Hi Everbody
It is a while since I have posted much on this site. I lob in from time to time, have a look at what is going on and think, isn't it fantastic, everybody is blogging away, contributing and being helpful. It is great.
My own situation. After fourteen years and various treatment I stopped responding to hormone manipulation about twelve months ago. So the standard response was more of the same but stronger - total androgen ablation it is called. That did nothing. So I am what the medics insist on calling "Castrate resistant".
I used to be "hormone refractory" in the old terminology.! I keep reminding them that along with fifty percent of the population, I have been castrate resistant for a long time and will remain so. They don't seem to see the joke. It does raise a lot of philosophical questions about the use of language and maybe they ought to consult those they are describing regarding appropriate terminology.
Enough of linguistic philosophy - if you want to think about that go and see the play "Tribes" that is on in Melbourne at the moment.
So after scans and more scans, it was decided that some radiotherapy to lymph nodes wouldn't go astray. The latest technology was used. The beam was shaped to zap the tumour,but not the artery running through it, and if anything inside me moved during the treatment, the robotically controlled bed I was on moved to compensate and bring everything back into the line of the beam. PSA dropped immediately.
Three months later PSA is up again, so clearly it is growing somewhere else. What to do? Well there were three options: 1) more hormone therapy with a slightly different combination of drugs - no reason to think that it would work and I would be stuck with at least six months of side effects. 2) more scans to see if anything could be found elsewhere - then what to do? 3) do nothing and have more tests in three months. I'm feeling well, I am free of the head fog that is a side effect of the treatment so am thinking clearly for the first time in eighteen months.
I am content ith my decision.
Sailor
As we live a life of ease
Every one of us has all we need
Sky of blue, and sea green
In our yellow submarine.
Beatles, Yellow Submarine
