2012—Will THIS be the Year of the Prostate Cancer Cure?

Probably not, but...

For several years now, there has been progress in finding treatments that lengthen life and reduce side effects for guys with prostate cancer. Much of the research has focused on late-stage cancer. The improvements have been positive--but modest.

There will be an increased focus on a relatively new approach‑‑cancer vaccines‑‑in 2012. These are targeted injections that stimulate your own immune system to identify and kill specific cancer cells. The new vaccines will work much like the vaccines you have already had for smallpox, measles, and other common diseases. Some new vaccines in clinical trials have worked pretty well for some people with some cancers and a new vaccine, Provenge, has been approved to treat late-stage prostate cancer. There is a proven survival benefit—it’s not a cure.

Historically, some major treatments for prostate cancer have depressed (weakened) the immune system—radiation and chemotherapy are good examples. They are also known for their unpleasant side effects. A successful prostate cancer vaccine would do the opposite—strengthen your immune system and build antibodies that would be protective in the future. There would probably be few side effects. Sounds good, doesn’t it! Want to know more about cancer vaccines? Check out the National Cancer Institute.

But there’s a long way to go; even the successful vaccines don’t help everybody equally. I’m optimistic! Good luck to all us guys!

axman

How Much is a Long Time?

Time, it seems, is not equal for everybody

Another year is almost gone and I didn’t get it all done, again. My prostate cancer decided to ignore my hormone therapy and my new meds decided to give me more and different side effects. And I noticed somewhere along the way that I’m not 39 any more.

We start most years, the declining years that is, making at least an informal list of the things we want to do for the next 12 months. This always assumes that we’ll stay healthy, no project will take longer than planned, and nothing will cost more than budgeted. You’d think we’d learn, but we’re kind of stuck in that ‘old dog, new tricks’ thing. We’re not likely to change our plans and expectations willingly.

It’s been a great year, we’re mostly as healthy as we were at this time last year, and the projects we didn’t finish will wait a while longer—really.

But when it comes to visiting old friends there sometimes isn’t a next year. It has been the sad norm the past few years that we lose a few good friends each year. So in 2012 our number one priority is friends and everything else takes a back seat.

axman

Symptoms, Side Effects, and Winter

‘tis the season, fa la la la la, la la la la

It has now been six glorious months since I started my Lupron shots—and I’ve already complained a time or two about side effects—sorry.

So I contacted my friends John and Merle, fellow prostate cancer survivors, who have been enjoying Lupron for a year or more to check out their views. Our experiences and reactions have been as similar as if we were conjoined triplets (not a pretty fantasy).

Here are some of our rules and truisms of reality:

1.    When it’s winter you should always try to keep warm—extra layers of clothing, extra blankets, and a couple extra degrees on the thermostat, until...

2.    The hot flashes flash. Then, take off the extra layers, take off the extra blankets, and step out into the cold (if possible) and take a few deep cool breaths. It’ll help your body cool down. Once cooler, repeat steps one and two indefinitely.

3.    The trick is remembering when to do which and vice versa—really not so hard if you happen to be awake and alert (not always guaranteed). And finally...

4.    Repeat this short mantra to yourself; “The worse the side effect the more effective the medication must be.” Everybody nod in unison, close your eyes, click your heels together three times, and truly believe that this is true.

axman

The Value of a Support Network in Cancer Treatment - Basics

Guest Blog by David Haas

A cancer diagnosis can be a life changing event for many people, but having a caring and nurturing support network can make cancer treatment and recovery easier.

Cancer is usually caused by the uncontrolled replication of cells in a body, outside of normal regulatory mechanisms. While some forms of cancer can be asymptomatic, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy may cause a variety of symptoms in a patient. Chemotherapy works by preventing growth of rapidly reproducing cells. While this does prevent malignant cells from reproducing, chemotherapy can also impact other rapidly growing cells, leading to hair loss, libido changes, energy loss, depression, and systemic pain.

A support network can be a valuable tool in a cancer treatment program. While a doctor can be a valuable resource for medical information, it’s important to have a group of people one can relate to in a non-professional environment. Cancer support networks are available for a wide range of patients, ranging from rare cancers like mesothelioma to more common cancers like pancreatic cancer and breast cancer.

Many cancer patients can feel isolated, and may feel that no one understands what they are going through. While friends and family are an important part of a support network, a patient may feel that these people are unable to relate to what they are going through. By joining a support network, an individual undergoing chemotherapy can discuss symptoms, diet, exercise, and therapy with other people going through the same experience as him or her.

A cancer support network can also help prevent anxiety and depression, while offering social and recreational opportunities for a patient. If a patient is isolated during treatment, he or she may experience an existential crisis. Many cancer support networks offer a variety of recreational opportunities appropriate for patients, including vacations, simple sports activities, and shopping opportunities. Exercise is an important part of cancer therapy, and a support network offers the opportunity to interact and physically engage with individuals similar to one’s self.

Cancer support networks can also be valuable for patients concerned about their symptoms. While a doctor or therapist can provide textbook definitions of symptoms a patient may experience, it can be valuable to hear real life stories from other cancer survivors, and learn how they dealt with symptoms and emotional distress during recovery.

By: David Haas

davdhaas@gmail.com

The Geezer Time-Space-Speed Continuum

Didn’t things used to go slower in the good old days?

As some of you may have noticed (or not), as the decades go by your body starts to gradually decompose. You move slower, everything hurts, and the lightning fast reflexes you remember from your youth no longer exist. There’s a theory that your brain slows down, too, but I find that hard to believe (although my kids and grandkids often swear that it’s true).

Along with this long term slowing process the passage of time actually accelerates – like your life is in fast forward mode 24/7. And this speeding time gets faster and faster as you get slower and slower. Not fair, I say—but nobody asked me and I’m told that life is NOT actually fair.

My grandkids are eager to get older so they can drive, go to college, move out on their own, etc. For them, a great life requires that they achieve some magic age in life‑‑16 or 18 or 21.

At the same time, us old folks (me, at least) would like to slow or even reverse the passage of time—at least on occasion. In this strange world grandkids grow up too fast, vacations are over too soon, diseases progress much too rapidly, and even hard work is over too quickly (well, maybe not that one). The only slow things in my life are waiting in the doctor’s office, waiting for that social security check, and waiting for daylight so you can get up because you can’t sleep.

But modern science has given us a solution to this knotty and perplexing oddity of advancing age: and I quote from a leading Geriatric Medical Jouronal, “Suck it up and keep on keeping on”!

axman

To PSA or NOT to PSA--A Man's Dilemma

...another controversial medical recommendation

Recently, the USPSTF (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) published a recommendation against routine PSA screening for men of all ages. They cited numerous clinical studies (some inconclusive or contradictory) showing no statistical survival benefit for men getting regular prostate cancer screening with a PSA compared to those men who did not have a PSA screening.

Further, the report pointed out the risk of men having unneeded and risky treatments that could result in impotence, incontinence, infections, heart attacks, and other unpleasant side effects.

There is no way to determine from a PSA test whether a tumor is aggressive (life threatening) or slow growing (not life threatening). A biopsy can help determine the growth rate of a tumor but there is some risk of infection (albeit small) from that invasive procedure.

So, they contend, no screening is better for the 5 out of 6 men who are likely to never get prostate cancer. And of the 1 in 6 who will get prostate cancer some will have a slow growing type and will not need immediate treatment.

But what about those poor guys (like me) who have or will have an aggressive (life threatening) tumor in their prostate? Although statistically not significant, determining risk and getting treatment early would be really helpful‑‑maybe even life saving.

Maybe the problem is not with the PSA test, which can detect cancer, but with the decision making by doctors and patients after the test. Could this, perhaps, be an area for further study?

I have had and will continue to have PSA tests on a regular basis. I know a number of men who are being treated for an aggressive form of prostate cancer. To a man they are happy to have been diagnosed and treated and still be alive. Me, too. We do not believe that our lives are not significant. The discussion is not over. There must be a better solution!

axman

The Therapeutic Benefits of Good Times and Good Friends

...this probably doesn’t show up much in the clinical trials and statistical research data

In my last blog entry‑‑September 26‑‑I mentioned the group of people we met in a clinical trial last year. Last week we hosted the group at our newly renovated farm house. It rained, of course, because this is Oregon.

The meeting was a little sad because we missed John (see last blog entry) but once the group assembled (out of the rain on our new covered patio) the mood was definitely upbeat. A little wine, some barbecued chicken and a lot of conversation. Some of it was small talk, more than a little was prostate cancer related (stages, meds, hot flashes, the latest PSA, etc.), some future plans, and lots and lots of heartfelt laughter. Imagine that; sick old people laughing and carrying on like a bunch of kids!

This group of 20—now 19—has a unique ability to lift my spirits. Whatever I might call it, the real purpose of the group is people support. And it works for me.

Our backgrounds are diverse and prostate cancer is the only obvious thing we have in common (except for old age). But we also share an irreverent sense of humor, an honest concern for each other, and a determination to continue fulfilling those entries on our bucket lists. So far‑‑so good.

I’m looking forward to our next get together in December and in March and in July and... I'm sure everybody else is, too.

axman

Still Another Friend Lost to Prostate Cancer

John Helmer was a quiet, caring, and friendly man. He was a well known businessman in the Portland, Oregon area for more than 60 years. I met him in a Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial program at Oregon Health and Science University in 2010. It was an exercise program for men with prostate cancer and their spouses - to help determine the effects of continued regular exercise on the health and longevity of prostate cancer patients.

It turned out that the men and women in the program enjoyed being together, formed a bond, and we have continued meeting every few months over the past year - long after the program had finished.

John was a world traveler, mountain climber, cyclist, and marathon runner. It turns out that we both ran the Boston Marathon the same year - almost 30 years before actually meeting. He was 88, but he seemed much younger. Carol and I will miss him as will his wife Beverly, his large extended family, and his very large circle of friends.

I raise a toast to John: a good man, a friend, and a terrific example for the rest of us.

axman

How Many Hot Flashes is Too Many?

...trick question^__ you can never have enough!

Since being promoted to Lupron a couple months ago my hot flashes have gradually increased in number and intensity—at least half a dozen private mini saunas every day.

They appear mostly at night. Strangely, I wake up about a minute before it happens, then beads of sweat pop out on my forehead and the warmth moves on down to the rest of my body and for a couple of minutes I’m toasty warm all over—sometimes too toasty. I usually get up and walk around and often step outside in an attempt to cool down faster and get back to sleep.

Then, an hour or two later, it starts all over again. My posse (half a dozen friends and acquaintances who are also doing the Lupron Chemo thing) assures me my experience is pretty standard. So why am I telling you all this? Well, if you have prostate cancer and it has recurred after initial treatment, you’re likely to experience something similar sooner or later.

Lucky you! Really! If you get to the hourly steam bath stage it means you’re still alive and you’re keeping the cancer under some level of control. And the sweat is just a part of the blood, sweat, toil, and tears of life (thank you Winston Churchill for those kind words).

axman

That Elusive Happy Medium

...and I don’t mean a hard to find, but pleased, fortune teller

Most of my life has been pretty busy—raising a family, personal and family activities, and work; often two or more jobs at a time. I never really thought about it, but there wasn’t too much time to sit around and relax or ponder or even feel sorry for myself. It must have worked because all in all I’m pretty healthy and happy (It seems I missed out on the wealthy and wise part of the equation).

Retirement changed that pattern. There have been the super busy times—like building and remodeling this past year—and a few times when we just sat around and read or napped. Doing nothing for too long turns out to be really boring. And that seems to be a common thread among some retirees. Doing too much for too long turns out to be really tiring. And getting tired is easier as I get older.

Right now there are too few relaxing times but that should change in a month or two when we head to Arizona for a few weeks of R and R without much of anything to do and we can head home when it gets boring.

Right now there’s building and finishing a book and always something that should have been done yesterday. But I’m trying to look at life one day at a time and that seems to be a good mantra and helps keep the stress level down.

My goal over the next year or so is to find a balance of activity and relaxation that seems to work. Maybe I’ll call it the Geriatric Goldilocks Syndrome—not too much; not too little; but jusssst right. How hard could it be?

axman

One Year at a Time

Youth is fleeting; old is forever. Maybe it’s better not to know what all is going on in my body‑‑and how much and how fast...

As another birthday rolls by (this is number 71) Life is good. Although I feel OK now, when I look back there have been quite a few changes in a mere eight short, short years since I was diagnosed with prostate cancer (the years really have seemed short).

·       I ran my last marathon in 2005 and now have difficulty running even two or three miles. Knee surgery had a hand (or knee) in that. I haven’t given up completely on running, however. But I also jumped out of an airplane for the first time (and the last time so far) on my birthday that same year. ...almost balances out, doesn’t it?

·       I retired in 2007 and started slowing down a little in how much I can get done—I still get things done, but it takes longer. I’ve been able to write (finishing my second book since retirement—but I’ve cleverly managed to avoid making any money at it) and putter around the house and a nap every few days helps. We’ve done some major remodeling but with a lot of younger, smarter hired help.

·       Take my bladder, please! It was normal and healthy in 2003 but surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy have reduced its efficiency and predictability a bit. If you happen to have an extra one...

·       All those same events and meds have also waged war on my testosterone level (keeping it low is necessary to keep me alive, of course) as well. Oh, well.

·       I need more sleep, stronger glasses, and more time in the hot tub to ease the old joints.

I’m sure the aging process itself is to blame for some or even most of this. Most of my friends have experienced at least some of these events.

Adapt, adjust, suck it up, and carry on. There are still unfulfilled entries on my Bucket List but the list of things I have done already is a lot longer. I wouldn’t trade my life for anybody’s. I’ve been blessed with a great family, good friends, time to do most of the things I want to do, and occasionally a bottle of really good wine.

axman

Lost Another Friend to Prostate Cancer

We first met when we lived in Canada in the 1970s and our families have been friends for the past 40 years. Dennis was, at various times, my neighbor, my student, my building contractor, and my colleague (he became a psychologist). He was active, smart, ambitious, and musically talented (he played in a rock band in his 60s). He had a knack for helping others—whether building their house or counseling their marital problems.

He was diagnosed only four years ago but the cancer was already advanced. He received multiple treatments to slow the tumor growth but nothing was very successful. His church and family ties helped keep him strong and positive.

No matter what progress you hear about in cancer treatment, it all boils down to the individual person. I can only hope that somebody somewhere finds a way to slow down prostate cancer (or even cure it) before I lose more friends.

axman

The Long Hot (Flash) Summer

Not much sun, but the heat comes in the middle of the night

Three weeks after my Lupron shot I don’t feel much different than I did before. There is one notable exception – the dreaded hot flash.

During the day I keep pretty busy writing, building, pouring concrete, cutting weeds, and other manly activities with nary a flash of hot. That’s good. But once I go to sleep I can count on at least one and usually two bouts with heat and sweat during the night. Worse yet, it wakes me up-so I get up, change my jammies, go to the bathroom, turn my pillow over to the dry side, and try to get back to sleep. I usually succeed.

None of these bouts lasts more than a few minutes and they’re certainly not unbearable. My wife just smiles and says, “See, I told you what they were like”. Mostly it’s an annoyance and results in a lot of extra laundry the next day.

I’m sure many of you have more and worse side effects so this will be my last time complaining about this particular one. Probably. But if I should ever have a new one...

axman

The Next Step – Lupron

With a shot in my backside I was launched into a new phase of prostate cancer treatment...

I knew this day would come sooner or later (I’d prefer later‑‑given a choice). My substitute oncologist (Dr. G) recommended a change in medication because my PSA has gone up significantly every three months for almost a year on the old hormone meds. Lupron was her drug of choice. It’s stronger than the hormones I’ve been taking and is supposed to lower my PSA in a short time (stay tuned for my October PSA test). I know many thousands are already using Lupron, so let me know what your experiences have been.

The shot is good for three months so I don’t have to take so many pills—that’s a plus. But the side effects may be a little stronger and stranger. I can expect hot flashes, some bone pain, headaches, depression, and maybe weight gain (I can probably fight those last two). On the inside my bones will likely lose mass. So I’ll take more calcium, more D3, spend time in the sun, and get lots of exercise. Fatigue in another side effect but I’m already tired so may not even notice.

I intend to let the summer unfold, bask in the sun, keep busy building more rooms onto the house, and continue doing all the things on my Bucket List.

axman

The Medical Merry-Go-Round and Round

Sometimes no results are good results and vice versa

Over the past few weeks I’ve experienced a medical anomaly or two—nothing unusual in the aging process, however.

1                I experienced a minor TIA (transient ischemic attack) or mini stroke. My left side went weak and numb for a couple of minutes. Then everything was back to normal again. I chomped a couple aspirin and made an appointment with my doctor who then sent me to a hospital for further tests.

  2                The next day I had a couple of dizzy spells and that has continued for several weeks, although somewhat diminished. So the doctor also scheduled me to see an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist).

  3                At the hospital they first did an ultrasound to see if my carotid arteries might be blocked. Nope. Then came the MRI of my head. The report (several days later) said, “We looked at his brain and found nothing.” That confirms the common consensus of my intellectual standing.

4                A few days later I saw the ENT, got probed, had a long tube inserted up my nose, and even got a hearing test. Nothing explained the dizziness, sorry, and good-bye.

So in conclusion; events happened, medical tests occurred, reports were written, and everything remained pretty much the same. That’s good, I guess.

axman

More Side Effects of Aging

It’s not fair and it never ends, but I haven’t found a reasonable alternative...yet

I’m only half joking when I tell friends and family that life has several clearly identifiable stages.

          Stage one – You live and slow down gracefully from birth to age 60.

          Stage two – You age as much between 60 and 70 as you did from zero to 60.

          Stage three – The jury is still out.

It’s the truth. At a youthful 60 I could still run ultra marathons, work 16 hour days, and keep up with the grandkids. Not so at an ancient 70. Between the medical side effects from my prostate cancer meds and the inevitable side effects of physical aging the changes are clearly evident to me (and probably everybody else, too).

Slowing down, taking it easy, and enjoying life really sounds good—actually doing it has been a lot more difficult that it sounds. I’m working on it. But there are so many things needing to be done and watching somebody else doing them (instead of me) just doesn’t feel right. Being a useless old man is not something on my Bucket List. My wife nods and smiles whenever I say it, however.

Stay tuned—I’ll chart my progress, or lack thereof, toward the good if not the useful life. But now it’s time to take my pills and then my nap.

axman

Weather or Not, That is the Question

La Nina, El Nino, Global Warming, Climate Change, and infernal rain

As a wee child I remember being amused when all the old folks sat around and cursed the weather (too wet, too hot, too dry, too windy, or too something else). The physical complaint of the day was rheumatism. Now I find myself doing the same thing, and worse yet my mental and physical health seem to wax and wane according to the temperature and precipitation. Rheumatism is no longer at the top of the list, but the process hasn’t changed. I have become my parents and grandparents. I’m not sure this is all bad but, like many people I know, I didn’t think it would ever happen to me.

I am sure that weather and climate don’t have all that much to do with my health and happiness but sometimes it sure seems that way. Once the weather changes I’ll be one of those complaining about 90 degree days, sunburn, and heatstroke (probably). Maybe I need to stay busier or get more creative or just get a life.

You’ve probably seen the research that points out how people are more depressed in the winter and drink more alcohol where the winter is longer. People generally live longer in warmer climates (I think diet and lifestyle may factor in there, too) and sunshine helps create Vitamin D3 that is supposedly good for all of us (what’s good or not good for us seems to change on a regular basis so don’t count too heavily on D3 forever). I can remember when large amounts selenium, iron, and vitamin C were also supposed to be good for you. And chocolate and coffee and wine were bad. We can all count on change.

So I’ll try to ignore the weather (pretend like it's warm and sunny), eat what seems to be good for me (or what I really like), and carry on as if the universe was unfolding as it should.

 axman

OMG—something to make Me Feel even Older

And I’ve even got old kids to prove it

My oldest son turns 48 this week. That’s good. He’s healthy, successful, and still keeps in touch with his elderly parents. All five kids are over 40 and then there are five teen-aged grandkids (and one mere babe). All this is good.

When I turned 70 I did a quick inventory of my aches and pains (there were more than a few) and determined that, in fact, I was getting older and more decrepit. But in my mind I was still 30. As the kids get older and older it’s hard to claim 30 or 40 or 50 or even 60.

I feel my true age more days in a week or a month than I used to. I have more side effects from those ever-increasing prescription strengths. I’m still alive, so all this is good, too.

Bottom line‑‑I guess I’ll have to come to terms with being young at heart, ancient of body, and the elder in my family (not as prestigious as in past generations). And I’m getting used to all those gray-haired kids of mine (at least in those who have hair).

axman

If More is Better…

...then I should be more better

About a month ago I discovered that my PSA had doubled since January. It also doubled between October and January. So that resulted in yet another increase in my main meds (bicalutamide). I have gone from a daily dose of 50mg in September to 100mg in January to 150mg in April.

It’s not hard to swallow them—the pills are very small—so that’s not a problem. There is the cost factor and my razor sharp math skills have led me to the conclusion that the cost of three-a-day is triple that of one-a-day (you see, I passed 9^th grade math).

So far it appears that there is no increase in obvious side effects like green spots on my skin, appendages falling off, or decreased brain function (it’s already at an all time low). But there is one little thing that stands out; I seem to need more sleep and rest. I’m not sure that fatigue is even on the list of 437 contraindications (possible side effects) printed out on the paperwork that accompanies my prescription.

As for me, however, whatever the actual reason (age, mental breakdown, physical collapse, the heartbreak of psoriasis, or climate change) I get tired sooner, need a nap oftener, and just doing my normal daily chores (as assigned by my wife) brings on heavy breathing (not the good kind).

What’s next? Pretty soon I’ll just stay asleep 24/7 and avoid all that interfering social stuff that now goes on every day between naps.

axman

Beware of Omega-3 fatty acids–Are They now Your Enemy?

...but just a few months ago they were considered OK, even better than OK...

If you’re a man who has prostate cancer, by now you’ve seen the articles‑they’re everywhere‑pointing out the results found at the  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Men with faster growing prostate cancer are more likely to have it get even more aggressive if they eat a lot of fatty fish or omega-3 fatty acids. Those with the highest levels of DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) were two and a half times more likely to have high-grade prostate cancer. This is exactly the opposite of what was expected. Common sense be damned, again.

The results are based on an old clinical trial – the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial that started way back in the 1990s. I was one of more than 18.000 men in that trial (it turned out I was in the placebo - sugar pill - group) which was actually stopped early. Now, 15 years after it all started another strange result. While omega-3 fatty acids are still considered to be good for your heart; it seems they can be deadly to your prostate cancer.

In another twist, it seems that trans-fatty acids (bad, bad for your heart) cut your risk. Men with high levels of trans-fats in their blood were 50 percent less likely to have high-grade prostate cancer. The study doesn’t mention how much their heart attack or stroke risk is increased.

So, I guess I’ll go eat some French Fries and slow down my prostate cancer. I wonder when they’ll publish research telling me that wine and beer will make my cancer worse? I may have to quit reading.

axman

Burn Baby, Burn!

...or, cleaning up the mess

For much of the past week we have been burning large piles of brush, junk, limbs, and other debris. Over the long, long winter the wind and rain managed to knock down hundreds of limbs around the farm. Most of the pieces were small but some limbs were the size of small trees.

There seems to be something therapeutic about building and tending a fire‑maybe it’s a faint connection to our prehistoric DNA or something. It’s hard work cutting, dragging, and piling the pieces, but once the fire gets crackling its almost hypnotic and energizing. The heat can get intense but I don’t mind (of course the cold weather makes the heat feel better, too). The only trouble with using a fire to keep warm is that one side of you is always cold.

Others have told me the same thing‑a big fire has some kind of power to keep us mere humans hanging around feeding it. From time to time a hot ember lands someplace where there is a bit of bare skin but no permanent damage is done. The little burn holes in my sweatshirt and jeans don’t heal so easily.

So when I need to get away from my normal rat race, a good roaring fire is just the thing!!

axman

Thinking – a Mere Artifact of the Past?

No, I’m not specifically referring to my senility and overall mental decline – that’s bad enough, of course.

I would like to think I’m a thinker; wouldn’t we all. After 70 years of hanging around the planet I should have developed some skills of observation, calculation, and evaluation. I never got rich and I have some health problems, but there’s still that hope of making up my own mind – such as it is.

But when I take a close look at areas in my life it seems that thinking is discouraged rather than encouraged. Maybe I'm just terminally cynical, but... for example...

·       Every day somebody on TV or on the radio or even a Facebook ‘friend’ is telling me what to think politically. No facts are presented to help me make up my own mind. Mostly the communication consists of less-than-half-truths, clichés, and flat out lies. “Don’t think, just agree – and of course vote MY way.

·       Advertisers (name your media) do much the same. “Buy our product because this is a cute, but flawed, commercial.” Don’t think, just buy MY product.

·       Religion? People knocking at my door with brochures? Hate mongering? Not many facts to hang a decision on here. Don’t think, just believe MY way (or else) – and of course send money.

·       Now I don’t expect any of this to get any better and the whole conversation is a bit exhausting. So, I think I’ll have a glass of wine. You see, there IS still room for thinking!

axman

Why Doesn’t My PSA ever go Down?

Don’t I wish…

Every couple of weeks I put something on my blog that relates a lot or a little to my prostate cancer. It’s easier to write about other people and other issues. After my visit to the oncologist last week, I guess it’s time to focus on me again.

After nearly eight years, my prostate cancer is pretty well under control; managed but not cured. It’s still there but seems to be pretty quiet. But my low PSA doubled from September to December and again from December to March. That hadn’t happened in more than three years – since I started taking low dose hormones. My prescription was doubled in December and increased again just last week.

Most guys with incurable prostate cancer know that sooner or later, whatever treatments and meds they’ve had, their cancer will find a way to grow anyway and their PSA will increase – and increase. There are several levels of medications and I’m still at (almost) the lowest hormone treatment level. There is an inevitable progression once prostate cancer isn’t cured by first level treatments.

Progression is slow, no need to worry, no need to make any new decisions just now, but there will be a time when I’ll go to another level of treatment – maybe instead of pills, it’ll be delivered by injection or IV. Maybe there will be new medications to try or new and promising clinical trials. I’m not holding my breath waiting for a cure just now.

I’ll take my increased meds (hopefully my prescription plan will still pay) and wait and see. There really aren’t any changes in diet or exercise or lifestyle that might make a difference – I’ve tried to do all the right things already.

axman

When I’m NOT the Only Sick One

It’s easy to get hung up on your own problems, until …..

For several years now I’ve been writing little blurbs every few weeks about me. That’s what this blog was set up to do – focus on prostate cancer, what’s happening in the research field, but mostly how I cope (or don’t), what worries me, how my prostate cancer is progressing, what hurts, what doesn’t work any more, and on and on.

A couple of weeks ago my wife Carol started to cough a lot and feel weak. After a couple of days I convinced her to see a doctor in Arizona near where we were staying. Diagnosis - bronchitis and sinusitis; here’s a bunch of medicine. Should start to get better in a few of days. Five days later she felt worse. In addition to weakness and coughing she now had earaches and headaches. Back to the doctor. Ear infection, antibiotics, pain pills, and keep taking all the other meds, too. Then came the fever – higher at night, lower in the daytime. Finally when we got to Boise, now with an added fever, she ended up in Emergency for an IV of fluids to combat dehydration.

To complicate matters, we were in the process (slowly) of heading home from Arizona to Oregon by way of Las Vegas and Boise. We stopped often and Carol sleeps a lot on the way. Bertha (our big red truck) has reclining seats and a pretty smooth ride. I have come to realize just how much I depend on Carol to tell me where something is in the suitcase, where we turn off the freeway to get to the next Starbucks, or where the motel reservation printout is.

Friends have told us they had a similar set of symptoms and it took three or four weeks before they were back to normal. That’s a long time. She doesn’t complain except that she’s annoyed she can’t walk without feeling weak and dizzy and that she nods off in the middle of a conversation or watching a TV show.

Home in Oregon and its back to the doctor (three different locations – three doctors). I wish I could do more to help. Other than being there and doing what she needs at the moment, I feel pretty worthless. But we’ll both feel better in a week or two – for sure!

axman

The Cold, Cold Facts

What’s new in Prostate Cancer Treatment?

Every year or so I take another look at what’s happening (or not happening) in the prostate cancer wars. The answer (from my standpoint) in a nutshell is: not too much.

For eight years now I’ve been waiting for the next big breakthrough in prostate cancer treatment. All the ‘miracle’ cures I’ve been able to track down have proved to be less than advertised, anecdotal, unsupported, or downright fraudulent. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been improvements, new approaches, and new and better drugs (for example, keeping me alive 2.5 months longer is a step in the right direction but NOT a miracle cure in my estimation).

Genetics

Advances in the study of genetic inheritance may help in future prevention – I’m sure it will help my grandkids and their grandkids. This is a long, long term project.

Diagnosis

The PSA test is imperfect, new urine tests are being tested, biopsies in color are being developed to find cancers that don’t show up in black and white - and the controversy over testing or not testing rages on. It still seems that being diagnosed early is a good idea but there can also be a misdiagnosis and needless treatment. I am glad I was diagnosed when I was.

Vitamins

There IS such a thing as too much of a good thing. Vitamins that can help can also harm if taken in very large quantities. Diet and exercise and vitamins are good. But they aren’t a silver bullet.

Treatments

As time goes by, surgery, radiation, and other procedures become refined and more precise and do less damage to other organs and functions. This is a slow process but a good one for the men who will have these treatments in the future.

As I grow older and older I am still glad that I am getting older rather than the other dubious alternative. Maybe the big breakthrough will happen next month

axman

Life (ours) Doesn’t have to Slow Down Unless We want it to

…it’s (almost) always a choice

We’ve been here in the vast Arizona desert for more than three weeks now. That’s good. We’ve become tan, rested, and done an amazing amount of necessary work. We’ve been busy 12 hours a day (including some time to drink wine, of course) but it seems mostly like fun.

We have chosen to stay busy in our physically and mentally declining years (our kids and grandkids would probably say something even stronger about the decline part). There will probably come a time when we have no choice but to slow down but we’ll put that on the back burner as long as possible.

This week we had visitors in the desert – Tom (co-author) and his family were here five days so we could work on the new book – but mostly we hiked and jeeped all over the desert and a good time was had by all. His kids loved the desert and particularly bumping around the dirt roads and trails in jeeps. Jeeping through the desert in the dark (with the headlights on, of course) was the most exciting.

Oh yeah, Tom and I signed a publishing contract and now have to deliver a completed manuscript by July 1st. That seems like a long time from now, but… how hard could it be (he innocently asked)?

Carol has been doing bookkeeping and taxes for a friend and now is doing ours and those of a couple of the kids.

And I picked up a couple of grad students – non-traditional, at-a-distance learners. I work with them on courses and research – all by email and websites. It only takes a few hours a week and I enjoy it.

axman

A Secondary Benefit of Having Cancer

OK, there really aren't ANY benefits from cancer , but…

After a couple of years battling prostate cancer I decided to write a book about it. I enjoyed the writing and illustrations/cartoons (Real Men Get Prostate Cancer Too) and I think it was therapeutic – it kept me busy and positive. Of course it would have been nice if it sold a few thousand more copies. Oh well.

Now I’m writing another cancer book (about clinical trials) – with a partner this time. Tom is my oncologist and a well known cancer researcher. There is even a publisher who appears to be interested in it. Go figure!

I’ve been working on it - on and off – for more than a year. But now we’re looking at coming up with a finished manuscript in just a few months.

This is both exciting and a little frightening. There is a lot yet to do and so little time… My first book was self-published so I didn’t actually have to satisfy anybody but me. This time around there’s a co-author and an all-powerful publisher. I won’t have the same control but still all of the same responsibility – to myself, my co-author, and the publisher. Guess I’ll have to learn to live with the stress. Of course, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't enjoy it.

axman

Getting Away Yet Again

The benefits of variety in life – at least MY life

Being in the same place and doing the same thing (more or less) day after day and week after week is my idea of hell.

Maybe it’s just my bad Karma, a highly regrettable character flaw, or just plain old fashioned wander lust. But when I’m traveling or camping or just doing something new and different and at least a little challenging I feel better. Mentally and physically – my aches and pains diminish (a little anyway) and my attitude improves (a little anyway). Don’t ask my wife to verify this; she’ll say I’m a grouch all the time.

Now we’re in Arizona for a few weeks of fun, rest, and a little work. When it’s over the next little adventure will begin. …and then the next one and the next one and the next one...

I suppose life would be easier if I was content to stay home and bloom where I was planted – but I’m not all that ready to be planted yet!

axman

Yet another Escape from the Cold

How many times do I need a getaway? As many times as possible…

I’ve given up on staying warm – especially when I am outside all day in the wet and cold at least pretending to work. Our new garage is at a point where we can close it up and head to Arizona to thaw. I intend to warm up, rest up, and cheer up in the sunshine. I also intend to do some reading and hiking and napping and drinking – not necessarily in that order.

There is always something more to do but most of the time it can wait until I’m ready to do it – not always, but nearly always. And there’s always the possibility that somebody else will do it while I’m gone – maybe leprechauns or fairies or elves or menehunes… - I’m not holding my breath.

More and more I am accepting that I actually need more 'down time' than I did in previous decades of my life. Invincible ends at some point.

And I really do need to get some work done on the new book – with Tom my co-author. Maybe I can convince him to do all the writing and I can wander in the desert and enjoy the warm weather – now that’s a plan worthy of more consideration.

axman

Cold, Colder, Coldest…

…and more Coldester (OK, so I just made that up – but it IS accurate)

Ever since we returned from Hawaii in early December I have been cold. There has been an unusual preponderance of cold, ice, snow, and torrential rain this winter. I have been working outside nearly every day to try to get our new garage finished. It has been 50 years since I worked outside in the cold on a daily basis – my night job pumping gas while I was in college.

Am I cold all the time because of advanced age, serious disease, senility, being cursed by Trolls, or some combination of some or all of the above? I wish I knew.

Whatever the cause, I just can’t seem to get warm – and another cold spell is on the way. There’s a lot yet to be done on the garage, including the digging, leveling, and pouring of a concrete floor. That should help keep me warm, hopefully.

But all is not lost. When it’s done (mostly) we’re heading to the Arizona desert for a month or so to warm up. The downside? It has been unusually cool in Arizona this winter, too. I have concluded, however, that a daily high of 60 in Arizona beats a high of 30 in Oregon – by my calculations that's twice as good as a matter of fact.

What are your experiences with the cold? Does age or cancer make a difference or am I just a wuss? Be gentle with me…

axman

2010 and 2011 and all that Stuff

Tempus Fugit – it really does!

Happy New Year yet again. 2010 was a pretty good year (after all, here we all are in 2011). In 2010 I celebrated my 70^th Birthday and 50^th Anniversary (with the help of my loving and eternally tolerant wife, of course). 

And I am entering my eighth year with prostate cancer. I may still be crazy after all these years but my cholesterol, blood pressure, PSA, and weight are all still under control. and NOT going crazy. I’ll take that as a good way to start any new year.

Life is good, time flees (what tempus fugit actually means), and there are still pages and pages to go on my Bucket List.

Maybe 2011 will be the year of the cancer-cure breakthrough! …or maybe not. That's probably not within our realm of choices so don't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

 All you guys living with prostate cancer keep hanging in there (it certainly beats the alternative) and actually do all the things you want to do (within some fuzzy and probably irrelevant legal limits anyway).

axman