Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Hismones 02/11/25
I'm really struggling with weight gain, or maybe not struggling enough. I've historically been a stress eater, and there's definitely stress associated with this disease and treatment, but I've read and am experiencing that hormone treatment is commonly linked with increased appetite and weight gain, and of course at just the time you need to be in your best physical condition. During 2020-22, I lost 40 pounds and got all my blood tests into the normal range, but now I've gained over half of that back.
I was encouraged last night by attending a local support group that meets in the Moncrief Center, 400 Magnolia. It's a prostate cancer support group that meets the second Monday of the month, 5:30-7P. Robert.Hernandez@moncrief.com is the contact. (Search Facebook for "Fort Worth Prostate Cancer Support Group," clicking the Pages tab) There were 8 of us patients, 3 oncology nurses, and two of the men brought their wives (wives/partners are welcome). As one of the ladies commented, "This affects us a lot, too." "Gail" led the discussion,mostly about upcoming treatment protocols and answering questions. She has been working with prostate cancer patients for about a dozen years and was very complimentary about Dr. Jerry Barker of Texas Cancer Specialists, my radiation oncologist. Men were there who had been diagnosed as recently as 2024 and as long ago as the early 2000s, which gave me hope! I also learned of the North Texas Prostate Cancer Coalition https://ntxpcacoalition.org/ (also on Facebook) which provides information and helps connect with support resources. There's also a movie (maybe on Prime with trailers available on YouTube) called The Silent Killer which focuses on prostate cancer and Black men's health. I've been watching a lot of Dr. Mark Scholz's videos via YouTube and highly recommend them. Tammy and I have an appointment in two weeks with an erectile dysfunction specialist, Dr. Sun, also associated with Texas Cancer Specialists but in their Arlington office off Cooper St. It seems the less attention given to sexual function during treatment, the less likely full recovery is afterward but there are helpful resources. I'm really grateful to be dealing with this during retirement rather than with a daily fulltime job or even worse, with children at home. Several people commented last night that there will come a day when prostate cancer isn't the first and last thought during waking hours.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer around Thanksgiving of 2001. I had retired from teaching the previous June and had just begun working as Director of Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church-Killeen. I had the prostatectomy on January 2, 2002, and, when my PSA had doubled a couple of times, underwent radiation therapy (summer of 2002). I began hormone therapy (Lupron Depot) around 2005 and have been on it ever since.
ReplyDeleteIn 2017, my PSA rose to around 5.0, and the oral meds I had been taking (i.e., Xtandi and others) quit working, so I had my first round of chemotherapy. This pattern repeated a number of times, 2019 (PSA 7.2), 2020 (PSA 16.4), and 2022 (PSA 22.6), and I had chemo each time. After each chemo series, my PSA fell dramatically.
In 2023, after we had move to Greenville and I had become a patient at Texas Oncology, the PSA rose to 105.1, and I began another series of chemo. After 3 treatments, the PSA fell to 66.4, but a couple of months later it had risen to 95.1. Chemo was terminated at that point.
In April I began treatment with Pluvicto. (See a brief video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaafNUsUdrA) I had six treatments, spaced six weeks apart. My most recent PSA is 22.4. I'll take it.
Throughout all of these treatments, the only adverse side effect that I have experienced is fatigue.
(Jim) Richard, thanks so much for sharing your story! Praying for your ongoing journey.
ReplyDelete