Starting Provenge tomorrow (final update)

Hopefully, unless the insurance denies coverage again at the last hour, I will do leukapheresis in Atlanta tomorrow. We chose the 1 PM start time and got a hotel room for the night just to avoid the awful 5 pm traffic leaving the city. I am hydrating with water and gatorade and avoiding too much heavy sweaty work in the yard. I started using chewable calcium supplemental called viactiv earlier this week. I received a Provenge backpack with a blanket and all sorts of goodies. But I hear that I will be flat on my back and cannot read a book so my entertainment will be podcasts on my iphone or maybe a dvd movie. I know to start cutting back on water intake in the morning as the procedure is 3-4 hours and I will not be able to unhook to go pee.

Please, any other suggestions or tips on this treatment from this forum? Any experiences to share?
Fight on my brothers!

Post Edited (Faustmann) : 9/19/2016 3:30:27 PM (GMT-6)

Here's hoping for the best.
Keep us updated on your progress,
Andrew

Just wishing you the best of luck. Let us know how it goes!

Hello Brother Faustmann,

Just sending you my loyal support for your upcoming treatments with PROVENGE ...

Hope the treatment protocol goes well for you, without a hitch ...

Truly sending my best to you ... keep us posted on your progress ...

Hoping that the "POWER OF PROVENGE" begins to work some mighty miracles for you, looking ahead !


Support, friendship, encouragement, and handshake from across the miles,

"CYCLONE FAN" ~ Iowa State University

Thanks for the update and it sounds like it went well. Did you change oncologists or was Provence not available in Athens?
Michael

That made for a long day.

Hope you're doing better now.

Hang in there,
Andrew

Hello Faustmann,

If you feel those "POSITIVE VIBES" coming your way, then you'll know where they came from ...

Stay the course ... keep focused ... thinking of you during your treatments ...

All the best, looking ahead,
"Cyclone Fan" ~ Iowa State University

Update 2- a week ago today I got the treated cells back at my local uro clinic. That infusion took only an hour. I have had no side effects from any of this so far. My next leukapheresis will be Friday in Atlanta.
Michael asked why I traveled to Atlanta for this part of the treatment. The reason is that is the closest facility that will do that. It is at the Red Cross in Midtown. So I'm hydrating the rest of this week and staying away from alcohol and salty foods.
Oh, my four week PSA test is in two days. I hear Provenge can make the PSA jump around. Still I am hoping for something lower than my last month result of 0.48.
Best to all!

Faustmann,

Best wishes for successful treatments!

Bobby Mac

Update 3- Last Friday I had my second leukapheresis and yesterday was my second infusion. Again, no real side effects from either. I was a bit tired on Friday. Having to sit still for three hours squeezing a ball with my right arm straight was uncomfortable. I asked them to put my left arm needle in my hand again, not because the usual place in the bend of the arm is hard to find but just in case I needed to use my left hand to pee again like the first time. They have one of those urinal jugs in case you just have to pee, and boy did I on the first leukapherisis. But I went all the way through without any problem this time. Same story on the infusion yesterday. No problem and I feel fine. So I am 2/3 done with Provenge!
I had my PSA checked last Wednesday. It was 0.49, up from 0.48 four weeks earlier. I am not concerned about that tiny increase. They told me that my PSA may increase due to the Provenge treatment.

I am having something strange happening with my fingers. They are very stiff and sore when I wake up in the morning. (Please no jokes about "stiff"). After a few seconds of curling the fingers I am good for the day. A few months back, I actually pulled a tendon in my pinky while washing my ear in the shower and had to wear a splint for six weeks. Doc said it was a convulsion fracture w/o pulling the bone away. What a strange injury. It would not straighten out! But it's OK now. What's going on with the finger stuff? Could it be a SE from Xtandi?

I hope these notes on my Provenge experience will help someone.
My best to all the PCa Warriors here.

I wanted to come back and wrap up this thread for anyone interested. A week ago today, I did my final cell infusion. I had NO problems with any of the leukapheresis(cell collection) or infusion treatments. I did feel somewhat tired after the cell collection, but was fine the next day. As for cell infusion, no problem. I even went for a 2.5 mile walk/jog after the last one. So now it's wait and see how this works. Seems that most guys on Provenge are not concurrently taking Xtandi as I am. Trying to hit this disease hard as I can.
I feel great. I hope this thread has helped someone who is considering Provenge.
Best to all of my fellow fighters!

Faustian excellent news my brother. Welcome to the club.

Michael I hope you are able to join the club as well