This forum is for the discussion of anything to do with Prostate Cancer. There are only four rules:
No fundraisers, no commercials (although it is OK to recommend choices of treatment or medical people based on your personal research; invitations to participate in third-party surveys are also acceptable, provided there is no compensation to YANA);
No harvesting e-mail addresses for Spam;
No insults or flaming - be polite and respectful at all times and understand that there may be a variety of points of view, all of which may have some validity;
Opinions are OK, but please provide as much factual evidence as possible for any assertions that you are making
Failure to abide by these simple rules will result in the immediate and permanent suspension of your posting privileges.
Since this is an International Forum, please specify your location in your post.
Aloha,
One of the questions I was asked during this recovery process is "what good things/feelings have happened to you since you found out that you have PC"?
At the time of the question I was at the bottom of a cycle that resulted from an over dose of a prescribed drug with respect to my sinuses, that laid me up for more than a week (ie. no farm work). At the time I could not think of anything. After waiting for my mood to rise, Sandy & I came up with four items;
1. We are closer together.
2. I can now poop in a public restroom with out a bag of clean up materials.
3. I have found and made many online and some offline friends.
4. While on ADT I did not have any pimples (they are just starting to return, last shot was April 08).
So, let us hear about the good things that have happened in your life.
Joe
Sure: helped bring me in to trusting in J.C. our Lord and comfort in those teachings, words, psalms and helps you focus on things that actually do matter, the intangibles: relationships, love, prayer, meditation...that kind of thing...reflection on life.
Getting a grip on why are you here to begin with, it has helped me and bring me some peace and joy in a world that is not all peace and joy.
Helped sharpen my skills especially as to be my own patient advocate, my presentation of PCa was more in the omnious levels, my story is herein under radiations (Rob P.), off course I added ADT3 prior to radiations of neutron via cyclotron machine and then photon via IMRT machine (unique and powerful protocols), later switched to DES with good results, went off drugs for 2 years until recently (psa got to 1.4 resumed DES 1-mg and within weeks psa to .61 and falling)...to be continued (originally got 8 opinions-had to hire and fire and weed out some of the bias and b.s. I did encounter...well worth it).
Have tried to help inform others on PCa if and when possible and that is a vocation sort of out of this whole ordeal.
Met some very good people and learned alot of things about PCa and life that might not have been brought my way otherwise.
Finally found some good docs for my situation, although that was far from an easy task and took time.
Best thing is insurance covered everything, including 8 opinions, hiring and firing etc. I actually felt empowered on my journey by such and kind of became a warrior on this thing as it is a real battle.
Websites like this is a good thing, for sharing and caring. We don't share or care for money gain, which perishes by the way, we have a better purpose or calling....that's whay I'm talkin about.
Contary to what most men say, I know that being dxed with PCa 12 years ago was one of the most positive things that had happened to me. It made me take stock of where I was going, what I could do for myself and what I wanted from life
I changed my life style, became healthy (besides the cancer),I learned to live one day at the time. I realized that one could close doors and open new ones with new opertunities.I learned to come to terms with ED.This was a big one as my wife and I separated soon after RP(PCa was not the reason)To start courting at the age of 61 was hard enough, with ED things were more difficult! I learned that one did not need a big stiff dick to be a sexual athlete. I learned to appreciate the importance of physical contact which might not end with penetration or an orgasm.
I found that I wanted to help others in a similar position. I helped establish the second support group in Israel, set up a web site, both in Hebrew and English. Have founded The Living with Prostate Foundation.
Pca gave me the oppertunity to make contact with people from all over the world.
To-day I am very objective about whom I am and where I want to go. I have learned to live with the cancer and am not afraid of it.
My story appears on the Mentors list as well as www.Shalomprostate.co.il
To-morrow will be as good as to-day
No relatives on the big island, but if they will have me....I will come home to that weather anyday. If I were wealthy the Carribean or Hawaii would be high on my list as great place to enjoy life.
Lenny yeah you and I have communicated before, good thing you are doing. Luckily I don't seem to have the gynecomastia thing happening, I did the breast radiation thing, it was easy and no complications years later, so it seemed alright. But, for others the drug route to combat such is an easy option and would cost less.
