Our Walk With Stage IV Prostate Cancer: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

45 days -- enjoying life

At some point I will stop counting the days. But it's now been 45 days of no pain and feeling good and getting out and enjoying life.

Marshall's daughter was here this past weekend and they went to Cripple Creek for the day on Saturday. Tanya had never been to a casino so they had a fun time.

Saying goodbye at airport

And some fun news -- A friend of ours is a photographer and has asked Marshall if he could photograph Marshall with his trike for a possible publication in the Harley Davidson magazine "HOG." He believes the unique paint job on the trike, as well as Marshall's story, will make for a good article. So last week they met at dawn (yawn) for the first session. They hope to finish it up this week.

Photo Shoot #1

Photo Shoot #2

Monday, April 22, 2013

Another good report

Our visit to the Cancer Center today went well -- the lab work was all good, no problems. Another very good day.

Marshall got his quarterly Lupron shot today and he will have a few days of pain at the injection site (sitting will be a little touchy!) but he's used to it. :)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

36 days -- and Paypal

Today marks 36 pain-free days. Tomorrow is another 2-week checkup. Things are going really well.

And after filing a claim through Paypal for the money I lost at The Scooter Store, today I heard from Paypal -- they have deposited $250 back into my account. Just wanted to report that Paypal honored the promise on its website that they will make good if something goes wrong when buying from a Verified Seller.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

35 days -- and a spa treatment

It is now 35 days of good days and no pain. I don't know when I'll stop counting.

Yesterday Marshall sent me and a friend to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs for a full day of spa treatments. We had SUCH a good time. When we arrived we were given warmed robes and warmed slippers and that is what we spent the day wearing.

For the massage and the facial we were in heated beds with heated blankets and soft music. For the pedicure we were in heated massage loungers with heated blankets over us.

Lounges overlooking the mountains with cucumber water and berries served all day long, steam room, sauna, aromatherapy room, 50-minute massage, 50-minute facial, pedicure, lunch, it was wonderful. I haven't felt so relaxed in a very long time. We left there totally limp. :)

That was very very nice of Marshall!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

32 days of no pain

Nothing much to report -- except things are still going very well!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

28 days of no pain

Things are going so normally that I forget all about this blog. That's a good thing.

Marshall continues to feel good and he's been out every day enjoying life.
The only side effects he has been having are hot flashes (which he's been having all along), fatigue (which isn't nearly as bad as it was), and restless leg.

The oncologist's office called a day or two ago to tell him to start taking Vitamin B6 -- his levels are very low. So we went and got a bottle of it. (It's possible that a Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause restless leg, so maybe we will get rid of that problem in the coming days.) Also, until his calcium levels come back up he will not be getting his bone strengthening injection.

He is starting to look into various bike shows this summer so he can sign up and start getting that Harley entered into some of them.

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Monday, April 8, 2013

2nd Monitoring visit

Marshall went to the University today for his second followup "monitoring" visit since starting the Zytiga. (I had to stay home because his cancer medications were arriving today and I had to be here to sign for them.)

All of the lab work came back good and he has not been suffering any side effects to speak of. Still no pain. Such good news.

But the best news of all is that today's tests showed that his PSA has come down from 31.06 to 10.23. The oncologist always tells us that the key thing to go by is how Marshall feels and as long as Marshall feels good we should not get too wrapped up with tracking the PSA, and also that the PSA can bounce around a little on this drug. But still, coming down to 10.23 is something to rejoice about!

Friday, April 5, 2013

20 days of no pain

Today was the 20th pain free day for Marshall. The weather was gorgeous and he got his trike out and was out all day riding. When he got home he was a little tired, but still had energy.

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Monday, April 1, 2013

16 days of no pain

Another day of no pain and good energy, as well as upbeat mood. Getting out and doing things. Puttering around the house. Getting caught up on things he hasn't been able to do in months.

Is this getting monotonous? Never!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Marshall's Story (condensed)

On 3/14/12 went to emergency room with severe chest pain (turned out to be bone pain)
3/17/12 diagnosed with Stage IV Prostate Cancer (metastasized to the bones), PSA was 49
3/29/12 Biopsy confirmed advanced cancer, with a Gleason Score of 8, PSA had risen to 95
3/29/12 Received a double injection of Firmagon hormone therapy (very painful!)
Early April 2012, within less than a week, bone pain subsided, and he was out of bed!!
4/30/12, PSA had gone down to 9! Hormone therapy changed from Firmagon to Lupron (a 3-month injection) Side effects: fatigue & hot flashes
6/11/12, PSA now down to 3.9! Considering a clinical trial.
6/19/12, decided against the clinical trial.
7/10/12, lab work done at request of VA regarding Agent Orange claim.
7/12/12, evaluation by a private doctor at request of VA.
7/26/12, visit to oncologist. PSA remains at 3.9!!! Very good news. Bone strengthener postponed for 6 weeks. Next appointment 9/13/12.
8/6/12, VA approved Agent Orange-prostate cancer benefits; Marshall is now considered 100% disabled. This decision will be reviewed again in six months.
9/4/12, passed out, chest pain, pale, sweating, clammy, rushed to hospital by Flight for Life. Doctors were unable to find a cause, but it wasn't cancer related. Left the hospital 9/6/12.
9/13/12, PSA went up to 6.6 ... depressing. CT scan, bone scan and another PSA test scheduled for 10/11/12.
10/11/12, Bone scan showed no change from prior bone scan; CT scan showed slight increase in "activity"; PSA up to 10.01. Casodex is started as well as megadoses of Vitamin D2.
10/18/12, Excruciating back pain, thought it was a Casodex side effect; oncologist says it is not SE. Went to clinic, got x-rays of spine, showed nothing, maybe hairline fracture, got injection of "aspirin" and started feeling better.

10/25/12, Lupron injection; Xgeva injection; flu shot. SE from Lupron was pain at injection site for several days.

11/21/12, PSA 10.22, Xgeva injection.

12/17/12, Kavanaugh (radiation oncologist)

12/20/12, 12/21/12, 12/22/12, first 3 radiation treatments

12/27/12, 12/28/12, last 2 radiation treatments

1/1/13, called 911, stomach pain, taking laxatives per instructions of Dr. Yeh, radiation oncologist. In hospital 3 days, diagnosed with radiation colitis. PSA 12.3. Colitis can't be treated, needs to resolve itself. Sent home 1/3. Advised that white blood cell count was low, get it retested.

1/7/13, went to clinic for lab work

1/8/13, appointment at clinic, white blood cell count heading back up but sugar very low and dehydrated. He was put on intravenous fluids for 40 minutes, felt better.

1/17/13, PSA 13.2, Vit D in normal range, Lupron shot, Xgeva shot, discontinue Casodex, white blood cell count almost back to normal after radiation.

1/28/13, went to emergency room with excruciating pain in right leg; no blood clot, no hairline fracture, no sciatica. Advised that fracture was imminent and to get wheelchair.

2/7/13, saw oncologist to get tests after emergency room visit. They do not agree that fracture is imminent and thought pain may be caused by withdrawal of Casodex. We go back on 3/1 for PSA test and discussion of clinical study of GTX (estrogen therapy) added to the treatment plan.

3/1/13, saw oncologist; PSA almost tripled to 31.06; started process to participate in clinical study for GTX-758.

3/4/13, not accepted in clinical study, bloodwork showed "low threshold" for clotting; will start Zytiga & prednisone on 3/12/13, started Zytiga with Prednisone;

3/17/13, FIRST PAIN FREE DAY IN MONTHS!

4/7/13, STILL PAIN FREE

4/8/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good; PSA DOWN TO 10.23!!

4/22/13, visit to hospital for lab work; all good. Received Lupron shot. Xgeva will be stopped until calcium levels go up. STILL PAIN FREE.

5/8/13, lab work; all good. PSA down to 5.1. Got Xgeva shot.

6/12/13, lab work; PSA down to 1.45. Dehydrated, hemoglobin low. Need to come back in a week to re-check kidney function.

6/18/13, lab work, kidney function back to normal; need to start iron supplement for anemia caused by Zytiga.

7/9/13, PSA down to 1.04 !!!!!

7/31/13, PSA down to 0.88 (woo hoo!)

8/28/13, PSA 0.88, got Xgeva shot

10/7/13, PSA 1.28, Xgeva discontinued because of side effects

10/16/13, CT scan, bone scan, MRI

10/21/13, results of tests showed healing in the bones, no evidence of new metastatic disease

11/13/13, lab work normal, got referral to psychologist

12/11/13, PSA 2.16, doctor says not to worry

1/6/14, saw psychologist, went well

2/4/14, CT scan, bone scan

2/6/14, PSA 2.8, scans look good, CT showed healing, got Zolodex injection, still off of Xgeva

3/5/14, PSA 2.45, all lab work normal

4/7/14, PSA 4.64, lab work normal, doubling the antidepressant, saw psychologist

5/15/14, PSA 3.72, lab work normal

6/19/14, PSA 7.46, lab work normal, bone scan showed new activity in upper spine

7/17/14, PSA 9.4, repeat scans set for 8/12

8/14/14, PSA 11.23, cancer progressing slowly, may start chemo in a few months.

9/15/14, PSA 20.8, new scans set for 10/14, then we find out what happens next.

10/16/14, PSA 33, Zytiga discontinued; started on Cytoxan; radiation scheduled for early November.

11/18/14, PSA 35.6, Zoladex injection, could he be suffering from radiation "flare?" Radiation oncologist says no.

12/1/14, discontinued Cytoxan.

12/22/14, PSA 28.0, he is in nursing home for physical therapy.

1/15/15, PSA 33, scans scheduled for February

2/9/15, scans cancelled; emergency surgery to remove tumor wrapped around spine; PSA 40

3/9/15, PSA 43, spots found on liver

4/13/15, PSA 45.62, spots on liver are probably fatty tissue. We will watch closely. Continue on oral chemo Cytoxan.

5/13/15, PSA 64.9

6/4/15, PSA 65, got quarterly Zolodex injection

7/2/15, PSA 262, will get radiation and will try Zytiga again

7/9/15, Hospice.
7/22/15, R.I.P.