YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Jim Goodbar lives in Kansas, USA . He was 71 when he was diagnosed in April 2007. His initial PSA was 4.7 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and he was staged T2. His choice of treatment was Cryosurgery. Here is his story.

In April of 2007 a biopsy showed PCa. CatScans and Bone Scans supposedly showed no cancer to other organs or to the bone. After much research decided to have Cryotherapy on June 5, 2007.

Had a tough time recovering for the first three months. This is not a therapy that should be selected lightly. The main reason I went this route was due to the fact that if a failure occurred then I had other options.

My PSA three months after the surgery was 2.9. Not a low as I expected but the Urologist didn't seem that concerned and told me to come back in three more months. Went back in December 2007 and PSA had jumped to 10. Had it rerun a week later and it dropped to 7.9. Still a very large increase though.

Urologist had CatScans and Bone scan rerun. All came back negative for cancer. He wanted to give me Lupron shots but I told him that the potential side effects were to much for me. He then put me on a fat free diet and gave me a prescription for Proscar. Said to come back in 3 months.

In the interim I have been reading research papers on prostate cancer and the various types of repair therapies. One thing I have determined so far is that there is a tremendous amount that is unknown about PCa. I will say though that the amount of research that is being done will surely lead to some breakthroughs in the next 5 years. I will go along with my Urologist for another 3 months and then decide my next treatment (if any). My major concern in this battle has been quality of life. What is the sense of having a poor quality of life for a incremental increase in longevity.

Will keep you informed

Later:

I just finished reading an article entitled " PSA: A Cancer Fighter And A Valuable Messenger"? The bottom line of this paper, written by a prostate researcher named Eleftherios P. Diamandis of the University of Toronto, is that, and I quote

" PSA should be considered as a cancer fighter at the tissue level and as a valuable messenger at the level of systemic circulation, which may be used to either detect or monitor cancer".

If I understand this correctly it means that the PSA protein actually fights the cancer.

If this is true why do we try so hard to suppress the amount?** Interesting isn't it?

 

UPDATED

May 2008

 

 

Went back to urologist 3 months after having a PSA of 7.9. Went back to have him check out if my bladder was retaining urine to any significant degree. No infections and bladder was retaining 45CC of fluid. He put me on Flomax to try to improve my flow. This is in conjunction with Finasteride. Seems to have helped so far.

My diet includes no dairy, sugar or red meats. Lots of fruits and vegetables. I feel very good on this regimen and my bowel habits are excellent. Have not had an additional PSA reading since the 7.5 number.

I will stay on my health regimen until I experience something bad. I have decided I do not want to be operated on again or take hormone repression, chemotherapy or radiation. This may be a stupid move to some but I and I alone will make the decisions relative to my health and quality of living.

 

UPDATED

September 2009

 

 

I have delayed an update to my PC story because it is long and painful.

Since my last entry I went on a strict diet with specific vitamins and minerals in an attempt to kill the cancer or at least slow down its progress. This went on for a year when I began to have sharp pains in my lower left groin. Subsequent testing showed that the lymph gland and pubic bone had cancer.

I then began radiation treatment on the cancerous lymph gland and had 42 treatments. The oncologist then decided I needed additional EBRT to the prostate and pubic bone. These treatments stopped the pain but not without damage to other places in my body. Its been three months since the end of my radiation treatments and I still have bouts with diarrhea and incontinence. I am always tired and the muscles around my hips are always aching.

I then fell about a month ago and fractured a vertebrae in my back. It was the most pain that I could imagine. I then discovered that I have osteoporosis.

I guess the only good news is that my PSA went from 60 before the EBRT to 15 at the end and now it is 2.6 after 4 months. I had an PETSCAN today and the oncologist wants to determine if the cancer has moved to other places.

If I could move backward, based upon what I know today, I would have not done anything after my doctor discovered a hard area within my prostate. I truly believe that my quality of life would have been much better the last two years than it has been with the surgery, EBRT and the fall. When I think of the pain caused from the original biopsy, Cryosurgery, EBRT, the fall and subsequent surgery I can't believe I was able to survive. The human body is certainly a formidable fighter.

I have decided from here on that I will do nothing other than attempt to control the pain. What is that old song? Kay-Sa-Ra-Sa-Ra. [I think Jim may be referring to the old Doris Day number Che Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be, Will Be]

Later: Continuing my latest update. I received the results concerning the PET scan that I took 6 weeks after finishing my EBRT treatments. The scan showed no hot spots other than the pubic bone that was irradiated to get rid of my original pain. The oncologist said the hot spot could either be that the pubic bone is inflamed and healing or the radiation did not kill the cancer cells in that area. He said there was not much more he could do and to come back in one year unless I have problems. He said I should get my family doctor to run PSA test every 3 months. I think I am going to change my oncologist! He is a little low key for me.

Jim's e-mail address is: jimboy@terraworld.net

**FOOTNOTE: THERE IS A LINK ABOVE TO THE ARTICLE TO WHICH JIM REFERS. AS WILL BE SEEN THE ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN 2000.