Reporting in on Mr. Spouse 21

[spouse21]

Again, Mr. Spouse's (age 78) 3-month results are boring in a good way. See Profile for details and history, which are, essentially: 2014: high Gleason 9, low PSA, 3.38* followed by 3 yrs. Lupron, 9 weeks IMRT, later Zytiga (failed); 2019: 10 Doxetaxel and indeterminate length of Xgeva; Lupron life sentence. No supplements after anti-neuropathy supplements did nothing awhile back. Gets Vitamin D from sunshine, not out of a bottle. His calcium is good with no supplements.

Whatever the alchemy of his care, so far so good, i.e. continued stability since end of chemo in 2020.

Results two days ago 9/30/2022: PSA: .15; ALP: 40: CALCIUM: 10.

I'm reporting results because Mr. Spouse 21 is one of the "fortunate" guys who's gotten some mileage out of chemo, which ended in 2020. I'm always surprised when I update Profile, which is getting as long as War and Peace. Things didn't look that way at all in 2014. He's starting year 9 next month and has been heavily treated with all the stuff men hate: Lupron, radiation, chemo, Xgeva.

Side effects after all this treatment: He's fatigued and ache-y--not his pre-PCa self--but still rides his bike like a maniac multiple days a week + intermittent energetic grandparenting, ; some brain fog; some neuropathy from chemo despite icing and trying recommended supplements; feels lousy in the AM. Lupron really does suck but we still have as full a life as you can have while avoiding Covid. Pre-Covid, we did some adventure travels overseas and kept up with family life during all phases of treatments. He's been a big exerciser throughout to stay in mental and physical shape for all these treatments.

*High Gleason, low PSA guys should get scanned more frequently. Remind the oncologist of this if they forget as ours did in 2019 when scans revealed mets all over after a year went by between scans. Now on 6-month scan schedule.

[Tall_Allen]

Great to hear chemo worked as advertised. I'm trying to convince a friend of your last note about frequent scans. I'll show him your post!

[spouse21 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Feel free to share. It's important to stay on top of the particulars and remind the docs if they forget the details from visit to visit. I was the one who brought up Mr. Spouse21 needing scans after more than a year had passed without them. Unfortunately the results showed he'd become metastatic during that year. We don't look back. Well, actually, sometimes we do before we remind ourselves to stay in the present.