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Nine Years of Zero

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 10/25/2017 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry I haven't posted earlier, but I've had a ROUGH 2017 (reverse shoulder replacement followed by a double hematoma (bleeding in the brain). So I'm VERY happy to be here. Cinco de Mayo was my 9-year surgery anniversary, however I did not get my physical & PSA check until October.

On the brain thing: 2 weeks after shoulder surgery, went to the Dr's with headaches one day. She told me to go to the emergency room. Brain surgery and TWENTY FIVE DAYS later I went home. Talk about being plucked out of your own life...

On the bright side, I am functioning very well, and just walked one of my two daughters down the aisle in a fabulous wedding.

So here I am to report a "zero" for the ninth year.

I wish everybody all the best, I hope you've had a MUCH better 2017 then I, and I'm looking forward to somewhat quieter 2018.

kcragman
Posted 10/25/2017 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats on making it for nine years and getting through the brain surgery.
Posted 10/25/2017 1:50 PM (GMT 0)
Great
Posted 10/25/2017 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations!!!
Posted 10/25/2017 2:27 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats on 9 years of zero! You have found the silver lining in the dark cloud. Better luck in the next year!
Posted 10/26/2017 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
I remember you from back in the day. I'm happy to hear that your prostate stuff seems to be gone, but I'm sorry to hear of your present miseries. I hope it all works out for you. Nasty stuff.

Best,

Bill
Posted 10/26/2017 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad to hear that your brain bleed was successfully treated. And congratulations on 9 years! Take care
Posted 10/26/2017 4:16 PM (GMT 0)

kcragman said...
Sorry I haven't posted earlier, but I've had a ROUGH 2017 (reverse shoulder replacement followed by a double hematoma (bleeding in the brain). So I'm VERY happy to be here. Cinco de Mayo was my 9-year surgery anniversary, however I did not get my physical & PSA check until October.

On the brain thing: 2 weeks after shoulder surgery, went to the Dr's with headaches one day. She told me to go to the emergency room. Brain surgery and TWENTY FIVE DAYS later I went home. Talk about being plucked out of your own life...

On the bright side, I am functioning very well, and just walked one of my two daughters down the aisle in a fabulous wedding.

So here I am to report a "zero" for the ninth year.

I wish everybody all the best, I hope you've had a MUCH better 2017 then I, and I'm looking forward to somewhat quieter 2018.

kcragman

Kcrag, you- despite all of these trials thrown your way in 2017, all of which followed PC 9 years ago- are just a walking miracle! May an abundance of blessings come to you and yours!
Posted 10/27/2017 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the kind words. Not sure why my "signature" is not posting. I'm 61 now, had Da Vinci laparoscopic surgery, it was aggressive cancer but we got it just in time.

BillyBob: Thanks for your thoughts. Won't go into details, but I've had other issues as well (as we all have). It's not a contest, but I have 19 surgical holes in my body now - because arthroscopic-type surgery has a tendency to put 3 to 5 holes in your body for each surgery. I was all "original parts" until this year. Now I have a metal shoulder and two metal plugs in my head. My next airplane flight should be interesting....

kcragman
Posted 10/27/2017 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
kcragman,

Congrats!!!!!...... and furthermore....THANK YOU for posting your progress over the years and including your signature details. Many people use this forum to obtain information. But many, like myself, also use if for hope. Stories like yours make me beleive that I can hold off the beast for a long time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Age at Dx: 54
08/31/15 PSA 2.5
01/01/16 Urinary Frequency
02/05/16 DRE +
02/22/16 Biopsy
02/26/16 Dx 7-12 positive; (5) 3+3=6; (1) 3+4=7; (1) 4+3=7; T2B
03/11/16 Bone Scan - Clear
03/23/16 CT Scan - Clear
03/31/16 Surgery Consult UPENN
04/08/16 RT Consult/2nd Opinion Fox Chase CC upgrade to 4+4
04/14/16 3TMRI "organ confined", EPE-, SV-, LN-
06/01/16 DaVinci @ UPENN (Dr. D. Lee)
06/08/16 Path EPE+, Marg +, SV-, LN-, G7(4+3), T3a
07/01/16 Start 5mg Daily Cialis, 20mg once a week on Friday's
07/06/16 Decipher 0.56
08/31/16 uPSA <.006
12/01/16 uPSA <.014
01/30/17 PORTOS Lower RT Response
03/01/17 uPSA <.006
06/01/17 uPSA <.006
09/01/17 uPSA <.006
Posted 10/29/2017 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
kcragman, hoping this coming year will be better and nothing exceptional takes place. Take care of yourself.
Posted 10/29/2017 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Are there any clues to what caused the hematomas? Did something happen during the shoulder surgery? Congratulations on the wedding and being PC-free.
Posted 10/30/2017 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
The only thing we can assume is, change of drugs. Just prior to the shoulder surgery, my (former) neurologist switched me from one aspirin a day to one Agrinox a day. Agrinox is supposed to provide more stroke protection, and I had had a TIA in 2011, and a tiny infarct (?) some time in the past year or so.

The shoulder surgery went fine, was doing PT, and about 2 1/2 weeks post op, I started getting headaches, and right tonsil was throbbing which threw everybody off and delayed a brain scan. Several doc visits & throat scans later, I threw up in the trash can of my favorite nurse practitioner at my GP's office, she said go to the ER and have them look at my brain. Ding! Spent 8 days in ICU waiting for the Agrinox to clear my body. By then I was apparently fairly close to death. Don't know, cause I wasn't there. I was unconscious. Bleeding on both sides of the brain, but two burr holes on the right did the trick and I'm in pretty good shape right now.

Hope this info is useful.

kcragman
Posted Today 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
Just kicking this back to the top.

Please be aware of the drug Agrinox. Helpful to some, darn near killed me.

All the best,

kcragman
Posted Today 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Wow - tough year - glad you're doing better!

Rob
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