I'm going through SRT (about a week in), and have been on Orgovyx for a month now. The Orgovyx has zapped my testosterone and libido, as it should, but I have to say that overall I'm feeling pretty...
There was no mention of the space oar. Could it be because I no longer have a prostate (this is SRT)? My Decipher score came back pretty high (.87) and PSA went from 0.008 to 0.022, so they want to...
Yesterday was 110. In the shade. Today will be about the same, and I have to go out for a pre-radiation PSA & Testosterone blood draw, but will do that this morning to avoid the heat. Fortunately...
Happy Friday! Yesterday was the simulation at the RO's office. Went very well, and we're all set to begin treatments next Thursday. Orgovyx is treating me well so far, a few random hot flashes but...
If left untreated, my T-level never goes above about 80 or 90. Been that way for many years, which is why I've needed T-shots to get up to a reasonable level. Then PCa stopped by for a visit. The...
Per my RO, Orgovyx is easier all the way around, including on the heart. I have no heart issues to be concerned about (that I know of), but in the grand scheme of things her preferred choice for ADT...
I start Orgovyx today. One of my goals during SRT is to not gain weight (maybe lose weight if possible). In addition to ramping up my exercise, cutting out alcohol, and trying to eat clean -- I'm...
Thanks, Jack. My biggest concern is weight gain. I'm 5' 11" and 205. If I gain any more I'll feel like an elephant. Told my wife that while I'm on SRT I'm going to be serious about keeping the...
An update. Meeting with the RO (recommended by my surgeon, and knows him) went well. She's very positive about the long-term outcome, but emphatic that my high Decipher score (.87), the small margin...
That's very encouraging, thanks for the post (and thanks to the others here as well, which has been encouraging). My first meeting with the RO is this Thursday. Hoping to get things going quickly,...
Mumbo, thanks very much for taking the time to reply, and for the excellent information. Yes, the major driving factor here is that I have severely low T. My doctor was adamant that I should pursue...
Today was the follow-up with my surgeon. I had RALP a year ago, but have now been referred to follow-up radiation. The reason is complicated. I have extremely low testosterone (double digits) and...
Thanks, Pratoman. And for those who may be interested -- I heard back from my surgeon today and he said that once the prostate is removed, sexual activity has no bearing at all on PSA numbers....
On a related note -- does anyone know if sexual activity prior to a PSA test matters anymore once the prostate is removed? Curious about this, since uPSA is an extremely sensitive test that measures...
islandtime -- thanks for the info. If I read your PSA results accurately, it looks like they bounced around a lot. I suppose that's something I should expect -- interesting....
BNI was officially noted by pathology; however, according to my surgeon it was a false reading. The reason is that several months earlier I had a TURP procedure and, consequently, there was no...
Thanks for the reply Robert. As a follow-up, I had a meeting today with my PCP and also heard from the surgeon. I'm happy to report that both stated that there is no immediate concern. The surgeon...
After three great (and declining) uPSA reports in a row following my RALP about a year ago (I was down to 0.008 in February), my doctor gave me permission to go back on my testosterone shots. The...
Thanks all for the very helpful replies! I just got to the point that I'm feeling good again (and then saw the Decipher results). As a side note, I have extremely low testosterone (way down into the...
So I'm about a year out post-RP and have been doing great. PSA falling -- last results was 0.008. Today I got my Decipher test results and it came back as high risk (.87). 5-year risk of metastasis...
That's a good question. In looking at the document again, I don't think it was. It appears to have been processed by a hospital in Tennessee. He may have told me over the phone that he went to a...
I don't see how to attach an image, but here's what it says: Continuous Sample Report Access 2 Immunoassay System S/N 510502 Type/Dilution: Serum 1 Test: PSA-Hyb Result: 0.000 ng/mL Ref. Range:...
Looking at my Labcorp results, it says "Roche ECLIA methodology". My friend's report says "Access 2 Immunoassay System"....
Hi Djin -- in my case, I was classified pT3a due to what the final pathology labeled bladder neck invasion. However, my doctor said the BNI reading was actually false, because due to a TURP procedure...
Today I got the results back from my third ultra-sensitive PSA test post-RALP. I have a friend who had the same surgery, he went to 0.000 on his second test! Mine keeps creeping down -- the test...
The Decipher test was already ordered (weeks ago) and may have been done by now -- but the results aren't in yet. I have good insurance (retired federal employee), and can always try to call and...
The doctor did discuss it with me in advance, and I'm aware that the bill for this could be in the thousands. What he told me, however, was that the company has a history of negotiating with...
My doctor ordered a Decipher test post-RALP. My insurance is going to deny this -- what can I expect? What's the latest with the Decipher folks -- are they going to try to skin me alive? Anyone else...
What you just said aligns with my own research as well. When I discussed this with the doctor this morning, he said that as a cancer doctor that focuses almost entirely on prostate cancer, he wants...
He wasn't willing to classify my PSA as undetectable, even at 0.012 -- he said I was on the edge of what he considered undetectable, but not what he would consider "zero". After the Decipher score...
Interesting reading, thanks Djin. Well, at least for now, my surgeon's interpretation of the BNI is that -- in my case -- it was kind of a false positive. My bladder neck tissue was removed during a...
Thanks for the reminder to update my signature -- done. The post-RALP pathology showed no change to the Gleason score (Group 2, 3+4=7). Percentage of pattern 4 was 25%, and the percentage of pattern...
To be fair, the surgeon refused to offer anything more than cautious optimism. The "out of the woods" was a euphemism used by me....
Today I had my first follow-up after my May RALP. My PSA came back at 0.012, and the surgeon said he was waiting for the Decipher test results to help guide his thinking. He was "cautiously...
Currently I'm not doing anything -- the follow-up with the surgeon is in a couple of weeks, and he did tell me that ED problems are usually addressed at that point. I had some minor ED prior to the...
My RALP was successful, and I'm grateful for that and to be out of the woods. I have very little incontinence and am also grateful for that. However...I have an awful case of ED that is seemingly...
Yes, this was the first one. Have to admit I was pretty nervous about the results, and greatly relieved at the outcome....
Got my ultra sensitive PSA test results back -- 90 days out from surgery. Came back at .012. Yay! Posting this to provide some encouragement to others that there can be a very good outcome....
The "clots" I passed (about 3 of them, not all at once) did kind of look like suture. Very thin and thread-like, and only about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long at the most....
Thanks for the reply, and the info. I walk about 3 miles a day -- nothing strenuous, though. I have been increasing my activity since the 4-week mark, though -- will watch any heavy lifting for now....
Had a little bit more very light bleeding overnight. Just light pink-ish. Sent a note to my doctor through the portal to at least let him know and get some feedback. It's a little alarming, but I'm...
So true. I had surgery in May, and in the follow-up the surgeon felt that my path ahead was probably clear. I'm not doubting him, but I'm also a realist -- our youth is fleeting and our life is like...
Mumbo -- thanks very much for the reply. The issue seems to have abated -- whatever needed to be flushed out is gone. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing it was some bits of suture. This reminds me of...
Hi all. My recovery from RALP has so far been going very well -- it's been about 6 weeks post-op. Today I passed two very small bright red blood clots (well, they were small stringy-looking things, I...
A question about the cost of this. My doctor is going to send my bits and pieces for a Decipher test. He said it's covered by Medicare (I'm not on Medicare yet), and many commercial insurances are...
Also -- the surgeon said he was going to send my old broken parts in for a "Decipher" genomic test so we know even more....
Today was the review of the pathology report with the surgeon (and the removal of the catheter). I'm overjoyed to report that the doctor has declared my PCa almost certainly gone, and extremely...
Thank you for responding -- that's a relief. Thank you, thank you....
I'm about 11 days post-RALP and the weight creep has become alarming. Normally I'm about 200 pounds. I'm now up to 215. I keep telling myself this has to be water weight -- I'm being very careful...
I recently had surgery (May 17th) and am still recovering, and the catheter is still in (until this coming Thursday). In my own exploration, I found that there are so many reasons for or against...