My Experience With Chemo Brain

In 2014, I agreed to undergo chemotherapy using a drug known as docetaxel (also called Taxotere) to try and extend my life.

It had been used by women battling metastatic breast cancer for 30 +/- years and had recently been opened up to men with severe prostate cancer.  They were very clear with me about the potential side effects of this drug which included fluid retention with weight gain, swelling of the ankles or abdominal area, peripheral neuropathy (which I still suffer and struggle with daily and is why I take RX painkillers), nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, fatigue and weakness (which I still struggle with) infection and numerous others. I didn’t get the mouth sores. The one they didn’t really talk about was what’s known as Chemo Brain.

The term Chemo Brain describes thinking and memory problems that can occur after chemotherapy.

Some of the things those of us dealing with it experience are:

• Forgetting things that we usually have no trouble recalling (memory lapses)
• Trouble concentrating (we can’t focus on what we’re doing, have a short attention span, we may “space out”)
• Trouble remembering details like names, dates, and sometimes larger events
• Trouble multi-tasking, like answering the phone while cooking, without losing track of one task (they’re less able to do more than one thing at a time).  My multitasking (which I was a MASTER at) has gone to shit.
• Taking longer to finish things (disorganized, slower thinking and processing)
• Trouble remembering common words (unable to find the right words to finish a sentence)

I was having lunch with my brother recently and I couldn’t remember a word I knew so well.  He ascribed it to getting older and told me it just gets worse.  He’s 73 and I’m 55.  This isn’t due to age, it’s due to poison I allowed to be given to me intravenously and the damage it caused my body and brain.  

The cognitive problems I have now didn’t exist 3 years ago. Sure I might have blanked on a date, word or thought from time to time, but I could write, grasp my vocabulary and multitask like no one’s business!  There is a distinct difference now.

So, take away from this 2 things:  1) if you are considering chemo to battle your cancer, realize that it will likely be a life altering treatment and 2) if I forget your name, a date, a word or if I tell you I need to focus on this one thing I’m doing, I apologize but it’s the reality of my life now.

PSA Results After 3 Months of Cannabis Oil Treatment - Not the Post I Was Hoping To Write

I had hoped, indeed, I had planned on being able to write a very positive post after 3 months of full extract cannabis oil treatment.  I have been so encouraged by the relief I’ve had from the worst of the neuropathic pain, the seeming healing of the nerves in my palms and the soles of my feet that I felt sure it would bode well for the cancer.. I’ve been so happy with the fact that most days since embarking on this treatment, I’ve felt generally so much better than I had the previous 2 years.

But this is not that post.

I had my PSA tested this week and it came in at a 1.97,  which is up almost half a ng/ml from 3 months ago. My PSA history is that in 2000 at age 39, my “baseline” PSA was 1.45 and stayed that way till 2012..  Within 2 years, it rose to a 4.91 which is when I was diagnosed with Stage IV, Gleason 8, metastatic, extracapsular, seminal vesicle involved, prostate cancer.  After 8 months of Lupron (chemical castration) and 8 rounds of IV chemo using the highly toxic docetaxel, it dropped to virtually unmeasurable in April 2015. Then in January of this year I was at a .95 and there was a gradual rise with a reading of 1.49 in August. In the last 3 months, it’s jumped a half point, which it had taken 8 months to do in the first part of the year.  Trajectory is not desirable in this case.

I’d already seen the report online when my PCP called me and said it was something I should speak with the oncologist about asap and also suggested I reconsider the cannabis oil.  He further reminded me that my cancer was a particularly aggressive form and was already quite advanced when I was diagnosed.

So I’m feeling rather knocked down at the moment, after feeling pretty darned good for a couple of months.

When I speak to the oncologist, if all he can tell me is that going back on Lupron is my best bet, that’s a no go.  I would rather die feeling somewhat like myself than live a while longer feeling like a eunuch. If another series of chemo sessions is an option (and I don’t think it is), I doubt I’d do it given my experience with the devastating, long term side effects that are now part of my life.

As for the cannabis oil, it’s something I really must look at. I have no doubt whatsoever that it has made a significant difference in my pain, particularly my hands and feet.  This has allowed me to work out (such that I can), work on a limited basis and reduce the amount of narcotic meds I’d been using.

Much to think about.  Not sure there are any good choices….or at least any that will make a major difference.

I could sure use all the good love and energy anyone can offer.

1 Month of CBD: Damaged Nerves Repairing Themselves???

I’ve been using CBD for right at a month now.  The CBD oil is combined with coconut oil (a high saturated fat oil) into a gel cap (easily purchased at vitamin/health stores) and taken orally, rectally or both.  I just had a PSA test done 3 weeks ago, right after I started using the oil.  My PSA has gone from unmeasurable in January 2015, after the chemo and hormone therapy ended, to 1.49 this last test, up from 1.27 three months ago, so a little too early to see any effect there. Will retest again in two months and we’ll see where I’m at after 3 months of CBD.

I do find interesting the relief I’m experiencing these last two weeks from the most severe neuropathic pain I’ve had as a result of chemo.  I still have pain/numbness/aching in my arms/legs, wrists/ankles, hands/feet.  

But what I DON”T have anymore, is the severe pain I’ve had for almost 2 years in my palms and the soles of my feet!  

Is this a result of CBD or just simply a coincidence in the timing of the healing?  Don’t know but I’ll take it.  Specifically, the pain in the soles of my feet has been the most debilitating of the neuropathic pain I’ve had to deal with; it’s made it difficult to do normal, everyday tasks…...like walking across the room.  As someone who was running 2-3 miles day two and a half years ago, the difficulty in walking has been a very hard adjustment.  

But maybe, just maybe I’m seeing the beginning of healing to my damaged nerves. Stay tuned.

Physical Update and Disease Status

I had a blood test and DRE done Monday.  The DRE was said to be overall "smooth with some fibrosis on the right."  The right is where the unwelcome guest lives and has perpetually fucked with my life for 30 months.  The PSA test came back at a 1.49;  right after chemo and lupron, my PSA stayed immeasurable for the first few months, then rose to a .27, then to a .97 and I began 2016 with a rise to 1.27.  So there is a steady rise.  My oncologist sums it up as, " He is currently in complete remission by CT scan, but his rising PSA indicates persistent disease."  My little unwelcome friend seems to be growing again.

The longtime onclogist refuses to appeal AETNA's denial of an MRI because I have expressed it as unlikely that I will ever take lupron of undergo chemo again.  It may be time for a new oncologist....perhaps one who doesn't work for a NYSE publicly traded company.

Meanwhile I'm on Day 5 of CBD, getting used to the psychoactive side effects and the fact that my gas smells like dank weed once in a while.

Day 2 of CBD

Slept like a babe last night and woke fairly quickly for me with no unusual grogginess. Felt reasonably good today and less foot and hand pain........and was in a remarkable mood!

Off to bed.

I Am Now on CBD Therapy!

It took longer than I imagined, required additional investigation and coordination but I am now a cancer patient using CBD oil (cannabidiol) to treat the stubborn tumor that resides in my prostate.  For the first time in two and a half years, I feel hopeful that I may just be able to kill this thing, something oncologists can't seem to do.

Now for the record: THE CBD DOES NOT RESIDE WITH ME.  IT IS IN THE POSSESSION OF A GOOD FRIEND IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

Trying to open yourself up to spending a few thousand dollars to someone you've never met was quite a bit out of my comfort zone but the person on the other end of the phone was good to their word and I have my alternative medicine.

I've taken the first dose and can't say I feel particularly high from the effects although it is a 1:1 CBD to THC ratio with the dosing being a gram a day mixed with coconut oil and taken as a suppository to get it's absorption as close to the tumor as possible.

My heartfelt thanks to all who sent prayers, contributed, and loved me me during the really hard parts.

More news to follow as I have it!

Thank You For The Help - Everything Is In Process

A hearty thank you to all who contributed!  Arranging getting the oil has been more difficult than I'd initially understood but it IS in process!  I'll post more once I have a good update.

People Imbibing On My/Our Behalves

I was notified via FB that Austin is having yet another (not sure how many this years is...I'll get back to you) Austin Pub Crawl for cancer.  They get camaraderie, a serious buzz, to sample all kinds of new ales and stuff...and the cancer community wins!.

I love these guys and gals....

😘😘😘 - you are simply the best!

Latest PSA and Other Onco Items

I saw my oncologist last week and had a blood draw.  My PSA has risen steadily from immeasurable in January of 2015 (right after I decided to forgo further hormone deprivation) to now a 1.32.  While urologists don't get concerned until it hits the 4.0+ range for "normal" males, for those who have been diagnosed with Stage IV, metastatic (lungs), Gleason 8, aggressive PC, the line trailing up quite likely means growth in my unwelcome friend.  I'll have a MRI in the next 10 days to get a good look at what's going on there.  I the mean time, CBD order is in the works and I should begin that treatment around the same time as the MRI.

This should make for an interesting comparison!

I'm Tired.....and Very Grateful

This last week, I've been out in the Austin heat in an un-air-conditioned car daily either working (2 days picking up extra $$ to make disability income liveable), helping a friend who has always helped me (the friend had a bad car accident but she is, thankfully, ok), oncologist appointment (not so much fun) and having dinner with a nephew and his kids (delightful!).  But I do believe it wore my butt out.  Neuropathy, in my feet  and hands in particular, just is maddening.  Be leery of docetoxel....VERY leery!

But I am grateful that in a week, almost $ 3,500 was raised to obtain CBD oil which is in process.  Friends, family and people whom I've never met and who chose to remain anonymous have given.  This allows me to pursue treatment I could otherwise only dream of.

Please stay tuned.

And thank you. Thank you so very much.

The Treatment I Feel Might Just Save My Life is Illegal in Texas

I have a metastatic, Stage IV prostate cancer. There are numerous studies of the positive benefits of cannabis, particularly CBD oil, in helping to beat down and often kill off these cancer cells. As a Texan, I should have legal access to something that might just save my life. Make that as a 6th generation Texan whose great great grandfather was wagon master at The Battle of San Jacinto, I demand the Texas Legislature allow me legal access to a medication that could very well be life saving.

Please sign and share this petition if you are a Texas resident:

Change.org - Legalize Medical Marijuana in Texas

CT Scan Results - Mixed news

After getting limited information over the phone from my Oncologist's office, I asked them to mail me the CT radiologist reports so I could read them.  One thing anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer learns is how to read medical reports and understand them almost as well as anyone with M.D. behind their name.

The results:

Chest - minimal scarring (from the three lung biopsies I underwent). Heart is normal and no indication of cancerous nodules.

Abdomen - All organs normal except for some degree of fatty liver and a small cyst on the left kidney.

Pelvis - Normal bowel; normal colon.  The prostate shows no tumor outside the gland but the rapid rise in PSA post chemotherapy and limited Lupron treatment is highly suspicious for this high risk/very high risk tumor and further investigation via MRI is indicated.

What this tells me is I've successfully bought some time with the chemo (albeit at the tremendous cost of 24/7 painful neuropathy) and I need to look for a non-toxic treatment that can kill this tumor off.

More to come....stay tuned.  And for my brothers and sisters fighting cancer, remember what Churchill said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."

CT Scans Tomorrow

More on the rest of getting to where I am soon, but first a note that I've figured out the CT scans and am going tomorrow for them.  I don't know for sure what's going on in my chest/abdomen/pelvis, but I do know my body and how I've felt recently and the pain I've experienced (and that is likely a great deal from chemo), and that hasn't been good.

So throw a coin in the fountain for me (Trevi) and I'll check back in in a couple of days.

I Love SNL, But They Crossed a Line With the "Heroin Mom" Skit

Since I was diagnosed with severe, aggressive prostate cancer two years ago and then went on chemotherapy to try to lengthen my life, I've been plagued by chronic, severe pain in my extremities.  Nueropathy such as this is a common side effect of treatment with docetaxel, a chemo drug that has been used for decades to treat breast cancer. While killing cancer cells, it also damages nerve cells. I use 5 different drugs to deal with the pain, two of them narcotics.  The narcotics I currently take are Opana time release (oxymorphone...a molecule or two away from Dilaudid) and generic Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) for what's known as breakthrough pain.  They allow me to actually get out and do things; shop, go to the gym, have lunch with a friend, clean house,  and do what I feel up to and, yes, do something as simple as brush my teeth and shower.

I've never used heroin.

These are serious drugs and not too distant from heroin. I understand and respect that and I haven't always had the best relationship with narcotics.  But I need them to function as a result of my disease and the ensuing treatment. I've always loved Saturday Night Live.  They've pushed the edge from the beginning.  But they crossed a line with their "Mom uses heroin" skit. There is nothing funny about it.  Too many people need pain killers and can't get them so they turn to the street.  Too many people don't need pain killers and go to pill mill clinics to get them. Too many "pain specialists" are lured by the money and the ethical, compassionate pain specialists who work so hard to help their patients are pushed into a very narrow corner. And, most seriously, too many people die from heroin use every day in this country.  But addiction and subsequent death isn't funny and it hits too close to home to this terminal cancer patient, SNL.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/health/saturday-night-live-heroin-skit-outrage/index.html

A Little Humor - Potty Chairs and Significant Others

The garage apartment I'm staying in uses a septic tank and with the tremendous rain we've had in Austin the last few days, it's managed to overflow the tank which makes the toilet useless.  My landlord, a very kind, sweet man, pulled a hospital type "potty chair" out of his attic and set it outside my back door for use until the plumbers come to fix the septic system.  It made me think of this:

 2 years ago when I was first diagnosed, they discovered I had cancerous cells in my lungs too.  They felt it important to determine if they were the same cancer as in my prostate or a different type.  I went through 3, YES 3!, lung biopsies.  I was in Seton hospital for just over 2 weeks.  During the last 2 biopsies, they collapsed my right lung (once by accident and once on purpose) to get the cancerous tissue they needed for testing.  When your lung is collapsed, they insert a tube about a half inch thick and about 10 inches long into your back running down the backside of the collapsed lung.  It sucks out any fluid that builds up so the lung can slowly heal and reinflate.

As you might imagine, the pain of having this tube rubbing against your lung EVERY time you breath was just horrendous!  SO they had me on IV pain meds that I got every 3 hours or so.  VERY constipating.  My soon to be husband was there with me almost every hour he wasn't working (he was my rock through that horrible experience) and he happened to work at a physical rehab facility so he could do just about anything short of what nurses do.  He'd helped me sponge bath myself (I was attached to a machine and had the IV so I could only get about 3 steps from the bed), so he'd seen me quite naked in the hospital and, of course, at home.

I told him I thought I might actually be able to have a bowel movement (I hadn't in several days) so he got me the potty chair and sat it next to the bed.  I'd never been in this situation before and was a little unsure about potty chair protocol so I asked the brilliantly stupid question, "What do I do?" He looked at me like I was an imbecile and said, "Scott, you sit your butt on it and shit.  Understand?"  I shook my head yes and he kept piddling around the room doing stuff.  I finally said, "Are you going to step out of the room?"  He replied, "Oh just go ahead.  I deal with people crapping all the time at rehab."  I said, "Well you may be ok with being in the room while I poo, but I'm NOT ok with it, so please step out till I tell you I'm done."  He rolled his eyes and left the room and I took care of my business. 

Some things are best done in private.

Median Life Expectancy

My Oncologist provided some eye opening stats on Median Life Expectancy for men with Stage IV, metastasized (to a major organ i.e. lungs), aggressive, Gleason 8 prostate cancer.  They are as follows:

No Treatment – 12-18 months

Hormone Therapy only – 32 months

HT and chemo – 49 months

.

2015 Continued

2015 was a difficult year.  I'd become depressed and angry.  My wonderful relationship was crashing, I was plowing through savings and 401k and, yes, living beyond my means.  Still living in the somewhat expensive duplex with the view of downtown Austin by myself and footing the whole bill.  My employer, Kinnser Software, finally reached the limit of FMLA and terminated me.  Friends and family got on with their lives and I was on my own.  Some of this was mine to own; it always was and continued to be very hard for me to ask for help.  I've always been able to do everything I needed to by myself.  So I rarely asked for help.

My PSA stayed immeasurable for the first few months, then rose to a .27, then to a .97 and I began 2016 with a rise to 1.27.  While PSA is only one indicator, in someone with my history, I knew what it meant.  Now I have to figure out the over $600 for the CAT scans of my chest, abdomen and pelvis to see what's going on.  Difficult on a $1505/mo income.

I moved from the duplex the beginning of December by myself except for the two guys I hired off Craigslist to help with the king sized bed, couch and dresser. I cleaned the whole place by myself and got the majority of the deposit back.  Then I stayed in a generous friend's spare bedroom and was wiped out for a week from moving everything to storage.  She and I had a falling out and I began to move to and from a series of cheap motels and friends couches.  Finally I was rescued by a dear set of friends.  I had a "home" to stay in.

These two ladies are parents to my favorite "adopted" nephew, their son who is almost 6 years
 old.  They have an RV that is 16 miles out in the country outside Fredericksburg, Texas.  I'd lived in Fredericksburg with my parents in the early 1980s.  It's a very conservative, tourist attraction town.  The RV was 16  miles outside the town on a sloping set of about 5 acres.  It had electricity and propane but no running water.  I learned quickly that there was a gym just inside town with a shower, so I spent $45 so I could have a place to shower and have the added benefit of a place to exercise.  I learned where to refill water jugs for 25 cents a gallon ("low price" Walmart was .37 cents) and, not having TV and very unreliable internet, NPR on the radio became my best friend.  But I was incredibly grateful for their thoughtful generosity and not having to live in my car.

It was a long, lonely 2 months.  My escape from purgatory to follow soon.

So What Happened in 2015 After the Treatments ?

I ended 2014 relatively optimistic.  I'd taken all the recommended treatments (Lupron and Docetaxel) and the cancer was, at the very least, stabilized.  There was no evidence of lung mets anymore, my PSA was 0, the tumor seemed to have shrunk some and there was no longer evidence of extra-capsular extension or seminal vesicle involvement.  That was the good news.

The bad news was I had little to no energy, had gained almost 20 pounds (despite having no appetite and having to be reminded to eat by my husband), my muscle mass was vanishing.  I rarely got out of the house, was close to losing a job I loved dearly and the strain of taking care of me as well as dealing with his own new illness (seizures) was becoming too much to bear for both of us.  The chemo had left me with severe neuropathy as well as chronic fatigue.  I decided since I was done with chemo and, thankfully, not a candidate for another round but was due for another Lupron treatment, I would take a vacation and see if I couldn't get back to the old me.  After a second consult at MD Anderson in Houston, I advised my oncologist here in Austin that I would no longer take Lupron and unless he had any other ideas, I'd focus on eating right, exercise, meditation and explore cannabis oil.  He advised against all this and really wanted me back on Lupron, but I told him I'd rather die feeling like Scott than live longer feeling like Scott's withering away, female counterpart.  I stand by that decision.....and if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do the chemo either.

There are numerous blogs of women who took docetaxel who YEARS later report fatigue and extreme pain from the damaged nerves thanks to the chemo drug.  This is what I struggle with now. Yes, I AM alive, but I have to take no less than 5 medications (narcotic and non-narcotic) to keep the pain manageable enough that I can be semi productive.  I now live on $1505/month thanks to having worked hard since age 15 and paid into Social Security each year of my life.  But more on that and where things are headed later.

I'm alive and getting to where I enjoy some days.  That's the important thing.

Great Resource - The Prostate Cancer Foundation

http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.5699537/k.BEF4/Home.htm

The Prostate Cancer Foundation site is a wonderful resource with info on treatment options both for those newly diagnosed as well as those like myself with advanced disease.  Also links with into for caregivers and loved ones, research and many more.  Give them a visit.

Bringing You Up To Date and a Mini Refresher for Those Who Haven't Read My Story

In January of 2014, I was a strong, healthy, happy 52 year old guy with no major health issues.  I ate good food, I worked out 4 to 5 times a week, I had gotten into running, was 3 years into a great job with this little tech startup called Kinnser Software and was also 3 years into the best, most loving relationship of my life.  Life WAS great!

Then I went in for my yearly physical.  I wasn't one of those guys who avoided the doctor at all costs; rather, I was one who went happily as I had good health and a great primary care physician who I genuinely liked as a doctor and a friend.  He noted that my PSA had risen from 1.45 in 2011 to 4.91 in late 2013. At the time of the physical in 2014, it was 5.2.  During a DRE my friend and physician noted a lump and abnormalities in the prostate.  So off he sent me to a urologist who talked me into a biopsy of the gland.

I was diagnosed with a Gleason 8, stage IV cancer with extracapsular extension, suspected seminal vesicle involvement, very aggressive type of PC and, to top it all off, cancerous nodules in my lungs.  Three lung biopsies (never again!) confirmed the nodules were indeed metastasized cancer cells from the prostate.  The most simple way to put it was, I was in deep shit with few options.

At first, the only option I was given was hormone treatment with Lupron.  I agreed and within a month, my measurable testosterone was 0.  As in none.  As in most women now had more testosterone than I did.  I felt horrible; weak, losing muscle, gaining body fat,  body aches and pains, libido gone and just not like a guy or like Scott anymore.

By May 2014, my PSA was also unmeasurable, but I was advised there were no guarantees it would stay that way and would likely become Lupron resistant at some point.  I was also told the FDA had approved the first chemo treatment for "castrate resistant" (lovely marketing term, eh?) PC and it was using a drug called docetaxel, a highly toxic but effective drug that has been used on women with breast cancer for decades.  FDA studies showed that this chemo treatment (8 sessions, 3 weeks apart) had a positive effect on PC cells and extended average life expectancy by 3-5 months.  Not having any better options, I agreed to it.

By the end of chemo treatment (don't forget, I was also doing the Lupron/no male hormone thing at the same time), I was bald, had little to no energy, had clouded mental function ("chemo brain"), couldn't work, was on disability, and had begun to have severe pain from chemo induced neuropathy in my feet/hands, wrists/ankles, and arms/legs.

So I ended 2014 with good numbers, medically speaking. As I wrote in December of '14:

• * My lungs appear to be cancer nodule free
• * My prostate and the associated tumor appear to have shrunk substantially
• * The tumor is no longer "extracapsular"
• * The tumor no longer appears to have seminal vesicle involvement

But I had traded one problem for others.  Horrible neuropathy as mentioned above, extreme fatigue and depression.

So that's where I left off blogging.  In my next post I'll cover the events of the last 16 months and where I'm at now.

7 Facts About Prostate Cancer All Young Men Should Know - See more at: http://www.prostate.net/2016/prostate-cancer/7-facts-about-prostate-cancer-all-young-men-should-know/#sthash.gfhHfUeV.dpuf

I was 52 when diagnosed with Gleason 8, extra capsular, Stage IV, metastatic (to the lungs) prostate cancer.

Many men 55 and younger are under the mistaken belief that their risk of developing prostate cancer is practically nonexistent. However, although the vast majority of prostate cancer cases develop in men age 65 and older, more than 10 percent are diagnosed in men age 55 and younger.
All men, regardless of age, should be aware of what experts have learned about the risks of prostate cancer among younger men. This is especially true if there is a history of prostate cancer in your family.

Prostate cancer among younger men is rising

A University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center study recently reported that the number of younger men being diagnosed with prostate cancer has increased sixfold over the past two decades. This finding was coupled with the discovery that men who develop this disease early have more genetic variants (genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, associated with breast cancer) than their older peers. Therefore, men who have a family history of prostate cancer are encouraged to seek genetic counseling or talk to their doctor about regular early monitoring.

High-risk younger men need to be screened early

Men who have a family history of prostate cancer have a two- to threefold increased risk of developing prostate cancer, and that chance rises even higher among young men who have several relatives with the disease. While men with an average risk of prostate cancer are advised by the American Cancer Society to be screened for the disease at age 50, men at high risk, including African Americans, should start at 45.

Prostate cancer can be more aggressive among younger men

It may seem unusual, but the younger you are when you develop prostate cancer, the greater your chances of dying of the disease. One major reason is that prostate cancer typically has no evident symptoms in its early stages. Therefore, when aggressive prostate cancer is discovered in younger men, it often has already progressed to a more advanced state and therefore is more challenging to treat. Another reason is that some types of prostate cancer appearing in younger men grow more rapidly and can be more deadly than those that are diagnosed in older men.

Early prostate cancer often does not have symptoms

A big reason why prostate cancer can sneak up on you is the lack of symptoms, especially during the early stages. As the disease progresses, symptoms can include urinary issues (e.g., difficulty urinating, urinary frequency and/or urgency), erectile dysfunction, and blood in the urine. However, since these can be symptoms of other conditions that commonly occur in men, such as an enlarged prostate, they can be overlooked. So when in doubt, check it out!

It’s never too early to help prevent prostate cancer

Prostate cancer doesn’t appear overnight; even aggressive forms of the disease develop over time. Therefore, it’s never too early to adopt a healthy lifestyle that can help reduce the risk of a diagnosis in the future. Based on scores of studies around lifestyle that can affect a man’s risk of and survival from prostate cancer, there is some evidence that the following factors have a role: diet high in red meat and/or high-fat dairy, high calcium intake, smoking, pesticide exposure, excess alcohol intake, being sedentary, and being overweight.

There are pros and cons of prostate cancer screening

First of all, the current prostate cancer screening methods are simple; a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal exam to detect any unusual lumps or other abnormalities in the prostate. However, there’s considerable controversy surrounding these guidelines for prostate cancer screening, including the accuracy and reliability of PSA and how often screening is needed. New techniques to measure PSA are under investigation, but for the majority of men, the traditional methods will have to do for now. All men should have a frank discussion with their healthcare provider about the pros and cons of screening as it pertains to their unique situation.

Watchful waiting can be a wise choice for young men

Early onset prostate cancer can be aggressive, but in most cases it is not. That’s where watchful waiting comes in. Because treatment for prostate cancer, including radiation, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy, is associated with serious, life-altering side effects (e.g., erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, infertility), younger men who have been diagnosed often want to avoid treatment until it is necessary. Watchful waiting, in which men choose to monitor their disease with regular PSA and digital rectal exams (and sometimes a biopsy) while also following a healthy lifestyle, can keep men’s quality of life at its best for as long as possible. If necessary, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging allows doctors to keep an eye on prostatic lesions when conducting a biopsy and to track any changes. Whether to choose watchful waiting is a decision men need to make with their healthcare providers and loved ones.
Prostate cancer is not just an “old man’s disease.” If you have a prostate, you are at risk for prostate cancer, so stay in tune with your body tuned to your body and see your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.

- See more at: http://www.prostate.net/2016/prostate-cancer/7-facts-about-prostate-cancer-all-young-men-should-know/#sthash.gfhHfUeV.dpuf

Long Time No Update - But News To Be Had

It's hard to believe that it's been 15 months since I last posted.  So much has happened in my life that the blog took second (tenth?) place.  But I AM STILL ALIVE!

I am 15 months out from Lupron and about 17 months out from chemo.  The good news WAS that my PSA for many months dropped to unmeasurable and my testosterone rose to stratospheric levels so, in some ways I began to feel like me again.  Then over the last year my PSA began to creep back up.

On top of that, the chemo (docetaxel) caused horrific neuropathy in my hands/feet, arms and legs.  The pain is debilitating and requires 4 different meds to keep at bay.  In reading blogs from women who have had this drug, this sometimes persists for years or never goes away.

So I have traded extra length of life for lack of quality.  If I had it to do over again, I'd take neither drug and just ride out my life.  The only option I seem to have is cannabis oil which, living in the very "progressive state of  Texas" makes that difficult to pursue.

I plan to start writing again as I continue this journey to bring you up to date on the events of the last year as well as my plans for the future.  I appreciate any and all comments and forms of support.