A New Direction

[dmt1121]

After seven years of fighting this disease with chemo, radiation, ADT, and abiraterone, I suffer from fatigue, nerve damage and paralysis and nerve pain in my left foot from radiation treatment, as well as depression, and a constant feeling of uncertainty.

However, I am now free to let go of the life, career and societal conformities that defined me before I became sick. I can now pursue a life of playing with my granddaughters, volunteering, writing, painting, drawing, traveling and exploring nature. Ironically, this disease has given me the opportunity to take my life in a new direction.

I know that my prostate cancer will still inflict more pain and ultimately death upon me but I will not spend my time obsessed with this disease in the time I have. I will instead focus as much as I can on embarking on new experiences and ones that I once enjoyed as a young man.

I will continue treatments and all it takes to stay as healthy as I can, but my focus will be on enjoying life to its fullest whenever and wherever possible. This is my promise to myself.

I wish that we all find the joy between the hard times and that we laugh with our friends and family until we can't laugh anymore.

[KocoPr]

your an inspiration to us. I wish you good times with your family friends and just be happy to be alive.

[GP24]

Keep your promise 👍

[Islandboy2021]

I like the direction you have taken and I am about to follow the same path.

[Nusch]

Welcome to the club! I changed my life by 180 degrees upon diagnosis. Stopped all working, reduced stress to zero, increased exercise, changed diet and enjoy my life every day. Actually my last six years have been much better than many years before. And we all don’t know, what the future will bring.

[AMIN25 in reply to Nusch]

so what is it that you fill your day with - share some of the things that motivate you and keep you going ....

[Nusch in reply to AMIN25]

Oh - there are so many things. In the morning I have my ☕️ and read newspapers and magazines - I have a subscription with READLY, there you get tons of papers for little more than $ 10,- / month. After that I do my daily exercise: weight lifting, gymnastics running and, in summer, swimming. This takes until noon, so it’s time for lunch. I love working in the garden, this is like meditation for me. And I’m a skipper and in summer I go out with our little motorboat. If there is still time I fill it with more reading, meditating, cooking and eating - I’m vegan and enjoy preparing my meals.

So there are more activities than hours, often I postpone activities in the future, just to make sure, I can stay away from any stress.

[Hidden in reply to Nusch]

Readly sounds interesting but when I looked it up, I saw it only offered magazines. My husband likes reading newspapers and I’d love to eliminate multiple monthly subscriptions.

[Nusch in reply to Hidden]

I’m in Europe and mine has a lot of local as well as international newspapers. Maybe you want to have a second look?

[Nusch in reply to Hidden]

My bottom line of the APP says

- DISCOVER, MAGAZINED, SEARCH, NEWPAPERS, MY CONTENT

[Nusch in reply to Nusch]

Please see the screen shot here

Screen shot

[Hidden in reply to Nusch]

Thank you, I’ll look at the app to see if that offers more info 👍🏽

[dmt1121 in reply to Nusch]

Wow! You are an inspiration.

[Nusch in reply to dmt1121]

🙏

[dmt1121 in reply to Nusch]

What a great way to take advantage of this new paradigm!

[Abcsoup73]

Thank you for sharing your positive outlook! I find it inspiring when others share thoughts such as yours. Blessings to you on your journey and may you find love and laughter in each day!

[spencoid2]

I admire your attitude and try to maintain mine similarly.

[ARIES29]

You have a good positive attitude that is hard to come by with the ongoing treatments we take. Good fortune to you sir!

[Ramp7]

I was going down that same road. Lance Armstrong mentions in one of his books, there is the before cancer person and the after cancer person. Many things I might have missed if not for the Dance. Maybe consider looking into BAT.

[Bdale]

Great to read about your direction change, each of us is different, but I agree with your new outlook.Life is short, especially for us, I have decided not to spend most of it recouping from treatments that may only add months to my life. QOL is my overriding decision tool.

Like you I have grandkids that keep me very busy, in addition I sail Lasers, a small one person boat, at regattas all over the world with people my age.

Enjoy the time you have left, be well!

[dmt1121 in reply to Bdale]

Sounds like you are already there. Have fun!

[Quick2019]

Sounds like you are finding a good place.

That is so important. Best of wishes for your continued growth in that direction.

[Cateydid]

this attitude will take you far! Thanks for sharing!!!

[nuc1111]

Wonderfull

[FigureGround]

Beautifully said, dmt1121. Thank you for this morning's (and this life's) inspiration. All the best.

[treedown]

I am very happy for you. I may join you this year.

[Jmr11820]

have you sought counseling over the course of your disease? I’m in a good spot but still find that PC is always lurking in the background. Best to you!

[dmt1121 in reply to Jmr11820]

I have been in therapy on and off during my disease for support and to work through depression, guilt and "wayfinding". It has been helpful in working through my feelings and finding a way forward.

Ultimately, I have had to take breaks in my therapy to allow me to process my emotions and thoughts and consider what will truly make me happy. It has been hard to decide it is okay to leave a profession that I have been in for almost forty years and which has defined me.

Instead of fearing letting go of my former life without knowing what comes next, I now welcome embarking on a new adventure and returning to creative pursuits because I now have clarity about what I want to do.

[Carlosbach]

Thank you for your post. I had recently considered writing a similar post. Obviously, I do not enjoy all the time in Drs waiting rooms, the scans, the labs, and the SE's. But when I stop to take stock, my life post diagnosis is full of enjoyable activities. And, at 67, I'm currently in remission due to ADT and outliving many of my contemporaries who didn't have PC.

I'd write more, but my youngest daughter is coming up today for a visit. We'll catch up, laugh, maybe prepare a vegetarian meal, and then I will begin packing for a trip that my wife and I are leaving on this week. Got to go now to get my walk in before she arrives.

Thanks for the encouraging post

[garyjp9]

I love your attitude and wish you all the best.

[TheWizardofWesley]

You Sir, Echo my sentiments exactly.. Stay as healthy for as long as you can and enjoy every day.. Stay Blessed 🙏🙏🙏

[PhilipSZacarias]

Exactly!!👍👍

[j-o-h-n]

You took the words right out of my fingers!!!

KEEP LAUGHING....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 05/07/2023 10:58 PM DST

[dockam]

Awesome my Brother 💙

Get your Life QoLing to the Max

My Best to you Sir👍

youtu.be/_9TShlMkQnc(Not working as expected?)

Fight on

QoL on

Randy

[dmt1121 in reply to dockam]

Inspiring and heartbreaking! Thank you for sharing this link!

[Ztlf]

best wishes to you, dmt! I a sure your family is thankful for every day they spend with you!

[SeosamhM]

In all seriousness, just when I decide to let myself surrender and fall into a really deep, solid multi-day retreat into existential depression, a post like this comes along.

Okay, dmt1121, I'm with you. Up and at 'em.

[craigpynn]

After being treated for Stage III PCa 14 years ago, I'm now dealing with Stage II rectal cancer. Proving there is nothing new under the sun, I find great comfort in what Seneca the Roman Stoic wrote some two millennia ago: "Illness has actually given many people a new lease on life, the experience of being near death has been their preservation...In getting well you may be escaping some ill health but not death." (Letter 78) Or in short, go for it!

[Hostage46]

This is the way…

[grahaminator63]

Love your attitude. I am taking a similar approach! Thanks for the post and inspiration.

[MikeMartin]

exactly right

[Karirudy]

So well said. May Peace, Love and Joy surround give you many blessed moments. That's how we live it. My husband says it's life in HD.