Posted 9/26/2011 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
I had my 2-year post-op appointment with my Uro today, and learned that my psa remains at <0.01, undetectable. This was my first 6 month psa test interval, and I kind of freaked out last week when I began passing blood in my urine. It happened on a Sunday, and my call to the Uro was returned even before I got off the phone with the answering service. He said it was likely a delayed side effect of the radiation, but called in a prescription for Cipro, in case I had a UTI.
During the week between the first bleeding event and my appointment, I had four more episodes of bleeding, although not nearly as copious as the first, so I was pretty stressed that I might be having a BCR. But, the doctor said my urine test was clean, no infection, no blood, no harm, no foul.
So he set me up for another 6 month follow-up, and on we go.
From my signature, you will see that I aggressively treated my Advanced Stage T3b with Adjuvant HT (8 months on Lupron) and Adjuvant RT. I felt all the side effects, felt like crap, and put on about 25 pounds that no amount of dieting that I was willing to try would budge.
But back in May, working with my Cardiologist I stopped taking a beta blocker (Coreg) for high blood pressure. Coreg acts as a governor on the heart rate, and mine would not go higher than 90. Can't do much exercise when you can't get the heart rate into a fat burning zone. Anyway, with this impediment removed, I am able to get the rate up to about 115 on moderate exertion, and this coupled with a no grain diet, has allowed me to drop 37 pounds, getting rid of the Lupron fat and some more. (I was able to get off of statins for cholesterol as well.)
I feel better now than I have in years, but still can't say I'm cured.
All the best to everyone.
Roger