Posted 10/19/2016 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
desert bound, the post surgery PSA does sound very encouraging. In your previous thread you folks were very concerned at the time, but it seems you're off to a good start.
The other aspects of the situation are challenging for sure. Positive margins and a positive lymph node, combined with a G9 score, say you will need to be quite aggressive in follow up, and it sounds like you are.
The time on ADT has had a lot of discussion. I was on it for 3 years, combined with my primary treatment of radiation therapy. Three years has been the standard since 2009 due to a study by Dr. Bolla, but some recent studies (ASCO presentation by Dr. Nabid in 2013, for example) are indicating 2 years may be enough. I'm not sure, my MO wasn't sure, and she said she'd rather find out 10 years from now that 3 years was too much than that 2 years wasn't enough.
But some here are quite convinced that 2 years is sufficient. The 3rd year wasn't any worse than the 2nd, really. And at age 58, my testosterone recovery has been significantly better than I expected. The "official" end of my ADT was in March, and by the end of August my testosterone was already up to 290, at the bottom end of normal. Age does seem to affect that recovery time, and some studies are very pessimistic about recovery after 3 years. YMMV.
I took Megace to help reduce the hot flashes, as mine were quite strong. It helped a lot, but didn't eliminate them. Fatigue becomes a constant companion, and naps help. Still, I rarely saw the other side of 8:30pm! The fatigue impacted my life in a big way, since it essentially eliminated participation in one of my favorite pursuits, motorcycle touring. Just became impossible to be alert enough long enough to do it. I'm still not 100%, but much improved.
The loss of libido is a strange side effect, but very real. Sex becomes about as interesting as doing the dishes or mowing the lawn. Loss of ability comes along with it, but I just didn't care. Feels like a car without a transmission - even if you can get the engine started, the wheels won't turn! We found other ways to remain emotionally intimate, and I think we grew even closer as a result.
Finally, there's the enhanced emotionality. Probably not everyone has this, but I even found myself quite surprisingly teary-eyed at Hallmark commercials! We guys don't normally have much awareness of feelings about anything, they're scary and unfamiliar, and we successfully keep a lid on them most of the time. Big boys don't cry, and all that. Well, ADT seems to pull that lid right off and throw it away; emotions are stronger and right at the surface. My wife and I definitely grew closer as a result. You know the book, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"? I felt like an explorer visiting planet Venus, as my body was transitioned from a normal knuckle-dragging Martian to an unfamiliar self with characteristics of a menopausal Venusian! My wife was sometimes like a tour guide as I learned about Venus and its effects. We laughed a lot about it!
Bottom line, the treatments suck but that's where you are. He can get through it, with your help, mutual tolerance, and understanding. It's a couple's disease, and you'll both be affected. You can do it!