Dave.....I see that Steve K gave you some information on Ron.  I will
add to that in a day or so.  I am in the midst of changing ISP's once
again due to the new one also cancelling news groups, so doing a test
run on a free news server.

Suffice it to say that the debilitating side effects were so bad that he
came off the Zoladex and Casodex and is now feeling a hundred times
better.  He aged about 15 years in 6 months!!!!  It was that drastic.
And the transformation back to my old Ron was amazingly quick.

If you need any more info, let me know via the news group.  After 4
months, my OLD handle on Rogers is still getting tons of spam.....

THE DAMNED SPAMMERS NEVER GIVE UP!!  (VBG)

Cheers....Heather (aka Figgs)

I'll be 60 in a week.  I was diagnosed at age 57.

I probably gave the false impression that I ran 4 miles in 36 minutes
and then walked off smiling and with a spring in my step.  What
actually happened is that I would walk off panting and gasping for
breath with rubbery legs and feeling like I was ready to die.  But
I did force myself to do this on a treadmill three times a week.

However, while on Lupron, I got that treasured panting, gasping
for breath, rubbery legged feeling after one mile in 11 minutes.
Still, I continued forcing myself to do it three times a week.

It has been said that radiation also makes one weaker.  If so, then
my weakness was compounded of both radiation and Lupron.  I
had 5 weeks of external beam radiation plus two sessions of high
dose rate brachytherapy.

I will say this for exercise.  I never felt particularly tired when I went
to work or went for a walk.  I attriibute that to having a significant
reserve of energy built up by exercise.  The Lupron dug into my
reserves, but the reserves were apparently deep enough that I was
able to give up a lot and still have enough energy left that my daily
living was not affected.

I had talked to my radiation oncologist about all of this before my
treatment began and she encouraged me to continue exercising
throughout treatment.  I think it was helpful.

Regards,

   Alan

Yes, but not in the way you mean.

1. I once thought I'd do every single thing possible to overcome
something like cancer. Now that I've taken that first big step -- an
initial treatment -- and have no specific indicator of anything
remaining, the many other things we can do seem more like nuisances than
worthy efforts. I'll never know how valid that paradigm change was in my
case unless I die of something else 20 years from now.

2. Just a couple of years ago I thought I could stay healthy and
reasonably vigorous for at least 20 more years. I now will be pleasantly
surprised to last another decade, and that presumption affects many
large and small decisions, including cancer treatment choices.

3. Until recently I thought urinary incontinence would be a minor
nightmare. Now, I know that at least moderate incontinence just means
wearing funny underwear.

4. I sort of hoped my excellent diet since the mid-80s would provide
pretty good cancer insurance. I now know, from first-hand experience and
 volumes of new information I've read the past 18 months, that it
doesn't help THAT much.

5. I also thought impotence would be a fairly big deal. The impact is
obviously highly personal, but for me it isn't a huge deal.  But then we
had both gotten pretty blase about sex anyway as age, hormonal changes,
and very busy lives had crept up on both of us, so the risk of impotence
with RRP was not a significant factor compared to the alternatives.

Good thing!

6. And pre-RRP I assumed all USENET forums were completely overrun with
vile ad hominem BS. That's rare here, and never reaches the levels that
are NORMAL for many or most of them.

I.P.

14 From:  I.P. Freely - view profile
Date:  Mon, May 8 2006 7:30 pm
Email:   "I.P. Freely" <fuhgheddabou...@noway.nohow>
Groups:   alt.support.cancer.prostate
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dave481 wrote:

The fact that fatigue / muscle atrophy is not only near-certain but
probably the MOST certain ADT SE makes me wonder why on earth your
doctor didn't advise you in advance of it, even if ADT is a no-brainer
in your case. I hope the doc is doing all that can be done to offset
any
other SEs that emerge, especially bone loss.

I.P.

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 15 From:  juniper - view profile
Date:  Mon, May 8 2006 11:44 pm
Email:   "juniper" <ditt...@gmail.com>
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I.P. Freely wrote:

Oh, yeah, Dave, did they do a bone density?  For a baseline?  Pretty
important.  The chems can cause bone loss.  There is treatment.  My
(personal) case applies here.  After going through an early menopause,
I didn't see a gynecologist for a few years.  He ordered a bone density

and (as much as possible for him, he is so sweet), he was upset that he

had no baseline.  Because mine was pretty low.  But he didn't know if
it had been going low for years, or suddenly dropped away from some
unknown cause.  Fortunately, the following one the next year showed no
change, so there wasn't some bone-eating bug in me or whatever.  But
they do need a baseline bone density because if the ADT affects that
strongly, they need to know.  I'm just suspicious of urologists, even
fine urologists, running a hormone therapy program.  Onc Onc Onc

Reply     Rate this post:  Text for clearing space

Thanks guys, as far as I know, there has been no bone density tests.
My uro intends on getting me a good onc, and said he started ADT,
because time appeared short after the biopsy. Ironically, his office
called this morning and cancelled my upcoming Friday appt. He got hurt
somehow and is getting his shoulder opersted on this morning. His
office has 5 other associates, So one of them sees me Monday to do the
dilation that was sceduled for Friday. Last one, two weeks ago is still
working good though, good stream. They took blood last Friday (05/05)
for a PSA. So maybe Monday (05/15) I'll get an onc. My ADT will have to
be started again soon, but they seem concerned about starting radiation
because I've had a lot of surgery this year. BTW, yesterday and today,
I've felt more alive, stronger, and am thinking about going to San
Antonio and visiting my 14 yr.old son. It's about 500 miles, but I've
got friends scattered the whole way down there. Will stop, rest and
visit.

David