Thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers. I had a stroke a year and a half ago in part due to the afib I have had for more than 30 years and I am nearly done 77 years old. For these reasons, my doctors felt like I was not a good candidate for surgery, So the treatment will be 18 months of hormone therapy (ADT) and 28 days of radiation, 5 days a week for 5 1/2 weeks, but waiting until I am on the ADT for one or two months first. We don't have proton therapy in Anchorage but my radiation oncologist says that the cure rate for the 28-day radiation treatment in just as successful as proton therapy. The radiation therapy should have no noticeable side effects but the ADT has plenty. Relative to TN, I will lose all my libido though hopefully it will all come back when the ADT comes to an end.
But additional ADT side effects could be weight gain, loss of muscle mass, increased cholesterol, depression including suicidal ideation, fatigue, and osteoporosis. To counter all that, I am going to enroll in the LiveStrong program at the YMCA in either Alaska or Oklahoma (our other home). If you do not know about it, see their hot links at:
https://www.livestrong.org/what-we-do/program/livestrong-at-the-ymca
https://www.livestrong.org/what-we-do
It is not just for prostate cancer but all kinds of cancer, men's and women's, according to the premise that exercise helps you counter the treatment side effects. It is a 12 week course 2 days a week.
I'll be reporting on progress from time to time. Once again, thank you for all of your concerns, well wishes, prayers and insights. -Alaska Joe
My Androgen Deprivation Therapy began today and for the next 18 months. Radiation gets started in June. Here we go. I took the first three pills about 2 hours ago; one per day thereafter. No side effects yet but they are undoubtedly coming. To counteract that, exercise is the answer, ar least in part, first with the local hospital, and in four months with the YMCA'S Livestrong program. Stay tuned
Thank you for keeping us in the loop; I know that it must be causing a degree of apprehension but your ENL friends / connections can accompany you along the way. I have zero knowledge of real medical treatments except for sharing my wife's medical journey. Her's has been an exceptionally bumpy road but a very positive attitude, doing as the doctors instructed and good support has finally gotten it under control. Those same points will help you along the way. Sometimes it was quite difficult, but we (& I stress we as it is a team effort) made it through. The exercise therapy you're undertaking will do can do more for you than lots of folks realize. That degree of workout, the endorphins and putting forth the effort really increases the positives and decreases all others. It's often a literal pain-in-the-a$$, but's well worth it. Keep the faith and let us know how you're coming along. John
Thanks, everyone for all of your positive comments. I was reading just now on the side effects of the ADT I am on, and I noticed the statement that drinking alcohol while youre taking Orgovyx can increase your risk of side effects, such as fatigue, hot flushes, or diarrhea. I stopped drinking alcohol after my stroke a year and a half ago and do not miss it, but perhaps that will will have a side benefit of at least limiting those side effects. Odd that I would be experiencing hot flushes (I thought they were called hot flashes) that many of the elegant nudist ladies in this group would be so familiar with. No side effects of any sort so far, but it has only been a few days.
A month and a half into the androgen deprivation therapy, I think my testosterone has dropped below the 50ng/dL target goal, and I am happy to report that all of the elegant nudist ladies in this group continue to look amazing despite my libido having dropped off considerably, most likely for the 18 month duration. Tomorrow, begins a new phase. That is when I get gold chips inserted into my prostate for a target and radiation treatment begins probably next Monday or soon thereafter. I would still like to be naked socially around as many of you as I could, but for the pure joy of it rather than a sexual agenda. I am not a swinger, but even if I were, I guess things would have to be on hold for the next year and a half anyway. But I am disappointed that photos and discussions have slowed to a trickle; continuing newness is the spice of life. So humor an old man if you will; write something about anything and post photos whether you think they may be boring of not. I would like to see you how you are or fantasize how you would like to be. Breath new life into this group. Speaking of life, the local hospital has an oncology rehabilitation program to fight the side effects of treatment. It is largely using exercise and stretching machines and I try to get in more than 150 minutes of cardio a week in addition to that. An increase in fatigue may come with the radiation so the several weeks that I have been doing these exercises and the cardio, I hope, will head additional fatigue off at the pass, so to speak. I will write again once I have been several weeks into the radiation treatment.
Three weeks later, passing by I see a total of 3 new posts. I guess the group has finally got to where members wanted it to be: one new post a week. So all is fine.
AJ, small presents from me in the album too, but I doubt that you will get to see them before the mod, he's on the East coast...
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