A Surreal Day

**Zinjanthropos** · Oct 14, 2017 03:18 PM

4 sessions to go. Becoming pretty routine now. Medication has eased my pain greatly and I'm noticing an improvement in the urinary function every day now. They have a custom whenever someone gets through all their sessions.....there's a bell hanging in the hallway that patients ring when therapy sessions complete. I'm going to make sure everyone hears it when it's my turn on Thursday. Telling me to become active when done, apparently the road to total recovery gets shorter the more one does something physical. So I'll be going back to basketball refereeing by the end of the month. I feel strong and not fatigued, ready for the home stretch.

**Zinjanthropos** · (This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2017 07:02 PM by Zinjanthropos.)

Done. Rang the bell and walked out. I have a followup and PSA test in January. Doctor told me to double the dosage (2 pills) of Tamsulosin for the next 30 days and get some exercise. Other than that, radiation sessions have ended. I feel good, hope that's the end of it. Percentages are on my side so I'm staying positive. A huge sigh of relief and on with life I go.

**C C** · Oct 19, 2017 07:45 PM

Hooray. Must have been a deep relief to finally reach that walking down the rice paper moment and picking up the hot cauldron with dragon-tiger brands on its sides.

**Zinjanthropos** · Oct 20, 2017 06:20 PM

(Oct 19, 2017 07:45 PM)C C Wrote: Hooray. Must have been a deep relief to finally reach that walking down the rice paper moment and picking up the hot cauldron with dragon-tiger brands on its sides.

CC, I can't believe I'm feeling as good as I do right now. Thanks for all those who took the time to read my prostate cancer adventure diary. I found it therapeutic in some ways. Not going to post here for a while, at least until my first PSA test in January. It will be a nervous time but I feel very confident that prostate cancer will not be the cause of my eventual demise. Wink

See you then

**confused2** · Oct 21, 2017 06:03 PM

Sorry, I meant to catch 'bell day' but missed it. Anyway, a belated 'Hooray' for Z.

**elte** · Oct 21, 2017 06:19 PM

The completion is good news.

**Zinjanthropos** · (This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2018 11:14 PM by Zinjanthropos.)

Just had my first post radiation checkup. My new PSA reading is pushing 3, down from 9 last April. Doc says this is good. Apparently recovery can take up to 18 months. Next PSA test is July and at that time it would not be unusual for PSA reading to bounce up a little. According to Doc this is seen in many similar cases. The goal is to get reading down to 1 or less in next 15 months. They have treatments to help this along if necessary. I'm heading in the right direction. She prescribed plenty of exercise, that should be easy once golf season begins here. I was very anxious last few days but I'm feeling much better after our meeting. Thanks for reading and if what I've written the last few months helps someone else then even better.

**C C** · Jan 20, 2018 10:00 PM

(Jan 18, 2018 11:13 PM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Just had my first post radiation checkup. My new PSA reading is pushing 3, down from 9 last April. Doc says this is good. Apparently recovery can take up to 18 months. Next PSA test is July and at that time it would not be unusual for PSA reading to bounce up a little. According to Doc this is seen in many similar cases. The goal is to get reading down to 1 or less in next 15 months. They have treatments to help this along if necessary. I'm heading in the right direction. She prescribed plenty of exercise, that should be easy once golf season begins here. I was very anxious last few days but I'm feeling much better after our meeting. Thanks for reading and if what I've written the last few months helps someone else then even better.

Yep, sounds like it's now a slow ride down the other side of the mountain, even if the readings should occasionally fluctuate somewhat along the way. Good medical science and no dependence upon Teela Brown luck!

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**Zinjanthropos** · (This post was last modified: Jan 28, 2020 05:11 PM by Zinjanthropos.)

My Apr 2019 PSA was down to 0.52. Doc liked my progress that she decided we'd check it again in Jan 2020, 9 months instead of usually 6. So I just did blood check and my PSA is 0.42. As you said CC there is a tendency for the count to spike at around this time but my count is the lowest it's ever been. I know I can never be sure I'm out of the woods but I'm starting to feel like a cancer survivor.

I've even had the chance to counsel couple other guys who now have prostate cancer. I tell them what I went through and what to expect. Nothing negative, just positive reinforcement. Doc is even more.pleased with me. Also now I need a PSA check only once a year. Hard to believe the thoughts I had when I found out I had cancer and compare them to today.

**elte** · Jan 28, 2020 08:51 PM

Z that sounds like great news to have the PSA near 0.4 because it seems a good amount under the 1 goal in the recovery process.