YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Basil Williams and Helen live in New South Wales , Australia. He was 59 when he was diagnosed on July 19, 2006. His initial PSA was 435.0 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 9 and he was staged T4 . His choice of treatment was ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy). Here is his story.

I was always interested in preventative health. So it was a huge shock to learn I had advanced prostate cancer. I was playing gold with an old school friend and told him I was woken up with an incredible low back pain that wouldn't go away with the usual analgesics. He advised a PSA test.

When I found out I had a reading of 435ng/ml I said that the pathologist had made a mistake and that the decimal point had been put in the wrong position. I have started on Eligard( 6 monthly injection) and the PSA dropped to 0.9ng/ml for the first year but 2 months later it is up to 5.8ng/ml. I have now have added Casodex to my therapy. Hopefully the result next time will see a drop in PSA.

In the meantime I am starting to lose weight by going to the gym and eating the Asian diet. It looks like too much weight is definitely bad for the prognosis.

I keep optimistic and have my faith to keep me positive.

 

UPDATED

December 2008

 

 

Basil's current PSA is 734 ng/ml. He writes:

It has been 2 years 5 months since I started with the LHRH 6 monthly injection Eligard. The therpy has now failed and I have gone into HRPC.

I am into my 2nd course of Taxotere and am travelling quiet well considering I have taken a poison into my body. The side effects so far are manageable with day 4-7 being the down time. The pain has gone from my spine and I am enjoying a better quality of life. I am back to doing exercises again and praying to God to give me strength and hope for my time on earth here.

I will update my journey in the near future.

Regards, Basil.

Basil's e-mail address is: baswill@bigpond.com