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[CosmicJerry]

Looks like I joined the club....and it didn't even cost anything!

Wishing everyone in circumstances similar to mine the dignity, grace, strength, courage and hope to keep living and loving!

[Tall_Allen]

You seem like a good candidate for the EMBARK or PRESTO protocols:

prostatecancer.news/2023/05...

prostatecancer.news/2022/09...

[CosmicJerry in reply to Tall_Allen]

Allen,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post as I am brand new to this site (and still learning my way around).

A biopsy last week confirmed MET in my right femur. I will be meeting with my oncologist this week to understand what course(s) of action he prescribes. I'm axious, nervous nd worried about the side effects of ADT therapies.

[Huzzah1 in reply to CosmicJerry]

Sorry you've joined the club. Side effects from ADT can vary, I believe how I dealt with it as others here have as well had a huge effect. Go to the gym, lift weights and be as active as possible. Even if this has never been a part of your life, it will have a huge effect on how you come through this.

As a side note after reading your bio.... realize that that the statistics you see when you google are based on studies that were probably started 10-20 years ago - before current scans and drugs were standard of care. Everything now is moving so much faster than when those old "stats" were generated.

[CosmicJerry in reply to Huzzah1]

thank you so much!

[pakb in reply to CosmicJerry]

Agree with Huzzah1 . Being active and lifting has really helped my husband. It will be 8 years this August since his diagnosis with metastasis to several bones. He's been on ADT the whole time. Still works and enjoys life. That's not to say life is 'normal'- but his side effects lessened over time.

[CosmicJerry in reply to pakb]

thank you so much…. that’s both helpful and encouraging!

[Jmr11820 in reply to CosmicJerry]

Curious if you experienced bone pain prior to your scan showing the disease had metastasized?

[CosmicJerry in reply to Jmr11820]

good question. I would say I felt more slight discomfort than pain. I associated the discomfort from golfing ( I always walk the course). I’ll probably start my first round of ADT next week. Will be interesting to see if there is a decrease in discomfort (hope so!).

[Birdwood]

Your bio says; Our next challenge will be when to let family and friends know the diagnosis and to prepare for how the dynamics of my relationship with each changes. Why say anything? You probably have a decade ahead of you and chances are you will not look/feel any different then. A little gym work will partly offset the inevitable lethargy but you can say that's from aging. I'm into my 11th year and only my wife and medical team know. Not even my kids. Can not see any reason to allow a "sad" sentiment to cloud the room....there will be a time for that. I'm 80. Cheers

[CosmicJerry in reply to Birdwood]

thank you so much!

[PELHA in reply to CosmicJerry]

My husband was the same. He did not want his family to know and worry. So just me and his best friend. Well of course my two sisters because I tell them everything! And we keep discussions about it to a minimum day in day out. My job to get us to the gym and sauna each week.

[Conlig1940 in reply to PELHA]

Pelma. So sad . You may regret this decision later in life .

[Conlig1940 in reply to Birdwood]

Birdwood. If something happpens to you , what will your kids think . I suggest , as recommended by the GOAT of Prostate Cancer Dr, Patrick Walsh in his book " Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer " -- Keep your immediate family in the loop . They ( your children ) can be an enormous source of support and strength . YOU OWE IT TO THEM .

[Slick714 in reply to Conlig1940]

It’s a tough decision. I had decided to not let my family know, but a close friend talked me into telling them. He had a friend who had a serious illness and didn’t tell his family till he was almost gone. The family was very upset he didn’t tell them. That convinced me to tell my close family members. I’m glad I did now. I get a lot of encouragement from friends and family. There’s accountability too. I send them my exercise tracking every week too. That helps me be honest and stay on track. You will read tons of comments on exercise benefits. It’s certainly true with me. I feel like crap being on ADT without exercise. Exercise is my magic bullet.

[CosmicJerry in reply to Slick714]

Hi Slick: love that you use an exercise tracker and that your family/friends hold you to it…. that’s great. My biggest form of exercise is walking 18 holes of golf (takes 4-5 hours). While there isn’t any weightlifting involed there’s plenty of cardio and endurance work. Now we just need to get to some warmer weather….enough if winter!

[Conlig1940 in reply to Slick714]

@Slick714 A GREAT DECISION ... I'm sure your children , like mine , would have been pissed at not being told .

Good luck going forward .

[Birdwood in reply to Conlig1940]

Appreciate your comment, I'm hoping to fine tune the timing. If another relapse occurs and if it's severe eg into the bones, then all will be revealed. In the meantime we have had 11 plus years of pleasant normality. I've kept medical records so they can assess themselves one day. I don't really believe in adding burdens if you don't need to. Life is complex enough. Cheers

[Conlig1940 in reply to Birdwood]

Birdwood .. I keep my sons in the loop . Knowing what I know now I wish someone had mentored me sooner and proposed Dr. Patrick Walsh's book " Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer " etc. They are now in a position to be their own advocates . I also encourage other male extended family members to get tested etc . and stay ahead of the game .

I am also an Advocate for prostate cancer patients in Canada , the USA , U.K. E.U. , Germany and Austria . A very fulfilling and rewarding ( not financial ) pastime .

[pakb in reply to Conlig1940]

Agree- it helps my husband feel supported and advocate for screening because he's very open about it. I wish more men were open about it. One reason Breast Cancer research is so well funded is because women are open about it. People don't realize what going through prostate cancer is like.

[Conlig1940 in reply to pakb]

@pakb I hold seminars at my local library to educate the Newly Diagnosed and those willing to be procative about early screening . AMAZING RESPONSE .

[pakb in reply to Conlig1940]

Love that so much!! It's so important.

[tn12]

Can you share why you had radiation after surgery if the cancer was confined with negative margins?

[CosmicJerry in reply to tn12]

good question. The main reason was because my Gleason score was 9, which meant I had an aggressive cancer. My wife (who spent 28 years as an OR and the Oncology nurse) and I spent a lot of time talking with docs and weighing the pros and cons of doing follow-up radiation. In the end we decided to do it for the added “insurance.” I completed 37 treatments about 8 months after my surgery.

[tn12 in reply to CosmicJerry]

Thanks, I was curious because my husband was told to wait due to the devastating side effects of pelvic radiation the oncologist told him about. All the best to you ❤️

[CosmicJerry in reply to tn12]

As you already know patients can react differently to the same treatment. My radical prostotechomy and radiation treatments had the undesired effect of erectiile dysfunction. After trying several treatments my wife and I agreed that a penile implant would be the best option. Recovery took about 8-12 weeks and it’s worked out great for us. Your urologist can be a source of good information on this.

Dignity, Strength, Courage & Humor!

[vintage42 in reply to tn12]

You said " my husband was told to wait due to the devastating side effects of pelvic radiation the oncologist told him about."

I had prostate radiation in mid-2021, and pelvic radiation with a boost to a node in mid-2023, with no side effects from either.

[tn12 in reply to vintage42]

That's great news. We are hoping for the same when he has radiation.

[Nusch]

Welcome to the club even if all of us would have preferred to never join. 🤪 It‘s a good place with great people and real experts, too. You can ask anything and always will receive valuable answers.

[CosmicJerry in reply to Nusch]

thank you….. much appreciated

[SsgCulldelight]

Hey SuperJ. Welcome my friend we let it go here and cajole about many things concerning health and life. We are ALL diffrent yet alike, everyone's Dis-Ease affects them differently but similar in stages, much like Lupton radical prostatectomy, watch and wait has its place for the many diverse individuals we are. The one point I Love to make is, YOU are in control of what YOU need or Want. The meds and plans are in the perifiry, Your Positive Affirmation is trait more powerful than any meds. Your body is a biologically perfect machine that Heals and destroys itself on many levels every 24 hours, 30 days,6months etc, however clinicians and the medical community can not our will not support holistic or natural remedies or alternative therapies, as there's no money on that. They do work but like everything they're must be balance between natural and commercial or medical plans. Ur 70, you know what you love to do, DO THAT, if u can't commit 100% because of limitations, Yair it down a notch and do some of it, that's the best advice I have for anyone facing any medical challenges. We are dehydrated, insomniac unfocused people long disconnected from our true dream of what we love to do that gives us purpose satisfaction and realization that we need to Know and care for Ourselves 1st. Sharing and compassion, grace are all lovely, but if you don't have it for yourself First, how can you share it? You can't. So get that piano, guitar, mustang, to set, house to work on whatever your passion, and do that my man, trust me that's half the battle. Love n Light friend CHEERS.

[j-o-h-n]

Greetings, Thank goodness it's Cosmic..... when i first saw your UserID I thought it said Comic and Man I don't need the competition. So next and it's a question "could I borrow your dear OR Oncology trained nurse who's your wife?" Could use her on my team. If not I'll just cry myself to sleep every night. Take care and keep posting. (Great place here for information and comradery).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[CosmicJerry in reply to j-o-h-n]

John: thank you so much for reaching out. Cosmic Jerry is actually the name of a great local band here at the central Jersey Shore. Like you, I appreciate my wife’s 30 years of nursing experience. Her experience in navigating the complex world of appointments, paperwork, surgery, radiation, and insurance claims, etc. was very unbelievably helpful. I tell her often she’s my rock. We are both somewhat shocked and dismayed at the results of the last PET scan showing a MET in the right femur. I’ll probably start ADT therapy next week. in the meantime, I continue my work in medical equipment sales and I’m taking care of the newest addition to our house: two 9 week old GoldenDoodle puppies (Stella Blue and Maggie May)……god what a handful they are! Just a quick book recommendation: Coping with Cancer by Elizabeth Cohn Stunz. I am a couple of chapters in and very good reading.

DSCH

Dignity, Strength, Courage & Health!

[Conlig1940 in reply to j-o-h-n]

j-o-h-n Did you ever appear in Las Vegas ? On Stage that is . 😄😄😄🍺🍺

[j-o-h-n in reply to Conlig1940]

Never on it......... under it a couple of times.......

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[j-o-h-n]

Come in CJ,

You're welcome and thank you. I looked at a couple of pictures of the band CosmicJerry and based upon their sizes... I suggest they change their name to CosmicBen&Jerry.

You're fortunate to be married to a wonderful wife who nurses you and still charges you reasonable fees. Keep her!!!

My Brother used to tell me "female dogs or male cats" . Well you have two females (but not human thank goodness) so I guess you've made the right move.

Having animals is quite a chore here in NYC but very little to handle in New Jersey (just ask the Giants and the Mets).

Thanks for the recommendation on the reading material but I'm a cartoon guy.. Last book I read was "See Dick Run".....("and Mary Chasing Him").

So if you have any left over hearts or other interesting medical equipment just send them my way. (in a non distinctive box and one size fits all).

Enjoy yourself (and the boss too).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[CosmicJerry in reply to j-o-h-n]

lol. perfect

[j-o-h-n]

For All To Read. <===<<<

Why are there so many incidents of mets in the Femur?

A I - ChatGPT said:

Metastases (mets) are common in the femur because the bone is highly vascularized and has a rich blood supply, making it a prime site for cancer cells to lodge and grow. Here are a few key reasons why metastatic cancer frequently affects the femur:

High Bone Marrow Content – The femur, especially the proximal (upper) portion, contains a significant amount of red marrow, which is a prime environment for metastatic cancer cells to thrive.

Rich Blood Supply – The femur receives a substantial blood supply, making it easier for circulating tumor cells to infiltrate and establish secondary tumors.

Common Site for Weight-Bearing Stress – The femur, particularly the proximal part near the hip, experiences significant mechanical stress. This may contribute to microfractures and remodeling, which can make it easier for cancer cells to invade.

Common Cancers that Spread to Bone – Certain cancers, such as breast, prostate, lung, kidney, and thyroid cancer, have a strong tendency to metastasize to bones, with the femur being one of the most frequently affected long bones.

Slow Bone Turnover in Adults – The bone remodeling process in adults allows metastatic cells to integrate and cause destructive lesions, weakening the bone and increasing the risk of pathological fractures.

Large Bone Mass – The femur is one of the longest and largest bones in the body, increasing the statistical likelihood that metastatic cells will settle there compared to smaller bones.

Metastatic bone disease in the femur often leads to pain, fractures, and reduced mobility, making early detection and treatment crucial.

Would you like information on specific management options or imaging techniques for detecting bone mets?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[CosmicJerry in reply to j-o-h-n]

john: this is soooo helpful! thank you so much

[dmt1121]

Welcome to the forum. I would not say that the price of membership is free though!

We are all here to help or listen. There are some very knowledgeable people here, including Tall Allen. Take advantage of our knowledge, do your own research and educate yourself about the disease and your treatment options.

Good luck!

[CosmicJerry in reply to dmt1121]

fly: thank you so much for the suggestions and support.