Hismones 05/29/25

I'm so glad that to the expression, "Good things come to those who wait," the word "patiently" wasn't added. Because I haven't been. That said, my telemed appointment this morning with radiation oncologist Dr. Jerry Barker revealed some very good news: after 5 months of hormone therapy and 44 radiation treatments, my PSA that measured 6.4 last August when diagnostics began is now down to 0.01 (the lowest they are able to detect). Thanks be to God, to the medical team, and to science! The follow up treatment is to continue Orgovyx daily (ostensibly for 19 more months) and to have PSA checked every 3 months. Dr. Barker and I discussed pros and cons of shortening the hormone therapy or changing to another drug, but I don't want to consider that until 1 year of this drug is completed. It was nice, too, that office staff worked to connect Tammy on the call even though she was driving across Kentucky at the time. It was in essence a three-way FaceTime conversation that their communication software accepted. On another very different aspect of my health, I have been doing a little vegan experimenting in the kitchen while Tammy is away. I've tried some packaged items ("Ultimate Burger," "Roasted Poblano Enchiladas") and our neighbor brought me a bowl of Panama-style chicken with vegetables soup with white rice (I gave the chicken and broth to our pup; all was delicious) but also followed recipes to create a Tofu Scramble (looks like scrambled eggs, served on toast and tastes pretty decent!) and Vegan Collard Greens which were pretty tasty but probably better with bacon or ham. :-) These might not be favorites but are palatable and make "veganizing" survivable. I'm not sure how completely I can follow the plant-based lifestyle, but the more closely I do when hormone therapy is complete, the better off my long-term health will be. I have two upcoming procedures: thumb reconstruction June 4 and routine colonoscopy June 16, so there's little time for boredom, and I'm working to have the Miata ready for Ashley to have a driving/instructor day June 21. My next PSA check will be August 22 and I will now be followed by Dr. Andrew Hollander, surgical oncologist and hormone specialist, beginning in September. God is good all the time, but today is an exceptionally good day.

Hismones 5/23/25

It's hard to believe it's been more than three weeks since my last post, but there hasn't been much additional activity. I had an appointment with an ED specialist last week, tried three different sample injections to determine dosage, and am to pick up my first compounded Rx this evening. In case someone asks, Aetna will spend a lot to save your life but not insure your love life. :) I had my first post-radiation oncology blood work yesterday and have a tele-health appointment with my radiation oncologist next week. I'm definitely hoping that my PSA (measured last fall at 6 and in April at .11) continues to drop and I can convince my oncology team to switch medications (to Nubeqa) at one year rather than continuing Orgovyx for two years. I'm hoping to maintain effectiveness while reducing side effects. BTW, changing to a plant-based diet is quite a challenge. Tammy has been wonderful at trying recipes and helping me attempt the shift. If I can do this and mostly eliminate consuming sugar/simple carbohydrates, I'm much more likely to drop the weight I've gained (15-ish) since diagnosis. Orgovyx is part of the issue; eating while stressed is probably worse. I had some sad news yesterday: our next door neighbor, a few years older and having fought lung cancer for years, got the news that she has dangerous metastasis in both neck (threatening immediate paralysis due to proximity to spinal cord) and skull. She has chosen hospice, and it was a stark reminder of the temporary nature of life to see her DNR bracelet. I shared with her the book, "Being Mortal," written by a physician who helps end-of-life patients. Someone recommended it to her while hospitalized recently, and I had a copy due to a friend's recommendation. It's personal and emotional but helpful in dealing with last things and quality of life. I'll try not to wait too long to post again, hopefully soon after my oncology follow up next week. I'll have my latest "numbers" and hopefully good progress to report. Fatigue is still my intimate companion. All the best!