Message for Gordy - Our prayers are with you!

TC-

This one is my third. My wife had to almost force me to get the first one in 1990 - I had absolutely no interest in Corvettes. To me, a sports car was an Austin Healey or a Morgan or an MG. Boy, have I changed since then (in many ways)!

But, to get back on topic: don't take your "undetectable" PSAs with too much complacence. I've learned the hard way that you have to be ever vigilant. The PCa which has metastasized to my lungs has mutated so much that it produces no PSA. When they did the biopsy here in NJ, they weren't even 100% sure the cells were from my prostate. At M.D. Anderson in Houston the pathologists had seen cells like mine a few times before and knew them to be prostate.

-Gordy

Post Edited (Gordy) : 8/25/2007 6:43:33 PM (GMT-6)

The short answer is George Barris customizing  (with lead for filler) 50's cars on the west coast, AKA "lead sleds".  I'm guessing that Lead East has a lot of wide whites, fuzzy dice and flippers.  I'm sitting here looking at my customized 63 split window.  It uses no gas and takes me absolutely anywhere I want to go.  For a little more comfort I can hop in the 56 red and white Nomad next to it.  Only the one that you see in the picture is full size, but cruising is more about attittude than how much chrome is under the hood.  If you can't physically or cash-wise handle driving I guarantee you that any ride that you want is yours for the asking.  I just put the Riviera back in the garage a few minutes ago, but you let me know when and we'll take a ride.  GTM

gtm-

Thanks for the offer (and the explanation). Once I get my head in the right place and come to grips with this thing, I'll take you up on it.

-Gordy

Hi Gordy,

Thanks for recommending the website.

That's so interesting, so your psa is undetectable and a CT scan picked something up. Is that related to the PCa? The more I learn about PCa the more I realize how complex it really is. I'm so glad that your doctor caught this. Please know that you're in our thoughts and prayers.

All the best to you.

A.

AEG-

I have what seems now to be an unrelated problem - spinal stenosis which is pressing on my spinal cord and prevents me from walking very far without severe pain. I mentioned this to my radiation oncologist during a followup visit and he suggested a CT scan of my pelvis "just to be sure". Fortunately, the scan picked up a little bit of the bottom of my left lung and there was a nodule there. Another scan (of my lungs) three months later showed that that nodule had grown and that that I had "numerous nodules" all over both lungs. Then a PET scan showed a spot on my pelvis.

I'm asymptomatic and never would have known what's growing in my body until, I guess, the really bad pain, just before the end, started. So all you guys with undetectable PSAs really have to be very careful.

Thanks for your kind words and prayers.

-Gordy

To my friend Les,
We are here for each other. No matter the circumstances, we can help each other. Gordy, I finally understand you and you are a man with a tough road. But you won't have to go it alone. my EM is always open and I can only simply respond to you as best I can. And try to be a true to heart person that you can depend on. I am very glad to see you stay here as it gives me belief that we can indeed help each other. You and your wifes challenges have tested your ability to have faith and attempts to take your dignity. It has tested your abilities in many fronts. But alone you are not. It is clear that you comment straight forward and I respect that. I respect you enough to have started this thread and to let you know there are caring people out there. I knew the rest would respond in kind words to encourage you to be open and perhaps trust us here.

For those who don't know Les...AKA Gordy here is his new signature. Now I get it...

1/2005 Dx PSA 26.5 Gleason 7 (4+3)
1/2005 Start Casodex and Zoladex
PSA drops to <0.01 and remains there to this day
7/2005-8/2005 5 weeks of IGRT and then HDR brachy
1/2007 Rad Oncologist orders CT scan of pelvis
because of complaints of pain in both thighs
MRI confirms pain not caused by cancer BUT
1/2007 CT scan of pelvis picks up a nodule at bottom of left lung
5/2007 CT scan of lungs shows 1/2007 nodule has grown and
there are numerous nodules on both lungs.
6/2007 Thoracic surgeon removes wedge of left lung for biopsy
6/2007 Path report says 95% chance of metastatic PCa, but she's
never seen cells like this before.
7/2007 2nd opinion at M.D. Anderson in Houston.
They confirm: mutated PCa, very rare, but seen there 2 or
3 times. Recommendation: have CT scans every 6 weeks
and watch for change. At that point start chemo and will
survive for 22 - 24 months thereafter.
PSA still undetectable.


Tony

Gordy/Les,

I once read a book, How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life (by Laikin) and the main exercise was to:
  Take 30 minutes and write down everything you want to do if
    you knew that you would die in 50 years.
  Then make the list again if you knew you would die in 25 years.
  Then 10 years; then 5 years; then one year;
    then one month; then one week; then one day; then one hour; 
    then 5 minutes......
The idea was that when you finished the exercise, you did the entire process over again and noticed how it changed what is important to you.

Fighting cancer is such a wake-up call to our mortality.  (Paraphrasing Jet-Guy Bill, we are successful if we fight this crap until we die of something else...)
My college freshman room-mate was into martial arts and once he took a class where his instructor suggested to him to approach life as "the art of dying." 
(I think it was some kung-fu / street fighting hybrid discipline).

The "street fight" such as the one you are fighting makes both Laikin's priority exercise and the kung-fu master's "art of dying" all the more poignant.

Regardless, you have found unconditional friendship here, a nice medium for any kind of art and always near the top of my priority list.  ;->

Sincerely,
Cedar

Post Edited (Cedar Chopper) : 9/7/2007 4:41:37 AM (GMT-6)

You guys and girls are too much. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

This week (and especially Tuesday for some unknown reason) has been especially hard - probably because my first "every six weeks" CT scan is coming up next Wednesday and for the first time in this whole ordeal, I'm really scared. I won't get the results until the following week since my oncologist only works on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (nice work if you can get it), unless I can get her to have someone else in the office call me. There are over a hundred people working in that office, so I know if I open my big mouth I've got a chance of getting the info...but...a large part of me doesn't want to hear the results.

Mike's wife: Our first Corvette was a 1990 C5 and my wife literally had to drag me to the dealership to look at it, because, like Mike, I knew sports cars are European and the Corvette is just a big, gas guzzling American muscle car.

Thanks, again, KidsI really appreciate your words and wishes.

-Les

Hey Glen-

Even before this ugly thing showed up in my body, I used to yearn for the good old days - and mine weren't nearly as much fun or exciting as yours were!

-Les

Glen-

You sure know how to hurt a guy - I'm on fresh fruit and vegetables and eccccch veggie burgers!!!!

But I can, and will, have the beer.

-Les

Les & Glen,

Try the Veggie Burgers that are made from a base of brown rice and bell peppers or portabellas.  The soy based burgers are supposed to be good for you  - but they miss the mark to my tastebuds - especially when it comes to grilling!

Your Friend in Fresh Produce,

C^Cedar

How about Fish? Fish has got to be good for you, right? It's funny, but when I was a kid fish was cheap eats, and I really didn't care for it that much. Now it cost more than beef, and of coarse I enjoy it...so where's the logic? Red Snapper prepared at the Black's Market Grill; Excellent! Bring your American Express Card...

Glen

Les,

...and Corn on the cob; which by the way has been the best in recent memory. I like good old fashion yellow, but Jane favors the Silver Queen; she says yellow corn is "Horsie" what's that suposed to mean?. We just have a couple ears left from the last batch bought from our favorite Fruit & Veggie stand, now it's closed...I don't know whether to cook and eat it, or sell it on ebay...

Glen