walk to the hospital from the B&B. No problem. Not an appointment I want to miss!! As for the surgery, I'm imagining it's just another day at the office for my surgeon--his having done this procedure a zillion times. I know I'll be in good hands. Thanks for all your support, patience, sharing, sense of humor, and encouragement.

Happy Sunday!

Bill Positive
Posted 1/15/2015 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Radical retropublic prostectomy (open style) report. Surgery this past Monday at Johns Hopkins.

Just to say to my many friends here, old and new, known and unknown, that my radical retropublic prostectomy in the "open" style of doing it, this past Monday, 1.12.15, according to my 3,000+ RRPs Johns Hopkins surgeon, was a success. I'll hear the results of the pathology report of the removed cancerous prostate this Friday. For the time being, I'm going to celebrate what may turn out to be a complete and total cure . . . one and done . . . finished with cancer in my lifetime. And who knows? Not going there tonite.

Focused this moment on returning to what was on my mind when I started this thread: diet, lifestyle, alternative therapies. Being flexible, open, not rigid in my thinking, should some mainstream treatment seem the right way to go. For this delightful moment in time, no further treatment is required. In the post-op space, before being moved to my hospital room (I came home mid-afternoon today), I saw my surgeon and asked him, "Did you get it all." While I was still foggy from the anesthesia, insofar as I recall, his response was, smiling, "I think so."

My baseball analogy is I've just hit a triple, I've got a shot at -- or may already be there, pending future developments -- getting to home plate (total cure). All things in good time. For this moment, come what may, I'm celebrating my triple. I've earned it. Good planning. Great choice of a fabulously experienced Johns Hopkins surgeon. Nerve sparing. Normal likelihood of some initial incontinence. A reasonable good shot at my erectile function coming back. Use it or lose it. Effort matters. The best outcomes sexually happen to men who work at it, who don't give up.

All of the Hopkins staff, every last person, was great. Down to earth, knowledgeable, helpful, warm, supportive. The place richly deserves it's great reputation (IMHO).

Thanks to all of you, too.

Bill Positive
Posted 1/17/2015 2:27 PM (GMT 0)
With this thread the main place I show up on Prostate Forum of HW, although I sometimes post elsewhere, I think of this thread as my "home" here. First place I look for any special news re my prostate cancer journey, or diet related, or my half-year dialogue with Jaybee about alternative treatments, and for what many others have contributed particularly with a diet or herbal or Active Surveillance or other mostly natural angle. Here's my post from yesterday which appeared under the title, "I'm a lucky guy with a winning ticket !" I'm truly fortunate to apparently have conquered PC (last Monday!) -- with major credit for that going to my surgeon, Dr. H. Ballentine Carter. He's Director of Adult Urology at Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and an internationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate disease. He's also I think the originator and guiding light for what is sometimes called Watchful Waiting, and more often, Active Surveillance. He's got a book out too. [I'm getting down off my soap box now.]
__________________________________

Hi Men -- Just got word from my Johns Hopkins surgeon the radical retropublic prostectomy (RRP) he performed on Monday this week was a success, as confirmed by a just out pathology report that says the cancer was capsule contained. The proverbial "one and done." I'm doing a little jig around my home office.

Talk about life changing moments!

Next up is to get a MOHs surgical procedure done on my nose by a dermatology doctor/surgeon/pathologist (all three, the same person) to remove a spot of basal cell carcinoma I've had on my nose, untreated, for six months. I tried a natural cure -- didn't work ... I applied the wrong stuff. I'll get that taken care of in coming weeks, after the catheter comes out.

Good health for me involves more than my achieving no prostate cancer. In addition to the skin cancer, I know I've got coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, and a stent in my heart. I passed my cardiologist's stress test last week, which then allowed the prostate surgery to go forward. Maybe it's time for me to get on statin drugs, Lipitor? Something my cardiologist has been recommending for, well, 4 years, which advice I've not taken yet but am now reconsidering. With my cancer apparently gone, time to focus on my other principal health challenge: heart disease. Need to bring my high cholesterol down. But I'll save the skin cancer and heart issues for another day!

One detail I don't know what to do with, and I'll not focus on it this celebration day, is the pathologist who reviewed a Dec. 5th, 2014, Hopkins MRI, wrote the following "Impression" in his report: "IMPRESSION: 1. Large volume, non-organ confined disease with extraprostatic disease
present. Dominant nodule 19 x 7 x 18 mm, in the left mid gland and apex; Score 5. Extracapsular invasion is present on left."

Hmmm, given my cancerous prostate is out and the final pathology report on Monday's RRP concludes the cancer was capsule-contained, I'm not going to try to reconcile those two opposing viewpoints. I'm inclined to go with today's final pathology report based on an actual physical diseased specimen and likely some adjacent sampled actual extracapsule tissue. In my book, that's way more trustworthy raw material than looking at MRI slides and drawing conclusions based on those slides. Which is truer? A photo of food on the menu? Or the food itself? Like the surgery consent form I signed said, medicine is not an exact science, so given contradictory conclusions now and then, hey, no problem!! Everybody is doing the best they can.

This is a wonderful day in my life. I overcame my lifelong cynicism, mistrust of doctors, tendency towards negative thinking, and my admitted bona fides as a control freak, and I made the leap of faith that my esteemed JH surgeon knew what he was talking about. I trusted his recommendation. Surgery or radiation. Now! I'm grateful to him, to Johns Hopkins, to my friends here on the Prostate Cancer Forum on the Healing Well website, and to myself, that I made a major decision when a major decision positively needed making.

Find the best primary physician, surgeon, urologist, medical oncologist, radiation guy or gal you can find, and listen closely to their advice. In the end, you'll have to make the decision alone. To the end my closest friends said don't get the surgery, go exclusively with alternative treatments: diet, herbs, vitamins, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc. I still believe strongly in alternative treatments. But a palpable hard cancerous tumor in my prostate last week does not in my view lend itself to time-consuming, multi-year natural cures. You have to trust your gut. Make the treatment decision and don't look back. Once I made the decision, that was that. A tremendous burden lifted off my shoulders. Today came the good news I could only have dreamed of. Cancer gone. Ahhh, I've got a winning ticket! I'm humbled and filled with gratitude.

All the best to you, men.

Have a lovely weekend.

Bill Positive
________________________________

70 year old. Prostate biopsy 7-28-14,
diagnosed Prostate Cancer 8-8-14.
Prostate nodule 7/2014, 6 /2014,
4/2014. JH MRI of prostate 12/5/14:
"IMPRESSION:
1. Large volume, non-organ confined disease
with extraprostatic disease present. Dominant
nodule 19 x 7 x 18 mm, in the left mid gland
and apex; Score 5. Extracapsular invasion is
present on left."

PSA history:
1/08 4.6
4/08 6.4
7/08 3.5
12/09 2.5
2/11 4.4
4/12 3.2
4/14 5.4
8/14 5.1
9/3/14 4.9
10/13/14 5.7

CT & bone scan 8/12/2014 negative

1st Pathology Report (8/1/2014) on 7/28/14 biopsy
4 cores Gleason 6 (3+3), 69%, 75%, 100%, 100%
2 cores Gleason 7 (3+4), 66%, 88%

1st Second Opinion Pathology Report (8/26/2014) on 7/28/14 biopsy
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3), 77%, 77%, 78%, 78%, 95%, 95%

2nd Second Opinion (or 3rd overall) Pathology Report (9/12/2014,
Johns Hopkins, Jonathan Epstein) on 7/28/2014 biopsy.
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3),
A. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 80%
B. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90% ("perineural invasion identified in this case")
C. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90%
Posted 1/18/2015 5:46 AM (GMT 0)
Congratulations Bill. Well done. I wondered what happened...have been off HW with HW website problems on my computer. Your great result inspires the me.
Posted 1/28/2015 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bald Eagle -- Glad you are inspired by my successful surgery result. My task is to remain inspired myself! I'm finding the incontinence stuff heavy going this moment, but am gonna love my body through it.

The title of this thread is a wee bit out-of-date, as my Active Surveillance status was retired the day I had surgery (Radical Retropublic Prostectomy) mid-January. Catheter came out last Thursday. I'm focused on incontinence and ED. I need to get a life! Just want to remember to have fun every day and stay positive and keep a sense of humor about everything.

Hey Jaybee -- click on Bill Positive anyplace to get my email address. Since my surgery two weeks ago I've lost track of you. Funny how my original interest in diet has come full circle. I tried strenuously to avoid surgery for 6 months seeking the best dietary options. Now, with no prostate, I'm again interested in the primary theme of this thread: natural healing healthy diet, meditation, exercise, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc. All just as relevant to glowing good health and fitness as always.

Bill

________________
[Sig Block revised 1-27-15]
age 70
diagnosed 8-8-14
PSA history: 1/08 4.6; 4/08 6.4; 7/08 3.5;
12/09 2.5; 2/11 4.4; 4/12 3.2; 4/14 5.4;
8/14 5.1; 9/3/14 4.9; 10/13/14 5.7

Pathology Report (9/12/2014, Johns Hopkins,
Jonathan Epstein) on 7/28/2014 biopsy slides.
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3),
A. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 80%
B. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90% ("perineural
invasion identified in this case") [Interesting the final
pathology report below found no actual "invasion"
beyond the prostate capsule, very glad of that!]
C. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90%

1-12-15 RRP at Johns Hopkins
1-14-15 Final JHH Surgical Pathology Report
Interpretation & Diagnosis
1) pelvic nodes, left (excision); three lymph nodes and
associated fibroadipose tissue, negative for tumor
2) anterior fat pad (excision), negative for tumor
3) prostate and SV (prostatectomy): histologic type:
adenocarcinoma (conventional, NOS)

Gleason score - dominant nodule: 3+4 = 7
Tumor extent: moderate
location: (dominant nodule): left, posterolateral, apex, mid
location: (secondary nodule): [none noted]
Local extent: organ confined
Margins: negative
Seminal vesicle invasion: none
Lymphatic invasion: absent

Pelvic lymph nodes (includes all parts):
all 3 lymph nodes are negative for tumor

Extent of invasion (7th Edition, AJCC, Staging):
Primary tumor: pT2: organ confined throughout

Summary margins: negative

A representative tumor block is 3-LBP
A representative normal block is 3-LDA

Note: Pending KRAFT of 3RBA

[signed by JH pathologist 01-15-2015]
Posted 1/28/2015 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
" I'm again interested in the primary theme of this thread: natural healing healthy diet, meditation, exercise, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc. All just as relevant to glowing good health and fitness as always."

Delighted to see this type of response Bill. The "active surveillance" thread I believe has been of great interest and inspiration to many.
Perhaps it is time to point out a few things about diet and other alternative/complimentary treatments.
1. Just because we end up with RRP or brachy or whatever doesn't mean we have failed. It just means we tried something (rolled the dice, if you like.) While we are trying things we are taking responsibility for our own health and hopefully feeling better about ourselves while we are doing it. We are also buying time...quality time. It's not about the result it's about the journey.
2. What has been described as "severe" and "excessive" dietary changes, from the standard American diet to a plant based whole food one, has research to prove that it improves recovery rates AFTER surgery and radiation.
3. I am going to go all in here Bill and say that your thread has been an oasis in a desert of ignorance. I realize that this statement may seem provocative but I would ask those who would rush to respond negatively to share a thought for those of us who are trying something other than the standard treatments. I believe you brought some highly desirable balance to this forum.
Good luck with you recovery.

I am tempted to finish off with a piece of a poem you may appreciate.

"If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
.....
you'll be a Man, my son!"

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Posted 1/30/2015 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Baldeagle,

With uncharacteristic brevity, all I can say in response to your kind words, is Wow! Thank you, my friend. It's nice to be appreciated. And this has been a group effort. This is a thread about Active Surveillance, diet, exercise, natural alternative treatments, yoga, meditation, macrobiotics, aromatherapy, acupuncture, Tai Chi, stretching, taking care of ourselves, getting enough sleep, not complaining, being loving, not taking things too seriously, sharing our own experiences for the benefit of others (and of ourselves), and keeping a good sense of humor . . . among other topics too numerous to mention. Alternative healing subject authors, you know who you are. Don't be shy.

In the early days of the thread, I felt like I was steering the "ship." Then others posted lots of good stuff, and I felt others took the wheel and I could take a break. Finally, with many fabulous long posts about diet from Jaybee and many others continuing, I realized this thread had a momentum all its own, it had a life all its own, clearly there was and is a lot of interest, and I could safely take my hands off the "wheel" for good. This thread belongs to all of us.

I'm speechless (well, almost) this thread recently zoomed on past 11,000 views. Wow again!

Happy Friday!

Bill Positive


________________
[Sig Block revised 1-27-15]
age 70
diagnosed 8-8-14
PSA history: 1/08 4.6; 4/08 6.4; 7/08 3.5;
12/09 2.5; 2/11 4.4; 4/12 3.2; 4/14 5.4;
8/14 5.1; 9/3/14 4.9; 10/13/14 5.7

Pathology Report (9/12/2014, Johns Hopkins,
Jonathan Epstein) on 7/28/2014 biopsy slides.
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3),
A. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 80%
B. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90% ("perineural
invasion identified in this case") [Interesting the final
pathology report below found no actual "invasion"
beyond the prostate capsule, very glad of that!]
C. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90%

1-12-15 RRP at Johns Hopkins
1-14-15 Final JHH Surgical Pathology Report
Interpretation & Diagnosis
1) pelvic nodes, left (excision); three lymph nodes and
associated fibroadipose tissue, negative for tumor
2) anterior fat pad (excision), negative for tumor
3) prostate and SV (prostatectomy): histologic type:
adenocarcinoma (conventional, NOS)

Gleason score - dominant nodule: 3+4 = 7
Tumor extent: moderate
location: (dominant nodule): left, posterolateral, apex, mid
location: (secondary nodule): [none noted]
Local extent: organ confined
Margins: negative
Seminal vesicle invasion: none
Lymphatic invasion: absent

Pelvic lymph nodes (includes all parts):
all 3 lymph nodes are negative for tumor

Extent of invasion (7th Edition, AJCC, Staging):
Primary tumor: pT2: organ confined throughout

Summary margins: negative

A representative tumor block is 3-LBP
A representative normal block is 3-LDA

Note: Pending KRAFT of 3RBA

[signed by JH pathologist 01-15-2015]
Posted 2/11/2015 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All,

Funny how new developments on the health front have had the good benefit of distracting me from focusing pretty exclusively on incontinence/continence and on ED, those two notable side effects of prostate surgery.

What I have to thank for shifting my attention elsewhere this moment is two days ago (2/9) having a dematological MOHS surgeon cut out a spot of basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) right between my two eyes and slightly below, on the bridge of my nose. The procedure was short and sweet -- two thin slices of tissue seems to have got it all, and now my biggest concern is a ghastly looking big bandage over the site, including part ways over my lower forehead, and mostly it covers my nose. Very unsettling for me to look at.

I changed the bandage as directed this morning, cleaned the site, letting me see clearly a maybe 0.75 inch wide x 2 inch high bunch of skin knitted together with black sutures/stiching, dried blood. The blood drained from my face, I felt weak and dizzy, almost passed out from the shock of seeing this banged up and unhappy looking stranger in my bathroom mirror.

Made me realize the beauty of a Radical Retropublic Prostectomy -- one of the beauties of it -- is it's all hidden inside my body and inside my outer clothing. Funny, how vanity trumps other considerations. I've asked the doctor's office whether when the sutures/stitches come out on Monday if that's the last of the horrible-looking bandaging over the center of my face. Hope so!

ED? Incontinence? Prostate cancer? Piece of cake to me compared with post-op looking like I lost a fist fight, or I recently was in a traffic accident. I didn't realize how big a factor old-fashioned vanity plays in my life.

I just noticed this morning it seems to me that after leaking like a fire hose the first two weeks after the catheter came out, and yesterday I noticed I seem to be leaking much less than normal, this morning I don't seem to be leaking at all. Maybe that's a benefit of not obsessing over my incontinence? The first day (yesterday) I completely ignored ... am I leaking? how much am I leaking? how many pads did I use yesterday? etc. ... I may have moved to a much-improved incontinent state. Horray (if it holds)!

Moral? Could it be that just my not minding for 24-36 hours that the major (one of them) side effect of the RRP surgery is incontinence, somehow created an opening for the incontinence to get much much better? By my not obsessing about it every 5 minutes, things had an opportunity to shift for the better?
Who knows? The next few days will be very interesting.

Having gotten an I-must-be-dreaming wonderful final pathology report from the RRP at Hopkins a month ago, and now also seemingly knocking out my remaining cancer issue -- skin cancer on my face -- I think a more optimistic, upbeat, and cheerful attitude on my part is overdue. Hate to complain. And it doesn't do any good either when I do. "Smile and the world smiles with you" goes that saying.

Bill Positive


________________
[Sig Block revised 1-27-15]
age 70
diagnosed 8-8-14
PSA history: 1/08 4.6; 4/08 6.4; 7/08 3.5;
12/09 2.5; 2/11 4.4; 4/12 3.2; 4/14 5.4;
8/14 5.1; 9/3/14 4.9; 10/13/14 5.7

Pathology Report (9/12/2014, Johns Hopkins,
Jonathan Epstein) on 7/28/2014 biopsy slides.
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3),
A. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 80%
B. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90% ("perineural
invasion identified in this case") [Interesting the final
pathology report below found no actual "invasion"
beyond the prostate capsule, very glad of that!]
C. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90%

1-12-15 RRP at Johns Hopkins
1-14-15 Final JHH Surgical Pathology Report
Interpretation & Diagnosis
1) pelvic nodes, left (excision); three lymph nodes and
associated fibroadipose tissue, negative for tumor
2) anterior fat pad (excision), negative for tumor
3) prostate and SV (prostatectomy): histologic type:
adenocarcinoma (conventional, NOS)

Gleason score - dominant nodule: 3+4 = 7
Tumor extent: moderate
location: (dominant nodule): left, posterolateral, apex, mid
location: (secondary nodule): [none noted]
Local extent: organ confined
Margins: negative
Seminal vesicle invasion: none
Lymphatic invasion: absent

Pelvic lymph nodes (includes all parts):
all 3 lymph nodes are negative for tumor

Extent of invasion (7th Edition, AJCC, Staging):
Primary tumor: pT2: organ confined throughout

Summary margins: negative

A representative tumor block is 3-LBP
A representative normal block is 3-LDA

Note: Pending KRAFT of 3RBA

[signed by JH pathologist 01-15-2015]
Posted 2/18/2015 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Good to hear you're doing so well, Bill. Congrats on your successful surgery and ongoing success with your recovery!

Jaybee
Posted 2/20/2015 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
There's been some discussion on the Prostate Forum recently re posters who post the same comment or question or thought on more than one thread. I understand the point, which is fair and valid. Where to respond? In general, best not to post the same idea on multiple threads. I agree. Posting in one thread (and only in one thread) makes it easy to follow the back and forth discussion and to participate in the discussion. I'm guilty of posting on more than one thread the same thought.

This thread has touched on so many subjects -- diet, supplements, yoga, aromatherapy, acupuncture, meditation, exercise -- to name but a few, that the title, "Active Surveillance rolling the dice?" is not exactly the right title at this point, but I'm posting a copy here of something I just posted on a biofeedback-related thread, cause after six months and eleven thousand views of this thread I started early last September, this just seems like home to me. Apologies for the duplication! Here's a copy of the post. Wasn't easy to write, feel very vulnerable, but I just had a major shift because of opening up to write about something very personal -- stuck in a rut, in "a closed loop" -- on HW, has changed my reality, my attitude, and my life. Sharing ... everything .... is soooo important, and valuable to us all.
______________________________

Re: Exaggerating a pattern that needs changing, to see it more clearly.

Hi Pratoman and "142 Forum Moderator" for the good advice, including the link to the article by Tower Urology at LA's Cedars-Sinai, <http://www.towerurology.com/treatment-options-post-prostatectomy-incontinence/>. I'll ask my uro at JH to recommend someone local to me (Maryland suburbs of DC) for biofeedback sessions, and get a referral from him so my insurance covers it.

Not to complain, no benefit in that (feeling sorry for myself is negative energy, sort of a closed loop, that) but the combination of dealing with 7-9 pads/day incontinence, my nose bandaged up after going in for the removal of some skin cancer last week, some other factors, has resulted mainly in my sense of humor taking a hit. I've not been my usual cheerful, cheeky irreverent self.

Best treatment I know of for feeling down in the dumps is to play with it, complain more (to myself) about feeling lousy, emphasize to myself just how rotten I feel. By my exaggerating the negative feelings, it makes it harder to take it seriously, gives the opportunity to laugh at it, gain some perspective . . . "Oh, I'm in that old occasional pattern of complaint, what am I going to do?, things are so tough . . . etc."

When I try to avoid feeling low by eating too much, sleeping too much, watching TV too much -- the recent pattern -- that just makes me feel worse and worse. But by bringing my awareness and attention to what I am doing to myself, including writing about it here, I break the cycle and closed loop, and I feel much better . . . immediately, it's happening right now!

Maybe what I just did here can be called a type of biofeedback technique? Exaggerate the negative behavior/thoughts to see it more clearly. And I haven't moved from my home office. From rotten to wonderful in half an hour. "Bill, that will be $220 for today's session." Look at that! Turns out I know quite well how to get myself back in a great frame of mind. I'm looking forward to today.

Bill Positive

_______________
[Sig Block revised 1-27-15]
age 70
diagnosed 8-8-14
PSA history: 1/08 4.6; 4/08 6.4; 7/08 3.5;
12/09 2.5; 2/11 4.4; 4/12 3.2; 4/14 5.4;
8/14 5.1; 9/3/14 4.9; 10/13/14 5.7

Pathology Report (9/12/2014, Johns Hopkins,
Jonathan Epstein) on 7/28/2014 biopsy slides.
6 cores Gleason 6 (3+3),
A. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 80%
B. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90% ("perineural
invasion identified in this case") [Interesting the final
pathology report below found no actual "invasion"
beyond the prostate capsule, very glad of that!]
C. prostatic adenocarcinoma, 90%, 90%

1-12-15 RRP at Johns Hopkins
1-14-15 Final JHH Surgical Pathology Report
Interpretation & Diagnosis
1) pelvic nodes, left (excision); three lymph nodes and
associated fibroadipose tissue, negative for tumor
2) anterior fat pad (excision), negative for tumor
3) prostate and SV (prostatectomy): histologic type:
adenocarcinoma (conventional, NOS)

Gleason score - dominant nodule: 3+4 = 7
Tumor extent: moderate
location: (dominant nodule): left, posterolateral, apex, mid
location: (secondary nodule): [none noted]
Local extent: organ confined
Margins: negative
Seminal vesicle invasion: none
Lymphatic invasion: absent

Pelvic lymph nodes (includes all parts):
all 3 lymph nodes are negative for tumor

Extent of invasion (7th Edition, AJCC, Staging):
Primary tumor: pT2: organ confined throughout

Summary margins: negative

A representative tumor block is 3-LBP
A representative normal block is 3-LDA

Note: Pending KRAFT of 3RBA

[signed by JH pathologist 01-15-2015]
Posted 3/22/2015 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi -- Been 2 months since I posted on this thread. Just now I posted to another thread re the subject ... can the latest, newest, best MRI Tesla 3 (3T) machines accurately determine whether a man's prostate cancer is capsule contained? Or not?

I wrote No, my experience is I took a MRI Tesla 3 test recently, and the reported result was the opposite of the truth. The doctor who interpreted my MRI said the MRI confirmed my prostate cancer had escaped my prostate, when the subsequent RRP surgery and post-op pathology report confirmed my prostate cancer was capsule contained !!!

These fancy, expensive high-tech MRI machines are not the Holy Grail. Some combination of they don't provide accurate results and/or the human doctor analyzing the slides can misinterpret what he's or she's looking at. Who knows?! I made a personal decision to have surgery because of the MRI's December 2014 results. Wrong MRI data analysis, but a great result. I'm cancer-free. New PSA test day after tomorrow, I'll be interested what sort of score I get with no prostate.

Immediately after the surgery in early January, shortly after I woke up, my surgeon came by with the great news the surgery was a success, he thought he got it all, and we'd see what the post-op final pathology report said. What that report said was the disease was "Organ confined." Yeahhh!!

There have the past two weeks been some change-your-life, change-your-attitude, pay attention to every thought, sort of New Age type inspirational speakers on public television doing their 2x/year fund raising. Deepak Chopra was on last night explaining who or what GOD is and how to contact him, or realize each of us is GOD too. I like Deepak Chopra. He's not intimidated by any topic. And he didn't come across as taking himself too seriously. He didn't act like a know-it-all. I felt him to be sincerely modest. Public broadcasting in America apparently believes that "self-help" is always a popular subject, brings lots of viewers, which I guess is accurate.

I confess I watched both the Deepak Chopra program, plus a week ago the one about how Women Age Gloriously" or something like that, and another by a man stressing how important it is to eat right, eat consciously ... we are what we eat ... what we eat strongly impacts our mood and level of cheerfulness and overall functioning. I get all those Scientific Health American Health After 50 email alerts as you probably do too, many of which make the connection and point that diet is increasingly being accepted as the cause of ... what? ... 90 percent of all cancers!? I think I'm remembering this right.

The last time I posted something here on this thread -- two months ago -- I wasn't feeling so hot. I mentioned i was eating too much, sleeping too much, and watching too much TV. Just want to mention I've learned that by declaring something somewhat "sensitive and personal," it somehow takes the "charge" of maybe embarrassment and being overly self-critical off of it, and it's therapeutically healing to me. Good, I just saved myself $2,000 worth of sessions with a psychologist. Thank you very much!

I've restored more balance to my life -- not overeating, not oversleeping, not watching too much TV although I'm being lenient this moment -- I'm watching the National Collegeic Athletic Assn (NCAA) annual March Madness college basketball tournament. Looks like Kentucky is going to win it all and have an unbeaten season. Not that that is that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.

Best to each of you,
Feels good to say hello,
Bill Positive
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