Prednisone

I could use a good nap……

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Atrasentan, chemotherapy, David Emerson, Prednisone, taxotere -

It’s a day later and I feel completely fine. I did have trouble sleeping last night. I woke at 11:30 and was up until about 12:45. Then a slept for an hour, was awake for 20 or 30 minutes, would sleep for another hour, wake up etc.

I forgot to enclose this yesterday.
Historic Data:
6/9/08 52.02 (Started Chemotherapy)
Day before and day of treatment (12mg Dexamethasone)
Daily (10mg Prednisone)
With Treatment (once every three weeks); Benadryl – 25mg, Dex10mg, Zofran 24mg, Zantac 50mg, Taxotere 151mg
Waiting for trial drug (Atrasentan)/placebo to arrive.
5/19/08 48.87
4/21/08 38.31 (Stopped Nilandorn as required by clinical trial starting on June 9th)
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)

…I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.

Advanced Prostate Cancer, chemotherapy, David Emerson, Dexamethasone, Prednisone -

I’m about 18 hours away from chemo infusion #1 and a few hours away from beginning the pre-medication.
This evening I will start taking Dexamethasone and in the morning Prednisone. Both are steroids used to assist the chemo.
The Dex I take 12mg the night before and morning of chemo. Regarding the Prednisone, I will take one 5mg tablet twice a day…., for the duration of the trial, 36 weeks from now.

There is one thing that concerns me; though they are very small dosages, I have visions of being up at 3:00am, unable to sleep and needing to work a few hours later. Dr. Van said we could adjust the Prednisone and just take both pills each morning if I am having trouble sleeping.

Not knowing the road ahead, I got a lot accomplished this weekend. Two rounds of disc golf and today I mowed the lawn and dug up three stumps from some Japanese Yews I cut down last week. I took Brad to the driving range and practice green and now we are off to Mass and a surprise dinner of some sort? I’m not asking and she’s not telling!!!

So now I come to the title, I need your help, your prayers like you’ve never sent them before!

Stay tuned for a complete update tomorrow.