Hi. I am Jason, a UK expat working and living in Kenya and I was diagnosed 2 and a half years ago (gleasons score 3+4). Undergone stampede trial (combined chemotherapy with docetaxil and hormonal therapy with firmagon), followed by radiation therapy. First year check ups done every 3 months. Next check up after that was 9 months later. I'm now told to come back after 1 year. Disease responding to medication and I'm told to treat as diabetes (monitor and medicate). To continue hormonal therapy but prognosis is very good. All treatment done in India. Most highly recommended. I can assist with contacts to head of oncology. I happy to pass on my experiences and my knowledge. My treatment seems to have been the best available. However, most importantly to beat this thing is POSITIVE attitude.
47 year old stage 4 prostate patient ... - Advanced Prostate...
47 year old stage 4 prostate patient with positive prospects
Hi Jason,
We live int he UK, husband Stage 4 GL9, PSA 320, we also did the Stampede trial and hes one more RT session to do on Fri. PSA lowest 1.5, now 2.4 OC said that could be due to Chemo and RT (hope so)
We go on holiday to India every year and if needed will consider treatment (LU-177- 225psma) out there, as its a lot cheaper.
Would be VERY interested to know where you had your treatment done, what did you HAVE done?
Details of the head of Oncology would also be appreciated , for future reference(hopefully not needed for a long time) but good to be ready, like how much notice you had to give them ? E-Mail address.
My husband was in Kenya as a child (HIs parents were in the forces) and we have been there 3 times on holiday, although it be 20yrs or more ago, lovely place.
Welcome to the site, Im a newbie(Wife) but there are lots of lovely people on here that will answer ANY question you may have, its like being part of a big caring family, and a few jokers in the pack. which is essential to keep spirits up.
Wish you continued success with your treatment.
Kim
Hi Kim,
Wow, how amazing that someone responded to my first post and if I can in any way impart some if my experiences to better the chances of other patients then I would be truly over the moon. I received my treatments at HCG (Health Care Global) Hospital in Bangalore. My oncologist is Dr. Sridhar (please visit hcgoncology.com/doctor-deta.... He is absolutely amazing and is also head of Cyberknife (precision robotic non invasive radiotherapy). I would be more than happy to make an introduction. I received 24 fractions of tomotherapy to my lymph nodes and then 6 fractions of cyberknife to my prostate and finally 1 fraction of cyberknife to the mets on my rib.
Due to my condition (although improving) we have made a decision as a family to relocate to Belfast Northern Ireland in July this year. I hope we can stay in though.
I am not sure of the security protocols on this site with regard exchanging contact details but please let me know if you wish for me to send you my email address so that I can send you all the details of HCG Hospital.
All the very best to you and your husband. This thing can be beaten.
Jason.
You can use the Chat function at the top of the page to send messages to one another, without showing them to the entire forum.
Charles
Hi Jason. It sounds as though our situations might be similar. I was posted to the Caribbean in1989 by the charity VSO, which sends skilled people to aid in the Developing World. My two year contract was greatly extended when I decided to stay, leaving in 2017 to move to the UK only because I had to. I was diagnosed in 2004. The island I was on by that time (Trinidad) had some treatment options and experience but, having a population of only 1.25 million, had little knowledge of my rare form of ductal PCa. I underwent failed brachytherapy (2004) and radical LP (2010), and have since been treated with increasingly expensive ADT. I stayed as long as I could, returning to the UK only once it became necessary to gain access to the fuller NHS. I do not regret returning, but nor do I regret my 29 years overseas, working in small communities in which I could directly see the impact and contribution of my work. But boy, the country to which I returned is not the one I left. Both it and I have both changed hugely. My advice is not to see this as a return, but as a next stage in which you relocate to a foreign country in which the things you once knew are now merely a palimpsest on which has been imposed on a whole new culture.
Hi Brent. Great hearing from you and reading your story. Sounds like you have an amazing life. I truly hope that your condition is stable. I was actually born in Cardiff but as a baby was taken back to Rhodesia. I have spent the rest of my life all over Africa. My return to the UK will therefore indeed be a return to a foreign country. I shall heed your very kind advice. I wish you all the very best and pray for your recovery.
Great job overseas ..
Palimpsest: something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.
Had to look it up... BTW I was born in the South Bronx (NYC) where the things you once knew are now merely a palimpsest on which has been imposed on a whole new culture. (Wow wait till I show this to the boys in the hood)...👍✔👀
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Wednesday 06/19/2019 7:56 PM DST
Welcome to the best forum on the net. And congratulations on your amazing fight and journey. Keep us posted
Sheri (cheerleader for you all now)
Welcome aboard ,Good news young man . Looks like you have lots of smiles and love . Atta boy . Hang in there!
Hi Lulu. Thanks you kindly. If I've learned anything at all along this journey, its about maintaining a positive outlook throughout. Best regards.
Thank you .. Sir , best to you ..
From Kenya to Belfast? Don’t get me wrong, I love NI, but that will be some hard core climatic change! Great to hear of your successes, Jason!
Hi Seosamh. Yip, I'm due for one big shock to the system. Relocating my wife closer to her family and my daughter to her grandparents. A change is as good as a holiday. Best regards.
Kenya? Wow! My father climbed Mt .Kilimanjaro in 1967 . I was six years old. He was part of a 3 man team of U.S. national park service planners that planed the National parks system for Kenya .... and other countries ..Good luck on Belfast and curing or at least stalling this dreaded disease ..
That is an incredible treatment plan. Good luck.
Greetings Jasonholley, Great picture... great kid... Now that you're going to Ireland it's pronounced "Fork" or "Fook" just in case you don't know.. Remember to Laugh!!!
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Wednesday 06/19/2019 9:52 AM DST