PCa

I Don’t like Monday’s

Advanced Prostate Cancer, chemotherapy, David Emerson, Dexamethasone, Monday songs, PCa -

…and a few others….

“Monday, Monday” -The Mamas & The Papas
“Manic Monday” -The Bangles
“Monday Morning” -Fleetwood Mac
“Come Monday” -Jimmy Buffet
“Stormy Monday” -The Allman Bros.

The Dex won the battle last night! I woke at 1:30, tossed and turned until 2:15 then got sucked into “The Wire” again until about 4:45am. Maybe 30 minute more sleep and Buck and I got up at 6:30.

I am currently attempting to function on about 3 1/2 hours of sleep. I should go home but have a number of calls to be on at work this morning.

Yesterday’s appointment was long. I guess I am just going to have to stop complaining about it and get used to it. Things were running behind again; we arrived at 8:30 and left at about 1:45. We got lunch, ran an errand and returned home just before 4:00pm.

Somehow we found the energy to got see “Momma Mia” at 5:15, it was good. Definitely a ‘chick flick’ but I really enjoyed it, even the Abba music. You know they are from Sweden, apparently they opened a museum last year in Stockholm. I guess my visit there was a year early!

My White Blood Count returned to normal levels as did most of my others. My red is right on the border line of low but nothing seemed to alarm the doc.

My PSA remained steady at 53.4, at least it has reached a plateau. We were told by Dr. Van, and had read on-line, that it can take 10-12 weeks before we see results. This was just 6 week so we are hoping the tide will begin to turn next appointment (August 11).

That’s the recap for my Monday!

I want to hold your hand….not

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Atrasentan, chemotherapy, David Emerson, PCa -

It’s now been a week and things are returning to ‘normal’. Over the weekend I experienced what I was warned about… I felt like I had the flu. My body ached, I was tired and spent a lot of time on the couch watching golf.

Yesterday we went in for my monthly Lupron shot and Zometa infusion. What should have been a maximum two hour visit to the lab and treatment room turned into a series of missing lab requests and incorrect orders. We were there for nearly three and a half hours.

We did get a blood test back, no PSA test but it did show a HUGE drop in my white blood cell count. Normal is around 11, last week before treatment I was a little low at 8.9, yesterday I was at 1.9. Ouch! This is normal and the basic intent of the chemotherapy. The WBC should begin to recover before the next treatment on the 30th.

A count this low can make me very susceptible to germs, infections, etc. I am now using more hand sanitizer than I have ever used in my life! No offense intended if I don’t shake your hand!!

“C” Day + 4

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Atrasentan, chemotherapy, David Emerson, PCa -

The good news is I’m tolerating chemo very well so far. The bad news is….well there is none to report!!

It’s been four day, except for the first night, sleep has returned to my normal broken pattern.
I was able to play golf on Wednesday (worse than ever!) but have been able to work out the last three days. Only about thirty minutes each session, this morning I pushed it pretty hard.

As we were told might happen, I’m a little “flu like” today. My back is a little sore but I’m doing fine.

I picked up the study medication yesterday morning and began taking it immediately. There is no telling if I am getting the placebo or the Atrasentan? A runny nose is one side effect but because it doesn’t happen in all cases it’s going to be a guess.

I’ll take a shot at disc golf tomorrow and check in here later in the weekend.

Scanning the horizon

Advanced Prostate Cancer, bone scan, chemotherapy, David Emerson, PCa, PSA, xrays -

I had my sixth set of scans Tuesday. Chest X-Ray (as part of the clinical trial), CT scan of my abdomen to look for organ and lymph node ‘involvement’ and a full body bone scan.

Not much to report on items one and two, the results will be discussed on Monday prior to my first chemo treatment. (By the way; 96 hours and counting).

The bone scan was the usual process; lie on my back, the first few minutes are very claustrophobic [I just say a few Hail Mary’s and keep my eyes closed] but after twenty minutes it’s over. This time they took extra pictures from the side focusing on my ribs and pelvis. These are the areas that have always had noticeable tumors.

I was able to talk the technician into showing me the x-rays! The following is only my unprofessional opinion; full body scan: looked the same; spots on my left rib, pelvis area (a.k.a tumors) and the ankle I broke last May appeared the same as in February. Best news – my spine appears to remain tumor free! Finally, no new areas showed up (again, the radiologist may say differently).

As for the side views: not much was revealed on the rib scan, the side view of both hips showed three tumors on the left side and two on the right. I hate to describe these as ‘substantial’, they are there are have been there throughout. I’ll post the scans after I get the CD on Monday.

Happy Birthday Trevor and Happy Anniversary Doug and Michelle!

that is all…..

May, where art thou?

Advanced Prostate Cancer, chemotherapy, David Emerson, PCa -
Sunday is June the 1st…..exactly where did the month of May go?
On one hand, as the days get longer, time drags, and drags. At the same time, what happened over the last four weeks?
Some random thoughts……
– 4 days – I get re-scanned, x-rays, etc.
– 10 days – I receive my initial chemo treatment
– 30 days – I receive my second chemo treatment, this would have been my mother’s 75th birthday, God rest her soul
– 32 days – major project at work launches
– 34 days – Fourth of July ~ God Bless the USA! (If you didn’t see John Adams on HBO, I recommend you watch it when it comes out on DVD)
– ?# of days until a vacation….the Lake? Colorado? St. Louis?….the back yard…..

Another brother rests in peace…..

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, Faith-Love-Hope-WIn, PCa, prostate cancer, rick sadler -

In early 2006, Mary and I spoke to a man named Rick from Houston. We have no idea how or where he found our phone number and frankly it make no difference. Rick was 46 at the time and had recently been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

Well, it’s another holiday weekend and another brother has been taken.
Rick’s Obituary
I wrote of Rick here on a few occasions:
http://flhw.ddmpreview.com/three-words-and-a-few-more/
[note the last comment]

and
http://flhw.ddmpreview.com/euro-trip-716-17/
Today’s tears seem to contain more bitterness. They also seem to last a bit longer.
The tears and the hurt and sadness they represent sting more than previous losses.
Why? Perhaps the onset of chemo (14 days from today)?

God, please stop the madness…..

Prayer to Saint Peregrine ~ Patron Saint to cancer patients
O great St. Peregrine,
you have been called “The Mighty,”
“The Wonder-Worker,”
because of the numerous miracles
which you have obtained from God
for those who have had recourse to you.

For so many years
you bore in your own flesh
this cancerous disease
that destroys the very fiber of our being,
and who had recourse
to the source of all grace
when the power of man could do no more.

You were favored with the vision of Jesus
coming down from His Cross
to heal your affliction.

Ask of God and Our Lady,
the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you.
(Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying)

Aided in this way by your powerful intercession,
we shall sing to God,
now and for all eternity,
a song of gratitude
for His great goodness and mercy.
Amen.

We are the champions…..my friend!

Advanced Prostate Cancer, kansas city corporate challange, men's disc golf, PCa -

On Sunday morning my friend Gary and I represented our company in the “Kansas City Corporate Challenge”. Our event was Men’s Doubles Disc Golf [was there a doubt which sport I’d play in?].

There were 151 men’s teams. The teams are grouped into divisions by company size. We were in the A Division along with Sprint, Cerner, Farmers Insurance etc.

We went out and shot -10 to win our division and along with one other team shot the lowest score of the day! Results Page
Here’s a photo after we received our gold medals.

It was a great round, we had 7 birdies on the last 8 holes including a few REAL long putts by me and a near hole-in-one by Gary!

Another chapter in my life of irony has been written!

m’aidez

Advanced Prostate Cancer, chemotherapy, Mayday, medical port, PCa -

Mayday
The term was made official by an international telecommunications conference in 1948, and is an anglicizing of the French “m’aidez,” (help me).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a little humor regarding a very serious subject.

We got a call yesterday from the hospital, seems I have to go in on the 12th to have a port inserted. What is a port? Click here to see it in action. The webpage is that of a man who was being treated for Pancreatic cancer at the time. I include it for the pictures, read the narrative at your discretion. Not only will this be used for the Chemo treatments (beginning June 9th) but also for blood draws, monthly Zometa infusions and infusions for upcoming bone and CT scans.

Mary’s a little freaked out about it. I’m not……yet.

Chopsticks

Big and Rich, Cardinals, chemotherapy, disc golf, i, Kansas City Disc Golf, PCa -

Mary, Brad and I watched the movie “Big” on Friday night. I must have seen this movie fifty times. I still love it every time. The scene that takes place in the FAO Schwarz toy story is one of my favorite parts of the movie. I’m not sure why? Perhaps it’s Robert Loggia acting like a little kid with Tom Hanks as they play ‘Chopsticks’ on the big piano.

On another note, here is yet another example of the irony of what I am going through. As I’ve mentioned my PSA continues to climb and on June 9th I will begin Chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial. So what does one do when facing events like this? How about play disc golf three days in a row!

On Friday I played nine holes and qualified (along with my friend Gary) to represent our company in the ‘Kansas City Corporate Challenge’. The event, is like a corporate Olympics and lasts for several weeks. The men’s disc golf event is next Sunday morning.

Saturday, most of the usual gang played and I got a little lesson from young Joe….I added about fifty feet to my average drive! The rest of my game needs a tune up but my drives are looking good!

Even after 5 hours working in the yard yesterday, I played again today with Pete, Joe and Steve. We played at a course I haven’t played at since last summer. This course is longer and harder than our usual course but I shot really good on the front nine but two bad holes on the back cost me a good round.

So after that lead in, one that was probably much too long, I recant – after what I am going through with Prostate Cancer, I can’t believe I played three days straight AND worked in the yard yesterday? Is this crazy or what? No fatigue, no pain…..no worries!!

And now we reach the point where I wax philosophical…..
We are on the 10th hole yesterday, Steve and I started discussing this one particularly loud sound bird. After locating a stunningly beautiful male Cardinal we further discussed the fact that unlike most birds, the male Cardinal is the more colorful bird.

Big deal right? Then yesterday afternoon, I take a break from mowing the grass and I’m sitting on the back steps and I hear the same song. No sooner do I find the Cardinal when up flies his mate. They sit there for a minute or two and off they fly together.

I wish there was more, but that’s the story, just a moment of time from a beautiful spring weekend.

The Inevitable

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Atrasentan, chemotherapy, David Emerson, PCa, taxotere, University of Kansas Cancer Center -

After 39 months, the inevitable is finally upon us. After meeting with my Oncologist today and receiving my updated PSA number (38.31) we had “the talk”.

I am definitely ready to take the next step and use a more aggressive treatment to try to to get the cancer under control. We have been fairly conservative during the past three years. Even so, we have had great results and I have no regrets on any decision we have made to date.

I am eligible for a clinical trial at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. We are researching it and at this point are favoring this protocol. It would be the standard chemotherapy (Docetaxel plus Prednisone) that I would receive, plus an additional oral medication (Atrasentan) that has shown benefit to other patients with advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer. It is a Phase III trial which is randomized, so I would have a 50% chance of receiving the additional medicine versus a placebo. I will receive the chemotherapy intravenously once every three weeks for 12 sessions, which means I’ll finish up in early 2009.

From the things I’ve read about this protocol it is very well tolerated. Most men continue to work or keep up with most of their daily activities. I plan on being no different. Fatigue usually sets in about 4-5 days post treatment which we plan to schedule so it would coincide with the weekend. So in other words, more movies, more couch time!

Crank up the prayer chain people…..I’m going to need a little help here!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Historic Data:
4/21/08 38.31
3/24/08 34.7
2/25/08 29.4 (Started taking Nilandron on 2/4/08; Started Selenium 200 mcg on 2/26/08)
1/28/08 36.2 (Stopped taking Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone in anticipation of next treatment)
12/31/07 30.9
12/3/07 21.9
11/5/07 23.3
10/8/07 19.30
>10/8/07 Changed Lupron from 120 day dose to monthly dose> 9-12-07 Began taking .5mg of Avodart per day. Changed Ketoconazole from 600mg twice per day to 400mg three times per day)
9/4/07 21.80
8/6/07 19.25
8/2/07 16.96
7/02/07 20.30
6/04/07 17.80
4/30/07 16.25
4/2/07 17.68
3/5/07 21.87
2/5/07 20.90
1/8/07 18.90
12/11/06 24.86
11/13/06 43.61
10/16/06 51.48 (Started “High Dose” Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone, 10/01)[at this point and for a second time we prepared for Taxotere. First my Oncologist wanted to try High Dose Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone.]
9/11/06 83.97 (started Zometa)
8/23/06 41.77
8/18/06 54.66(no tests in June or July)
5/19/06 11.37 (stopped Casodex)
4/3/06 4.25
3/5/06 1.45 (started Casodex again)
1/27/06 0.46
12/28/05 1.85[at this point we prepared for Taxotere, chemotherapy treatments. First I had a new PSA test and new bone and CT scans, lymph nodes clear, spine clear, ribs, femur and hips stable. The PSA dropped to 1.85 and the scans revealed marked improvement. Chemo was cancelled 72 hours before it was scheduled to begin]
12/15/05 7.18
11/03/05 4.64 (Stopped taking Casodex)
9/22/05 0.8
08/11/05 0.35 [nadir]
6/24/05 0.55
4/17/05 2.51 (taken at MD Anderson, Gleason lowered to 7/7)
4/06/05 3.51 (Six weeks after starting Lupron and Casodex)Original Gleason scores (7/8)
Pre-treatment tests:
2/18/05 Started Lupron
2/11/05 Started Casodex
2/?/05 219
12/?/04 189 (Original test)