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Posted 9/15/2009 7:59 PM (GMT 0)

David,

Wanted to touch base with you. I have been keeping up with what has been going on with your case, but haven't had time to reply. It sounds like you have your mind right and the right Dr. for moving forward with the radiation treatment. I read that you said you are starting to have decrease in stream since your last surgery and they are predicting you may experience more blockage down the road with the radiation. Having been through the blockage/stricture 5 times myself, I highly encourage you to get the suprapubic cath in place so you do not have to deal with this problem during the course of treatment. It is stressfull enough. I had SPC's on two different occasions and believe me it was much easier than dealing with not being able to pee and a foley (especially with out legs). After you get the PCa reocurrence taken care of then you can worry about getting the plumbing taken care of. I know you don't want to have to deal with a dilation/reinsertion of a foley for blockage right know. My prayers are with you! K-bars           

Posted 9/15/2009 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
David, husband's pre-surgery PSA was as follows:

2003 - 2.3; 2004 - 2/8; 2005 - 3.34; 2006 - 3.7; 12/2007 - 4.64; 1/2008 6.4

Had first biopsy in 2005 - 8 samples taken, all negative. In December 2007, doctor retest PSA a month later and then sent husband to urologist for second biopsy. The rest, as they say, is history.

You are in my prayers every day.

Sephie
Posted 9/15/2009 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
k-bars, that's what I am thinking too, and I believe the new dr. is thinking on those lines. I would much rather do that, then to have another ER situation in the middle of radiation, and the new dr. couldn't believe I went through the whole emergency dialation procedure with no sedation or pain meds, she said it must have been brutal. i was, you know that yourself. A cath that's not coming through my weiner wouldn't bother me nothing like the other 7, and for over 100 days since last November. Be a piece of cake in comparisom.

I will be meeting her again this coming Monday, if my flow is still slowing up, and I know it is for a fact, will talk to her some more about that.

THanks for the advice. Hope you are doing well on your end.

David in SC
Posted 9/15/2009 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Sephie, thanks. While his highest psa number was not huge, he still had the psa velocity thing going. I am reminded he is only a year older than me, and we are both Gleason 7 (3+4) in pathology. Hope and pray his is just a blip. Hate to see him, and you too, have to go through the reoccurance thing this soon in your lives. Hoping for the best.

David in SC
Posted 9/15/2009 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, David...I'm hoping that since it's been 17 months since his surgery and his PSA hit zero within 7 weeks after surgery (and stayed there) that this is just "one of those things." Will post once we know the latest results.

From what I've read, if RT is needed the best results are done before PSA hits 0.5. I'm getting my ducks in a row just in case we have to go this route. Once we get the latest PSA test I think we'll have a better sense of what direction we need to take.

Be well.
Posted 9/15/2009 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
Sephie, lot of debate and opinion on when to draw the line in the sand with post surgery rising PSA numbers. After talking to 3 radiation oncologists, the common feeling is to hit it hard before it reaches and/or passes .50. A lot of it has to do with house fast it has been rising and doubling since surgery. My last one was at .16, which doesn't sound like much, but I was told the point is, it doubled in 6 months from surgery and tripled in 9 months from surgery. In my case, not a blip as I was hoping or a test mistake.

In your dear husbands case, I am hoping for the opposite. I am just now starting to come to terms with my own situation, the future treatment, the anticipated complications, and whether or not it's going to help in the long run.

I talked to an old doctor friend tonight, my original GP when I moved to SC years ago. He had PC 7 years ago, went to Atlanta for an open surgery, and have had zeros since then, but admitted that he still has incontinence issues and total ED. Seems like you can't win in this game of PC, but his wife of 40 years died 2-3 years ago, and he said he didn't care about those side effects.

We talked about my case, and he admitted that the PSA velocity is the most darning thing to be concerned about. He said that it was the best precursor of whether or not it can be stopped in the long run. Said it was way more important than just the raw PSA number, as we all know of advanced cases with low psa, and no PC with high PSA numbers.

Enjoy yourselves.

David in SC
Posted 9/16/2009 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
David,

I am right with you. I start my 39 rad treatments on 9/22. I will not do any HT at this time. Good luck.

Jon
Posted 9/16/2009 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
Jon, my goodness, you are way on the young side to be dealing with this. My uro said when I was dx at 56, I was one of his youngest patients. I am supposed to get tagged, tatooed and CT to death next Monday. Treatments to start soon after that, so we will be on a similar time line. I wish you only the best, and hope you get through it fine with no complications, and most important, that they zap the living hades out of your remaining cancer cells. You got a lot of life ahead of you, brother. Please keep us posted .

David in SC
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