What have we missed?!

Hello good people of HW.

GG and I have just gotten back from 2 weeks in Cambodia and Vietnam. My phone had no roaming in either country, so I've been completely out of touch the entire time. Not entirely a bad thing...!

While I could have logged into free wifi at our hotels and checked the forum, I made a conscious decision not to, as it was good to just not think about PCa for a fortnight, and to "leave it at the door", so to speak.
Now we're back however, it would seem I have a heap of catching up to do! Some new members, fascinating discussions/debates and some great humour and insight (as always). It will take me a week to sift through it all, I feel sure!

Meantime, I hope you are all faring well, and keeping in good spirits.

GG's one year test is approaching next week, so while it's been awesome to be away, the same little ol' nag is doing it's best to reappear; just at the nape of my neck. Dag-nabbit! Maintaining the positive though, and keeping the faith that 2 weeks in brain-numbing heat with lashings of amazing food and icy cold beer has been good for his mind, body and soul.
Peace to you all.
Jaybee

Pratoman said...
I often think, I need to take a serious break, and stop reading forums,

Aw come on Prato, you've been saying that for months.

Pratoman said...
And yet I find it almost impossible to break away for any reasonable period of time.

I hear that!

I was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base (Saigon) in 1971-72. My barracks were right across from the parking aprons and terminal; it's still the primary airport for Vietnam. I never want to go back there.

I was also recently out of the country for two plus weeks and when I travel it seems to take me time to re-engage in HW. I think that's pretty healthy for me. While I want to support this community which was so helpful to me after my diagnosis, there's sure lots of people here (most of whom are more knowledgable than myself) so there's generally a pretty robust discussion even when folks are out.

BTW, that sounds like a great trip. I used to go to China frequently for work, but never used it to spring off my own trip into SE Asia. But do hope to get there some day...

My family didn't seem to know I was gone, so glad to know that *someone* did! (My wife and I went hiking in Croatia, which was a blast...)

I've been back a week or so and I have posted a bit, but as I mentioned it seems to take me a while to re-engage in HW when I'm back. And when I'm gone and see other discussions and read the knowledgable (and sometimes not so knowledgable) discussions, it makes me think that I can be prone to jumping in without adding value sometimes. Not always, but sometimes...

Lovely to hear from you guys. Michael_T - LOL! I'm sure you WERE missed by your family - sometimes folk have a funny way of showing it! I hear you about responding to posts. Because people were so kind and welcoming to us when we joined the forum a year ago, I really want to return the favour, but of course I have nothing "informative" to offer in terms of actual PCa info, so sometimes I think I should just read and not join in. Especially with the very high risk guys, as GG is in a much smaller (but still leaky) boat, and I'm probably as useful as a mosquito to all those good folk. Still, whenever I see a new name pop up, I really want to let that person know they've found the greatest place in the world for support and encouragement (not to mention the best up to date medical information available) but never know whether I should or shouldn't. It's definitely a dilemma for me.

JNF you really did get around! We've always loved Thailand too, but this was our first trip to Viet Nam - Hanoi was absolutely fascinating, and totally gorgeous in a crumbling, ancient patina'd kind of way. BTW, I always follow everything you post so closely, as, with your very high PSA and "difficult" Gleason 7 your stats are very similar in many ways to my GG (although your tx was entirely different of course). And if we'd found this forum before jumping, GG's tx may well have been very different too. Can't change that now of course, and he is happy with his decision so that's all that matters.

John_TX - sounds as though your posting was tough - I guess that would definitely put a whole different slant on things for you. In your case, I sure don't blame you for not wanting to go back. Shame though, as the country is very beautiful in parts.

Pratoman - you sure are a sucker for punishment! That sounds like a whole lot of (often) very difficult information to digest - I find this one forum exhausting sometimes, but like you, just can't tear myself away. When this journey began for us, I fished around on a few forums for info, but now it's only HW all the way. The best by a country mile. I can totally understand why it must be overwhelming for you some days. But please know we all follow your progress closely and support you every step of the journey. As for RobLee you are a terrible teaser!

TA: I had every intention of getting stuck into Thaw's Hammer while I was away, but Amazon wouldn't let me download it (maybe because we're in Aus - or perhaps it's just because I'm a complete computer luddite?!) - I tried several times with no success. However, now we're back I will just order a hard copy. Nicer in many ways (as far as I'm concerned). I'm a bit old fashioned with still enjoying holding things in my hands, like books, CDs etc.

All the best to you all, and have a wonderful weekend. It's bitterly cold here, but the sun is shining - always a good thing. Will rug up and get the legs moving!

Peace.
Jaybee

Tall Allen, that's one heck of a valuable blog you have. I didn't realize you were that Allen!

I'm quite intrigued by HD Brachy monotherapy. It seems much more popular in Europe than in the USA, but it's picking up steam here quickly.

Is there a list of experienced facilities in the USA that specialize in it?

Post Edited (garyi) : 6/25/2017 1:55:27 PM (GMT-6)

I'm in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

70 years old, had a TURP last year, have had Ulcerative Colitis for 45 years - asymtomatic for the last 20 due to taking Asacol (mesalamine). I think I've had PSa for some time.

I'm scheduled for a RALP in three weeks, but given my high probability for complications probably requiring follow-up radiation, primary HD Brachy monotherapy sure looks intriging.

My history:

70 years old
LUTS symptoms for past 6 years
Treated with drugs with little success
Numerous "normal' DRE's Last one at JHMI - T2a"maybe"
PSA's over past 17 years - gradual increase from 1.0 to 3.0
Current PSA 2.3
TURP 2/16, 24 g removed, 35 g remaining
G3+4 discovered, LUTS symptoms remain
3T MRI 5/16
PI-RADS 5 Lesion in Right Apical Posterior
MRI fusion guided biopsy 6/16 (a year ago!)
14 cores; four G 3+3, one G3+4, Grade T1b
Left Lateral Base G3+4, 10%
Left Lateral Middle G3+3, 10%
Right Lateral Apex G 3+3, 40%
Right Apical Posterior PZ G3+3, 50%
Right Apical Posterior PZ G3+3, 60%
CIPRO antibiotic = C. Diff infection 7/16
Cured with Vanco over 14 days
Second 3T MRI 1/17
Worsened bulging of posterior capsule and new
effacement of adjacent neurovascular fat planes
Worrisome for extracapsular extention PI-RADS-5
Oncotype DX GPS 3/17, LFP risk 63%, Likelihood of Low
Grade Disease 81%, Likelihood of Organ Confined 80%
RALP scheduled for mid July at The UofM

Thank you very much, Allen.

Thanks to your blog, I have read that study. It was very small, completed in 2010, and after I talked to several RO's I ruled out SBRT. If I go for any radiation, either primary or follow up, SpaceOAR Hydrogel (spacer) will be a must. Not to many RO's experienced with it, either. I'm going to contact several of the RO's you mentioned, and just may postpone my surgery, yet again.

A big thanks to Jaybee & GG for letting me take their thread on a tangent. I too, spent time at Korat RTAFB in the skies of Vietnam long ago. It is a beautiful part of the world. Agent Orange may have something to due with PCa...who knows.