Food for thought. In my case I am Stage 4b metastatic, My cancer is in remission or so my psa indicates it is. So while I ingest all these drugs to keep the cancer under control my body is slowly losing the battle to other co-morbidities. My cholesterol numbers are out whack, my blood pressure is through the roof, my prediabetes is now full blown...I've lost muscle mass and I'm carrying a few extra pounds around my waist. I am killing myself trying to save my life. I think of the quandary that I find myself do I enjoy that glass of wine with a steak dinner or do I opt for the vegetarian with a glass of ice water.
Every choice I know face has very real consequences do I enjoy what is left of my life or do I deprive myself of some of the pleasures in life in the hopes of extending my life, that is the question.
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This is a question most of us ask themselves. I‘m afraid there is no standard answer for anyone. I can only speak for myself. I built a team of trusted people with very different background. For every therapy I check all side effects and try to find detours: exercise, diet, supplements, meditation,… does it eliminate all side effects? No. Does it reduce side effects? Very much so. Steaks & alcohol I enjoyed in my previous life, now not any more. But as stated above: very individual decision and maybe I will give the same or other answers in the future. I hope, you’ll find YOUR way and don’t forget: there are new medicines every year, which could help especially you!
The question of need of these toxic treatments and the severe side effects leading to bad cormorbities is an ongoing discussion on this forum.I would like to draw your attention once again to the fact that every man's prostate cancer is different in aggressiveness and how much treatment is needed for which man is a very important issue. Unfortunately, the Standard of care puts every man's prostate cancer into one category and then, makes the same guidelines of treatment for every men....it means.. they practice.."One size fits All) approach.
It takes effort ,time and money to accurately pinpoint how aggressive a man's prostate cancer truly is. It certainly can be figured out by monitoring patterns of bio markers, histopathology , clinical behavior of cancer, presence or absence of Germline mutation and so forth. Once we know the true shade of our cancer, we can tailormake treatments which are sufficient for us and can minimize toxic side effects. But system is not evolved enough to use this approach called "individuanised ,precision medicine" (opposed to One size fits all)
I was fortunate to figure out early on to know exactly what is true color of my prostate cancer and how aggressive it might be. But I had to spend a lot of money out of pocket and tons of my time in this endevour. However, I could stay on Intermittent ADT for last 2 1/2 years with very little side effects. The role my anti cancer diet, regular brisk walk/run atleast 4 miles every day also added significantly to be able to keep less aggressive treatment protocol. Avoiding animal fats,Keeping BMI less than 24 and staying physically very active are theurapeutic.
Roger, I am claiming that if intelligently handled ..the comorbidities can be controlled and minimized. It needs a smart, proactive approach.
Thank you you are absolutely correct but one year into this treatment. I got a new MO also went through a deep depression with first diagnosis I am trying to navigate my options at this point… Have an on April 7 will ask him about my treatment and if he thinks my treatment can be modified… he just administered what the previous MO had in place…but I am fortunate I still feel great just have to to grips with diet going forward
Wow - congrats. I‘m on a similar way, can we share more? Also switched my diet completely to whole food plant based, whole wheat. No sugar, no oil, no alc. Abd time restricted eating (1 to 6). Meditating. Running daily, gym and weight lifting. BMI between 19-20. Supplements: Calcium, D3, K2, Curcuma, Pomegrade, Melatonin. I have Metformin & statin at home, but didn’t start my now.
What else are you doing? I‘m in touch with Euge Kwon, too and will do genetic testing soon. Currently I‘m doing my last two fractions RT (out of 25) and I‘m on Lupron (again).
You are already doing what we need to do....BMI 19-20...I am still trying to reach 22...(presently23) Add a few more things to your daily diet...such as Dark red Resins (dry grapes) (for Resveratrol) , Cauliflower, Cabbage, Radishes, Mustard Greens (for sulforaphanes) Metformin comes in a natural form which is called Berberin.Germline testing is important thing as it can tell us if we genetic mutations like BRCA 1, BRCA 2, ATM etc. These mutations make one's prostate cancer more aggressive..so stronger treatments are needed.
Yes, I‘m already eating a lot from your above list, the other things I’ll add to my list. And I will do germline testing after finishing RT. Eugene Kwon recommended to do testing regularly as cancer cells may mutate after each treatment, therefore also doing it from the blood, not from old tumor tissue.
BTW, I added PHT test to my regular blood testing. PHT provides info about your calcium balance and therefore bone health. I got my result yesterday and it’s all good - thx God.
Are there other, more special blood tests which you do?
I know how you feel, I have taken a proactive stance against my side effects. Take Cymbalta for depression and workout 3-5 days a week with a partner for motivation. I limit red meat to one day a month and live on fish and chicken and now like veggies. My diabetes, cholesterol and BP have improved greatly. This is so not like the old me but I have 4 women counting on me to be alive for them and they are my inspiration and my watchdogs making sure I eat right and workout. Sick as I may be my life is better than it has ever been. And, my wife likes my new muscular physique. So win win. I fight the battle every day
my husband has seen great result for overall health while on ADT by eating whole foods plant based diet and being strict with exercise regime. He has an aggressive type PCa but all blood works and BP etc remained good even on ADT and he lost the extra weight he was carrying before his diagnosis.
Some resources to help (imho) - look at the - Australian - Defeat Diabetes group defeatdiabetes.com.au. Founded by Dr. Brukner and Dr. Paul Mason. Mason has a very good youtube channel "Low Carb Down Under" - here is a good video youtu.be/LRHir1k9jmE
Not to get religious about diet and nutrition - but this is what has worked for me. I figured it out slowly and over many years. Nothing special about these guys but I find I like them (Mason gives excellent talks on youtube) - and an Australian accent doesn't hurt either 😉. There approach is evidence based, allows for meat eating - or vegetarian - or vegan, and helps with type 2 diabetes, weight gain, blood pressure, and has a slightly refined view on what to look for on your cholesterol numbers. A key underlying hypothesis is that you need to get your insulin response under control ...
I have not used the commercial Defeat Diabetes program so cannot vouch for it, but there are also other similar programs out there. Also note there is a "defeatdiabetes.org/" which is not related (and I think does not have the same type of resources).
I still eat (excellent) meat and drink my favorite red wines - just emphasize quality over quantity. Cheers!
Another resource I can recommend- "Metabolical" by Dr. Robert Lustig. Science-backed, but just enough "conspiracy theory" to keep one reading (he is not a strong friend of pharma and big food for potentially very good reasons), he gives the background and some general guidelines for health and nutrition. His high-level guide is super simple: 1) protect the liver, 2) feed the gut - and he explains what he means by this. This is an approach which allows each of us to optimize for our own values e.g. carnivore to vegan and all in-between.
Yours is a familiar refrain. The treatments are rough without question. It seems we have little choice but to employ diligent caloric restriction and plenty of exercise. For many of us, one or both are somewhat unfamiliar territory.
At times difficult, very worth it.
I would go ahead and enjoy the steak and wine occasionally if I were you-but I’d earn it first with the aforementioned. Great luck to you!
You are young and keep your mind young....My take is simple......
1.....If you can start intermittent fasting.....Very easy start with 12 hours and go to 14-16 hours...I am doing daily since six months....
2.....Then exercise, exercise.....walk walk....one step at time.....one to 2 hours.....breath fresh air, look at trees flowers smell ...forget about APC
3.... Diet...vegetables....open grass fed food....no carbohydrates no sugar no fried stuff....Enjoy glass of good wine....good peg of Malt.....olive oil cocnut oil etc....
4 Meditate...walking is meditation.....
5 supplements.....NO one fit all , do your own DD , see what suits all
6 keep laughing with your kids ......
Share .....open your mind and throw away stress...
Life is a joyful state when connected to life force....
Many men (and women) struggle with these comorbidities as we age. The metabolic syndrome that you describe, whether or not one has PCa, can be addressed and managed by lifestyle changes. Daily exercise, alternating aerobic (bike/walking) with resistance works. So does healthy eating. These will help not only control your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and prevent diabetes.. While your treatment may be hastening the road you are on with “pre diabetes” you can turn this around and stay on your life saving treatment by taking charge of some of these lifestyle choices.
It’s not easy, but the rewards are great.
The likelihood of these comorbidities being reversed if you stop or alter treatment without making these lifestyle changes is slim, I believe, so why not aggressively take charge now? Just my opinion as a nurse with a lot of experience helping patients manage these comorbidities.
So, can a healthy diet include any carbs? Our bodies need zero carbs??? Are there actually studies showing that reasonable servings of meat hasten our death?
There are a lot of opinions on diet and prostate cancer in this group. I myself have never seen a well designed clinical trial demonstrating diet has any effect on progression of prostate cancer itself. We eat meat, try to limit our portions and share a steak, for example, and instead of living a life of denial, strive to eat more veggies, more fruits, healthy fats and grains.
For metabolic syndrome, which is really the topic of this post, a Mediterranean diet has been shown to be effective. While keto might work, it’s restrictive and difficult to maintain for years on end.
We need healthy carbs, fruits and vegetables with lower glycemic index, whole grains, etc. My husband could live on bananas, I swear, but he limits them because of the high glycemic content and his potassium soars if he overindulges.
Again, I know there are many opinions on this subject. If eating vegan makes a person feel better, that’s great.
I believe in evidence based medicine, and try to recognize the difference between causation and correlation. It’s not always easy.
My husband won’t live a life of denial with the time he has left. But he will work out daily, and he will add in healthy choices!
I like your approach, moderation is key, have altered the diet like red meat once a week, more veggies and exercise as much as possible trying to limit sugar which is difficult in today's sugar world. When you mentioned bananas I had two at work along with 3 oranges instead of other bad choices. So much for our golden years after 60, our social life is doctor's visits, more pills, some foods do not like us anymore and degeneration of joints. Our golden years are our younger years but we tend to not see it that way so enjoy our youth more and make smart choices. Glad things are going well for both of you.
My wife and I agree with your approach. You communicate it very well.
And yes a lot of opinions here and what I think gets lost in the mix is the wide variety of guys here in the so called advanced group.
Thanks to my wife of 44 years I have always ate healthy and yet we allowed ourselves the luxury of an occasional steak or cheeseburger a few times a year. We still do but now we can do so with grass fed etc.
But again the wide mix of opinions in addition to some looking at years and years of remission here (due to low gleason, variance in genetics and DNA of their cancer ) regardless of what they do or don't do based on studies they follow and as you said in your case and it is true in mine this is not a time to go into total denial of some of the pleasures in life with the time left here.
As an example not sure if there was ever a time in my life when I would consider introducing proteolytic pig pancreas enzymes into my body (no evidence) but anyway now pragmatically looking at the future I definitely won’t be. My time is limited. No time for non-evidence based studies to study and make myself a one man experiment. Evidence based medicine will suit me well.
A healthy lifestyle (exercise to the degree I can) and a healthy balanced diet are all I aspire to in regard to diet and exercise.
BTW I hope hubby is responding to tx. Noticed he started chemo combo in January. His 2nd time around with chemo tx. I am hoping for the best!
So far, he is responding to his chemo cocktail and tolerating it well. Scans show some improvement and PSA down to 10.1 from 41.3 in January, after 3 cycles. Every pain free day is a good day! He is still working full time but plans to retire in July. He is 68.
If Im not mistaken thats great news. Pain free from knocking out mets is a relief vs. putting a blanket over them with pain meds.The chemo cocktail is but one of the choices I might have when my good response to Zytiga diminishes.
Thanks for your presence here and your care of your husband.
Yes of course. The brain needs carbs more than any other part of body as Brain can only utilize sugars to function properly. There are good carbs such as in apples and other fruits which release sugar slowly due to their fiber content And then there are bad carbs such as refined sugars and products which have added sugar in them...causing spike in blood sugar....leading to more hunger. (Reactive Hypoglycemia)There is a myth which do not go away....The myth is that prostate cancer uses sugar to grow.
Prostate Cancer is an exception...Prostate Cancer does not use sugar to grow...It uses Fat to grow....and the worst thing we can eat is Fat of animal origin.
you need to go to go to YouTube and type "does sugar feed prostate cancer.? by Mark Sholtz and dr Mark Moyad (of PCRI) who specifically talk about what feeds prostate cancer.If you are willing to work harder, there are medical research papers telling about how fat is the main food for prostate cancer cells.
I think this is a great issue / open question (should animal fat be avoided) which has not been sufficiently answered. Couple of pieces of info - first we do not really "need" to eat carbs to feed the brain - this is a red herring. The body will produce sufficient glucose to feed the brain, first eating your fat but then including of course eating your muscle (obviously bad). But this is not a problem most first-world people face these days.
Secondly - ketones feed the brain. There is (serious) work being done to use ketones and ketosis to help people with Alzheimers (which many consider driven by insulin resistance of the brain).
And - the way I understand it - normal prostate cells have a "special" slightly-shifted mitochondrial metabolism, and PCa - in eearlier phases - typically metabolizes more thru the fatty acid path and also the glutamate (protein-fed) path into the Krebs cycle, as opposed to the Warburg effect, where glycolysis goes into overdrive. Advanced (high-grade, metastasized) PCa may switch to the Warburg effect where it wants more glucose. But so far - I have not really found someone who really fully understands this (and published it, particularly for prostate cancer) - of course open for any inputs there.
But not eating animal fats does not really shut down this path either as far as I can tell. And - so far - you can't really turn off the glutumate pathway either (okay you can actually but that results in a quick death of the patient ... so yes it does kill cancer too 😉).
Sorry for the long reply - the more I learn the more I think 1) there is no silver bullet 2) the complexity is humbling 3) many (most?) men with PCa die from cardio-vascular disease ....
Yes, if you include all men with low to high risk PCa, certainly CV events and other cancers are far more likely to cause death. Even with my Gleason 4+5, the Memorial Sloan Kettering nomogram shows initially UNTREATED men have 25% PCa mortality risk at 10-15 years..and with surgery, 1% at 10 years. I don't think most men would guess those numbers? I'm still astonished at the 1% number for Gleason 4+5ers who do surgery. And I think the scare factor " high risk cancer" would make most men guess higher than 25% risk if chooose no treatment initially....not sure when those men in the study did initiate some sort of treatment.....after scan-detected metastases, rapid PSA doubling, or other.....perhaps symptomatic with pain??
Any PCa treatment probably increases risk of other morbidities..specifically ADT treatment and other secondary treatments.
I dubt I'll find any studies that are 100% conclusive level 3 evidence that eliminating fats will greatly improve my treatment success? If there is such evidence, and the Docs aren't so informing their patients, surely that is malpractice!!
I don't really care about speculative mechanisms....most of which I lack the background to understand......just about proven treatments, including diet "treatments".
Roger, you brought up a question I’ve been asking myself. I’m 80 years old and about to start the next phase of my treatment after failing 2009 prostate surgery and 2021 IMRT. I have no symptoms so I question whether I should go thru treatment that may negatively affect my quality of life in order to possibly prolong my life few years. I wish I have a crystal ball to help me choose. I hope you can find a way to deal with your situation.
Do you have metastases that are visible on any scan? I recently read an MD-authored article in which he pondered this question. I think the article was directed to other MDs. He reminded them that people don't die from cancers that cannot be seen .....i assume he meant by scan. We are fortunate that a PCa -caused failing prostate will not kill us.....just when metastasized to vital organs, bones, etc. .....and apparently only when those metastases are large enuf to be seen by scan
Thanks for your response. My PSA from last week test was 0.19 too low to have a meaningful PSMA pet. I’ll schedule an appointment with an MO. My guess is that he/she may want me to wait until my PSA goes up in order to get the scan
Thats kind of my thinking, if the cancer is so small that scans don't pick it up should we still put our selves through chemo etc. The new scans that everyone talks about here will see a cancer 7 years into the future. If you go by todays technology you wouldn't even know they were there....and isn't true the body is always fighting micrscopic cancer....what is the point of taxing the body for something that is 7 years in the future....
That is the unansered question with the new PSMA PET scans.....past studies used old scan results when looking at outcomes for a possible treatment. From what I understand, the limit of detection for PSMA PET is approx 5 mm = 1/5". What does the 7 yr number relate to?
Rogerand me, very good point. Finding little bit of cancer and immediately subjecting the body to toxic treatments is not a wise choice.If my Primary doctor did not make a mistake of not seeing my elavated PSA almost 12 years ago, I probably would have had lost my prostate and probably would have died of toxic treatment by now because of 12 yrs of treatment.
I discovered my PCa after full 12 years (in 2019) when my PSA rose to 830 and I had urinary symptoms. I had wonderful and happy 12 years because PCa diagnosis was missed. Many times, less is better. Or you can say..blessing in disguise.
I had the opposite experience I had urinated problems in 2019 with a psa of 10 primary doctor said nothing to worry about next test fell to seven …gave me a false since of security… Then I December of 2020 jumped to 79…. SMH… if caught in 2019 might have been a game changer we’ll never know…
This varying experiences of different men actually confirm that Prostate Cancer is a heterogeneous condition...every man's PCa is different...has different shade and different degree of aggressiveness. All I am saying is that the treatments should be individualized according to uniqueness of one's prostate cancer. Possibly..being a life long vegetarian and being physically active every day might have helped me. Also not having germline mutations could have helped.
All great advice here - enjoy the steak and the glass of wine but work in lots of exercise and healthy food-btw I love all you guys here- the great attitudes are truly an inspiration!!!!
I think you have to take actions that will offset the effect of the meds that are treating your cancer. Daily exercise is key, eating in moderation is important but enjoying life is equally important. While I don’t drink alcohol I enjoy red meat a couple times a week with lots of chicken and fish on other days, always with a lot of fruits and vegetables - a pseudo Mediterranean diet you might call it. And yes I have to take BP meds, I’ve been taking Metformin since my dx despite not being a diabetic to control/prevent metabolic syndrome from ADT as well as a tool to fight cancer. I take a statin drug daily, but that was true before my dx. After 8 years of ADT/chemo/radiation etc I’m in pretty good shape, I weigh less than when I was dx, muscle tone is decent but stamina not what it was but it’s a good life despite stage 4 cancer.
Methinks that, cancer or no cancer, we all have the existential thoughts and feelings you've so aptly described. It's a very large boat you're in! Clearly, there are no right or wrong answers but we all know how this story plays out. Many of the therapies we endure make our quality of life pretty awful and even contribute to the conditions you mentioned (e.g., Lupron threw my blood work out of wack, caused join pain and many other unpleasant side effects and made me question whether to continue on).
So, does one deprive oneself of some of life's pleasures to gain...what? Perhaps more time? Or, does one say, damn, my time is limited (regardless of what I do), I have no idea what will happen or when but I do know that, at some point, I won't be able to enjoy that steak and wine...can't we do both? Take as good care of ourselves as possible AND enjoy what one likes? For myself, I'd vote for that steak and wine (and NOT beat myself up about "giving in" to some Earthly delights and NOT engage in the "if I had only" mind games). Good luck with whatever you decide. Oh, and, perhaps to state the obvious, it's that "whatever you decide" - the sense that we have some control/influence over our destiny - that is at the heart of your reflections.
Agreed when one is faced with certain death a lot of thoughts go through our minds... My friends say we are all dying..My response of course we are only my death is more imminent...
Yea. I have been saying its easy to say we are all going to die until a couple estimated dates are put on us. Life was easier when it was a "someday" thought.
Why so grim? I seriously doubt you're "killing yourself" but if you stop your cancer treatment in hopes of getting the other things under control you'll die for sure.
My thyroid went wacko at first but that was treatable. I expect your high blood pressure is treatable too. Look at it like a puzzle: first get one thing under control, then another, then another. Good luck!
Why so grim? I seriously doubt you're "killing yourself" but if you stop your cancer treatment in hopes of getting the other things under control you'll die for sure.
My thyroid went wacko at first but that was treatable. I expect your high blood pressure is treatable too. Look at it like a puzzle: first get one thing under control, then another, then another. Good luck!
I learned that very early on. ADT was horrible. Side effects you name it I had ( have ) it. Around my radiation I lost 15 lbs off a 128 lb body. I was disappearing. Couldn't eat anything, even water tasted horrible. Was lucky to discover cherries, and for a couple of months I subsisted on a pound or even more daily. I kept asking why I ( 128 lbs ) would be getting same dose of Eligard as a 200+ guy ? Lost muscle mass, energy, sex drive. My unit got super small and almost disintegrated. Mentally and emotionally I was a wreck. Many other things I don't even want to remember. Was lucky to discover this group as well as another on fb. Instituted my own regime with nutrition, exercise, ooil, supplements etc. Stopped ADT at 6 months. Onco said I was crazy with G9 stage 4 ( one pelvic lymph node ). Now, about 10 months later I have managed to regain the weight and most strength, but as side effects I am anemic, cholesterol out of whack and more. Kept waking up 3 to 5 times a night. On my own managed to bring it down to 1 -2. A lot of my time now is spent on finding out what else ADT has done to me and what to do about it. Could not have survived without tranquilizers. Luckily I do know how to manage that and am weaning myself off. Actively looking for psychological help to, among others, find out how to deal with the system and how to find the right medical oncologist / hematologist for me. Up until my therapy I was a 71 yr old relatively healthy, active guy with a resting heart rate of 39, lean, walking a lot and playing tennis. One positive thing out of all that. Lack of testosterone gave me a fuller perspective on life, and how destructive in various ways sex can be to oneself and others. Nothing, never mind sex education, prepares us for that,
True that. Some time on ADT showed me a calmer kinder me. Lessons learned does not require a lifetime of ADT. Went on a modified keto diet and lost my Buddha-body but had sarcopenia. Now on cyclic testosterone. Fortunately my PC is behaving on this for now. I think if I could not use testosterone, then an estradiol patch while on ADT can help significantly. Your mileage may vary.
I'm in Canada so onco shopping is not that easy, and finding one that would work with testosterone is close to impossible. I would like to bring mine a bit higher. Our range is from 6 - 28. Right now I am just below 7. Hope yours works out.
I have used baking soda to help clear the toxins from my blood over the last 14 years,In combination with these dame drugs, the doctors keep pumping into me,
And you can smell the difference when you empty your bladder over a few days/weeks,
And I have kept it up until this very day, baking soda stopped the acid reflux I was experiencing as well as the ulcers in the stomach disappearing over time, it helped to strengthen my immune system as well,
I also found a book that offers a great way to go, this book offered a huge boost to my immune system as well as knocked the crap out of my high Psa readings.
The book is called,
"The one minute cure"
You can get it for free on the internet.
Good luck with it all my friend,
PS Avoid sugar as it is rocket fuel for all cancers
It’s the age old question, quality of life vs quantity. Regardless of what you do, there are no guarantees. It’s a very personal decision and we wish you all the best with it.
Dark times. Overwhelms the spirit. G8 PSA 109 RT 44 with the machine breaking down 20% of the time after RT immunity was so low that shingles raised its ugly head. Many trips to ER with blood all over my shoes and floor from a biopsy gone bad and loss of right kidney from a Tumor. With Hot Flashes, gaining weight and a dulled mind with horrific lack of energy. Then in June of 2019 a very mysterious illness that just about did me in and many doctors couldn’t figure it out and left me bed ridden and waking to a disappointment of why Im I still alive. Pneumonia, loss of taste and swollen joints with a horrific rash on the edges of my hands and feet. I had no Idea that the hundreds of tour buses filled with mainland China citizens visiting the Grand Canyon in June of 2019 that would visit the Local Walmart were infecting our citizens with early days of Covid. People who worked there were experiencing a spike in pneumonia and a host of other issues. (Note I’m not racist) I was in the wrong place at the wrong time with with low immunity.With Lupron and RT my PSA my numbers came down to 4 then raised 15 then 28 and with the cancer spreading into my limp nodes my legs swelling and my groin swelling to something in resembling the elephant man and scrotum the size of a grapefruit and my doctors saying they can’t do anymore referred me to Las Vegas Urologist and I was introduced to Eli-guard and Xtandi.
In 6 months I was back to normal with a PSA of 0.064 and scans that showed no metastatic issues in the bones and limp nodes clear. After a year of nothing changing I asked for a drug vacation and now have energy and clarity of the mind.
September will be another test of PSA, and body scans. I did and still do 2 things that I don’t consider the normal for most. I surround myself in praise music at home and in the car as well take a liquid Colloidal Minerals with fulvic acid trace minerals by a company called NOW. With many prayers by me and those who know me the dark days are behind me. For now and hopefully forever. I can’t tell you the many times I considered suicide because life was so dark and I just couldn’t get a flicker of light. But I give thanks above for both Xtandi and God above to give me the life I was hoping to return to. Life right now is so good and I don’t let any grass grow under my feet. I’m living and everyday I give praise. Life is good and those close to me are amazed at my glow and smile and laughter now.
My decision to take a drug holiday was to keep me from having a
heart attack and with many warning signs my doctors agreed. I’m 68 and my 70’s are now within reach.
Thank you my thoughts exactly I have health concisene my whole life I’m 66 been hitting the gym 4-5 days a week since 24 years of age guarding against heart disease… cancer caught me by surprise….Se la vie.
I am experiencing what you describe in slow motion. I have survived this disease through 30 years of treatments, but it's all catching up to me now. I am now per-diabetic, osteopenia, triple bypass surgery last year, spine surgery last week. It goes on and on, I now regulate my body with drugs, blood pressure, heart rate, thyroid, etc...
Well, it's been a good 30 years. I don't regret it. I have done a lot a soul searching over those years and found love and laughter. I wouldn't change a thing.
Magnus, I always appreciate the information you share in your posts as I research treatments for my dad. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your recent spine surgery, and all the best in the future.
Magnus I respect your ability to keep a positive attitude with all that you have been through..wishing better days ahead and you are certainly an inspiration to the rest of us...
I hear you my fellow warrior. I was in much the same place.
My BP, Cholesterol and glucose numbers were slowly but surely climbing to the upper limits of recommendations or beyond. ADT is a trade off that is hard to handle. I also suffered from muscle loss, brain fog, weight gain, hot flashes and the dreaded loss of libido.
With encouragement from my beautiful wife and family I have embarked on a lifestyle change that seems to be working for me. After doing much research on line and attending some dietary classes I have gone to a plant based whole foods lifestyle and have actually found it to be fun looking for tasty recipes and tweaking them to meet my taste. IWe had already been very active with 3 swim days a week and 2 walking days.
Within 3 months I could really start seeing and feeling the changes that this made. All of my vitals and test were coming into a normal range and I dropped a few pounds. I had been experiencing some trouble with inflammation in my hands and feet as well. This also was much improved. I am now 6 months in and cholesterol has came from 264 down to 212 and BP is now 120 / 70. I feel much better overall.
I wish you the best in your decision of which road to take but I wanted to share the benefits that I found in this change.
PS: We have found many very tasty recipes and do not terribly miss any of the foods that we left behind.
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Doing my best to help people with cancer
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My Cancer Journey Repost
Ambetter - trying to change my meds…
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
