David’s Blog

Provenge Expansion

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, Dendreon, Provenge -
Last year at this time I had the opportunity, along with 40 other prostate cancer advocates, to tour the Dendreon manufacturing facility in New Jersey. At the time the company was weeks away from FDA approval of Provenge and construction of the expanded facilities were in full swing. As I wrote at the time, it was very, very impressive.

Just last week they were finally granted FDA approval to begin using the expanded capacity, increasing from twelve to forty-eight stations.

This is great news for many, many men throughout this country battling against the advanced stages of prostate cancer.

There are two other sites currently under construction, in Georgia and Southern California.  Dendreon is pursuing approval for these two sites and hoping to bring them on line later this year.

A good day and great news for the PCa community!

….And finally…..Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!!!!!! 

McCain Aiming to Eliminate Prostate Cancer Research

Advanced Prostate Cancer, CDMRP, David Emerson, John McCain, ZERO -
I have always tried to avoid the politics of prostate cancer but in this case, it cannot be avoided.
Please go read the most recent copy of “Zero Hour”, the newsletter from zerocamcer.org
This are just a few excerpts:
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program is a central component of the war on cancer and has been responsible for helping to move nearly all prostate cancer drug advancements in the last five years.
If Senator John McCain, a war veteran, former POW and 3-time cancer survivor, gets his way, more than $300 million in medical research will be eliminated from the Defense Appropriations bill to help pay for the Iraqi police force.

Though I am a big proponent of smaller government and less spending, this is ridiculous.

Please go read the newsletter and if you agree, please act!

Monday’s a pain but Thursday’s a grind

Abiraterone, Advanced Prostate Cancer, Ash Wednesday, Atlanta, David Emerson, spring -
I made my third bi-weekly trip to Atlanta this past week. Although I’ve got the thirteen hour round trip down to a science, last night I realized how quickly it has become a real drag.
I’m getting quite a bit of reading done, and I sleep really well on Thursday nights after the trip .However, half way though the three month bi-weekly process, I’m ready for it to be over.  It’s very worth every trip if we see a reduction in my PSA and we are able to regain some control of the caner with the Abiraterone.

There is a rumor the same trial will open here in Kansas City, perhaps in April. That would be ideal since I have already booked the flight for the next three trips. I have held off the April 24th trip because of this and because the airfare on that particular date is $300! The chances of the rate changing are slim, but you never know.

I saw blooming dogwoods while I was on the MARTA Thursday and that means one thing, Spring is here. My favorite time of the year! Ash Wednesday, Lent and soon Easter. Our hyacinth are peeking up and I really cannot wait to get outside and spend time in our yard.

Thursday’s grind will certainly get tougher over the next few weeks as the signs of Spring continue to increase.

Letting it all sink in…

Abiraterone, Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, FLHW -

After allowing a few days to let the events of last week sink in, I find myself at peace in so many ways. Although I was very nervous about addressing the J&J team, the speech itself was extremely well received. I was grateful that they appreciated my humor and I was able to keep my emotions under control, for the most part. I can talk about my plight and the disease in casual conversation with ease. For this event I had prepared a dozen Power Point slides and 14 pages of speaker notes. I did this on purpose to keep my myself on point, as I tend to wonder in conversation, especially after being on Lupron for six years. I had a number of points that I really wanted to share and the notes were there to keep me on track.

After I concluded my presentation, I was approached by one particular woman that was so emotional she had written her comments on the back of her business card. We ended up talking and I learned that her father had recently passed from advanced PCA. She described it as him just giving up. The conversation was both touching and crushing.

Many of the attendees followed up with personal emails and comments here on my blog. One email in particular says so much:
Power of the mind, empowering the body with the support of loved ones to fight cancer is so much more powerful than people realize and you brought those ideals to so many people including myself. You changed the way I think and live my life – Thank you David! You are an inspiration now to so many. 
I think I have found a calling. If not a calling, certainly my passion. Promoting my journey,and the fight that so many men are going through, is what I am meant to do. If it helps the life of even just one man, it is all very well worth it!

In so many ways

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, FLHW, PSA -

Saturday night, in the midst of the annual dinner/auction at our church, I received recognizition for supporting  the auction committee and for the accomplishments of FLHW.

This came as a complete and total surprise to me. As our Church Administrator, FLHW Board member and dear friend read those gracious and kind words, I was numb. It was the exact opposite of how I felt last week in Philadelphia. Thank goodness I wasn’t asked to speak, this was different. This was a room filled with family and friends, and I would have wept like a toddler. Chris, Rob, Beth and whoever else was involved, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Later on in the evening a fellow parishioner approached me to both congratulate me and offer a vey generous donation to FLHW. Wow, pile on my weaken emotional state! Once again, I have to say I am amazed by the kindness of people.

————

Tomorrow is my next bi-weekly trip to Atlanta. I’m still feeling good and though my numbers were up after the first month of Abiraterone, I am confident in the doctor’s prediction that it can take several months for the drug to take effect.

What would you do for a year?

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, Dockers, Wear the Pants -
Dockers is currently running a contest that will pay the winner for a year to complete a project of their choice
or complete whatever they want.
I was limited to 400 characters, here is my entry:
As a young man of 42, in 2005 I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. There are a limited number of treatments for advanced prostate cancer, and it is considered incurable. Winning would allow me to put everything aside for the next year and pursue my passion: Raising awareness for prostate cancer and raising money needed to find better treatments and a cure for advanced prostate cancer.
I got a very late start and voting ends on March 15th.
The link to my entry is below, please go there and help me out by voting everyday!
(note; this might require Facebook, I’m not 100% sure?)

The Big Speech

Abiraterone, Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, FLHW, metastatic, PSA -
Today I had the honor and privilege of visiting with over three hundred members of the Johnson and  Johnson pharmaceutical team. For about 30 minutes I shared my personal story and some highlights of the challenges, concerns and opportunities of the many men fighting the battle against advanced prostate cancer.
I was more nervous than the previous times that I have discussed this topic publicly, either on local television or the radio. A large room full of people can be intimidating. 

Below is an excerpt of my introduction to my message about living with advanced prostate cancer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really appreciate you providing me the time to tell my story and the personal side of what it’s like living with advanced prostate cancer.
Though I will spend this time talking about my journey, at the same time I do so as a representative for all the other men out there fighting this disease. These names (referring to a slide projected on 2 large screens at the front of the room) are just 27 of the hundreds of thousands of men out there fighting this battle every day. Some of the men listed are in remission, others are in a similar situation as me, and still others are struggling more than we know. They all have stories, but just like the disease itself, and humans by nature, every one of their situations is unique.
Art G   Bob E   Brian W   Bruce L   Chuck M   Dan J   Dan Z Dom M   Don T   Eric S   Greg J
Jay D   Joel N   John A   John H John S    Kiwi Brian Ludwick   Mark H   Merle   Mike M
Scott G   Terrance   Terry H   Tom T   Tony C   Walt W
I am not a doctor, an academic, nor an expert, but I do believe I know a little more than the average patient. The primary lesson I have learned during this journey is that prostate cancer is a really, really complex disease and every single patient is different. There are men with low PSA and just a few small tumors that are in such excruciating pain that they can barley function. Then there are men like me with high PSA, extensive mets and are in no pain. It’s crazy at best.
Rik M   Rick S   Aubrey P   Steve B   Wes W
And these 5 are friends of mine that are no longer with us. One of these men fought for over 13 years, another less than two. I share these 5 names only to express that once again I am honored to represent those that have succumb and all the men out there dealing with the advanced stage of this disease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I continued by sharing all aspects of my personal journey; the spiritual, the nutrition and physical, the emotional and the medical.  I discussed the blog, our foundation and the fact that people from around the globe have reached out to us, recognizing that prostate cancer has no borders.

I attempted to lighten the subject with a bit of humor.It seemed to be well received.  My hope is that my audience left with a broader perspective of what we, the men with advanced PCa, go through as we battle this horrible disease.

I’ve been here before

blog -

This morning I’m sitting in the waiting room at the cancer center and it came upon me that I must have been here at least 100 times. Not at this particular facility, but over the past six years, I have sat in medical facility waiting rooms well over 100 times.

This observation came to me as I looked around and noticed the others, waiting themselves. Those with bandanas are obviously grizzled veterans like myself. Then I witness the groups of families. Maybe mom, dad and one of their older children. They pick up and read the pamphlets and tend to be a bit more talkative than those who’ve been here before.

Each of us in this waiting room are not only in a different stage of the journey, but we travel the road that is the journey differently. Just this morning I was reading yet another story about the link between red meat and cancer. As I observe fellow patients, I am certain many of them skipped over the pamphlet that promotes the important link between nutrition and cancer. My remark is not intended to be snide or disrespectful, I just find it difficult to imagine myself, in this battle, still eating and behaving as I did before cancer.

A good, snappy analogy eludes me this morning. I know I’ve spoke of this in previous posts, but it really gets to me. I just want to sit next to people and try to get through to them and try to convince them that it is in their best interest to follow a low fat diet.We have so little in our control, diet is one thing we can try to do to help ourselves.

I pray that they eventually realize how important diet can be in fighting cancer.  I know most won’t change, and some simply just don’t want to.
~~~~~~~~~~
In closing I should report that my Doc in Atlanta diagnosed my back as a muscle pull. It inially started a few days after I played disc golf (after a two month lay off). I followed that up by continuing working out each morning. Sometimes I can be a little stubborn. After not working out for almost a week and being extra careful, I’m happy to report I’m 48 hours without Advil and last night I slept better and without a heating pad for the first time in over a week. Thankfully, problem solved.

Hurt

Abiraterone, Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, PSA, the Big C -

To someone who needs it:

When I see you like this,
I hurt so deep down inside.
It only gets worse,
when I consider that,
there is nothing I can do.

I can only hang out on the fringe,
witnessing your pain,
handcuffed to the reality
that is life.

This world is cruel,
and so are her inhabitants,
Gods creatures,
believers and hypocrits
all wrapped up in one being.

Trailblazing….

Abiraterone, Advanced Prostate Cancer, Atlanta, David Emerson, David Emerson pca, FLHW -
It was just a brief comment during a phone call. The friend, and fellow PCa patient, said something to the effect of  “You are out there trailblazing for me and the rest of us!”
Trailblazing? Wow, I never looked at it that way. Perhaps I was living in a momentary bout of selfishness? I was looking at my current clinical trial from a me, me, me point of view. Yes, it is true I really need this treatment to work, but just as important, we, all of us fighting this disease, need it to work. 

This past week I have been dealing with a bit of back pain. It is manageable, but I do plan to discuss with Dr. A in Atlanta on Thursday and with Dr.V next Monday. It’s on my right side and feels like it is in the middle of one of my ribs. After doing some research on line this afternoon, I learned that back pain is one of the listed side effects for the clinical trial drub, so I am hopeful that is the source of the pain, versus a bone met.   Tylenol and Advil have been taking care of it and I have spent the last few nights sleeping on the heating pad, which has helped as well.


Tomorrow I will complete my second one-day round trip to Atlanta. When I printed my boarding pass for the departing flight this morning, the forecast said 61 and sunny in Atlanta. I just print the boarding pass for my return flight and the forecast says 41 and snow flurries in KC when I return! If my flight is oversold, I might just have to get off and stay the night. (Just kidding Mary!)

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