Is concern about G9 5+4, cT3a PCa eventual recurrence "irrational"?

It would be irrational NOT to be concerned by it

Hopefully, you can adjust

Mel

Thanks Jerry, I know I'm in a good spot right now. The "risk" has just been something kind of hard to shake off. I'm trying to reduce my time on this forum a bit too, so maybe I can gain a little more perspective.

The next 3 month PSA check isn't until Feb 6, and I fully anticipate it will remain undetectable. Still, I'll have that little test anxiety even then. It's rather pointless to be sure. I mean, there isn't a problem until there's a problem, right? Just need to let it go.

In the meantime, I largely focus on my work as a distraction. When my thoughts start going the wrong direction, I get up and go check on my people and equipment, and get involved with some issue or another.

A lot of people here have insecure thoughts. It is a matter of degree how intrusive they are.
I try to think of new or approved treatments that are or will be available. I find some security in that.

Redwing57,

Hi, trust you had a great trip! Happy New Year to you and your family.

2013, was my first full year with PCa. Too tell you the truth, back when I was DX, I really didn't know what the future was to hold for me. With my PSA at 0.0 since this past Oct. and last week again at 0.0, I'm not as tight as I was up to that time. I know I have to just take it one day at a time and do the best I can. I've got to get a lot sticker this year and from here on out that I have the past 14 months (eating and exercising). I know I can do it, just have to set my mind to it.

Just take it one day at a time. You're in my thoughts and prayers. We've got this.

Have a great 2014!

Dave

I agree with the doctor and no I am not a contrarian. He's got the odds on his point. Anxious folks are anxious. They will find something to be anxious about. His advice is worth considering when anxiety affects one's quality of life, which can only be determined by that individual. The irony I've discovered is "those of faith" seem to have a high level of anxiety. Your middle ground has been found, take Psa tests medicos advise and " be or not be"

Redwing,

I don't think it's at all dismissive to suggest psychotherapy to a man dealing with anxiety over cancer. I think it's great advice. I took that advice myself, and it's helped me a lot. I am grateful to a therapist for coaching me in the skill of dealing with things as they are right now rather than worrying about outcomes that may or may not come to pass. If you can get over whatever pride and prejudices you may have about therapy, you may find it of great benefit.

- Allen

Happy New Year RW,

In my opinion your anxiety is not irrational. Your thinking process has been developed to consider all the possibilities and assess them accordingly based on fact. Recurrance for high risk disease is certainly a factual possibility one must keep in consideration.

As I have said before, concern is healthy as it prompts us to act accordingly. Worry is unhealthy and often prompts us to act inappropriately. You have to manage the concern:worry ratio so that you maximize the healthy concern and minimize the unhealthy worry. Where is anxeity in all this? In my opinion if it persists, it is just another word for worry and has to be mitigated.

From the time of my high risk dx, my uro and wife both had the same sage advice. They said that I should approach this disease from a long term management perspective like one might approach diabetes, high blood pressure, eating disorders, etc.. If we achieve a cure, that would be great, but most definitions of cure require ten or more years at <.20 PSA to qualify. That's 3,650 days and nights to worry about whether I will be cured! The stress will probably do more harm than the cancer.

My uro and med onc both independently told me up front that they expected me to drop to undectible PSA immediately and stay there throughout my HT period (three years), which I have. They both say my challenge will more likely come in years 5-7. If PSA starts moving up then we have many great teatments to manage the disease and put it back in remission. If we get past the 5-7 year mark, the reality of a very long and durable remission improves greatly. In my December meeting my uro reminded me of this and said we are doing fine and as he expected. His management of me has greatly enhanced my management of me.

I am past my initial anxiety and worry, but I maintain my healthy concern and know what to look for. How you get there may differ than my approach. It really is all about stress management and that is where I suggest you focus.

Best wishes,

Jack

As a G9 with mets, I view recurrence or in my case since I have not had surgery nor radiation, castrate resistant PC as inevitable, just a matter of how long it will take.

However, I also view is as acknowledgement rather than concern, and just do my best to prolong its occurrence.

The longer it takes the better the chances that technology advances gives us more options when it eventually happens, and deal with it then with best practices.

As Logo and PeterDA said, worrying/concern has no impact on the timing other than adverse impact on non-PCa related health. Easier to say than to do depending on lots of factors.

As an engineer or a project manager you may be able to depersonalize the PCa and treat it as science experiment. Much tougher to do for a Feeler than for a Thinker Myers-Briggs type.

LupronJim