Thread: Prostate Cancer/Health Support

Thanks nnut.

My Father got temporary seed last Tuesday*. Thursday he went golfing and today I can't reach him because he is inside a casino on an Indian Reservation (cell phones don't work in casinos).
Next Tuesday he goes in for his second session of temporary radiation seeding-then on to hormone shots and external radiation. He's 83.
I hope no male on this board gets Prostate Cancer-but the point I want to make-and I can't stress this enough is that it no longer is a death sentence if you are diagnosed with it. Watch your PSA and get your DRE's. Early detection is the key.

*He was diagnosed in Nov 2006 and I was diagnosed in Feb 2007.

Well it's a 'Done Deal'
Had my seeding procedure to kill the cancer.
Thursday I checked in at 11:00AM -paperwork, blood pressure blah,blah, blah -they had the IV in me around one-ish.


Two-ish the Anesthesiologist came in we talked - he asked the standard questions ("are you allergic blah blah blah")-We ran a little late-my Urologist was delayed by traffic. They wheeled me when he arrived. He and the Oncologist are great - everyone was friendly as I was placed on the table. Anesthesiologist said something about feeling a small prick (didn't feel anything). Last sight I had was the oxygen mask being put over my mouth and thinking 'Thank God it hypoallergenic plastic not neoprene (I'm allergic to neoprene). Oxygen(?) smelled funny...

LIGHTS OUT.(as quickly as you can snap your fingers)


Woke up about an hour later in post op with something like 119 tiny radioactive tiny titanium seeds in me. No sense of time. Procedure was over in less then an hour. The seeds stay radioactive for 6 months. The inert seeds stay there and are not removed.
I could have killed for a steak and fries. Jeeeez I was hungry.

Yeah before and after the procedure I was mostly hungry and bored (you have to fast and drink nothing 12 hours before.)

I'm not that brave. But really this whole thing was like waiting at an airport to go to a destination you have been to.
I was bored.

Worst part was waiting for the pain killer to wear off -you have to do something before they will let you go.

A co-worker and her husband gave me a ride home.
In by 11:00AM driving home by 4:15PM.

I have a little soreness. No swelling. They gave me some Percodan (sp?) for any pain but I will be tossing that in the trash. Never needed any.

I'm not joking when I say - I could have taken the bus home. I had dental work (root canal) that was more painful. Nothing stands out as painful.
This wasn't really surgery-just some custom made needles carrying some radioactive titanium seeds puncturing the skin driven by some computer following a grid.


Such was my 21st of June.

Details and after effects here on seed therapy.

http://www.americanbrachytherapy.org...achy.cfm#short

Some pictures here of the procedure (don't worry-not graphic).

http://www.prostatecancercentre.co.u...ts/brachy.html

Remember-the first symptom of cancer is no symptom. And a diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence. Do not put off checkups. You can be in excellent health and have health habits. But everyones DNA and genes carry your family history. So checkup accordingly.

June 21st was my Credit hour day. Friday was sick leave.
I'll be at work Monday cuz I'll be able to 'be right and sit tight'.

{Anyone has detailed questions on after effects just PM me. Frankly I have not had the problems they mentioned to any great degree.)

Tempest, glad to hear the procedure all went according to plan. Lucky you caught it early.

I've been asking people about their eating habits and heard so much about the benefits of lycopene. It's the good chemical released when tomatoes are fried with a little oil at high temperature. Is there a correlation between people not getting enough lycopene in their diet and prostate cancer? I wish they'd do some studies about that (or maybe they already did).

Nowadays, I always fry tomatoes before I put them in soups or whatnot. I also make sure I have ketchup handy on the table. Please keep this in mind on your way to a full recovery.

Ebb-all good points. But one thing we all can't control is our DNA.
I've been reading a lot about that lately. If something is coded a certain way-you might get something. A healthy life style is a plus and does add years to your life and makes you strong in fighting an affliction. Man I swim 4 times a week. Blood sugar and blood pressure is normal. Watch what I eat and don't have a gut. I use the weights in my garage to stay trim. When they give you a checklist to fill out at the hospital I check NONE on physical problems. I guess what I am saying is a good diet and a healthy life style does not give anyone a free pass- so act accordingly.

True, some people can smoke all their lives and not get cancer. Yet, other people become susceptible to cancer when exposed to even low levels of carcinogens. Still, there are things in our diet that can be eliminated or minimized to protect our DNA from structural damage. Loading up on vitamin-C and vitamin-E can prevent nitrosamine-induced DNA damage.

We all love our barbecue (seared fat is chock-ful of nitrosamines), hot dogs (sodium nitrites are converted to nitrosamines in the body), bacon, cured meat (uses nitrite salts), and the list goes on. I try to cut down on these type of foods, but take vitamin-C or E to counteract its bad effects whenever I find myself tempted.

Glad to hear it went smoothly. It sounds like are on your way to a full recovery. Best of luck and keep us posted. Now, it sounds like you need some junk food. You deserve it.

Originally Posted by Tempest

Remember-the first symptom of cancer is no symptom. And a diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence. Do not put off checkups. You can be in excellent health and have health habits. But everyones DNA and genes carry your family history. So checkup accordingly.

That is so true. Good healing to you.

Originally Posted by tsptalk

Glad to hear it went smoothly. It sounds like are on your way to a full recovery. Best of luck and keep us posted. Now, it sounds like you need some junk food. You deserve it.

Don't forget some 100% fruit juice (rich in vitamin-C) to go with that!

Just finished my daily glass of pomegranate juice.

Tempest best of luck, this thing works have two friends that had it and are fine 6 years later. Take those vitamins, I always have. I should have turned into a vitamin E pill years ago, been taking it for 33 years, 400 a day!! Ah!!!! more years than that!!

Here's wishing you the best, Tempest!

My annual PSA is due in August. Since prostate cancer runs rampant in my family, I've been tracking my PSA since my early 30's- I'm 38 now.

At least I have a decent baseline to look at and compare with as I get older.

Again, Dr. Catalona (who is the chief pioneer of the PSA test, and operated on my Father), recommends men with a strong history of prostate cancer to begin PSA screening in their 30's. During my Father's surgery, my brothers and I met with him in April of 1999, and he urged us to keep track of our PSA's from that point on.

FWIW, he recommends a biopsy on a PSA reading "persistently" higher than 2.5 :

http://www.drcatalona.com/quest/quest_fall06_1.asp

He is also doing genetic research on prostate cancer.

His website:

http://www.drcatalona.com/