YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

SILVER

 

Roger Grigg and Irene live in Victoria, Australia. He was 59 when he was diagnosed in 2005. His initial PSA was 5.6 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 7 and although he does not give his staging, it seems from his narrative that he would have been staged T1c . His choice of treatment was Surgery. Here is his story.

PSA in December, 2002 = 1.8, December, 2003 = 3.6 December, 2004 = 5.6 Off to urologist who did a biopsy and suggested surgery - no hurry but I elected to do it as soon as possible.

Surgery in March 2005. Following a radical my PSA reading was 4.2 and I was given a PET ( positron emission tomography) scan, which was part of study at Peter Mac Cancer Centre in Melbourne. This involved injecting with radioactive ink loaded with protein. The result confirmed I had several small tumors well away from where my prostate gland was. Prognosis was 2-5 years before the end - chemo no value, radiation would bust me. Bad luck. No treatment yet - quality of life better than quantity at this stage. After a very anxious 3 months PSA was 3.4 in September, 2005!!! Prognosis changed to 2 to 5 yrs before treatment.

Since then, PSAs have been June, 2006: 4.8, July, 2007: 7.4, July 2008: 11.3

No treatment yet. No physical symptoms. Continence and sensation OK. Hormone treatment will be available and will slow things down - no urgency. Keep fit was the only suggestion.

I run 3 or 4 kms and work out in gym 3 times a week. I take selenium daily and make a juice drink with fruit and veggies each day. Recently I bought some apricot kernels and take 8 each day with cereal which I eat with soy milk.

 

UPDATED

November 2009

 

 

In May 2009 my PSA was up to 22.0 ng/ml. I had a scan and it was evident the cancer had spread to flat bones - pevis and some ribs. Hormone deprivation treatment (ADT) prescibed (Zoladex 10.8 implant 3 months) After 2 months, reponse was good PSA down to 6.0; after 4 months 2.5 and 6 months 1.8. Oncologist wants it to drop to below 1 before a treatment break. Side effects have been some hot flushes - tolerable and loss of interest in sex. I was surpised that I was not frustrated by this loss of libido but I guess if you are not hungry you don't miss food either.

I continue to take selenium and make a daily juice with vegies fruit and ginger. I regularly go the gym and run most days. Recently ran in the 10 km run and broke PB by 8 mins. then found out that the run was 750m short!!!

In June I was very anxious and the demons were back. I started listening to the meditation discs daily for a couple of weeks and the demons were gone. Since then and particularly after the dramatic drop in PSA I am back to normal. Getting test results create anxious moments but I am dealing with that better as well.

Next test in Feb.

Roger's e-mail address is: rogergrigg@yahoo.com