Another shocking day

[rkengen]

Today at urologist diagnosis

Pc with mets in nodes n bone

T4N2

M1 bones

Gleason 10

Now on bicalutamide and getting a zoladex 10,8 mils

Next week appointment with chemotherapy,

Anyone could possibly give me some positive vibes as i m dead scared

Thx

[Dan59]

I feel your pain, I was dxed m1b with gleason 10 in 2006, There is lots hope, do not panic. There has been a order of magnitude difference in the way this is treated since I was diagnosed, The early Chemo has shown significant increased survival, be sure to read post on how to mitigate side effects of chemo. You can read my history by clicking on my profile. I wish you the best, we are all here for you , many will respond, please keep us posted. You need to now be treated by an Medical Oncologist , preferably one specializing in Advanced prostate Cancer.

Dan

[rkengen in reply to Dan59]

Thx so much. It is so overwhelming n my head is sooo f up now, but happy that you answered

[YostConner]

There are many men here who have lived long lives with these kinds of diagnoses. It's OK to be scared, but don't let it overwhelm you. You will fight this beast and enjoy life. We'll support you.

[rkengen in reply to YostConner]

Thx so much , how do you calm yr nerves?

[YostConner in reply to rkengen]

Well, I've been dealing with it for nearly 11 years, so I have some history that helps me keep things in perspective. Also, I use Cymbalta, and that helps manage my mood swings.

[Hidden]

You can read my history as well. Many people have great response to the excellent treatments available for prostate cancer. My Medical Oncologist refers to it as "management." I was initially surprised by her optimism, but now I see why. Lots of people go many years with proper treatment.

[gusgold]

Dr. Nalakrats told me not to worry and take Gator Juice (BIRM) as a supplement. But, after looking at his pic I have to admit I am now a little worried.

Gus

4.bp.blogspot.com/-i9qj20Om...

[Tall_Allen]

That's shocking to hear. How could you NOT be scared and worried? I can tell you that those feelings get less overwhelming with time. I practice Mindfulness and had psychotherapy to help me after getting my diagnosis. It really helped me to become aware of all the emotions and thoughts that were constantly buzzing around my brain, and they seem to have lessened the more I practiced being aware of them. I don't know if that makes sense, but there are classes in mindfulness-based stress reduction almost everywhere these days (It was developed for cancer patients).

There are no cures yet, but you may be able to live with it for a long time. Here's an article describing the approaches for management of the disease in newly diagnosed patients. Considering your tumor load, I think chemo is an excellent place to start.

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2017/06/...

[ctarleton]

Hi rkengen, I can certainly identify with those feelings of shock and dismay at such an initial diagnosis. I was in lots of morphine level pain to my lower back and a spot in my lower abdomen when I was first diagnosed at age 65 back in late 2013. I, too, went directly to androgen deprivation therapy, aka, hormone therapy, first using Bicalutamide, followed by another drug similar to your Zoladex to bring down my PSA. I had 20+ bone mets and lots of lymph node mets, too, and a PSA of 5,006. Within a month my PSA dropped to below 100 and my pain started melting away. Within three months my PSA was below 5 and I was completely pain free. My PSA eventually got down to the 1.0 range and stayed low for at least a couple of years.

It sounds like you will be getting added "early chemo" with Docetaxel, which has since been shown in more recent clinical trials in the UK and the USA to provide better long-term Overall Survival benefits than the plain vanilla initial ADT/HT treatment I got. Several men here have done the same treatments you are now beginning, and they are doing well. Many of them can share what it was like for them as they started ADT/HT and early chemo.

I've been on ADT/HT for a little over 4 years, myself. I get fewer hot flashes/flushes now than I did at first. Overall, I've adjusted to living with lower Testosterone levels pretty well. It's not the same, but then again, after this kind of diagnosis a lot of things are suddenly changed, ... and we cope.

If it's time to cry or be sad or be angry or to despair a little, that's OK, and pretty normal. Share it. Talk about it. It helps with "being with" those feelings for a while, and processing them.

Again, if you may be in the UK, there are some good support group resources for Prostate Cancer. Talking face-to-face with others who "get it" can really help. Same goes for spouses and caregivers, too.

Charles

[Johny16]

Don’t panic. I was right there where you are almost 2 years ago. G10 lymph nodes and bones. I am doing well and feel better than I have since this journey started. I would recommend early chemo and a good MO. Stay aggressive and don’t get too high or too low. You can fight and thrive.

[paulofaus]

Hi rkengen, I had a diagnosis like yours 2 years ago age 49. I understand your situation, the fear and anxiety, wondering if you'll be around for Christmas, grieving for your lost future, feeling robbed. I was encouraged to have a biopsy to 'rule out' cancer and when the uro told me I had Gleason 10 cancer in 11 of 12 cores and it had metastasised to a dozen skeletal sites, 3 of which were in my spine, I felt numb, confused and overwhelmed. I spent six months learning all I could, but the shock didn't wear off until about the one year mark. I still have an uncertain future, but I've become used to hearing scary news and I try not to react to it too much. Seeing some of the other guys on this site and their stories of surviving in the face of adversity gives me great strength to continue. I would encourage you to join a support group, get some counselling, do regular meditation, read as much as you can, focus on the success stories and not that stats (which can be very misleading) and try to develop an attitude of resilience. Believe me, I know that's easier said than done. Take time to process what's happening to you and take comfort in the fact that others have been where you are and are still doing well many years in to the future. I still have times when I get very worried, but I try not to let it control me too much. I try not to give in to negative thoughts, by keeping busy and taking every opportunity to live life to the fullest. I can recommend a book called "A Salamader's Tale", by Paul Steinberg. He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in the 1980's and is still with us. Good luck and don't give in to it. Cheers Paul.

[rkengen in reply to paulofaus]

Thanks a lot for your help

[Gary94]

I think we all have had the same emotions. I remember feeling the same thing, sadness, anger and being scared. Time and the success of your future treatments will dull these emotions some what where you can put them in the back of your mind and concentrate on living each day to it’s fullest. I think that’s the key. Focus on now, not what could be. It’s good that you are on here, we’ve been there done that and we can help you.

[j-o-h-n]

To: rkengen "positive vibes" you'll be around for a very time (don't fret).

youtube.com/watch?v=Eab_beh...(Not working as expected?)

Good Luck and Good Health.

j-o-h-n Saturday 02/24/2018 6:55 PM EST