|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like is!
"Edward Dolan" wrote in
: "Mamma Wesolowsk" wrote in message ... "Edward Dolan" wrote in : [...] The only ****-for brains-moron here is you. The Honorable Mr. Gary Sokolisch has NOT been spamming RBS. Only you are stupid enough to do that. Also you have yet to explain what the name Amber Travsky is doing on your asinine posts which so far have been full of nothing but ****, **** and ****. Previously asked and answered. Nope, never answered. Specifically what wasn't answered? Also , I will no longer be posting my revelatory messages to the social security disability group. Why should they have to put up with this stupid ****! You mean your stupid ****, right, Saint Ed the Great? "Now go **** yourself and quit bothering the honorable members of this noble newsgroup - you god damn ****ing asshole!" - Ed Dolan Ed Dolan the Great aka Saint Edward the Great, Order of the Perpetual Sorrows, Minnesota |
Ads |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like is!
"Mamma Wesolowski" wrote in message ...
"Edward Dolan" wrote in : [...] Also you have yet to explain what the name Amber Travsky is doing on your asinine posts which so far have been full of nothing but ****, **** and ****. Previously asked and answered. Nope, never answered. Specifically what wasn't answered? I want to know what the name Amber Travsky was doing on your post? Her name was not used falsely by anyone as far as I can tell and her message was nothing objectionable. Give me her message in full under her name that you think was used falsely. I am not interested in lists! Also , I will no longer be posting my revelatory messages to the social security disability group. Why should they have to put up with this stupid ****! You mean your stupid ****, right, Saint Ed the Great? No, I mean OUR stupid ****! "Now go **** yourself and quit bothering the honorable members of this noble newsgroup - you god damn ****ing asshole!" - Ed Dolan Ed Dolan the Great aka Saint Edward the Great, Order of the Perpetual Sorrows, Minnesota |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
wrote in message
... On Thursday, January 10, 2013 6:49:51 PM UTC-6, Edward Dolan wrote: I also sometimes wonder if Jim McNamara licked his prostate cancer. I suspect he did. He was too damn ornery ever to die! Say Ed ... your assert that I'm ornery??? This from one of the most ornery persons on planet Earth, what we have here is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. For someone who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, you are not very well informed about the disease. As concerns my health status, I'm still alive, but feel under no obligation to satisfy your curiosity with an update. Now, when I was diagnosed, I specifically told you that my disease was staged clinical stage 4 which is terminal (read incurable). I fail to comprehend what you don't understand about that. Then again, you never have been a good listener and are seldom willing to accept anything stated at face value. What is there to understand. Just because your prostate cancer was diagnosed as terminal does not mean you can’t live another 20 years. Life itself is terminal, but many of us manage to live a long time in spite of that prognosis. You've not seen any posts from me for a long time simply because I've better things to do with my time than to waste time on someone who has proven himself to be a lost cause. Time spent on Usenet is a waste regardless of whom you are addressing unless all the asshole screwballs can be filtered out. That means a monitor (editor) and one who is smarter than your average poster. No one in their right mind would ever take on the task of monitoring a ****ed up newsgroup .... and they are all ****ed up – no exceptions! Tom Sherman has decided to look out for his career rather than try to get in any last words on Usenet. That is the smart thing for him to do. Usenet is for folks like myself who do not give a damn about careers ... or much of anything else either for that matter. Tibetan Monkey killed the group (RBS) although it was already half dead. The few mountain bikers were here strictly for Mr. Vandeman who humored them by pretending they had some intelligence. I simply lambasted them for the fools that they were. Good riddance to them! In fact, good riddance to everyone – including myself! Ed Dolan the Great PS: I am delighted that you are alive and kicking. Whatever you are doing, keep it up as it must be doing some good. |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
On Friday, March 8, 2013 4:56:10 PM UTC-6, Edward Dolan wrote:
wrote in message ... On Thursday, January 10, 2013 6:49:51 PM UTC-6, Edward Dolan wrote: I also sometimes wonder if Jim McNamara licked his prostate cancer. I suspect he did. He was too damn ornery ever to die! Say Ed ... your assert that I'm ornery??? This from one of the most ornery persons on planet Earth, what we have here is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. For someone who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, you are not very well informed about the disease. As concerns my health status, I'm still alive, but feel under no obligation to satisfy your curiosity with an update. Now, when I was diagnosed, I specifically told you that my disease was staged clinical stage 4 which is terminal (read incurable). I fail to comprehend what you don't understand about that. Then again, you never have been a good listener and are seldom willing to accept anything stated at face value. What is there to understand. Just because your prostate cancer was diagnosed as terminal does not mean you can’t live another 20 years. Life itself is terminal, but many of us manage to live a long time in spite of that prognosis. What is there to understand? Well, for one I had a PSA of 385.4 and a Gleason Score of 8. For the purpose of prognosis, a PSA over 4 is reason for alarm and a Gleason Score above 8 is indicative of an aggressive form of cancer. These two combined figures are indicators that my "expiration date" was much sooner than 20 years. The point that I was making though was in reference to your wondering if I had "licked" my prostate cancer. With the current state of medical technology, my advance disease is not curable. That is what you seemed not to comprehend. Now that I have spelled things out for you, I trust that you now understand.. You've not seen any posts from me for a long time simply because I've better things to do with my time than to waste time on someone who has proven himself to be a lost cause. Time spent on Usenet is a waste regardless of whom you are addressing unless all the asshole screwballs can be filtered out. I presume you include yourself since you have gone on record to state that you are the biggest asshole on Usenet. To be perfectly honest, your pugnacious combativeness, unsubstantiated repetitious assertions, and especially your unyielding, obnoxious false sense of infallibility became so exasperating that I eventually had to refrain from replying to you. I needed to curtail any and all cyber-communications. I needed a time out. Life is just to short to waste much of it on someone so hell bent on being the number one jackass on Usenet. That means a monitor (editor) and one who is smarter than your average poster. No one in their right mind would ever take on the task of monitoring a ****ed up newsgroup ... and they are all ****ed up – no exceptions! Although I disagree your masticated and regurgitated opinion is well know since it has been repeatec countless times. Tom Sherman has decided to look out for his career rather than try to get in any last words on Usenet. That is the smart thing for him to do. Usenet is for folks like myself who do not give a damn about careers ... or much of anything else either for that matter. Tibetan Monkey killed the group (RBS) although it was already half dead. So it wasn't Ed Gin after all ;~) The few mountain bikers were here strictly for Mr. Vandeman who humored them by pretending they had some intelligence. I simply lambasted them for the fools that they were. Good riddance to them! In fact, good riddance to everyone – including myself! Ed Dolan the Great PS: I am delighted that you are alive and kicking. Whatever you are doing, keep it up as it must be doing some good. 42 fractions of radiation, triple androgen deprivation (hormone) therapy, dietary changes, supplementation, etc. I've not had a measurable PSA for more than two years now. Assuming that you are sincere, then thanks for being delighted. |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
wrote in message
... On Friday, March 8, 2013 4:56:10 PM UTC-6, Edward Dolan wrote: I also sometimes wonder if Jim McNamara licked his prostate cancer. I suspect he did. He was too damn ornery ever to die! What is there to understand. Just because your prostate cancer was diagnosed as terminal does not mean you can’t live another 20 years. Life itself is terminal, but many of us manage to live a long time in spite of that prognosis. What is there to understand? Well, for one I had a PSA of 385.4 and a Gleason Score of 8. For the purpose of prognosis, a PSA over 4 is reason for alarm and a Gleason Score above 8 is indicative of an aggressive form of cancer. These two combined figures are indicators that my "expiration date" was much sooner than 20 years. The point that I was making though was in reference to your wondering if I had "licked" my prostate cancer. With the current state of medical technology, my advance disease is not curable. That is what you seemed not to comprehend. Now that I have spelled things out for you, I trust that you now understand.. You have “licked” your prostate cancer for so long as you continue to live. The fact is that being diagnosed with cancer is no longer a death sentence. Your PSA was indeed high and your Gleason Score was also higher then average - average being about 6. What you need to understand is that not everyone who comes into this world manages to reach our ages. Life, like many cancers, is not “curable” either. We are all ... yes, everyone of us, doomed (even Tom Sherman). So what else is new? [...] Time spent on Usenet is a waste regardless of whom you are addressing unless all the asshole screwballs can be filtered out. I presume you include yourself since you have gone on record to state that you are the biggest asshole on Usenet. To be perfectly honest, your pugnacious combativeness, unsubstantiated repetitious assertions, and especially your unyielding, obnoxious false sense of infallibility became so exasperating that I eventually had to refrain from replying to you. I needed to curtail any and all cyber-communications. I needed a time out. Life is just to short to waste much of it on someone so hell bent on being the number one jackass on Usenet. Understood! But you are a naïf in expecting anything at all from Usenet. I knew right from the beginning that time spent on Usenet was going to be a waste. But I have had some fun wasting my time. How about you? [...] Tibetan Monkey killed the group (RBS) although it was already half dead. So it wasn't Ed Gin after all ;~) After Ed Gin we were flopping around like a fish out of water. All Tibetan Monkey did was administer the coup de grace. That is what idiocy always does. At least everyone, including you, now knows what a dead newsgroup looks like. RBS – RIP! PS: I am delighted that you are alive and kicking. Whatever you are doing, keep it up as it must be doing some good. 42 fractions of radiation, triple androgen deprivation (hormone) therapy, dietary changes, supplementation, etc. I've not had a measurable PSA for more than two years now. Assuming that you are sincere, then thanks for being delighted. And why the hell wouldn’t I want you to be well? You are one of the few persons in this world that I feel I halfway know. Same goes for Tom Sherman. Just because we disagree on most everything doesn’t mean ****. I have always enjoy our discussions and debates. Both you and Tom Sherman are on my level of intelligence, The three of us are a rare breed on Usenet! As you may know I had the external beam radiation and the seed implants treatments some 10 years ago. So far, the only really bad effect of that has been a single episode of bleeding from the bladder due to radiation cystitis. My PSA also remains unmeasurable for what that is worth. The fact is there are still no good treatments for prostate cancer that don’t leave you with adverse side effects. Ed Dolan the Great |
#16
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
wrote in message
... [...] Jim McNamara wrote: 42 fractions of radiation, triple androgen deprivation (hormone) therapy, dietary changes, supplementation, etc. I've not had a measurable PSA for more than two years now. Assuming that you are sincere, then thanks for being delighted. How is that androgen deprivation therapy working out for you I wonder? I had a friend who was on that for many years and it never seemed to bother him in the least. I had just one shot prior to my radiation treatments and it just about drove me crazy. I had almost continuous hot flashes night and day for 4 months. I knew I would never get used to it, but many of the guys at the VA were so scared of cancer that they wanted to continue to get those shots even after their initial treatments. By the way, those shots are expensive. I think you could probably get them at the VA for not much cost. Best, Ed Dolan the Great |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
On Sunday, March 10, 2013 5:45:51 PM UTC-5, Edward Dolan wrote:
wrote in message ... [...] Jim McNamara wrote: 42 fractions of radiation, triple androgen deprivation (hormone) therapy, dietary changes, supplementation, etc. I've not had a measurable PSA for more than two years now. Assuming that you are sincere, then thanks for being delighted. How is that androgen deprivation therapy working out for you I wonder? I had a friend who was on that for many years and it never seemed to bother him in the least. I had just one shot prior to my radiation treatments and it just about drove me crazy. I had almost continuous hot flashes night and day for 4 months. I knew I would never get used to it, but many of the guys at the VA were so scared of cancer that they wanted to continue to get those shots even after their initial treatments. By the way, those shots are expensive. I think you could probably get them at the VA for not much cost. I don't want to be bothered with the VA. Too much bureaucracy and inconvenient location/travel. My medicare and medicare supplement completely cover costs of all medical treatments and yes they are ALL quite expensive, My cancer is not organ (prostate) confined and metastatic and is considered high-risk with poor prognosis. The first line of defense for advanced, metastatic prostate cancer is systemic treatment in the form of androgen ablation, or what is commonly referred to as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Hormonal manipulation is the mainstream medicine standard of care and is essential in the management of advanced prostate cancer. Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is a Luteinizing-Hormone-Releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist (substance that initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor) that shuts down testosterone production. Bicalutamide (Casodex) is an anti-androgen that inhibits testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cell’s androgen receptors. Adrenal glands produce a testosterone precursor (androstenedione) that is metabolized in the prostate into testosterone. When testosterone comes into contact with 5AR enzymes in the cancer cell nucleus, testosterone is converted into the metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a far more powerful stimulant of cancer cell growth (5 times more potent). Dutasteride (Avodart) inhibits Type I and Type II 5Alpha Reductase (5AR) enzymes. By personal preference, and with cooperation of my doctors, for two years, I was on a triple androgen blockade (ADT3) consisting of Lupron, bicalutamide (Casodex), and Avodart. ADT is both therapeutic and of critical prognostic importance with proper monitoring of PSA and testosterone levels. Duration of response to hormone therapy is highly variable. ADT initially causes most, but NEVER all of the prostate cancer cells to undergo genetically programmed cell death (apoptosis). Some prostate cancer cells are resistant or adapt to hormone therapy and continue to survive. Hormone-refractory (androgen-independent) prostate cancer cells are totally resistant to hormone therapy and there is currently no significantly effective treatment strategy for hormone-refractory, metastatic prostate cancer. Despite encouraging initial hormone therapy response rates, 80-90% of patients eventually develop progressive androgen-independent prostate cancer, for which there is currently no curative therapy. When cancer cells become resistant to hormone therapy, salvage chemotherapy is employed with some additional prolongation in duration of survival (10% survival rate after 30 months). The encouraging news is that recently approved drugs and promising new drugs on the horizon, in the clinical trial pipeline, hold out hope for long-term survival for those with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Ed, you were given a Lupron injection prior to radiation to kill of as many cancer cells as possible and reduce prostate volume to improve radiation treatment targeting. Once a Lupron injection is given, they are generally given continuously. That is standard of care. To answer your specific question regarding Lupon injections, ADT does have its downside. Treatment induced menopausal side effects include anemia, hair loss, dry eyes, dry skin, hot flashes, erectile dysfunction, abdominal fat deposit, weight gain, breast pain and/or enlargement, decreased size of testes and penis, emotional changes (anxiety, depression, and mood swings), fatigue, loss of libido, sleep disturbance, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, increased urinary frequency, discomfort or obstruction, and changes in bowel function, including diarrhea and rectal incontinence. More serious side effects include peripheral edema (swelling of hands, feet, ankles, and lower legs), decreased muscle mass, loss of bone mass (osteopenia/osteoporosis), elevated serum glucose, Type-II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, decreased HDL cholesterol, memory impairment, cognitive decline, abnormal liver function, increased risk of SREs (skeletal-related events … pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, and severe joint and bone pain), and excess serum cortisol. Some anti-aging experts refer to cortisol as the “death hormone” due to multiple degenerative effects that cortisol produces including immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, and arterial wall damage. As daunting as the side effects are, I had only two alternatives. I could allow the disease to rapidly progress unabated, or I could opt for ADT to survive longer with the distinct possibility of a compromised quality of life. Neither are appealing alternatives, but I opted for ADT. Unfortunately, that is an option that I realized would most likely reduce me to a shade of my former self. To be more specific, I have experienced dry skin, hot flashes, depression, and decreased muscle mass. I have just deliberately opted to begin intermittent androgen deprivation therapy well aware that it is no standard of care.. I determined to do so because the American Society of Clinical Oncologists recently issued a report specifying that intermittent ADT is almost as effective as continuous ADT but without its associated side effects. With some degree of apprehension, I decided to remove my safety net. Although unconfirmed in clinical trials, it is my conjecture that with intermittent ADT, tumor cells are forced into normal pathways due to testosterone rebound with the subsequent probability of an increased duration of treatment efficacy and delay in progression to castrate resistant (hormone refractory) disease. When my PSA begins to rise again, androgen dependent tumor cells should be responsive to the next cycle of hormone therapy. In the interim, I continue to take dutasteride (Avodart) as maintenance therapy to inhibit conversion of testosterone into the more dangerous metabolite dihydrotestosterone. Well, that is far more than you probably expected to hear back in the way of a response, however since you are being reasonable (you are capable when you want to be), I took the time to be very thorough in my reply. Best, Ed Dolan the Great |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
wrote in message
... On Sunday, March 10, 2013 5:45:51 PM UTC-5, Edward Dolan wrote: wrote in message How is that androgen deprivation therapy working out for you I wonder? I had a friend who was on that for many years and it never seemed to bother him in the least. I had just one shot prior to my radiation treatments and it just about drove me crazy. I had almost continuous hot flashes night and day for 4 months. I knew I would never get used to it, but many of the guys at the VA were so scared of cancer that they wanted to continue to get those shots even after their initial treatments. By the way, those shots are expensive. I think you could probably get them at the VA for not much cost. I don't want to be bothered with the VA. Too much bureaucracy and inconvenient location/travel. My medicare and medicare supplement completely cover costs of all medical treatments and yes they are ALL quite expensive, Yes, if you have got the cost covered then you are doing it right. The VA is fine once the initial bureaucratic measures are taken care of. After that it is smooth sailing. My cancer is not organ (prostate) confined and metastatic and is considered high-risk with poor prognosis. The first line of defense for advanced, metastatic prostate cancer is systemic treatment in the form of androgen ablation, or what is commonly referred to as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Hormonal manipulation is the mainstream medicine standard of care and is essential in the management of advanced prostate cancer. Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is a Luteinizing-Hormone-Releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist (substance that initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor) that shuts down testosterone production. Bicalutamide (Casodex) is an anti-androgen that inhibits testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cell’s androgen receptors. Adrenal glands produce a testosterone precursor (androstenedione) that is metabolized in the prostate into testosterone. When testosterone comes into contact with 5AR enzymes in the cancer cell nucleus, testosterone is converted into the metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a far more powerful stimulant of cancer cell growth (5 times more potent). Dutasteride (Avodart) inhibits Type I and Type II 5Alpha Reductase (5AR) enzymes. By personal preference, and with cooperation of my doctors, for two years, I was on a triple androgen blockade (ADT3) consisting of Lupron, bicalutamide (Casodex), and Avodart. ADT is both therapeutic and of critical prognostic importance with proper monitoring of PSA and testosterone levels. Duration of response to hormone therapy is highly variable. ADT initially causes most, but NEVER all of the prostate cancer cells to undergo genetically programmed cell death (apoptosis). Some prostate cancer cells are resistant or adapt to hormone therapy and continue to survive. Hormone-refractory (androgen-independent) prostate cancer cells are totally resistant to hormone therapy and there is currently no significantly effective treatment strategy for hormone-refractory, metastatic prostate cancer. Despite encouraging initial hormone therapy response rates, 80-90% of patients eventually develop progressive androgen-independent prostate cancer, for which there is currently no curative therapy. When cancer cells become resistant to hormone therapy, salvage chemotherapy is employed with some additional prolongation in duration of survival (10% survival rate after 30 months). The encouraging news is that recently approved drugs and promising new drugs on the horizon, in the clinical trial pipeline, hold out hope for long-term survival for those with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. You have a doctor’s knowledge of what is transpiring and of how to treat it. Most folks never want to know that much about their disease, no matter what it is. They figure that is what they are paying the doctor for. What you say above makes me wonder if older men should ever be taking any testosterone to boost their sexual performance. Those ads on TV disgust me! Ed, you were given a Lupron injection prior to radiation to kill of as many cancer cells as possible and reduce prostate volume to improve radiation treatment targeting. Once a Lupron injection is given, they are generally given continuously. That is standard of care. To answer your specific question regarding Lupon injections, ADT does have its downside. Treatment induced menopausal side effects include anemia, hair loss, dry eyes, dry skin, hot flashes, erectile dysfunction, abdominal fat deposit, weight gain, breast pain and/or enlargement, decreased size of testes and penis, emotional changes (anxiety, depression, and mood swings), fatigue, loss of libido, sleep disturbance, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, increased urinary frequency, discomfort or obstruction, and changes in bowel function, including diarrhea and rectal incontinence. More serious side effects include peripheral edema (swelling of hands, feet, ankles, and lower legs), decreased muscle mass, loss of bone mass (osteopenia/osteoporosis), elevated serum glucose, Type-II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, decreased HDL cholesterol, memory impairment, cognitive decline, abnormal liver function, increased risk of SREs (skeletal-related events … pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, and severe joint and bone pain), and excess serum cortisol. Some anti-aging experts refer to cortisol as the “death hormone” due to multiple degenerative effects that cortisol produces including immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, and arterial wall damage. As daunting as the side effects are, I had only two alternatives. I could allow the disease to rapidly progress unabated, or I could opt for ADT to survive longer with the distinct possibility of a compromised quality of life. Neither are appealing alternatives, but I opted for ADT. Unfortunately, that is an option that I realized would most likely reduce me to a shade of my former self. Yes, I am sure I just had the Lupron shot. It was suppose to be good for 3 months, but it lasted 4 months in my case. The hot flashes were the worst side effect for me. Frankly, I would not want to be on that treatment for long. The business about the erectile dysfunction is funny since the Lupron shot also completely takes away libido. Sex apparently is just chemistry. It is not exclusively in the mind as I once thought. If I were in your shoes the hardest thing for me to overcome would be depression. I tend to dwell on every unpleasantness that comes down the pike. I do not take ill health well. I have always thought that a modicum of good health is priceless for which we should be ever thankful. I am always amazed at what some folks are able to put up with. I can see now that you do not have it easy at all. Everyone I have ever known who had prostate cancer apparently caught it early enough so as to avoid your extreme treatments. To be more specific, I have experienced dry skin, hot flashes, depression, and decreased muscle mass. I have just deliberately opted to begin intermittent androgen deprivation therapy well aware that it is no standard of care. I determined to do so because the American Society of Clinical Oncologists recently issued a report specifying that intermittent ADT is almost as effective as continuous ADT but without its associated side effects. With some degree of apprehension, I decided to remove my safety net. Although unconfirmed in clinical trials, it is my conjecture that with intermittent ADT, tumor cells are forced into normal pathways due to testosterone rebound with the subsequent probability of an increased duration of treatment efficacy and delay in progression to castrate resistant (hormone refractory) disease. When my PSA begins to rise again, androgen dependent tumor cells should be responsive to the next cycle of hormone therapy. In the interim, I continue to take dutasteride (Avodart) as maintenance therapy to inhibit conversion of testosterone into the more dangerous metabolite dihydrotestosterone. You are most likely on the cutting edge of treatment. If knowledge alone could save you, you would be saved. But one also needs some luck. All your efforts deserve some of that too. Well, that is far more than you probably expected to hear back in the way of a response, however since you are being reasonable (you are capable when you want to be), I took the time to be very thorough in my reply. I could follow your explanation of all the complications and treatments as long as I read slowly. On the other hand, I never wanted to be a doctor. I learned that when I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy for 4 years. I mostly can’t bear to even think much about my own ailments. I think you are one tough guy to be able to cope as well as you are. Maybe cycling is good for us after all if it makes us tough when we need to be. Best, Ed Dolan the Great |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:17:17 PM UTC-5, Edward Dolan wrote:
wrote in message ... On Sunday, March 10, 2013 5:45:51 PM UTC-5, Edward Dolan wrote: wrote in message How is that androgen deprivation therapy working out for you I wonder? I had a friend who was on that for many years and it never seemed to bother him in the least. I had just one shot prior to my radiation treatments and it just about drove me crazy. I had almost continuous hot flashes night and day for 4 months. I knew I would never get used to it, but many of the guys at the VA were so scared of cancer that they wanted to continue to get those shots even after their initial treatments. By the way, those shots are expensive. I think you could probably get them at the VA for not much cost. I don't want to be bothered with the VA. Too much bureaucracy and inconvenient location/travel. My medicare and medicare supplement completely cover costs of all medical treatments and yes they are ALL quite expensive, Yes, if you have got the cost covered then you are doing it right. The VA is fine once the initial bureaucratic measures are taken care of. After that it is smooth sailing. I also prefer to be able to make my personal choice of hospitals and doctors. My cancer is not organ (prostate) confined and metastatic and is considered high-risk with poor prognosis. The first line of defense for advanced, metastatic prostate cancer is systemic treatment in the form of androgen ablation, or what is commonly referred to as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Hormonal manipulation is the mainstream medicine standard of care and is essential in the management of advanced prostate cancer. Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is a Luteinizing-Hormone-Releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist (substance that initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor) that shuts down testosterone production. Bicalutamide (Casodex) is an anti-androgen that inhibits testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cell’s androgen receptors. Adrenal glands produce a testosterone precursor (androstenedione) that is metabolized in the prostate into testosterone. When testosterone comes into contact with 5AR enzymes in the cancer cell nucleus, testosterone is converted into the metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a far more powerful stimulant of cancer cell growth (5 times more potent). Dutasteride (Avodart) inhibits Type I and Type II 5Alpha Reductase (5AR) enzymes. By personal preference, and with cooperation of my doctors, for two years, I was on a triple androgen blockade (ADT3) consisting of Lupron, bicalutamide (Casodex), and Avodart. ADT is both therapeutic and of critical prognostic importance with proper monitoring of PSA and testosterone levels. Duration of response to hormone therapy is highly variable. ADT initially causes most, but NEVER all of the prostate cancer cells to undergo genetically programmed cell death (apoptosis). Some prostate cancer cells are resistant or adapt to hormone therapy and continue to survive. Hormone-refractory (androgen-independent) prostate cancer cells are totally resistant to hormone therapy and there is currently no significantly effective treatment strategy for hormone-refractory, metastatic prostate cancer. Despite encouraging initial hormone therapy response rates, 80-90% of patients eventually develop progressive androgen-independent prostate cancer, for which there is currently no curative therapy. When cancer cells become resistant to hormone therapy, salvage chemotherapy is employed with some additional prolongation in duration of survival (10% survival rate after 30 months). The encouraging news is that recently approved drugs and promising new drugs on the horizon, in the clinical trial pipeline, hold out hope for long-term survival for those with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. You have a doctor’s knowledge of what is transpiring and of how to treat it. Most folks never want to know that much about their disease, no matter what it is. They figure that is what they are paying the doctor for. What you say above makes me wonder if older men should ever be taking any testosterone to boost their sexual performance. Those ads on TV disgust me! I feel that it is my life and I have an active role to play in my health care. It is my own best interest to learn as much as I can and assume some responsibility in the treatment of my disease. I view my doctors as practitioners with whom I have formed an alliance in a joint effort of treatment and care. I am not one of those who leaves all the decision up to my doctors. I think it is unwise to do. My doctors have been very positive concerning how I have managed matters. Agreed about testosterone. Hormonal manipulation is fraught with problems. Older men who opt for testosterone are taking a risk particularly be fueling the growth of undiagnosed prostate cancer. Ed, you were given a Lupron injection prior to radiation to kill of as many cancer cells as possible and reduce prostate volume to improve radiation treatment targeting. Once a Lupron injection is given, they are generally given continuously. That is standard of care. To answer your specific question regarding Lupon injections, ADT does have its downside. Treatment induced menopausal side effects include anemia, hair loss, dry eyes, dry skin, hot flashes, erectile dysfunction, abdominal fat deposit, weight gain, breast pain and/or enlargement, decreased size of testes and penis, emotional changes (anxiety, depression, and mood swings), fatigue, loss of libido, sleep disturbance, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, increased urinary frequency, discomfort or obstruction, and changes in bowel function, including diarrhea and rectal incontinence. More serious side effects include peripheral edema (swelling of hands, feet, ankles, and lower legs), decreased muscle mass, loss of bone mass (osteopenia/osteoporosis), elevated serum glucose, Type-II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke), elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, decreased HDL cholesterol, memory impairment, cognitive decline, abnormal liver function, increased risk of SREs (skeletal-related events … pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, and severe joint and bone pain), and excess serum cortisol. Some anti-aging experts refer to cortisol as the “death hormone” due to multiple degenerative effects that cortisol produces including immune dysfunction, brain cell injury, and arterial wall damage. As daunting as the side effects are, I had only two alternatives. I could allow the disease to rapidly progress unabated, or I could opt for ADT to survive longer with the distinct possibility of a compromised quality of life. Neither are appealing alternatives, but I opted for ADT. Unfortunately, that is an option that I realized would most likely reduce me to a shade of my former self. Yes, I am sure I just had the Lupron shot. It was suppose to be good for 3 months, but it lasted 4 months in my case. The hot flashes were the worst side effect for me. Frankly, I would not want to be on that treatment for long. The business about the erectile dysfunction is funny since the Lupron shot also completely takes away libido. Sex apparently is just chemistry. It is not exclusively in the mind as I once thought. We are biologically wired and the mind does play a role, but without the proper level of hormone, the mind matters not in the least. It is like a weapon devoid of ammunition. If I were in your shoes the hardest thing for me to overcome would be depression. I tend to dwell on every unpleasantness that comes down the pike. I do not take ill health well. I have always thought that a modicum of good health is priceless for which we should be ever thankful. I am always amazed at what some folks are able to put up with. I can see now that you do not have it easy at all. Everyone I have ever known who had prostate cancer apparently caught it early enough so as to avoid your extreme treatments. I wish that I was fortunate enough to have caught it early on, but it is in my bone. My last computed tomography (CT) and scintigraphy (nuclear medicine bone imaging), commonly referred to as a bone scan indicate that where the sclerotic lesions exist they are less extensive and less intense, so that is good at least. To be more specific, I have experienced dry skin, hot flashes, depression, and decreased muscle mass. I have just deliberately opted to begin intermittent androgen deprivation therapy well aware that it is no standard of care. I determined to do so because the American Society of Clinical Oncologists recently issued a report specifying that intermittent ADT is almost as effective as continuous ADT but without its associated side effects. With some degree of apprehension, I decided to remove my safety net. Although unconfirmed in clinical trials, it is my conjecture that with intermittent ADT, tumor cells are forced into normal pathways due to testosterone rebound with the subsequent probability of an increased duration of treatment efficacy and delay in progression to castrate resistant (hormone refractory) disease. When my PSA begins to rise again, androgen dependent tumor cells should be responsive to the next cycle of hormone therapy. In the interim, I continue to take dutasteride (Avodart) as maintenance therapy to inhibit conversion of testosterone into the more dangerous metabolite dihydrotestosterone. You are most likely on the cutting edge of treatment. If knowledge alone could save you, you would be saved. But one also needs some luck. All your efforts deserve some of that too. I hear that. Well, that is far more than you probably expected to hear back in the way of a response, however since you are being reasonable (you are capable when you want to be), I took the time to be very thorough in my reply. I could follow your explanation of all the complications and treatments as long as I read slowly. On the other hand, I never wanted to be a doctor. I learned that when I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy for 4 years. I mostly can’t bear to even think much about my own ailments. I think you are one tough guy to be able to cope as well as you are. Maybe cycling is good for us after all if it makes us tough when we need to be. Because of pain in my lower back and pelvis, I didn't ride at all last year.. I think the problem is scar tissue from radiation. I will give it a go again this year now that I am feeling a somewhat better, but with testosterone at castrate levels, my performance will never again be the same and recovery between efforts slower. Consequently, I have no intention of logging mega-miles and competing with those half my age. Sadly, those days are behind me now. As much as I enjoyed mixing ti up with the younger set, riding hard, far, and fast, in a way it is a relief not to be burdened by the compulsion to do so anymore. Best, Ed Dolan the Great |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Dolan the Great - telling it like it is!
wrote in message
... On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:17:17 PM UTC-5, Edward Dolan wrote: [...] Maybe cycling is good for us after all if it makes us tough when we need to be. Because of pain in my lower back and pelvis, I didn't ride at all last year. I think the problem is scar tissue from radiation. I will give it a go again this year now that I am feeling a somewhat better, but with testosterone at castrate levels, my performance will never again be the same and recovery between efforts slower. Consequently, I have no intention of logging mega-miles and competing with those half my age. Sadly, those days are behind me now. As much as I enjoyed mixing it up with the younger set, riding hard, far, and fast, in a way it is a relief not to be burdened by the compulsion to do so anymore. It would never occur to me to try to keep up with those younger than myself. Unlike you, I gave up on riding hard and fast decades ago. If riding an upright causes much back pain, I would recommend a recumbent bicycle. You will be slower over all, but you will be more comfortable although you may have to tweak the seat a bit. The best thing about cycling is what it does for the mind, not the body. I notice in my walks around town that I am not as steady on my feet as I used to be. If and when I ever get unsteady on my 2 wheel recumbents, I will resort to my 3 wheel recumbents. The one thing I never want to do at my age is take a fall. Everything changes over time ... and so do we! Ed Dolan the Great |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Giro d'Italia Stage 3: Goss takes win as crash brings downCavendish and takes out leader Phinney too | Simon Mason[_4_] | UK | 0 | May 8th 12 12:43 PM |
Gary Sokolich Cheats - 1471 | Kathryn Sokolich's Mephitic Vertical Clam | Australia | 0 | October 15th 11 07:13 PM |
RR: Ride Snow! Fight Usenet Spam! | Paladin | Mountain Biking | 3 | December 10th 06 08:38 PM |
No Gary, NO!, No Gary NO! nooooooooo GARY!!!!!! | Jock | Australia | 21 | September 3rd 06 01:41 PM |
I went to the dump.. | David Martin | UK | 11 | September 4th 05 09:17 PM |