Dear Rosbif,

Don't let this get you down.  I have seen people with a 4+3 who have
done well over the long term.  And I was looking up the predictive
effect of Gleason scores just the other day, and I read that that what
really matters is the totality of the circumstances, not just one
thing.

I really wish there were something out there that could make those
3-month tests easier to bear.  I can't think of anything except maybe
trying to incorporate some relaxation techniques into your life.  It
works for some people.  Michael Milken gives his meditation some credit
for his defying the odds.

Also, I wanted to mention something I had come across in another group,
which a number of people recommended highly.  I had never heard of it,
but it might work for somebody who was interested in incorporating some
non-traditional religious/spiritual practice into their life.  (Note: I
am not addressing you in particular, rosbif, just seizing an
opportunity to sneak something in.)

It is called taize (pronounce tezay) and there are some chapters in the
US.   It was started by some Christian monks in France, and what
appeals to me about it is that there appears to be a lot of chanting
involved.  I think chanting is really healthy for inducing relaxation,
and it appears that brain scans of tibetan monks has backed this up!

BTW, rosbif, you are being very brave about not sharing any of your
worries with Lady R.  But my guess is that she can handle it, and it
might make your burden a little easier to bear.

Take care,

Leah

Hi Leah,
I can understand your concern. It happened to me once and a few others
here. I went out three days later and had another PSA test at another lab
at my cost. The first test was 0.1. The second test three days later was
<.06. Quest labs was the first and I don't have much faith in there work.
Other than the one blip, all mine have been <0.1. It's now been three and
a half years. I don't see the results as bad news as others have stated.
Only would if it continued. For piece of mine go get another test. Mine
only cost me $90.

Ron S.

Dear All,

I can't thank you enough for responding.  I still have to process all
this info.  My head isn't working too well right now.

I am completely broken up mostly because I am so sad for him.  It
wouldn't be so bad maybe if other things were ok.  But husb. has not
had regular work since he finished a job assignment a few months ago,
and that, of course has been difficult psychologically, and has led to
money problems.  It's even worse because he has consistently been
getting interviews for good jobs, but when he goes there in person they
see that he's 55 -- and he doesn't end up being hired.  It used to be
that all he had to do was show up at a job interview and he'd get the
job.  His manner and his intelligence haven't changed, so I believe age
is the reason.

Anyway,  without regular work JJ. has nothing to distract himself with.
And then there's the feeling of the domino effect, that one thing
after another has come tumbling down on you.

I wish I had not been the one to have had to break the news to him.
Doctors know better how to do these things.  My husb. had the test done
at his internist's office for convenience, and they hadn't responded
for 2 weeks.  He then called them back Friday, and they faxed him a
piece of paper.  I had to "interpret" the result.  Husb. then left a
msg for the surgeon and faxed the results over to him (around midday),
but he hasn't heard back yet.  If he doesn't hear from the surg. by
tomorrow I am going to freak out -- maybe it was injudicious of me to
make some critical remarks about his doc and the med. profession??
(Only to make things easier for the next person.)

I looked at the Scardino book and that has made me feel even worse.  He
says that if a person gets radiation while they still have "stress"
incontinence, that makes their overall prognosis of long-term
incontinence much worse.  Also, apparently I didn't understand that a
person could develop mets right away.  I thought that in every case the
ca would first spread locally, and there would be years before we would
even have to worry about mets.  But apparently, I was wrong.

Also, it must be very difficult for husb. (or any man)  to think that
he has had the surgery with all its attendant side-effects for nothing.
And it was just the other day that I noticed that his penis was curving
like a banana; even worse, it was kind of bending in the middle at a 45
degree angle.   I had mentioned this to him before, but he "hadn't
noticed anything".  The other day husb. agreed to call the ED doc about
it, and then this comes up.  I'm sure it is very painful for him, or
any other man, to have to watch their genitals "change shape", as Dr.
Scardino puts it.

Thank you again.

Leah

"The Lord is with me through my helpers; therefore, I have the strength
to face up to my enemies."

   Psalm 118:7

Dear Fred,

I can't thank you enough for the response.  I am still numb and
extremely depressed, so my head isn't working too well.  But I do
appreciate your writing and going into such detail, because your story
is so similar to my husband's.

And it is uplifting that you are doing so well.  I hope it stays that
way.

I was just wondering how you deal with the stress of recurrence
hovering over you all the time.  I assume you just don't think about
it.

Also, I am current in assuming that you had no treatment between time
of RP and 3/06.  (brain is a little fuzzy.

Finally, why are some tests <.05 while others are <.1.  I just don't
get it.  do you recommend a particular type of psa test?

Again, I am grateful that you took the time to send me this message.

Love,

Leah