My Prostate Journey

 After my ninth radiation treatment (last Friday) I noticed that the aiming point on the front of my body was getting sore--not bad, but sore enough to notice. I told Kathy about it and, mom that she is, she wanted to have a look. She noticed the rash that had spread over a portion of my lower abdomen. I looked in the mirror, and sure enough . . ..  I did some looking on the internet and found that the majority of people who receive radiation treatment develop radiation rash. It does what most rashes do, it itches and makes the area where it sets up shop sensitive to pressure. One way I'm managing it is wearing suspenders--my belt buckle sits right on top of the aiming point. "Wear loose clothing," the website says, but, "I have to keep my pants up," says I." It's an example of a syndrome that I don't think I had noticed until my itching middle and my falling-down pants pointed to it in a way I couldn't miss. I'm calling it, "Managing ...

 Kathy & I are camping this week. We set up our little trailer much closer to where I get my treatments. We are enjoying the chill time. I had my fifth treatment this afternoon. I still feel good. I'm a previous post I talked about the enemy within. One of the good things testosterone does is encourage muscle growth. Unfortunately, for me and other guys with prostate cancer (PC), it also encourages the growth of PC. How does a guy get rid of what he wants to eliminate, without losing what he doesn't want to lose? I suspect others with PC ask the same question. (Remember I'm not a doctor.) I don't think you'll like the answer I found any more than I do. It's exercise, not some dainty workout like one finds in an online ad that promises spectacular results in five minutes a day, I'm talking exercise that is enough to make one's muscles say, "ENOUGH!" I know I'm 76 and have been losing muscle mass for a while now. Truth be told my muscle m...

Progress report: As far as the radiation is concerned: 3 down, 25 to go. I started listening to a book, yesterday, to make better use of my drive time. So far, other than the drive back and forth the "Disruptor" hasn't disrupted my life much at all. (I talk about the Disruptor in a previous post .) I seem to be tolerating the meds I'm on with little if any negative side effects.  I find it really odd that I've lain down on the radiation machine table (the machine is called a "medical linear accellerator"), watched the big ring rotate around me, listened to the noise it makes, and have yet to feel anything. I have good reason to believe, though, that it is doing something. I'm told that later I may feel some tenderness at the points where the radiation enters my body. I'll be glad to continue with the no-feeling syndrome, but we'll see. I finish up the first week of this six weeks of radiation treatment today. I'm looking forward to the we...

Progress: Radiation: 1 down; 27 to go. I got introduced to the process. Very nice folks. The clinic where I get my radiation does 90 patients/day on 2 machines. No pain. Infact, I didn't feel anything. Just lie there and let the machine do its thing. Medications: I started on oral antihormone drug, abiraterone (Abby). Also prednisone and some other stuff to counteract side effects. I'm making a list of what and when so I can keep it all straight.   Thoughts:  It seems that I remember one of the old militant women's liberation warriors saying something like, "Testosterone should be declared a lethal substance." Keep in mind my memory, though pretty good, isn't perfect. If you do a bit of web-searching, you'll find that testosterone is a controlled substance. But, that's talking about the male hormone being given as a drug or suppliment. The late comedian George Carlin is reported to have said, "Testosterone: the most lethal drug on earth." Per...

 I just got a call from the radiation oncology office. They have a machine that's broken down, so I'm cancelled for today. I get started at 9:30 tomorrow. This is a further illustration of the brokenness of our world. Little aggravations don't take a day off just because big issues show up.  I'm trusting the Lord. I'll get back to you tomorrow.

 Let me tell you what this is and, mostly, what this isn't. This is simply my observations, reactions, and thoughts--medical, lifestyle, and Theological--about my diagnosis with and treatment of my prostate cancer.