BrianMacca":3p8rwsb8 wrote:
Hi Dara, glad you are coping well. I agree it is good to chat get things out in the open at least to someone who is going through something similar. I am not too well up on the stages of cancer. In my case I had a raised psa and a biopsy was done and straight away I began hormone therapy. I am on hormone therapy now for two years since diagnosis. It does not affect me all that much except in the sex department - no sex-. I am having Sumito for secondaries in the spine. A recent full body bone scan showed no signs of spreading. So I haven't given up work yet and still studying. My psa has gone up marginally and I am having Sumuto every month. As well as the hormone 50 mg Casodex and Prostap every six months it seems to be doing the job. I walk three or four times a week into the city centre to work and have no side effects. I just keep busy. Keep in touch anyway. I think this board is a bit quiet in this area. I have been studying pH levels which are reduced when a person has cancer. So I supplement with bicarbonate of soda to keep the pH at just above 7. Anyway keep in touch . Cheers Brian.
Thanks for coming back, Brian. Yes, the old sex drive tends to diminish a fair bit. It is not that much of an issue for me, but I know that there are ways and means of keeping it going if it is a problem for you (Viagra on prescription, for example).
You don't mention your PSA and Gleeson score. In the first year, I wasn't that interested in knowing the complete picture, as they had immediate problems to sort out (kidney failure, for one) and I concentrated on the current problems and didn't bother with the longer term. It sounds as if you are going through a similar process to the one I went through. I am now 3.5 years into this situation. i have stopped work. My job are very good to me and there is no pressure to return. I have managed to do a bit of travel (south of France, Venice) and a bit of exercise, but I am slowing up now. My current chemo is taking a bit out of me.
But everyone is different. You may be stronger than me, and you may respond much better to the treatment. That you are exercising and that there is no spread to the bones is encouraging. I hope it continues. That's interesting about the PH levels. I have read that I need to be following an alkaline diet (as opposed to acidic). It didn't occur to me to take something to boost the PH levels. I will look into this.
I have now moved onto Cabazitaxel. This is another chemo drug, and I will be doing chemo now for the next 4 months. I don't know the expected outcome. But it should improve things to some degree. This will do for now.
I will stay in touch, Brian. Keep the spirits up - all the medical people recommend it. Try and get some laughs into your day, if only by looking up comedy sketches on Youtube. It all helps. Thanks again for replying. Talk to you again soon. Dara
