New member: Hi-ya

* Note, I haven't visited in a while, but just returned to give an update. Thanks, Gabe 8/25/2020

Greetings, all. I have perused a few of the topics and have garnered some very helpful information. I thought I'd join the community.

My primary urologist (sort of a family doctor, who did my vasectomy, cured my elderly father in law of PC and treats my sister in law for chronic urinary tract issues), upon learning my DX, recommended RP straight away, and I agreed.

Pathology report after my robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy with nerve sparing and bilateral lymph node dissection was pretty rattling...positive margins, focal extension, extensive soft tissue margin....it was a lot to take in. Fortunately, lymphs were neg...for now.

Surgeon is now leading my treatment. Currently looking at HT (both Oncologists recommend Lupron Injection) with EBRT. My parents are flying me to MD Anderson later this month...Dr. Paul Corn...anyone have experience with the center or him specifically? My current team said they would welcome his input for helping define treatment. Also, researching HT...looks like some heavy duty drugs, and I am NOT looking forward to the side affects. New study in New England Journal of Medicine (Feb 2nd) shows higher rates of success coupling HT (Casodex in the study) with RT, so that is the route I am looking at, pending guidance from MD Anderson.

Waiting to take my 6 week PSA next week.

Switched to a plant-based diet...., near 100% vegan cutting other fats, bleached flour, dairy, junk food and candy (I have a huge sweet tooth). Also eliminated coffee and severely cut down on alcohol. This has been hard as I am a sort of connoisseur of fine wine, albeit on a middle class budget. I'll have a glass or two once a week or so, but have overdone it on a couple of occasions. But I've lost about 15 pounds in the last month on the new diet, and feel great. My bowels have changed, too...probably wondering where all the carne asada went to, and what to do with all the green stuff. I am going to look for a thread on diet here in a minute, but I believe it can have an effect on the cancer growth, and have been diligent as far as putting good, healthy foods in my body.

I do get depressed from time to time regarding incontinence, but as I read on here yesterday, I must be patient. PT appt tomorrow, for pelvic floor exercises.

I feel super grateful that my erectile function has returns so quickly (mostly). I was at 75-85% 2 weeks + 2 days after RP, a record for my surgeon, so she told me. Now at 90-100%, not without effort. My wife has been understanding and willing to deal with a little splash here and there. And I seem to go through a lot of hot water and soap in the shower;)

Anyway, enough about me....thanks for all the posts here and the help you all give for helping people like me through these most difficult of times.

Cheers,
PS, I did the best I could presenting my data in my signature.

Family doctors{even urologists...especially non surgical ones} are never the one's to follow in pca matters...no matter how long you know are how nice they are..having said that{ill takk the flak for sayin it}...being a gl 9...it probably was not over treated in a strict cancer control sense...hopefully your new medical team and trip to MD anderson will get you on track...the dissected non cancerous lymph nodes is a plus...how many were disected?....once a node is dissected...it is gone and "obviously" will not get cancer later...you are still early in recovery...the incontinence will self resolve over time...you are fortunate the ED has already started to recover...Its not as bad as you think...things never are for the most part...you have a long and fruitful life ahead of you...good luck....

Welcome to this forum. Thanks for the summary of where you in treatment and how you got here.

You're a Gleason 9; A significant upgrade from your biopsy pathology. I like the way you have responded to that diagnosis. I'm sure Anderson is the right place for you, and with luck and good care, you will get your cancer under control.

Best of luck, and keep us posted.

I am also a GL 9 treated at MDA. Dr. Corn is my MO and has been for 4 years. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you would like to talk.

Simon

Welcome mate. Good luck with the PSA level next week. I can empathise completely over the incontinence.

Bololidat said...
.how many were disected?....once a node is dissected...it is gone and "obviously" will not get cancer later....

2 from one side, 3 from the other. Yep, once they're gone, I don't need to worry about those. I worry about those that're left. Sorry, should have been clearer.

Post Edited (RealisticOptimist) : 3/15/2017 4:56:37 PM (GMT-6)

Hawaii3654 said...
I am also a GL 9 treated at MDA. Dr. Corn is my MO and has been for 4 years. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you would like to talk.

Simon

Will do tomorrow, thx

Checking in here...haven't had a need to post, thankfully! My SRT seemed to have done the trick with the positive margins and all that crap. My PSA has been steadily <0.01. I feel good, hired into a new position (100% telework), bought a new house, family great. It seems it was all an intense nightmare that I was able to wake up from (knock on wood).

Thanks to all the support the regular members gave me and continue to give to newbies and the seriously diagnosed. This is a small but very effective corner of the world to give people advice and support and I appreciate it. Thanks for reading this. ~Gabe

Wonderful to hear this! It's great that your adjuvant therapy worked so well. I'm curious what your current PSA-testing interval is.

Thanks,

Djin

Very nice--glad that everything is going well on the health and personal fronts! And thanks for checking back in...

DjinTonic said...
Wonderful to hear this! It's great that your adjuvant therapy worked so well. I'm curious what your current PSA-testing interval is.

Thanks,

Djin

6 months.