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Posted 8/31/2015 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Tom,

You case is almost the same as mine. I was diagnosed 2 years ago. with PSA at 4.5 rising to 5.8, with Gleason 6 on my bioposy. However, only 1 of 12 samples showed cancer. I was 41 years old at the time and I too run a one man business, and I am married with 3 teenage boys.

Your case seems manageable and curable.

I opted to have surgery to remove the prostate, because my PSA went from 4.5 to 5.8 in one month
I did my research and found the best surgeon for this procedure. Dr. Samadi in New York City. I live in RI so I wasn't too far away
After the sugery, my Gleason score changed to 7 (3+4) and the tumor was 2.0CM It was the right choice for me and I have been cancer free for 1 year and 9 months. My PSA is currently .02

If you want to talk to me at anytime via phone, email please reach out and I would be happy to help you in any way I can. my email is [email protected]
Posted 8/31/2015 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone again for all the input. I guess the next step is Tuesday when I get the bone scan. From what I am gathering from all of you is, if I can make it through that without complications being found, I should be OK. And based on my numbers its not likely. But until I get that finalized, I guess I will just be on pins and needles. I hope to be reporting good news as far as those results though. Then I will weigh my options and see which way is best to go.
I mentioned this a few posts ago. But does anyone know if its normal to have blood in my urine 9 days after the biopsy? I had blood one morning in May when all this started. That was the only time. Tests after that showed none too. But I had the biopsy Friday a week ago (9 days ago) and have not seen any blood in my urine. But starting yesterday, when I begin to urinate, its orange in color then turns yellow. I just tried a test strip and everything else is normal, except it does show there is blood in my urine, so its not just discolored from something I ate.
Tom
Posted 8/31/2015 3:00 AM (GMT 0)
Halbert,
So are you saying Selenium is BAD for me to take? I am adjusting my diet based on foods that are helpful, eliminating harmful ones, and many are on the list because they are high in selenium which I read what good for the prostate. Lots of vegetables, some nuts, no meats, etc. I bought a vitamin supplement for prostate health too, and it has selenium in it, along with saw palmetto, vitamin B and D, and lycopene.
Tom
Posted 8/31/2015 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
Tom,
Blood at this point would be unusual but it does happen to some. Sometimes it starts bleeding after a bit of exercise or lifting. If it's still doing it tomorrow, call the doctor. Likely you're just taking longer to heal, but best to error on the side of caution.

The best diet is one with lots of vegies and fruits. Limit you red meat and dairy intake. Other supplements at best may lower your PSA a little, but they won't do much to cure you. Some are outright frauds. Some are dangerous. Be care of what you read on the internet - there are a lot of bad actors out there bent on separating you from your money anyway they can. They'll play on your fears if needed.

A good, sound healthy diet is best.
Andrew
Posted 8/31/2015 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome aboard Tom!

I just wanted to say hi and to reassure you that everything is going to be fine. You are a Gleason 6, we have many guys here that are GL 7-9 that are doing great after treatment.

The CT scan and bone scans are just routine and almost never show signs of cancer especially a Gleason 6. The doctors usually call for them for a baseline. All I saw was arthritis in my shoulders and knees, like I didn't know that.

Another thing most of us buy is Dr. Patrick Walsh's "Surviving Prostate Cancer". Most libraries have it but you will want a copy yourself, it is our Bible for PCa.

Good luck. We are open 24/7 if you have any questions or just want to vent!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 8/31/2015 5:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Tom,
As you can see my husband's stats are almost the same as yours (see signature). Both of his uro's advised against scans because of his low Gleason and PSA saying they probably wouldn't see anything and it would be a waste of time and money. We also have a young child (age 7) and Bob is our only source of income. Is it easy? Nope. Is it scary? Yes. Will you get through it. Yep. You are at the right place to gather knowledge and educate yourself from people that have experience. Sept. will be a year since diagnosis and still every day PC invades our lives in some way, but you learn your coping mechanisms and you will come through it one day at a time. Wishing you well on this journey.~Miki
Posted 8/31/2015 10:21 AM (GMT 0)
Tom, selenium in food is ok, and the heart-healthy diet is the way to go. I don't remember all the details, but selenium in high doses in combination with Vitamin E have been shown to INCREASE PC risk.
Posted 8/31/2015 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for clearing that up Halbert
Thank you for sharing your story RAngel14. It is so scary thinking about "what happens to may family IF...." One minute I am OK mentally, then the next I fall apart. One day at a time I guess.
Thanks to everyone again.
Tom
Posted 8/31/2015 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
Tom:

I think the blood is quite normal, too.

However, keep in mind none of us are medicos, although we often play the part here on the Forum. The advice you get here is priceless, but verify with your doctor!

Mel
Posted 8/31/2015 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
Tom,

I can't say the mental stress of "what if " ever really goes away. Almost 2 years later i still get worked up when i go for my 3 month PSA test. I will say it does get easier with time and support. For now do your research and find the best option for YOU, to fight this disease. It can be treat in different ways, all with advantages and disadvantages. i am sure you will have a positive outcome.
Call me or email me anytime. I left my email in earlier in the thread.
Best of luck
Posted 9/2/2015 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All,
Well I guess being so frazzled messed up my thinking. My wife took me for my bone scan today and they looked at me and said, "You are scheduled for NEXT Tuesday"! I guess I was so nervous I messed up the date. So another week of waiting, then to the doctor on the 14th for the results. Still very nervous. I read a lot about 10 to 15 year survival rates. Is that all that can be expected once you have this, even if you have surgery?
Tom
Posted 9/2/2015 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
No, you can fully expect to have a lot more years. You're just looking at what gets reported and what stats get collected.

I was DX at 51, I expect to die of something else in 20 or 30 years. I figuring on a heart attack, stroke, bus or maybe tomorrow morning if my wife finds out I haven't done the dishes yet.

Andrew
Posted 9/2/2015 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
10 or 15 years is the length of time they followed up with the men in the study to see what the outcomes were - it's not the amount of time they lived. What's important is the % attached to it. For example, you see in one of the recent threads that 99.9% of the men in the Johns Hopkins Active Surveillance study were alive at 15 years. That means that almost all of them survived at least 15 years, which is as long as they have tracking data for so far.

A more relevant number for you is from the Klotz 20-year update of their Active Surveillance study. They included men with the kind of prostate cancer you were diagnosed with - "low risk." The 20-year prostate cancer-specific survival for men on their program was 86%. That means that only 14% had died from prostate cancer as of the 20-year mark. After 20 years on their program, about half the men didn't have significant progression of their cancer and just continued to monitor it closely. The other half got, for the vast majority, curative therapy along the way.

- Allen
Posted 9/2/2015 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks again for clearing it up.
Posted 9/2/2015 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Tom, Welcome but sorry you're here. Your situation is similar to mine. I'm 10 weeks post surgery & doing well. You've come to a good place, with a lot of people who have been there before. As stated earlier, with a G6 and a low PSA, you should be just fine. Hang in there, learn all you can. Get a 2nd, then choose a plan. And start your Kegels now. Good luck & keep us posted.
Posted 9/2/2015 11:49 PM (GMT 0)

InTheShop said...
No, you can fully expect to have a lot more years. You're just looking at what gets reported and what stats get collected.

I was DX at 51, I expect to die of something else in 20 or 30 years. I figuring on a heart attack, stroke, bus or maybe tomorrow morning if my wife finds out I haven't done the dishes yet.

Andrew

It is amazing, how after hanging around an internet forum like this for a while, you can read a post, and absolutely know who wrote it, without looking at the name of the poster turn

Andrew, you're the best. yeah
Posted 9/2/2015 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
Pratoman - just doing my job to make sure things don't get to serious around here.

Andrew
Posted 9/3/2015 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
I divorced the wife and got a German Shepard. Solves both problems... Her killing me and the dishes
Posted 9/3/2015 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
Tom
I welcome you here. It is a great place for answers. You were wise to get on this. I think I was where you are now at 54 or 55. Waited around to have biopsy too long - cancer was out- stupid me. However I do have great doctors now at 65. I feel like I am having great future. I pray the best for you as you walk through this endeavor. These are smart people here and will give good answers.
Posted 9/3/2015 1:06 PM (GMT 0)

jpenn44 said...
I divorced the wife and got a German Shepard. Solves both problems... Her killing me and the dishes

Genius! Considering this myself, except it'll be another Labradoodle.
Posted 9/4/2015 3:30 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you again guys for the support and humor. It really helps a lot.
There is a vitamin store in town and the lady is a registered medical nurse but also believes in natural cures too. Now I am not saying that I wont be listening to the doctors, because once its here, I don't think a diet can get rid of cancer. But maybe help slow it??? Anyway, she said the best thing she has is called CDG EstroDIM by Ortho Molecular Products. She was not trying to push any products on me. She is a very nice person. But I bought it. Now that I am looking at it though, it says it has Vitamin D and E in it. Then I read how E can CAUSE cancer to get worse! Should I just dump these???
I am eating all natural and healthy foods now too, and she gave me a good list of what to eat and not to eat. So it was worth it just for the hour she spent with me teaching me about good and bad foods. Things that make perfect sense to me, but I never would have thought of.
How do you guys eat, and what do you recommend for someone in my predicament?
Tom
Posted 9/4/2015 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
Your doc can give you a blood test on Vit D. A number of us get deficiencies there (it's one of the risk factors for PC). I take a daily Vit D. to bring my levels up - I do 1000 IU but the amount depends on what you need. There are supplements that can bring PSA down slightly, but what effect it has on PC is debatable. I've heard about staying away from E. There is also the theory that once you've got PC, you're stuck and there's no point in supplements at this point.

I won't make any recommendations, just tell you what I do:

I say adopt a good diet and supplements that make you feel better and improve your general health. A healthy body will fight cancer better.

I've had health issues for years and do a diet that's low fat, high fiber, low refined sugars, little red meat, low dairy, lots of veggies (salads for lunch), lots of fruit (mostly at breakfast and afternoon snacks) and lots of fiber. I drink a fair amount of black tea and the occasional green tea, but otherwise mostly drink just water except for my weekly Latte (you got to live once in awhile). On rare occasions I do manage a glass of wine or a beer.

Exercise is really important too. Even if it's just daily walking. More if your body can handle it. It helps with lots of things in the body, but also it's very important for you mind. There's nothing like a brisk 30 minute walk to make you feel better and clear your mind. If you end up on HT or doing RT exercise helps reduce fatigue issues.

I hope others will offer what they do.
Andrew
Posted 9/8/2015 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Guys,
Another question for you. The past few days I have been having a lot of lower back discomfort. It hurts more when I am sleeping. Mainly on my right side, from my back, wrapping around the right side, around my waste area, to the front right. Keeps me tossing and turning all night. I have not done anything I can think of lately to cause it. No lifting or anything. So my obvious fear is bone mets. Any ideas? My Gleason was 6 and PSA was 4.0.

Tom
Posted 9/8/2015 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Tom, bone mets would be very, very unlikely with your Gleason and PSA. I'm not sure what's causing it, but there's all sorts of middle-aged ailments that would be much more likely than bone mets.

BTW, what did the second opinion on your biopsy slides say?
Posted 9/8/2015 3:30 PM (GMT 0)

TomC1962 said...
Hi Guys,
Another question for you. The past few days I have been having a lot of lower back discomfort. It hurts more when I am sleeping. Mainly on my right side, from my back, wrapping around the right side, around my waste area, to the front right. Keeps me tossing and turning all night. I have not done anything I can think of lately to cause it. No lifting or anything. So my obvious fear is bone mets. Any ideas? My Gleason was 6 and PSA was 4.0.

Tom




Stress

Bone mets don't occur in Gleason 3+3 cases with PSA at the very bottom of the gray-zone (between 4 and 10 ng/mL).

What prostate-expert read, or re-read, your biopsy slides? (This is "Step 0" from the "Newly diagnosed..." sticky thread. It's so important to do first, that it comes even before "Step 1.")
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