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Posted 3/7/2013 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
Haha

Next Papa Johns will probably be in April.

I have been taking Casodex with the evening meal.

With breakfast, I take all these useless supplements:

Fish oil, Vit. D3, curcumin, glucosamine/msm (helps my knees 100%!), pomx, and lycopene.

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Phew... I thought you might be pregnant. But at least you can watch Ellen without feeling guilty now. tongue

Seriously, good luck, Mel. You're a pillar of this board. Stay positive!
Posted 3/8/2013 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the kind words, Dude.

I try...but at times it gets trying.

Update: Took pill #3 tonight.

In the early evening, I did feel a little breast tenderness, but it went away. Of course, we know SE increase as time goes on, so we shall see.

The itching is gone, too.

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hope your breasts don't get as tender as mine mel....the other day I got one caught in my seat belt shoulder strap and it felt almost as bad as gettin kicked in the nuts....My wife thought it was funny though.
Posted 3/8/2013 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
Haha. Stop watching the paint dry, Mel. Get on with the good things you like to do. Love ya, and I hope you have a good adjustment to the therapy.

The best psychology of going on this therapy is to stay positive. Just remember it's all about adjusting to the SE's the best you can. It's really early to start feeling anything from a few days on bicalutimide, though it's plausible, but the little things you are feeling right now can be your attention to minute detail about your experience.

I think you'll do well with the disease management. Good luck in the coming weeks and again, stay positive.

Tony
Posted 3/8/2013 6:21 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

A bit off topic, but can you tell me more about the glucosamine/msm for your knee?
I've had to get injections in one of mine over the past three years due to osteo... Who am I kidding? Due to stinking at snow skiing and jamming my knees. :)
I just ordered and received "Hyal-Joint" to try as a supplement.
Posted 3/8/2013 6:37 AM (GMT 0)
I've had serious/severe knee problems since overdoing a very strenuous workput about 9 years ago. Glucosaminhe/Chondroitin proved helpful. Eventually, I did need surgery. I had two tears and lots of arthritis in the meniscus (right knee). The surgery worked wonders as he repaired the damage and smoothed out the arthritis. In fact, one surgeon I spoke with did not want to do the surgery due to the arthritis as he didn't feel he could help me. But the second surgeon was extremely optimistic ("we can fix that easily"). He had a good reputation and I had seen him years before for a frozen shoulder. At that time, he didn't operate, feeling that P/T could help my shoulder and he was correct (100%).

These days, with the PCA, chindroitin is a no-no. I have found the glucosamine/MSM to be extremely helpful. I take it every day. I go to the gym and can do 6-12 laps without problems (fast walking -- not quite jogging). I don't do lower leg workouts because that does seem to cause flareups. But the gluc/MSM really seems to work well for me.

If you want the specific brand, email me. I think it is Schiff, but I'll let you know if you are interested.

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 7:15 AM (GMT 0)
If you don't mind, email the brand to me.

Mine is arthritis also. Had several MRI's as they thought it was a tear. At one point, I literally could not stand up from a sitting position. Had the hyalgan (sp) injections and they worked wonders. Typically they last from 3-12 months. I was lucky to get 18 months after each series. It's about that time now and I am feeling it to the point that I can't even ride my bicycle.

Also have bad arthritis and tendinitis in my right shoulder. Would also be interested in hearing what types of exercises helped.

Thanks and sorry for derailing your topic.
Posted 3/8/2013 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
I sent you an email with the information

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
Mel,
For exercise, have you considered swimming (or water jogging/aerobics)? Low impact, great exercise.

Good luck with the HT. My best advice, don't dwell on it or over think it. My dad was on it for 3 years, PSA and testosterone went to zero, still played golf and worked the whole time. As well, he and my mom continued to have a really busy social life, out for dinner with friends several times per week, etc.
He did get tired at certain points of the day and early evening, but we think that was partly from the IMRT too.
Go on with your life and don't dwell on the HT!
Posted 3/8/2013 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
Gibson, et. al:

Good advice. I have not been dwelling on it as much as it sounds, but I am trying to depict this journey accurately. I'm not sure if it makes sense to keep at it every day. For example, I am getting some breast discomfort but it is really so small, so minor. It is not interfering with anything. If I report it, one can certainly think that I am obsessing. In short, I am having slight symptoms, but is it worth relaying in any kind of detail.

I do suspect that many SE will appear and will worsen. I realize that is a negative thought, but all my reading strongly suggests that the SE do not lessen (well, some do, I guess) in general.

Regarding exercise, I am now hitting the gym regularly for 2-hour workouts. Some of you may recall that for some reason I was having some difficulty with my workouts (extreme soreness that kept me out for almost a week at a time). I ended up lessening the workouts and then slowly increased them and I seem to be back to the good workouts

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
I think some of the ADT SEs are hard at first but then ease somewhat after your body adjusts to the lower level of T. That was the case for me. The hot flashes were rough for the first year or so. At this point, I still get the occasional hot flash, especially if I get too warm, but they are much less frequent and less intense. I tended to be very emotional (crying) at first. Now, that is mostly under control. But, I have still have to avoid some emotional triggers (sappy movies, etc.). And, hey, I made it through all sorts of my daughter's wedding stuff without a tear. Good luck!
SC
Posted 3/8/2013 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
SC:

Yeah, but aren't you a Grinch?

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 6:05 PM (GMT 0)

Mel,  

"Good advice. I have not been dwelling on it as much as it sounds, but I am trying to depict this journey accurately. I'm not sure if it makes sense to keep at it every day. For example, I am getting some breast discomfort but it is really so small, so minor. It is not interfering with anything. If I report it, one can certainly think that I am obsessing. In short, I am having slight symptoms, but is it worth relaying in any kind of detail".

Hope you keep on posting often with any pertinent updates. I just started Lupron on March 1st.  My testosterone level at the start is 836.  They told me normal is 300 to 1200, so I am on the high end.  That seems like a large spread?  It's only been 8 days, so too early for side effects, but I think some fatigue is starting....groan

Phil

Posted 3/8/2013 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
Learning:

I gather you were on Casodex for quite awhile, or am I misreading your stats?

Did the Casodex itself cause any symptoms?

Yeah, I'm immediately behind you!

Mel

Posted 3/8/2013 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Mel,

Started the 50MG Casodex and 5MG Proscar on January 13th...one a day of each. Surprisingly it brought my PSA down from 142 to 8.6 in 43 days. Perhaps I could have avoided the Lupron like JohnT?

Really didn't have any symtoms. A little tenderness on the nipples is all.

Nervously await the Lupron effects. Anytime you make such major changes to Mother Nature as the Lupron does you are bound to have trouble. As Dr Barken says, "I don't want my patients dying of something else" in his video about just using Casodex and Proscar. And Dr Myers saying that more men die of cardiac problems than PCa. Keep a watch on the ticker!

Phil
Posted 3/8/2013 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
Zufus' reply was spot on Compiler. Ive been in durable remission for 6 years and my PSA dropped from 511 to 2.5 for low avg. The initial drop took all of 1 month, from 511 to 0.9, drop like a rock indeed. That's no BS about the crying games and such but they lessen through the years. For a while there I thought that I was gonna be stuck in manopause forever, an eternal manopausal hermaphrodite but I Got Better. The one vacation I got lasted 10 months but I chickened out when my PSA ran up to 10.5. BTW, Lupron has a half life of around 2.5 years, just something to be aware of . . . Q
Posted 3/8/2013 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
Glad to hear the emotional stuff wears off after awhile....That's one thing I hate about it as well. That and memory issues and the breast pain is bearable as long as I don't bump into something or accidently hit my breast. Started out with just one breast and then months later both.

Never did get any real hot flashes though....and overall I'd say the SEs are completely manageable.
Posted 3/8/2013 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
 That and memory issues and the breast pain is bearable as long as I don't bump into something or accidently hit my breast.

ahhhh the ole mammary issues cool !

ed

 

Posted 3/8/2013 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
LOL....yeah....hate both the mammary and memory issues.
Posted 3/9/2013 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
GROAN....!!!

Mel

Posted 3/9/2013 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
And MOAN!!!
Posted 3/12/2013 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hurt my knees exercising. So, I'm hobbling around these days. Also, suddenly felt exhausted last night. Turned in early and stayed in bed until 9:50 AM today. Not sure if the HT suddenly kicked in or I just had to catch up on sleep. Spring Break this week.

Mel

Posted 3/12/2013 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
Mel...when I first started HT...there were days where I felt like Gumby. My whole body felt tired and sore...as if I was just hanging there with no skeleton. That would happen about once every 10 days or so and I'd be fine the next day.

That was like that for the first year or so and now it seems to have gone away.
Posted 3/12/2013 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
COMPILER,

I am on the back end of your new exercise. I just stopped Casodex on 3-9-13 and had my last Lupron shot on 2-4-13. I know that it will take 9 to 12 months for that last shot to wear off. I should write about coming off HT and the new/old SE's along side of your HT process "THE GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY of HT".

Dave

idea  

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