Bounced again

Is it unusual to bounce multiple times, especially 3 years out like I am? What logic can I use to try and calm myself that it’s a bounce and not the beginning of a recurrence?

I was hoping you would respond TA. This bounce has me much more worried than the one at 18 months since most of my reading says bounces occur within 2 years. I take it you would not be worried if these were your numbers. How would you rationalize that it's a benign bounce, using sort of a differential approach? What do I have going for me on the positive side?

I suppose my question is I'm sitting here trying to be optimistic that my test today is in fact a temporary bounce. What indications do I have that it's probably a bounce and not the beginning of a recurrence? Is there anything in my stats, for example? As an intermediate risk I have maybe a 95% chance of freedom from BCR in 5 years. Pretty good odds. My PSA fell to .75 last year. Is that a favorable thing or means nothing? Do men treated with EBRT who eventually fail, begin their failure almost immediately or after several years? Things like that that you and some others know that many of us don't that give us hope. Until today I thought I was still in the 95% group who will likely be free from BCR in five years. Now I'm not as sure.

Feeling your pain hrpufnstuf as my husband bounced all over the place after his Brachytherapy 7 years ago with his PSA bouncing up at 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 3½ years. See his signature below. Thankfully his PSA has been steadily decreasing ever since Year 4 and his 7 year test has just come back at 0.16.

I drove myself mad with worry each time he had a bounce so sending you calming, happy, positive vibes and wishing you well.

Susan
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HR, this seems like normal radiation bouncing to me. I don't think there is any rhyme or reason as to when these bounces occur and they seem to be fairly random. Also, it may take a fairly long time to reach nadir -- it took me 6 years. One thing you might do to feel better is to test again in 6 months rather than a year.

Jim

I never had a "bounce" my PSA has never changed from the first reading at the end of treatment 4 1/2 years ago.

So I have a higher chance of BCR since no bounce? Can I add this to my list of things to worry about?

I'm also a bouncer. It rattles you the first time you see it.