HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

High PSA- 128, enlarged Prostate, GS 9, Aggressive Advance Prostate Cancer! PSA 12-27-13

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
1 23
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/8/2013 7:05 AM (GMT -5)
Good news again,

This past Wed., had monthly Firmagon injection/Xgeva shot. PSA tested and it was down to 0.05!! Very happy for the Undetectable number (per my nurse), told me it was at or almost Zero!!. I'm still learning the terms so I hope I've gotten everything correct.

Still having severe SE after my injections\shot (for a week or so, feels like several bee stings and turns RED and leaves a bump in the area). I've very thankful for life and striving to be positive every day. Everyone tells me I look good and my color is good. Still having major issues with emotions, but keep them hidden from my family (mostly my wife). However, we do have conversations from time to time about my PCa. We both try to stay positive and know we need to for our daughter-son in law and four grandkids as we're a very close family.

AGAIN, I'm so happy I found HW as it's helped me more that anyone will ever know. I have two brothers in CA) one in LA area and the other in Stockton area.

Take care and Happy Grandparents day (if you qualify)!!

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 9/8/2013 10:42 AM (GMT -5)
Thank's Dave, I'm praying for you too. Glad things are going well .

Don
Posted 9/8/2013 10:56 AM (GMT -5)
Great news! The emotional side is hard for all of us to deal with, no doubt. Best of luck with everything.
Posted 9/8/2013 11:11 AM (GMT -5)
Thanks for your story. Ours is just beginning. And congrats on your progress.
Posted 9/8/2013 8:34 PM (GMT -5)
DonaldJ, Phenom and Haliday,

Thanks for the kind words. Praying for all my brothers and their family.

We can beat this.

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 9/9/2013 12:29 PM (GMT -5)
Welcome Dave from a fellow grandpa of 4, in my case 2 from daughter and 2 from son rather than your 4 all from your daughter.

congrats on your results.

One thing that did not make sense to me was bone mets down to your toes. I thought it was very rare for mets to get below the knees or elbows.

You mentioned some prior back surgery. I have had no surgery but apparently had a previously undiagnosed herniated disc with spinal compression at T7&T8 (I have no bone pain so far, nor even any BPH symptoms, just stage IV cancer and occasional Lupron hot flashes).

What I now know is the herniated disc glowed the most brightly on the bone scan but the MRI showed that it was benign. I still have so-called mild metastasis of spine due to lesions at T4 & T9.

So you may want to supplement your bone scan with MRIs to spine and pelvic area. The latter actually showed my right sacroiliac that on the bone scan appeared to be just a dot not symmetric with the left sacral area was what the radiation oncologist referred to as classic prostate metastasis to bone in sacral area.

So one MRI showed better than bone scan on spine and the other showed worse to pelvic area

My understanding is that MRIs are not as good as bone scans at detecting PCa but once they find something are more accurate.

Another test I have had is a CTC Circulating Tumor Cell test. Apparently it can be prone to some false positives and to some false negatives. Assuming Quest Labs did not make an error, when it came back negative my understanding is that there are no new tumors in course of forming and still have to deal with existing bone mets.

Keep up the excellent results and congrats on making it to the zero club. That membership is a lot harder to attain if you still have your prostate than after removal via surgery, but both are great results.

LupronJim
Posted 9/9/2013 7:23 PM (GMT -5)
Hey Dave, that's looking REAL good..Few men get that profound a response on HT. When it occurs, it's a very good sign..

It might be time for another bone scan. They can compare it to the first one and see exactly how much progress has been made. Sometimes "hot-spots" can be cleaned up with spot radiation treatment. The squeaky hinge will get the oil, keep up the fight Brother!
Posted 9/9/2013 7:55 PM (GMT -5)
Dave, it is absolutely fantastic to see such great stats!!! Staying positive is for all involved, even for ones self. Praying for many more reports of this kind from you, keep them coming and celebrate the wonder of it all.
Posted 9/19/2013 4:51 PM (GMT -5)
LupronJim; Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, last Oct. 2, had all the tests and my doctor said I had mets from right skull down to my right toe. May 17, I had 2nd CT and Bone scans. Lots of improvement from Oct. 2nd. However, at T12, last Oct., my doctor told me I may want to get spot radiation. Past few weeks, having LOTS of pain in my lower back/right hip (pain Dr. also said I may want to have the spot radiation). Past couple days\nights, not been sleeping and lots of pain.

Fairwind; Thanks for the kind words. May 17th, I had second BS and the overall scan looks about 25% better than the Oct. 2, 2012 scan.

Adjust; Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, got to stay positive (sometimes it's very hard to do), but doing my best from day to day.

Everyday, I'm praying for everyone here and their families.

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 9/20/2013 4:23 AM (GMT -5)
Dave,
Keep charging forward!
Posted 9/20/2013 7:25 AM (GMT -5)
PreacherMan12,

Thank You for the kind words.

My father/grandfather were both preachers. Sorry to say, both of them died of cancer in their early 60's.

Cancer, doesn't care who it attacks, young, old, male or female. I'll keep up the fight from day to day and praying for all my brothers on HW and everywhere!

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 10/8/2013 11:41 PM (GMT -5)
Last Wed., had my monthly injection and shot. Nurse called today: PSA is "0.0"!! I'm SO HAPPY!!

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 10/9/2013 6:26 AM (GMT -5)
Outstanding! I'm so happy for you. Hope you can put it out of your mind for a while and go enjoy some sunny days!
Posted 10/9/2013 7:04 AM (GMT -5)
That is such good news. And welcome to Club Zero!
Posted 10/9/2013 8:36 AM (GMT -5)
Great news Dave.    Keep up the zeros!!

Jack

Posted 10/9/2013 10:16 AM (GMT -5)
Dave ..........

Excellent news!

Going back to your first post ...... and your urologist stating something about 4 or 5-years left.

You're making them look silly! I trust your close family is really happy these days ..... congratulations.

Rob

 

Posted 10/9/2013 11:09 AM (GMT -5)
Grandpa,
Sorry that I'm not a "praying man" but for you I'll make an exception! I love your fighting spirit and great attitude. I asked the "man" to give you special consideration...That's all--From an older grandpa..
Bill idea
Posted 10/9/2013 4:48 PM (GMT -5)
Thank You everyone for your support and kind words.

Yes Bill, Thank You for making an exception, as you can see, I need all the prayers I can get.

Also, praying for you and everyone else that's fighting PCa.

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 12/22/2013 12:14 PM (GMT -5)
Tomorrow morning, going for my PSA test. Last one was in October, "0.0", very happy. The past few weeks, been having a lot of pain in middle of back, right hip and right butt!! My oncologists is working on starting me on Radium 223!!, waiting to hear from him (SOON, I HOPE). Hoping and praying for a PSA of 0.0, again!!

Taking it one day at a time.

Dave
Posted 12/22/2013 12:48 PM (GMT -5)
..grandpa,
..darn this PAc is a pain in the ars.. Literally.. Hope your hip pain is nothing significant, hope your PSA is still under control. If you encounter any trouble at all we all are here for you.. Stay strong, stay well..
.......Appleseed.......
Posted 12/22/2013 12:50 PM (GMT -5)
Grandpaof4 - I may be grandpaofnone, but I am a praying man. Peace to you, calm in the face of this storm. It's just a number, and it is what it is. And here's asking for another 0.0!

Wisdom for your docs, too. There are no clear paths, just what looks like the right direction at the time. We just saw the second Hobbit movie yesterday, and I thought of our PCa journey as they were trying to follow the path through the forest of Mirkwood. We try to stay on the path, vague as it is (and avoid the spiders... yech).

Cheering for you, my fellow Tennesseean!
Posted 12/22/2013 1:11 PM (GMT -5)
Hi grandpaof4, I think Xofigo will help u much. I hope your doctor can get it to you fast. Don´t underestimate the power of several phone calls, if that´s what it takes to send a message to them that it is important to you. Are you taking any pain medication, perhaps, if things get slower due to the holidays? Hang in there, we are here for you.
Posted 12/22/2013 3:04 PM (GMT -5)
Grandpa, from one grandpa to another I wish aa lifetime of zero PSA and hope that you get relief from yor pain. Happy Holidays.
Posted 12/22/2013 8:31 PM (GMT -5)
grandpaof4,

I too was diagnosed with the beast far too late, I was diagnosed July 2010 with PSA 254 and Gleason 9. With PC metastised to by pelvis, ribs, legs and shoulders. Last week my PSA was 22 which has been steadily increasing since April 2011. I am still around and surviving.

I know we are all different, PC effects us all differently, and treatments have varying effect on us, but for a Doctor to say you have 4-5 years to live I feel is irresponsible because we just don't know. This is also without taking into account a treatment or cure which may be just around the corner and dramatically effect our prognosis.

Good luck, best wishes for the Season and a Happy New Year.

From a Grandpa of 1

Geoff
Posted 12/22/2013 8:51 PM (GMT -5)
Dave, I am a grandpa of nine....we both have a lot to live for. We wish you the best.

MerryChristmas,

Jack
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
123