Larry
& Cherry Luitjens live at South Dakota, USA. Larry was 60 when he was diagnosed
on November 20, 2002. His PSA was 5 with a Gleason of 3+3. He is undecided as
to what treatment he will select. He says:
Really
have no experiences at this time. Just getting over the initial fear and trying
to learn as much as I can so I can make an educated decision on treatment.
[Update
March 31, 2003]
Larry is 60 years of age now and still has continued with Watchful Waiting as
his treatment of choice. His PSA is now 2.4.
The update to his story:
My
PSA was 6.1 in February and went down to 2.65 in March. My doctor thought they
had made a mistake at the lab and had me come back in the same day to draw more
blood. They drew three vials and tested two of them in two different labs in Rapid
City, SD. Both results came back 2.65. They sent the third vial to a lab in Salt
Lake City, UT. It came back 2.4 with a prognosis that there was a 72% chance that
I was cancer free!!! I am still working my five-point program.
1: Healthy eating with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables.
2:
Lots of nutritional supplements - If I believe their research I buy the supplement!
3:
Exercise, I walk daily doing about 25-30 miles per week and use the Bow Flex three
times per week for about 50 min. each time. I am buying a bike next week.
4:
A super positive attitude. I believe that I am cancer free right now!
5: Lots of prayer, mine and all of my friends.
I
am doing monthly PSA's and will have a cat scan with my next PSA. Thanks to YANA
and all of your support I will live for another 60 years!
I've
had a long, difficult seven months as I was in a bicycle-RV accident. Yes, I was
on the bike.
I
suffered a concussion, punctured lung, eight broken ribs, some with multiple breaks,
two breaks on my scapula, and a dislocated shoulder. I ended up with some severe
depression also. I spent 19 days in the hospital, four and one-half months at
home.
The
reason for sharing this is that I basically forgot all about my prostate cancer.
I went off my supplements,didn't stay on my diet and did not exercise. I lost
33 pounds in the hospital and my main concern was to put on some weight.
I
visited with my cancer doctor on Friday, March 19. He was pleased with my PSA
and said my cancer tumor was smaller. I am back on my good eating habits, supplements
and exercise. I am walking four miles per day, doing the bow-flex, and road my
bike for 11 miles today-the first time since the accident. My positive attitude
is back and I am going to lick the PC thing!
I
noticed that the part of my story about my near fatal bicycle accident on August
21, 2003 has been deleted. A by product of my bike accident was severe depression.
Because of the depression and the fact that my PSA was slowly going up -only 3,
but all this caused me to go and go through tomotherapy* in
the summer of 2004.
I
ended my 28 treatments on August 21, 2004 After one month my PSA was 0.95 and
after 4 months it was 0.49. I do not go back to my doctor for another 6 months.
The
only negative I am going through is no sex live, but that could be caused by the
anti-depressants I am taking and have nothing to do with the tomotherapy. I am
going to live for another 60 years!
Note
from Webmaster: Tomotherapy is a form of External Beam Radiation Therapy better
known as IMRT - intensity modulated radiotherapy.
I
have healed up from my bicycle accident and my PSA continues to go down. I am
going to see my Cancer doctor at the end of this month.
I
am in great physical and mental shape and my only negative is ER. I will survive
that!!
I
went from watchful waiting to radiation therapy and am 100% healthy. Thanks goes
to YANA and the knowledge and support I received.
Larry's Email address: luitjens@gwtc.net
