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Reference: I have had a few prior posts:
55 year old active Male taking no meds officially diagnosed with Stage 1C in October 2016. I had a PSA of 5.0 most of 2015 and really did nothing about it other than false denials and meds hoping it was just an infection and decided to monitor it. In early fall 2016, PSA was 8.2 and biopsy results were 7/12 cores active, 3+3=6 Gleason score: was it time to Celebrate? back in 2016 no but now maybe. Original plan I decided on was Brachytherapy in April 2017 after confirmation of MRI Coil inserted procedure confirmed Cancer was contained within Prostate. Time to Celebrate? Yes indeed!! In May 2016, after several more tests my PSA was now 11.6 and MD Anderson Cancer Ctr changed lab report to 4+3=7 Gleason and now the plan was (2) 3 month Lupron Shots, 22 EBRT sessions and finally a Brachytherapy procedure. Was it time to Celebrate? Not then but now maybe.
Post Results: Lupron-First 45 days were just some Hot Flashes, than the weight gain of 4-6 pounds, run out of breath easy, wake up more at night which are all current 5 months in. Lupron has dropped my testosterone to <20 ng and my PSA to .2 so time to Celebrate? yes but at what ongoing setback. 22 EBRT sessions were painless other than holding your urine every day to uncomfortable point of pain. early on they were real easy other than mild urgency to go scenarios so I began to wonder maybe I should skip the Brachytherapy and continue with EBRT. Of course the Rad Oncologist said that would quote not be "prudent". hmmm so I convinced myself to do everything I can with no regrets. When I completed the 22 EBRT sessions I participated in a tradition at facility which was to walk down a hall ringing a loud church bell and have your picture taken with a plaque of inspiration. Was it time to celebrate, ABSOLUTELY!! and ironically when I jumped in my car the Celebration continued as the first song playing on the radio-True comment was "Stayin Alive" by the Bee Gees!
Brachytherapy completed yesterday. Day 1 side effects. Painful urination like a college STD. I am on all these MEDS, Flomax, Cipro, Medrol and starting OTC AZO so I anticipate more. Time to celebrate the conclusion of my Tri Modality? Unsure but what I am beginning to be sure of is that I want to and I am Celebrating more things in life than before. When I wake up one less time during the night, when I have one shorter Hot Flash, when I piss and it burns less. It is time to Celebrate, yes we are all alive but I am also beginning to believe its never going to be a Celebration of ultimate Victory over Cancer but rather a journey of Celebrations and the Ultimate Celebration begins when I finally accept my "NEW Normal" which hopefully includes Cancer Free or very long term remission status. God bless all of you and I hope this was helpful to someone! I look forward to reading any comments and related stories from others and answer with my humble opinion any question I can for those considering treatment options best for them.
I reckon every day survived post-diagnosis is a day to celebrate. In other words, live life to the full so that when it is time to go, you have no regrets.
4000 of such days will be my next milestone and boy, will I celebrate that!
congratulations and many more celebrations be with you! It sounds like you focus more on living each day rather than the way you did live prior to this unplanned journey. sounds like common sense but for some like myself it has come slowly. Are you retired? I ask since that may be one less get in the way daily concern.
My retirement 17 years ago (my choice to go at 56) long predated my battle with PCa, starting 10 years ago, so I guess in getting into that easy going approach to life, I've had it easier than some!
OC
