Author Topic: Short update on prostate cancer (Read 20356 times)

Doc Nock · « **on:** November 23, 2020, 03:00:42 PM »

Since many of us are aging a bit and it MAY (?) be of some small interest...

I had a physical in late September in 2019 I think and the PSA had risen to 5.5

I got 'referred' to a UROLOGIst here but it took a month and by then it was over 9.X IIRC

So they recommended I do a biopsy at the same time I saw the Doc...that wasn't pleasant to prep for but I got thru it...

he did a BUNCH of stabs with that gizmo and it came back as cancer: aggressive type of 8 on a 10 pt Gleason scale...

Slow forward to a Scan in December on which I heard NOTHING till early January after another type scan

(cause the Doc's kids were outa school so he'd shut down his practice) and then in January I got a call that all was clear, but that proved to be false as not enough cells had "escaped to show" a mass then yet but it was LATE January till I started the first of 39 radiation treatments... In that ensuing time I had to have 4 GOLD pellets inserted in the prostate to guide the radiation...

So my first PSA went down, then a few months later it jacked back up telling them that there were cells that had escaped (metastasized) into T-7 of my spine...

They put me on 2 medications once a day (proscar and Casodes) which I later learned were hormone therapy designed to alter my testosterone levels which feed the prostate cancer cells...

Then the PSA went down again on those meds but some couple months later shot up higher then ever so the UROLOGIST switched me to Xtandi oral meds and Lupron shots in the butt...

The PSA has been down 2 times in a row uner 0.xx...which they say is good, but I've had other issues

Turns out, they re-did two scans the bone CT and first time LYmph CT in a year.

I get a call today that the mass is still growing...!!!

They're referring me to a real ONCOLOGIST, not the radiology/ oncologist, and I'm waiting on a call back...

Thanks for all the prayers guys... I keep saying, "God's will be done" so we'll see...que serra right?

darktater · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2020, 03:37:03 PM »

Hang in there Doc, I know its a rough fight!

Pine · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2020, 05:33:08 PM »

Praying for you brother.

Doc Nock · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2020, 05:38:31 PM »

Thanks gents...

All prayers are appreciated, you bet! But,... God's will Will BE Done...

Captain*Kirk · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2020, 10:49:43 AM »

Still here praying for ya, Doc!

goingoldskool · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2020, 08:41:33 PM »

Yes sir, still here praying!

Danny Rowan · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2020, 09:15:25 AM »

Prayers always Doc.

Doc Nock · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2020, 09:35:26 AM »

Thanks 2 everyone for prayers, etc...

Being another week of closures for a HOLIDAY, I've heard nothing on an appointment with a REAL cancer doc, but I say and now must LIVE, that God's Got THIS!....

Or just shut up! Either way, please know that I truly do appreciate the prayers and support...

Stay well

Lowrider · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2020, 11:24:19 PM »

Still praying Doc. Hopefully the new Doctor will communicate better and work more diligently on your case.

Doc Nock · « **Reply #9 on:** November 29, 2020, 11:30:39 PM »

Thanks, LR!

I'll head out toward the URO doc's tomorrow and stop by there to see if they ever touched basewith the newer Cancer Doc or not...And also try to find out if the "growing cancer" results were from the Lymph or Spine CTs

hawkeye n pa · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2020, 05:37:02 PM »

More Prayers for you Doc.

Doc Nock · « **Reply #11 on:** December 04, 2020, 05:54:49 PM »

Funny...

I called the Uro doc's office and left message I was NOT pleased that in 7 days they could not get me a Referral to the REAL CAncer doc...

Guess what... the next day it snowed here and I got a local call and it was this cancer doc... They'd just gotten a call the day before after I bitched in a voice mail, and they had some cancellations for that Day due to the "snow" (roads had nothing)...so I grabbed it...

Turned out this cancer doc is named Patel from India... Between his accent and a mask, I'm not sure what wa s shared but I left with an new appt for 12/ 15 and they drew more blood...

He gave me copies of the two scan reports (not that I could make sense of it all) but the one thing he went over is that the cancer has spread, from T-7 to now T-11 & T-12.

He wants me to continue on the Xtandi oral meds for now and the Lupron shot later this month. he did promise that when he runs outa options he'll be sure to let me know

In God's hands... prayers always appreciated!

Captain*Kirk · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2020, 02:30:57 PM »

Prayers up, as always...

BenAwhile · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2020, 03:16:21 PM »

Thanks for the update, Doc. You hang in there. You're needed here.
Lord, do a bigger miracle and restore Doc's health. I believe that You ain't done with him here on earth yet, and have even greater things in store for him to do in the coming days, proclaiming Your healing and encouraging others. Thank you, Lord.

Doc Nock · « **Reply #14 on:** December 07, 2020, 03:21:05 PM »

Always appreciated, Cap'n...

BAW, that's a beautiful sentiment...

I ain't nothing special--- just here trying to pay if forward for all those times when people no long on TG held my head above water during some tough times before...

olddogrib · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2021, 04:12:18 PM »

Doc,
Thanks for the update, I rarely come here except to check on your status....you're not forgotten. My health issues pale in comparison to yours, but I share your frustration with specialists. My family physician of more years than I remember retired in early July of this year. I say him one last time in late June and was pronounced "healthy as a horse"! By mid-July I felt bad... really bad. I have to wear an N95 mask all day where I work due to tobacco dust. Went in to work on a Monday and couldn't breathe through one. Toughed it out that week with one of the crappy, blue paper things but they do nothing for heavy dust and felt worse every day. I tried to find a doctor to see me in the same group to no avail...they all said the earliest they could see me would be 2021! I'd have sooner found a teacher wanting to go back to school, lol. By the end of July I was experiencing shortness of breath and complete exhaustion. I was certain I had COVID because by that time any symptom you could have was a COVID symptom. I voluntarily went for a swab and waited 10 days on the result...negative. I didn't believe it. I went to the Red Cross and donated blood to get a COVID antibody test, because no doctor would order one without seeing me first...which would be 2021. It came back negative also....I didn't believe that either. The Red Cross told me that they were thankful I'd come in because they were in dire need of COVID antibody positive donations and they hadn't had the first one. This was the end of July, does anybody really believe that in five months no asymptomatic person had wandered in to give a donation that was antibody positive? I don't! By the end of August my new doctor's nurse practitioner felt sorry enough to take a look at me. After a 10 min. EKG she pronounced "I know why you feel bad, you haven't had COVID, your heart's in AFIB and likely has been for 2 months". I got sent straight to the ER where they did an chest X-ray, CT scan, lots of bloodwork and assigned me a cardiologist who, surprise, surprise...saw me within a couple weeks and scheduled me for a cardioversion (jumper cables) in early Sept. It was successful getting my heart back in rhythm, but I continued to have intermittent chest pain until mid December. Dumb me reasoned that as long as it had been out of rhythm it was probably just building up strength after getting back in rhythm. Fast forward to mid Dec. when I woke up on a Sat. AM up at my "happy hunting grounds" and the chest pain was a bit more severs and didn't go away. By the time I got home from the 2 hr. drive both arms were numb and my fingers tingling like my hands were asleep. Even I know that's not a good sign. I called my cardiologist's group certain that they had a weekend walk-in clinic. My orthopedist's group (same provider) has a weekend walk-in clinic. Heart docs...naaaahhhhh. I did get to talk on the phone to a nurse who sent me straight to the ER. All the blood work and EKG came back fine. The ER doc said my chest X-ray showed a "nodule" on my left lung that was likely the source of my discomfort(wondered why it was a no-show in August). He said I needed to have a CT scan ASAP. All of a sudden my new doc has time to see me, mainly because he can't order the CT scan unless he does. Both him and my cardiologist agreed if I had a malignant lung tumor it wouldn't be causing my chest pain and the ER doc was full of it. Had the first follow-up with my cardiologist who happened to ask me if his partner who did the "jumpstart" in Sept. mentioned that my heart was "borderline weak". "Duh, not unless I was still under and missed it!" So in Dec. on top of all the ER tests I had a CT scan which showed my lungs to be completely clear (no nodule..where did it go?). But it did show "heavy atherosclerotic calcification" (fancy name for plaque) of the coronary arteries. This prompted my cardiologist to order an Echocardiogram which showed I have low normal systolic function and a couple of leaky valves. I had a 3 hr. nuclear stress test Fri. that I haven't heard back from yet. So I'm about where you are Doc, I've cut back on the bacon and the butter and God's will be done!
Brother in Christ,
Richard

Doc Nock · « **Reply #16 on:** January 10, 2021, 04:37:30 PM »

richard,

I sent you an email...that's a hellish tale... Seems that all manner of what we grew to accept and expect is now kaput... especially in health care!

:(

Sam McMichael · « **Reply #17 on:** January 10, 2021, 07:54:20 PM »

Sometimes I think that a lot of medical practice is "by guess and by golly".

hawkeye n pa · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2021, 08:00:15 PM »

Richard, Don't know what to say other than wow. Prayers for you and DOC.

Lowrider · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2021, 11:19:56 AM »

I guess we tend to put Doctors on a pedestal thinking they are supposed to know everything. I think they are just human like the rest of us with some having a little more concern and compassion than others. Since November I have been having dibilitating cramps all over my body. In my sides, feet, legs, hands, and arms. The worst ones are in the sides and back to the point it feels like my ribs are going to break. These are so painful I can't help but holler out in pain. I have Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot and I know it was caused from the muscle cramping. I have tried everything from hydration to muscle relaxers to anything someone has told me to try. My radiologist, oncologist, and general Doctor have no clue as to what is causing this. All the test of blood work shows I have no defeciencies of potassium or magnesium or anything else. I have had so many MRI'S , bone scans and CT SCAN'S that I thought it might be caused from the dye they inject you with but of course none of the doctors will admit to that being a possibility. The only relief I have gotten so far is to use the muscle relaxers which I can't take forever and also a product they advertise on TV called Theraworx. That stuff is absolutely amazing making the cramps go away within 5 minutes. It comes in a spray and also a foam. Both are in a pump bottle but for me the foam seems to work faster than the spray. Only problem is my wife is getting tired of rubbing it on me in the middle of the night when I can't reach my sides and back. What are we to do?

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Author Topic: Short update on prostate cancer (Read 20356 times)

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