Month 42 - PSA Results

It's funny.

I didn't even think much of getting my blood drawn for my six month PSA test on 30 April.  Just went in, got stuck, and went on my merry way.  No biggie.

Or so I thought.

Afterwards, I was checking my online health record twice a day looking for the results.  Hurry up and wait.  I guess modern technology has all made us wanting instant gratification, and when we don't get it, we get upset.

Once a cancer patient, there's always that little cloud of "What if?" hanging over your head.  I don't get nearly as worked up about waiting for the results as I did for my first post-surgery six month check, but it's still there.

So the results?  Still undetectable!  :)

I actually have my appointment with my urologist on Tuesday to officially go over the results.  I'm sure we'll talk about incontinence and sexual function, too.  [Edit 5/16/14: The urologist doesn't want to see me for 8 months instead of the usual 6 months.  Next PSA: January 2015.]

Oh.  And Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere--living and departed.

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Note the new contact form to make it easier to shoot me an email if you have any questions about my experiences.

Month 41 - Biological Update

We're going to jump right in with this post...

BIOLOGY AHEAD

My niece and her three and a half-year old daughter came to visit for their spring break, and we were able to get out and do a lot of fun things together.  By the second day, my niece was chiding me about how many times I was going to the bathroom, and that got me to thinking, "Am I going more than usual?"  Or was it just her perspective.

In retrospect, I probably was running to the bathroom a tad more frequently.  Mainly because we were on the go, outside in cool air a good chunk of the time, and I never knew where the next bathroom might be, so I took advantage of using the ones nearby.  (And, no, I'm not talking every 20 minutes.  It was every couple of hours.)

As I explained to my niece, it's more that I have the urge or sensation that I need to go, than I actually do.  When I get to the bathroom, not much comes out.  Fortunately, the urges aren't the, "Oh my God, I need to find a bathroom in the next 30 seconds or I'm going to pee in my pants," kind of urges.  But they're there and they're telling my brain it's time to go when my bladder really could last a bit longer.  That can be frustrating.

And on the sexual function front, I've been quite pleased there.  I've had much better erections (near 100%) in the last month--all without chemical assistance.  Not bad for having only one nerve bundle.  As I've said before, be patient; let nature do its thing.

So that's it for this month.  Quick and simple.

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Late update: I'd encourage those recently diagnosed to read a comment left by another reader, J.R., on the "Life After Radical Prostatectomy - 36 Months Later" page.  It's an interesting perspective, and I tend to agree with him.  Losing sexual function is more difficult to adjust to than many people, including myself, thought it would be.

Month 40 - State of the Science

So I've been hopping on the Prostate Cancer Foundation's website a bit more recently, just to keep myself abreast of advances in research and what's happening in the world of treatment options.

Each year, they host a Scientific Retreat with doctors, scientists, and researchers from around the world, and they discuss what's currently happening in prostate cancer research.  Here's a link to the 2013 meeting's events and topics:

State of the Science Report

It provides a summary of what was presented and discussed in each session, much of it in medical mumbo-jumbo over my head, but there was one session's summary that caught my eye on pages 85-87:

Session 13: Measure Twice, Cut Once—What is the Proper Role for Surgery in Prostate Cancer 2013?

Obviously, having had a radical prostatectomy, it's an interesting read for me (not that I can change anything at this point).

I have to admit that there are days where I'm not so sure that I would make the same treatment decision if newly diagnosed today, given the recent advancements in the forty months since my diagnosis.

Don't get me wrong.  My quality of life, post-prostatectomy, is quite high.  My stress incontinence issues are a minor nuisance, and my sexual function issues would be a bigger factor if I were in a relationship, but I'm not.  I guess I'd be happier if I were 100% in both departments.

So I often weigh those nuisances against the larger picture.  With each six month PSA check-up that comes back "undetectable," I have peace of mind knowing that the cancer is no longer inside me.

The question becomes one of trading one set of concerns for another.

If I opted for some other treatment option and was 100% continent and had 100% sexual function, I'd be happy in both those departments, but then would I be trading that happiness for worrying every day that the cancer cells left inside me (even though they've been treated with chemo, radiation, hormones, or something else), are one day going to go crazy and ultimately do me in?  I don't know.

It's a tough call, and a very personal choice.

Again, I made my decision and am living with its consequences.  But the key word is living.