Newly PC

Hello, Zeke ~

We're here for you!

I was diagnosed over ten years ago, with a PSA of 138. I was just in my 40s then.

By the time I was diagnosed, the prostate cancer had infiltrated my lungs, as well. That was in 2013. That was a tough day, but I became very determined to fight!

I started on the ADT hormone deprivation shots, as you are doing. Those knocked my PSA down considerably.

I then was in the first wave of fellows who underwent chemotherapy infusions with TAXOTERE. I had 6 infusions, 3 weeks apart, from August until November. Each infusion lowered my PSA, even more.

I was even able to keep teaching school, full-time, with great vigilance shown by my oncologist.

In time, I started on the newer medication known as ZYTIGA, now in generic form as Abiraterone Acetate. I have been on that for over 8 years.

Eventually, Dr. Kwon at Mayo Clinic recommended radiation, so I did that, too.

Treatments are not always easy, but I felt pursuing treatments put me into "battle mentality" and that was encouraging to me.

Looking back, I feel like the chemotherapy treatments helped a great deal, and gave subsequent treatments a greater advantage, after my cancer was "weakened."

I am thinking of you today, and know exactly where you stand today. After the first chemotherapy infusion, the subsequent infusions followed the same pattern, so it been routine.

I had trepidations the night before my first infusion. The medical team was really there for me, and the infusion went well. After that, I knew exactly what to expect.

I will send this for now & hope it helps to hear you are NOT alone! I am standing alongside you, with supportive thoughts.

Handshake & fellowship,
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Thanks Cyclone! I am not at the Mayo now but have a consultation lined up with Kwon in a month.

Very glad to hear about your success story!

Zeke, welcome.
I started on Firmagon and had a bad reaction not cardiac related. My Uro put me on 18 months of once a day Orgovyx which is supposed to have less cardiac SEs as well. My PSA dropped to zero as did my T level on Orgovyx. Please keeps us informed and ask as many questions that you may have. You will be supported here in any decisions you make going forward.
My best wishes,
Jack

Hi Zeke and welcome. While I personally don’t have experience with your treatment situation there are many guys here who do. We are all here to support you. I wish you the best.

Jim

Welcome Zeke, sorry you had to join our club that nobody wants to belong to. But the vast majority of us have gone through treatment and are now either continuing treatment, or done, but in either case, we are enjoying life.
My situation was not quite where you are, I was a Gleason 7 (3+4) with no lymph node involvement. But I did recur and had radiation and hormone therapy 3 years after my surgery. And now, looking back, as terrified as I was, it turned out to be a bump in the road that is now in the rear view mirror.

I hope the same outcome for you. As you've read in the above posts, there's lots of knowledge and support here for you. Good luck, keep us posted, and again, welcome

Yesterday completed the Docetaxel for the first time. The team was concerned about allergy to the drug because of previous allergies to the polysorbate 80 which is in the chemo. So the drip was slow 7.5 hours. But yes, relief that I am finally getting help after getting the 76 PSA 60 days ago.

I think I’m getting some bradycardia, heart stuff from the firmagon drug. Gonna go in for some more heart testing. No history of heart issues until a few day after the firmagon.

Been a gym rat, mountain biker guy for whole life so trying to navigate what I hope is a temporary set back. Thanks for the support gentleman.

Hello, Zeke ~

Glad you forged through your first TAXOTERE chemotherapy infusion.

I, too, had an allergic reaction concern, so my oncologist slowed down the drip, and added a Benedryl infusion upfront , to counteract the allergic reaction.

Now on the other side of the infusion, the primary thing I learned was the importance of drinking plenty of water, in the next few days. It will help your body "rebound." Something I learned in my course of treatments.

Long story, short ~ Lupron injections and then Firmagon injections didn't fully suppress my testosterone.

In the end, I switched to Zoladex injections, which worked best for me.

It's essential you ask for testosterone tests when you do your lab work. You want that testosterone as low as possible.

In the end, Zoladex worked best for me. It was relatively easy to switch to this other form of ADT injection.

So, if FIRMAGON is giving you issues, there are certainly alternatives, as you can see from my story.

During chemotherapy, I also tried to get in a simple walk, each day. On rough days, it was maybe only 15 minutes, but it was something. I also learned to set an earlier bedtime.

So glad you got that first infusion done. The rest will follow the same pattern, and you will feel far more at ease, walking into future infusions.

In fellowship,
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University