Starting week 6 of RT and on 4th month of ADT. Life on life's terms.

[Dreamweaverman]

Hey Fellas, I know it has been a minute since I have posted. Although the pc treatments have been a little challenging, mostly inconvenient actually, I have been able to keep myself busy and life is definitely a little different. Before I started these treatments, I was really anxious that my romantic/sex life would suffer greatly, and that the Androgen deprivation treatment would take me down a road of serious depression. Well, I will confess there are times when I feel sad about my situation and my sex drive has decreased immensely, but so far it is not as bad as I imagined it would be. I wake up around 6 a.m. to get to radiation treatments by 7:30 and sometimes feel sad in the mornings when I'm driving alone to treatments, but a little music and brief cry usually do the trick and then my survival instincts take over. I make a conscious choice to smile and ask people I come in contact with i.e.- hospital staff, nurses, doctors how they are doing? Not sure why, but it helps me shake the sadness. I have also noticed my appetite has increased and I am usually wiped by the time I get home from work around 7 p.m. I have probably gained approximately 5-10lbs since this whole ordeal started, and formal cardio exercise has become sporadic. As I begin the final 3 weeks of RT, I am hoping that it did the trick and got rid of whatever remaining cancer cells I had post-surgery. I am greatly anticipating the end of ADT. I want my passion and sex drive back! I have been doing the trimix approximately once a week just to keep the muscle active, but it feels strange to have an erection and no desire to do anything. I am grateful that I am in loving relationships and my family and friends are a great support. It is an ongoing daily effort in accepting my situation, and I sometimes long for the old me. Sometimes I think back to last year this time when I felt great and was exercising all the time, and then I went in for an annual checkup and my whole world changed. Accepting life on life's terms has been my greatest lesson during this time. I hope all of you are weathering the storm and I wish all of my fellow pc cyber friends a speedy recovery.

[Boston1967a]

Hang in there man! You continue to amaze and inspire me!

[Schwah]

You asked no question but I must reply with an answer. Force yourself to exercise hard at least three times a week. One hour plus each time. Highly recommend weight training. It will help with fatigue and weight gain, muscle mass and most importantly studies have proven that rigorous exercise increases the strength of your immune system to fight the cancer. And less fat equals longer survival time. I know it’s not easy but you have to have to have to do it my friehd.

Schwah

[SantaZia]

Hang in there Dreamweaver you will get through this. It might be good now even without the time or energy foryou start kicking in some exercise. Think about a short term personal trainer or an App like the 7 minute workout. Something you can do everyday before work, at work or when you get home. Challenge yourself with 50 to 100 push ups a day until you finish treatment. You don't have to do them all at the same time. When I got done with radiation and hormones I had about a 40% drag on my energy which lasted for 3 months. AT 3 months my T.Tot was 440 in the normal range and my PSA was .04 very low. I would expect you to have the same results or better. I am now in my 5th month post RT and ADT and starting to lose weight and feel better. My Libido came back too. I wish you the best!

[Travelinman]

I think that you and I started in this group around the same time, so I’ve been following your story since the beginning. I too have a biochemical recurrence after RP, so I’ve been particularly interested in seeing how you handled the additional treatments, given your very strong spirit and positive attitude. That’s another couple of things that we have in common, and I’m hoping that I’ll still have my own tremendous drive and positive spirit helping me once I begin my salvage radiation treatment and hormone therapy. Keep reaching deep to keep that positive energy going! It’s one of the most important things that will help to get us through not just the short-term, but the long-term as well.

[gensac]

Hi I’m recovering from RP and have found your comments inspirational and very helpful all the way through You’re inspiring many and I admire your resolve and spirit to come through your treatments and journey . Which I’m sure you will my friend. Keep remaining determined and good luck