A tongue-in-cheek stated goal by many here with PCa (including myself for the past 17 years since dianosis) has been to live to die of "anything other" than prostate cancer. Of course that does not bear up to close scrutiny. Many alternative causes of death, including the "big 4" of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and metabolic disease complications, Dementias and (other) cancers or preventable complications from cancers. Let's also leave off the stupid: automobile/traffic accidents, preventible falls and preventible infectious diseases and so forth.
I find myself reassessing my own situation in an extreme manner right now. For 17 years I have fought my own individual case of PCa (advanced recurrence now since 2009). I have used everyreasonable option to extend health and well-being and slow my cancer. Preventing or slowing progression by every reasonable, including several that are not in the SOC. And , in this so far, I appear very successful. I am still hormone sensitive and only minimally have met criteria for metastasis (abdominal lymph nodes on PSMA) since treated with SBRT and radioligand therapy as well as modified BAT rather than continuous ADT. Details on my choices (which are not suggestions for others) are detailed in previous posts.
The results up to one month ago were a happily retired and quite active married 74 yo living 6 months in the mountains of Oregon and 6 months on beaches in Mexico. No physical limitations outside of gradual slowing down. Yes I work at it!
The last week of April while finishing a 3-month Spring in Los Cabos I woke up one morning with and extreme fever and chills. Within 12 hours I became very toxic: Redness, severe pain, swelling and tenderness in my legs and knees. I became utterly confused and disoriented. Did not know who nor where I was, not the country nor the year. I was ambulanced to a local Mexican hospital as I could not stand nor move. The work-up showed life threatening streptococcal cellulitis, myo-fasciitis, leg abcessess and knee infections. Started on very powerful antibiotics, it was felt I would more likely die than live the next 24 hours. (Only told this one month later this morning.)
But I did live of course, though in excruciating suffering in subsequent days and weeks through surgery and supportive care. Only in the last 4 days or so can I see actual improvement and the likelihood of recovery in the coming several months through much work and persistence with my medical team and therapists (especially my wife). There were no warning signs nor identified risk signs for this happening.
This is now an extraordinary taking-of-stock in my life. Who I am what I want to be and be able to do in the coming years I may have left seem to be all new territory. But filled with wonder and possibility. Prostate cancer right now is just along for the ride. Paul / MB
Phase 1 recruiting: QXL138AM, for CD138 expressing tumors
Research
The Warburg Effect [an increase in the rate of glucose uptake and preferential production of lactate, even in the presence of oxygen.]