Calling all pT3 Club or "The Horse Has Left The Barn Boys"

A few months ago brother Micah68 started a thread called "Calling all pT3"
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3390735

Many of you expressed interest and posted on his thread. Micah68 and I discussed it and agreed that I would start the official club.

Anyone who is staged pT3a or pT3b is welcomed to join. Evidently they combined pT3c in with pT3b years back. In compiling these names of members interested in joining in from Micah68's thread, it is interesting to see how diverse the group is. I am listing the Gleason scores of those members who gave them and they range from G3+3=6 to G4+5=9.

pT3 staging is for those whose cancer has started to leave the prostate capsule or, as it is called, has Extraprostatic Extension.

Stage pT3a means Extraprostatic extension or microscopic invasion of bladder neck but NOT to the seminal vesicle.

Stage pT3b means seminal vesicle invasion

I remember going over my pathology report one week after surgery and having my surgeon tell me my staging was "pT3a EPE with bladder neck involvement" HUH?????? What does that mean, Doc?
Did you get it all or didn't you get it all? Well....................

That is when he said I had a 20% chance of recurrence within the next 10 years. I went into a depression quickly. My wife tried to cheer me up and said, "he said he feels he got it all" but that is not what I heard. All I could think of is I had Round 1 with prostate cancer, knocked it down, but it got off the mat and walked back to the corner as the bell rang and I didn't knock it out, yet.

I would imagine that is somewhat how most of us felt once given the report.

The pT3 Club is somewhere where we can go to discuss how we felt upon hearing the DX, what we are currently going through to continue the fight, what we may be doing to prepare for "IT" if "IT" comes back or what we have done to combat recurrence that had happened to us already.

Brother Redwing 57 has joined us already and we thank him for leading the way by forming the "Gleason 9 Crew".

Here is the list of members who showed interest in the pT3 Club. If you want your Gleason added or corrected, let me know. My email is live in my profile or click on the envelope under my name on the left.
<-------------------

Any new members just post on the thread and I will try to add you to the list asap. I do have a life bedsides HW so forgive me in advance if I don't catch your addition right away.

Bill from Florida

Michah68 pT3
Woodpecker43 pT3b G4+4=8
Jerry L. pT3b G9
DonJ pT3b G9
Almost10 pT3b G4+5=9
EAGLEKEEPER pT3b G3+4=7
alephnull pT3b G4+5=9
Berk pT3a G4+3=7
Big Mac pT3a G3+4=7
wampuscats pT3b G4+3=7
Southern Comfort pT3b G5+4=9
Chask pT3a G4+3=7
FLBeachgal DH pT3b G4+3=7
SophieW DH pT3a G9
NJ Walt pT3b G4+3=7
EastCoast57 DH pT3b G8
Sephie DH pT3a
Jimo48 pT3b G4+4=8
John_TX pT3a G4+3=7
mjw11 PT3a G3+4=7
yk pT3a G5+4=9
Bohemond pT3b G3+4=7
NE-skier pT3b G4+5=9
Break60 pT3b G4+5=9
Octorobo pT3a G3+4=7
Kayak808 pT3b G7
Lsil pT3a G4+3=7
Gunner34 pT3b G4+5=9
wingman63 pT3a G5+4=9
RandyJoe pT3b G9
STW pT3b G3+4=7
mbock DH pT3b
Magaboo pT3a G3+4=7
Wilderness pT3a G3+4=7
Out in the 57 pT3b G4+3=7
Tony Crispino pT3b
kwoo64 pT3a G7
trailguy pT3b G4+3=7
Teacher lady DH pT3b G4+3=7
Worried Guy pT3a G3+4=7
Edwardo43 pT3a G4+3=7
nepol pT3a G4+3=7
Appleseed pT3a G9
RamonV pT3a
Traveller Pt3b G8
bento pT3b G4+3=7
Redwing57 pT3a G5+4=9
JessTac pT3a G3+3=6
mattamx pT3b G4+4=8
Gemlin pT3a G4+3=7
ziggymonster pT3b G4+4=8
Dadof12 pT3a G4+4=8
Billybob@388 pT3b G4+5=9
Ferb40 pT3a G4+5=9
Complier pT3a G4+3=7
Northfoot pT3a G4+5=9
DaSlink pT3a G4+3=7
Rich G. pT3a G4+4=8
gearloose. pT3a G4+4=8
IslandRefugee pT3a G4+3=7
rmh1949 pT3a G4+3=7
BrokenCrotch pT3a G4+4=8
Dugalf pT3b G3+4=7
Monty786 pT3b G3+3=6
Cincy 12 DH pT3b G3+4=7
djdego DH pT3b G4+3=7
Craig MJ pT3a G4+4=8
Cassie8 pT3a G3+4=7
WyoHawk pT3a G4+3=7
Redsea pT3b G4+4=8
JDill pT3b G4+5=9
Gasman1 pT3a G3+4=7
Startech pT3a 5+4=9
JEKNY pT3a G4+3=7
Fly with me pT3a
Bobby Mac pT3a
Dr WHO pT3a G4+4=8
Newtopc pT3a G3+4=7
Deon124 pT3a G3+4=7
DH of Wife_on_alert pT3b G4+3=7
RobLee pT3b. G4+4=8
Doire (for DH) pT3a GL3+4=7

Yikes - a larger group of us than I thought

Big Mac,
add me to the list.

Gemlin from Sweden

add me T3b Oct 2002

Okay, I added the new members.

Sorry to hear of the rise in PSA Bob. Any plans yet or are you just going to keep testing every 3 months?

Bill from Florida

Great idea. Threads like this can be really helpful!

For those diagnosed with this stage, seeing what others did, what decisions they made, what consideration this stage gave in treatment options can all be helpful.

Big Mac said...
Okay, I added the new members.

Sorry to hear of the rise in PSA Bob. Any plans yet or are you just going to keep testing every 3 months?

Bill from Florida

Bill,

I saw the head Medical Oncologist at the University of Michigan Cancer Center back in July, and she advised me to wait and see what the next PSA showed. I get that the second week of September. She said unless it increases dramatically, I should plan on seeing a Radiation Oncologist and consider SRT in the Fall. With my numbers, she said there was only about a 20% chance that it would be curative; but 20% is better than 0! She said most of my numbers would point to a distant recurrence; but the slow rise of the PSA would indicate a local recurrence. So, I guess I will be seeing a rad-onc next month, and probably SRT later in the Fall.

-Bob

Big Mac said...
BillyBob,
I added you to the new club.

With your qualifications I propose that you chair the first Cyber Meeting, if we have one, of the pT3 Boys.

HA! Thx Big Mac, now THAT is an honor! But I can't figure out why I am not thrilled to have such elevating qualifications/stats?

First I was thrilled when the 1st club that would ever have me as a member was the G9 club, and now another club is happy to accept me as a member! Things are looking up!

Big Mac said...
Hey pT3 Boys, brother BillyBob is scheduled for his 6 months PSA.
Let's cross our fingers, toes, legs and eyes that he stays undetectable!

Bill from Florida

Actually, it will be the 19 month (should have been 18 month, but I got off schedule a bit, might have happened while desperately trying to find public restrooms, or coins for the ones I found, in Netherlands, Belgium and France, a few months after surgery!
Bill in MS

You can add me to the club,
pT3a G9 =4+5

This reminds me of Groucho Marx's line about not wanting to belong to any club that would have me as a member. Unlike Groucho I guess none of us has the option of resigning.

Jim

Welcome aboard Ferb40,
Looks like you just joined HW as well the PT3 Boys. why don't you let us know something's about yourself by making a signature like most of us. Go to "My Profile" and you can create a signature. Give us a little history about your DX of PCa.

Bill from Florida

Mac:

Not sure what numbers you need.

G 4+3

Failed surgery and IMRT.

Currently succeeding on HT, not sure for how long.

One small Met -- Pelvic Node.

Mel

Mel,
I guess you were staged pT3b since you have a met in one node.

Northfoot, Looks like you are doing real well even with a Gleason 4+5=9. Do you remember what you were staged at pT3a or pT3b?
Maybe you can share with us how it went along your journey. Congrats on your results!

Bill from Florida