What's Going On In My World

[DanStokes]

My uncle had it done and one of my co-workers dad has had it done and a friend when he was in his late 30's all with excellent results. Best of wishes to you!!

Did they do porton? Always good to hear of guys getting the treatment with good results.

Dan

[DanStokes]

Glad to see you are taking it so well, if you wanted a Florida vacation I sure ME would have let you go with out going and getting cancer

You know she would have - but this is the way the cookie crumbled.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Glad to see you are taking it so well, if you wanted a Florida vacation I sure ME would have let you go with out going and getting cancer

Think of it as a "forced vacation"...

[TheSilverBuick]

Good luck Dan, I echo the others on the due diligence.

[JRoberts]

Know that you are in my thoughts an prayers. I have had more than one kind of cancer over the years. One was prostate cancer. I do not think the kind of treatment you are getting was available when I was diagnosed. I did go for radiation (not seeds). I went to UNC to see what they had to offer as my urologist was not one I would take advise from. The doc there said that they could do robotic surgery, which what I was considering, but he wanted me to check with a doc here in town first. This doc offered a process that sounds a lot like yours, but evidently not exaclty the same kind of radiation. To make a long story a bit shorter, I came through it okay. My PSA was never high (.6) at the time of diagnosis, and has remained very low (.2 last time it was checked). Progress in this field is rather phenomenal and I am sure you will do just fine.

[DanStokes]

Good to hear from you, Joe. I knew you had fought cancer but didn't know that prostate was among the ones you had dealt with. My PSAs had gone from a steady 1.0 ish to a sudden 2.4 (IIRC). My primary doc caught they jump which is a big deal even if the absolute value is still in the "normal" range - 2.4 is still considered normal. After more testing at the urologist's office we did the biopsy and had a Gleeson score of 3+4=7, bad news.

Proton is quite a bit different. IMRT and other external beam methods use X-rays and they can't be as accurately targeted as protons so there's the possibility of collateral damage. They can focus proton beam so accurately that they can cut a tumor (declared inoperable) off the optic nerve and leave the eye functional - pretty amazing tech. As mentioned, you need a center with a cyclotron and I chose FL.

The tech has actually been around since the 60's but was experimental and only done at places that has a research reactor. There are now about 15 centers in the US and Canada and a couple in Europe with more slated to open. It's a huge investment so most facilities are associated with colleges or other places that can wait for the investment to pay back.

And thanks for the kind thoughts......

Dan

[corvettedad]

Did they do porton? Always good to hear of guys getting the treatment with good results.

Dan

Yes all three had the proton done and had great results!!

[70chevyC-10]

Good thoughts and prayers coming your way Dan - -

[Huskinhano]

Getting older is definitely not for the weak. Last year after someone I know on another forum was diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to 2/3 of his liver was enough to get my overdue colonoscopy. 2 Pollups were removed. My friend told me recently at his last visit no trace of cancer was found. He said if it had been just a couple years before, the doc said he would have had only months to live. You've got great changes and you'll be fine.

[malc]

Good luck Dan rootin' for you from this side of the World...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Good luck Dan. My dad had the proton surgery then the regular surgery a year or so later (with chemotherapy). I think that he wishes he simply didn't have any surgery - though it's over now and I haven't asked since. Prostate cancer can take a long, long time to become a problem - in his case, they figured that it would be at least 10 years (he's in his 80s) before it would become a problem. In his case, I think it worried him - so he got the treatment.

[Loren]

Dan we're thinking of you every day.

I had a friend do the proton thing for brain tumor but in his case he, having other mental issues, refused to let them do the MRI they wanted to (big scary noisy tube, oh my) (that there would be a sarcastic remark 'cause I've been in one myself) and they had to work with much less precise info than they wanted, leaving the doctors essentially a sharp knife to cut with but no light to see by. Lesson there, just let 'em take as long as they want to for investigation whether it's making sense to the patient or not. It is truly amazing what medical tech can do these days.

Hang in.

[SuperBuickGuy]

funny you mention scary, Loren, I've had countless MRIs done but the last time I had to tap out for a minute to get my head back on straight.... mock to your heart's content, but it happens - even to the frequent fliers.

[pdub]

... mock to your heart's content, but it happens - even to the frequent fliers.

Yeah, I didn't like it. I thought I was in no way claustrophobic. Never have been before anyways....Stick me in a hole, I don't care. I'm likely to go into the hole on my own, if I'm interested about what's in there. I think it's the stress level anyhow, like a dog at the vet's, same thing. These people are telling me what to do, and they put me inside that paper towel core, and I'm staring at it, all the whirring and such....and I can't get out of here right this minute even if I wanted to, not even in an emergency. Nossir, I didn't like it, and I didn't bring that fear in there with me, it just happened. So, yeah.

[Deaf Bob]

funny you mention scary, Loren, I've had countless MRIs done but the last time I had to tap out for a minute to get my head back on straight.... mock to your heart's content, but it happens - even to the frequent fliers.

Had a few myself... Always on the line of freaking out.. Claustophobic to a degree, then they do instructions via intercom or yelling..
Crawling under cars isn't bad.. But if I think how poorly I move, I start to sweat.. Let the young uns crawl under!