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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / September 2007My Introduction: Roger Woods
Camped in the Desert near Kingman, AZ USA Sixty-nine years old and have been spending a lot of time in NW AZ (summer) and at the Slabs (Niland, CA) for the winter. Play a lot of music at the Slabs with a bunch of other old burned-out professional road and club musicians. Play pedal steel, lead, and bass. Pull an old 70's 17' travel trailer with an old '85 Ford 150 pickup. Been out west from Baltimore, MD for the last three years enjoying retirement. Free boondocking and living off the electric grid. February 2006 PSA was 20. Like a stupid fool, I did not follow it up. In June 2007 I ended up in the emergency room in Kingman, AZ to try and get a urinary catheter out. It was stuck. Had several in since February 06 trying to deal with a swollen prostate. BPH I believe. Tried a drug a urologist in California prescribed, uroxatrol, but each time the catheter was removed, it had to be replaced a few hours later. Prostate locked up solid and nary a drop getting past it. Back then I was a pure dummy in my knowledge about prostate problems and PCa. The attending urologist here in Kingman came in to the ER, couldn't get the catheter all the way out and inserted one directly into my bladder, drained me, and left it in. Supra pubic I think they call it. Hospitalized my butt and set up OR surgery to remove the old one. Went well. No pain. No discomfort. No more catheter into the bladder through the prostate. The supra pubic one is still in. No discomfort when sitting. Hospital staff was great and the food was really good! Believe me, I know food! I'm an old chef. In the ER, urologist did the finger wave. Not good, he said. No surprise there. Prostate cancer and BPH runs on the male side of my family. When he removed the old catheter, he found bladder stones and scheduled another trip to the OR for that and to do a prostate biopsy. He paroled me from the hospital for the weekend and scheduled the bladder stones and biopsy for outpatient but under general anesthesia. Came through that OK. Stones pulverized and gone. Week or so later I got the result of the biopsy. Pathologist's report showed three cores the urologist did. No indication of what area of the prostate the cores came from. High Grade Adenocarcinoma. Gleason Score (4+5) =9. Whoops! Got a full-body bone scan and CAT scan, with and without contrast, early July to try and stage the cancer. New PSA, too. Gotta say one thing about the doc. No BS or holding back possible adverse outcomes. Most of them I already knew about, in general. Did a lot of net research before I got the scans and PSA reports. Now I know a lot more. More than I ever really wanted to know. I am one of those dudes who is a full participant in his medical treatment. Listen carefully to the doc, ask plenty of questions, but also head for the Net and get more info. Surprised me that the doc is so knowledgeable and covered everything I needed to know. On line stuff went into greater detail. 19 July 07, got the results of the scans and PSA. Doomsday? Certainly that day a ton of reality dropped squarely on my head from about 50 feet. Or did it just feel that way? Waltzed into the urologist's office, neatly groomed, neatly dressed, at least for me-- shorts, T-shirt, sandals-- long hair tied back in a pony tail, beard more or less brushed down. I was there to have a catheter changed and to get the reports. Smiles all around, I climbed on the table, the catheter was replaced. Moved to a desk and I asked the doc to hand me a copy of the reports. He took his seat as I read the reports. First report was the PSA score. Good grief, Charlie Brown!!! 322.73 I mentally picked myself up off the floor. That ton of reality started making a bee line for my head. Bone scan report: Metastasized. (Official Language in the Report) "Radiotracer activity in lower cervical, thoracic, and the lumbar spine. Increased activity identified within multiple anterior and posterior right and left ribs. Increased uptake present within the sacrum, iliac bones, pubic bones, and ischia bilaterally. Increased uptake present within the proximal femurs bilaterally." Final statement was: "these findings are consistent with diffuse metastatic disease." Yep, I kinda figured that out when I read the first sentence in the report summary. CAT scan report: After a statement of the various non-cancer related items found, old asbestos exposure, no evidence of other serious problems, the report concluded: "There is CT evidence of Metastatic disease to the thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis, and the proximal femurs." That's when the ton of reality fully hit me! The doc had a patient in another room waking up from some procedure and excused himself for a few minutes. I just sat there staring at the wall then reread the report conclusions hoping that somehow I read them wrong. Naw, I knew what all the words meant. Stage 4!!! I turned around and looked at the door. Nope! No grim reaper standing there with his scythe ready to cut off my cajones or whatever. Just to reassure myself, I felt to be sure they were still there. Yep, so far, so good. Doc returned to the room and sat at the desk. For over an hour we talked. I had anticipated the report results and done my research, prepared a list of questions, noted various options, and went over them with the doc. First thing we had to do was to try and stop the cancer spreading. Two options: surgical castration or drug castration. I had no problem with the surgical option, saying (tongue in cheek) that if the doc could put in a couple of billiard balls so I would look well hung at the beach... I can just imagine myself going to Ocean City, MD and walking along the beach with them prominently emphasized, although covered up by a nice fitting bathing suit! Not an option. Sigh.... We decided on the drug approach. Injection of Lupron every three months but first a 30 day supply of Flutamide (125 mg) to stop the testosterone surge or flare when he did the shot. I got the pills the following day, 20 July, and have been on them, one each, three times a day. I may be on Flutamide no longer than necessary to stop the flare since it can have some deadly side effects with long term use. Before I got the Flutamide pills, for the prior couple of weeks or so I had some severe bone pain. Around the pelvis, left leg around the ball joint, and other areas around the spine. For a couple of days before I saw the doc to get the results of the scans and PSA, I could not put weight on my left leg without some serious pain. I had to hold onto something when I put weight on that leg. Trying to sleep at night was a real problem with pain around the hip area. I started taking Ibuprofin 800 mg. That eased the pain later in the night but I got a real good case of constipation. Within two days of starting the Flutamide, most of my pain went away. Still a little in the butt area but that was gone in another couple of days. I stopped the Ibuprofin and a few days later the constipation went away. What a relief that was! I got the Lupron shot (30 mg) good for 16 weeks. To end of November. I will have extensive lab work during the treatment. I did mention to the urologist about determining spinal cord compression, anemia, etc. Doc said I need a CT spinal scan and MRI, for the former. I'll do the MRI if they have an open MRI. Ain't no way I am gonna stick my head up a long closed tube! I'll get started on blood tests, etc. I have a liver function and other tests scheduled for 30 August. So far, the effects of the drugs have been minimal. Of course, the bone pain has stopped. But it is apparently early for the side effects to develop. Doc said five weeks or so they might start. So far, I can still get it up-- no lady around, so you can guess how that happens. Often break out in a short sweat. Grab an old T-shirt and wipe it off. No big deal. Feet usually swell up during the day but the swelling goes down overnight. That might be the drugs or me sitting on my big fat butt at the table in the trailer. Now and then I will take an afternoon nap and the swelling goes away. I did luck out in one way. I have Medicare part A and B but was able to get a state medical card and QMB benefits that cover the part B premium, deductible, and co-pay on both parts. The QMB benefits became effective 1 August. The urologist is not billing me for the 20% co- pay for services before 1 August, either in the hospital or in his office. Great Dude! I have a Part D drug card. Maximum out of pocket was $5. Last week I went to my local druggist to get a month's supply of Flutamide and there was no co-pay. Free! My little social security check will not be touched. Big sigh of relief. $400 does not go that far these days, even though I park free, in the desert, off the electrical grid. Right now I have a free full hook up for the summer: electric, water, sewer, courtesy of an excellent friend. Once I leave here I will be off the grid. Many of us RV folks have a solar panel and generator to charge batteries. My one solar panel puts out enough to charge two house batteries and give me light in the trailer at night but to run a fridge or a 12 volt cooler requires the gas guzzling generator to be run. Same, too, with cloudy days, many of them during the fall and winter. The QMB benefit frees up the part B premium, ninety some bucks a month, to help out with gas for the rig to Baltimore. Pulling my rig back there will eat up about $900 in gas. Leaving the trailer at the Slabs it will still cost well over $800 for gas to Baltimore. Will the drug treatment work? Good question. Right now I must stop the spread of the cancer. The drugs are supposed to do that. If I can't get the growth stopped, any other treatments down the road ain't worth diddly squat. Once it cools down south of here I will leave for Yuma, AZ. That should be late September. There I will find a medical oncologist experienced with Pca willing to work with me on the follow up blood tests, bone and CAT scans that will need to be done around the end of November. It is an easy 70 mile drive from the Slabs to Yuma for the follow ups. I have a list of several items that will need to be looked at, such as bone density, spinal compression, etc. I looked into the suggested way of eating when you have cancer. I am now eating about 95% of the foods suggested. Only now and then do I have a good NY Strip steak with a baked potato, sour cream and chives. Most other meals are plenty of veggies, fruits, juices, etc. I have Milwaukee's Best beer, 30 packs, well-chilled, now and then. Get 5- liter boxes of burgundy wine and dilute it about half with cranberry juice. I take a can of cranberry sauce, dump it in my blender, add a half gallon of water, mix well, and add to the wine. Delicious!!! Get a nice buzz but do not stagger around the trailer. And I love cheap, stinky, Philly Titan cigars. Usually have one when I get up in the morning, with coffee. Usually smoke my pipe with Cherry Cavendish tobacco the rest of the day. A couple of times I have been asked if I am scared and afraid with the cancer diagnosis. No. There is no reason to do that. It takes too much effort. It is too darned hot around here to exert that kind of effort. Concerned, I am, but I know that I have made a choice and will have to wait to see it through. Right now the wait is rather frustrating at times but there is not too much I can do except give the drugs time to work and do the follow ups. Once I leave the Slabs around the end of April 2008 and return to be with family in Baltimore, I will get set up with a medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins.. That's about it for now. If the drugs work, I'll let you know. If they don't... I don't think they have invented a way to access the Internet from six feet under. Chef Roger Woods Here are web pages that show a bunch of us RVers having fun and eating good food at the Slabs. http://snow.prohosting.com/buzzybee/ContentThree/newfile3.htm http://snow.prohosting.com/buzzybee/ContentThree/newfile4.htm A bunch more photos are on the Flickr page, cooking and playing music. Email: rwoods4108@yahoo.com My Non-Commercial Webpage: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/ My Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerwoods/ Saga of my Battle with Prostate Cancer: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/prostate.html Yahoo Instant Messenger: rwoods4108 Currently in Golden Valley, AZ Hello, Roger: I am truly sorry you had to join the group of those with prostate cancer. From your report, it sounds as though you were not really surprised, though. The type of therapy you are on now is androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT. Lupron is one of the usual choices, though there are others. Others who know more about it will join in here in a little while and tell you a lot more than I can. But you should understand that, in your case, the therapy is slowing down the cancer, not getting rid of it. I hope your doc was clear about that. Fortunately, PCa is very slow-growing. You'll probably have a fair amount of time before the tumor cells become independent of testosterone and can grow without it. And there are treatments being tested now that hold a lot of hope for the men in your situation. Several of the guys on the NG here are located in your general neck of the woods. There's an UsToo group that is very active in Arizona. Please keep us posted! all the best, charlie  Signature6/2006 PSA 5.2, DRE suspicious 7/2006 Biopsy: 2 of 10 positive, Gleason 7(3+4) 11/2006 LRP: Clear margins PSA < 0.01 on 1/2007, 3/2007, 6/2007 so far, so good ... On Aug 28, 7:27 am, chasjac too <chazjac@_takethisout_chazjac.com> wrote: > Fortunately, PCa is very slow-growing. You'll probably have a fair amount > of time before the tumor cells become independent of testosterone and can > grow without it. And there are treatments being tested now that hold a lot > of hope for the men in your situation. Hi Charlie, I am hoping the drugs stop the cancer from growing and spreading. Before this came up, I had planned to retire from the road in April 2008 and return to Baltimore to stay with my sister, after spending one last season at the Slabs sharing some super good food and great booze with my RV friends and picking some good music. Once I am back in Baltimore and hooked up with a medical oncologist at Hopkins, I should have access to the latest information and tests. If the tests and scans look good when I have them done in Yuma, this October or November, then I will spend the season at the Slabs. Fingers crossed. > Several of the guys on the NG here are located in your general neck of the > woods. There's an UsToo group that is very active in Arizona. I joined the AZ UsToo group following invitations by a couple of the AZ members. Did a couple of chats and found the folks very nice and informative. Chef Roger We *assume* you can play great music, Roger; we *KNOW* you can write! Too bad your story is not fiction. I detected not a touch of pity, just assessment, acceptance, and a plan. I wouldn't change any of the latter except for one thing: I'd eat just abut any damned thing I wanted. That includes many healthy foods, and I wouldn't do myself any harm, but I'd sure eat more of the crap I eliminated or reduced decades ago and less of some of the things that replaced it. Broccoli is fine if cooked properly, but it doesn't compare to candied yams smothered in butter or macadamia nut ice cream pie. Good luck to you, and keep up your great attitude; many people in far less straits than you could use a boost from yours. I.P. On Aug 28, 10:44 pm, "I.P. Freely" <fuhgheddabou...@noway.nohow> wrote: > We *assume* you can play great music, Roger; we *KNOW* you can write! > Too bad your story is not fiction. Thanks for the compliment, I.P. Yep, it would be nice if the story was fiction. Now, as to my approach to cooking and eating. Most of the time I will continue to eat a lot of healthy veggies and fruits, fortified cereals, drink plenty of milk, chow down on swiss cheese, do the 12 ounce curl, enjoy some cheap burgundy wine, get some exercise walking about, but there will be times when I will indulge in some really great eating. Cooking for one sucks! In this hot weather here I don't even want to light the stove except for coffee and tea. It sits about three feet from my seat at the table. I have a small microwave in here and can heat up a few things in it. When I get together with other RV folks at the Slabs, I put on my chef's hat and apron and start working on some sinfully rich and delicious foods. On my flickr photo page are some photos of one such cookout. Last year or the year before at the Slabs, I cooked, and chowed down on: Shrimp in a sherry cream sauce over angel hair pasta. A lady baked strawberry pies and topped them with fresh made whipped cream. Killer, no filler, crab cakes, side dishes, stewed tomatoes in a burgundy sauce, and mac and cheese in a sherry cheese sauce made with real butter-- I never cook with margarine. Only oils I use are canola and olive. Coconut shrimp sauteed at the table, or shrimp with Old Bay seasoning. Side dishes pot luck from the guests. Crab meat in a sherry cream sauce over angel hair pasta. Breaded tomatoes with a butter-burgundy sauce. Steaks were not forgotten. A dude came in to our camp one day and had a problem with a leaking hydraulic hose on his rig. Me and another dude found the problem and fixed it. No charge. The guy with the problem goes to town and brings back a bunch of sirloin steaks, baking potatoes, and salad fixings. Probably a dozen of us in the camp. We fired up a big grill, wrapped the spuds in foil and tossed them in the coals, finished them, grilled the steaks, and had bakes with sour cream and chives, or butter, depending on the diner's choice. Salads topped with fresh-sliced tomatoes, peeled and thin-sliced cukes, thin- sliced green onions I pulled from gallon milk jugs in which I grow and keep them, and freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese. A choice of a half dozen dressings. All this was done outside in the clean desert air. Many of us carry decent size tables. We pulled them out, got our chairs, and chowed down. Plenty of Two Buck Chuck red wine from Trader Joe's (Shiraz is my favorite), a 5-liter box of burgundy, and Fat Tire Ale. I finished off the meal with a couple of cheap Philly Titan cigars, and more Two Buck Chuck, of course. This season at the Slabs a bunch of us are going to chip in and get some frozen 10 lb boxes of baby back ribs from Denmark. By the time I get them prepared the meat will be almost falling off the bones. I will then toss them on a grill and slather with Cattleman's brand BBQ sauce. Side with be fresh picked corn-on-the-cob with plenty of melted butter. Can't wait for that sauce and butter to be running down my chin. Side dishes: mashed potatoes scratch from red skins, heavy whipping cream, butter, flamed sherry. Steamed asparagus with a butter sauce or a raspberry vinaigrette.. Broccoli smothered in a rich white sauce made with butter, heavy whipping cream, sherry, etc. A lady brought a huge case of yams and we had them smothered in butter, with brown sugar, a bunch of canned pie-filling cherries, some burgundy, and topped off with a meringue. Then there was the boiled shrimp with Old Bay seasoning, beer, diced red onions and sweet green peppers. Did four or five pounds, put some butcher paper on a table, dumped the shrimp, and folks dug in. One lady contributed a bunch of heavenly potato salad. For dessert one day I baked a bunch of scratch peach cobblers and we had them hot and fresh out of my oven, topped with ice cream. Another lady showed up with a bushel of avocados she had picked from her trees that morning. When you have avocados, make guacamole She did. Brought a couple of gallons of mild salsa and some big bags of tortilla chips. I had a bunch of sour cream. Had that on the side to dollop on the guacamole. Looking forward to some more great eating at the Slabs this season. At 6'2" and 150 pounds, I don't think I have to worry about that great food going to my gut or elsewhere. One lady made a comment that she couldn't see how I kept my pants on with such a skinny butt. Very carefully and with great caution. > Good luck to you, and keep up your great attitude; many people in far > less straits than you could use a boost from yours. Keeping a great attitude is one key to my still enjoying life so much. Haven't had a down day since the diagnosis. Too hot and ain't worth the effort. Far easier to stay upbeat and enjoy every minute, in spite of the 100+ degree days here. They, too, shall end one day. Chef Roger My Non-Commercial Webpage: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/ My Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerwoods/ Saga of my Battle with Prostate Cancer: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/prostate.html Yahoo Instant Messenger: rwoods4108 Currently in Golden Valley, AZ > In this hot weather here I don't even want to > light the stove except for coffee and tea. We reversed breakfast and supper decades ago, and greatly appreciate that when camping out in hot weather. We're grilling salmon or chicken early in the AM before it gets too hot, and eating cold cereal piled with fruit in the evenings when everyone else is sweating over hot stoves and grilles. And those evening carbs promote sleep, whereas evening proteins impair sleep. > At > 6'2" and 150 pounds, I don't think I have to worry about that great > food going to my gut or elsewhere. One lady made a comment that she > couldn't see how I kept my pants on with such a skinny butt. Very > carefully and with great caution. There are other ways to keep our pants up, but that may not be available after your surgery. :-( I.P. I think you can give Chef Shuggie a run for his money on quantity of prose. :-) > On Aug 28, 10:44 pm, "I.P. Freely" <fuhgheddabou...@noway.nohow> > wrote: >I think you can give Chef Shuggie a run for his money on quantity of prose. >:-) Aha! - I just gotta reply to that. I have only ever met ONE chef/cook that wasn't gregarious and regalled everyone in sight - strangers or no, with the minutiae of their lives. But he's a separate boring story - so you'll be relived you don't have to sit through it - yet. (I might post it some night when it's slow here - which is unlikely) I dunno what it is about us who work(ed) with food and educating people about food - we just enjoy talking with anyone and everyone, chatting. I was quite shocked at Roger's list of foods consumed and will be sending him one of my best "Shug The Lecturer" essays about foods to avoid in PCa management. If I know chefs, I'll get a thick ear by email in return and my advice binned. Chefs and cooks are the worst people to try and give dietary advice to. We ALL have our pet theories that throw facts and common sense in the dustbin. However that said - I'm puzzled as to how Rog looks so slim on all that rich food and I'm a fat bastard on mostly veggies? Or is Rog jogging round the slabs 20 times a day? I envy him! I realise that Rog probably doesn't eat like that every day - it's heart attack food a diet continuation like that! I'll bet a lot of days, he'll just have some cereal and later, some toast with whatever and some fruit. I know I felt sick last weekend when Derek & Paula gave me a Strawberry Tart with whipped fresh cream. I just had a mouthfull - really looking forward to it and felt my gorge rise as son as the mouthful was swallowed. ukk! I remember when I first joined this group, I was naive enough to think that I could write a journal that would give people advice. I didn't realise in my one-eyed track that a thousand people if not more - have done that years before I came along and done it far better than I EVER could. I made a real a.s of myself - I'd like to thank everyone for just letting me warble on in ignorance and probably giving you all a good laugh. I'm not being sarcastic or nasty, I think you were just letting me get things out of my system - and for giving me the support you all did. I'm eternally gratefull for that and hope that the way you treat newbies will continue to be as welcoming and friendly You guys musta thought I was bonking Nuts! And - perhaps I am - BTW - The hard drves that got fried? - cost me £270 to be told they are irrecoverable. SOME data was rescued but not enough to make it worthwhile doing the rest - so, I learned my lesson about making backups regularly. What a load of dissapointment, but - never mind, worse things happen at sea... I have right now, 10 Lb Mutton Bones simmering with carots, celery, rutabaga, leeks, onions, garlic, celeriac, Star anise and Cinnamon to make stock for a Malaysian Goat Curry. (I don't have goat but my Halal Butcher gave SOLD) e beautiful 6-month milk Kid meat - it's so pale and sweet smelling - I ate a little chunk raw and it literally melted between chews. It won't need much cooking. My friend in Malaysia - his son is studying at Strathclyde University and will be visiting this Saturday (Holy Day) so I have to have everything cooked ready to eat and no obvious work being done (Strict Muslims) The lad's name is "Aha" - a funny name! We shall go to the Mosque tomorrow (Friday) but I will not go in with him. I'll wait outside. (I'm a Jehova fearing non-muslim! and only have ONE God as HE commands!) Ronnie - my oldest boy is coming down this weekend with his caravan - he's starting to look old - hair going grey and starting to get baldy in front. Gee! - Never thought about that when I first held him in my arms so long ago now! As soon as my Radio is finsished, we are off up to the remote wildnesess of North Sutherland (Look at yer atlases!) to get the last of the late summer weather and do a whack of fishin and huntin. Ronnie has licesnces for his 3 guns, so I'll get a surreptitious shot at a Stag, I hope, no - preferably a Doe in her second season - the meat will be more tender. Stag meat though richer in flavour, is generally always tougher. Besides - you MISS a stag and he sees you - you better be able to reload fast or run like the wind. Ive never been afraid ofd animals, but a mature Twelve pointer Stag is NOT be f.cked about with! You either down him in one and finish him fast - or he is likely to get mad and come after you! That;'s why I prefer fishing! They can't get their antlers into you or toss you over a cliff! Ronnie is a big PUSSY of a boy anyway! He won't fire until he gets encouragement. he likes to EAT meat, but has a thing about where it comes from and ending a life to get it. Nonetheless, he's a good lad to think of his old dad as September starts - the month I joined the Army - what - I was sixteen? - so how long ago now? (Born 1951) Oh, I'm sorry - listening to - FORTY YEARS AGO? Fucxk sakes. I',m ancient and starting to get plastered drunk after my wee bro in Chester posted me up a litre of Pastis! Oh - I sold the Chester bro my People carrier. It was getting too expensive to keep it running on just my pension. I got £K6 for it. Had hoped for £K10, but he's my wee bro. Cheque cleared and paid £K5 into my youngest boy's account - that should give him a decent enough first car. I'll keep therest for a rainy day My fav sister is coming to visit tomorrow with my neice and my grand-neice "Bryony" - a Welsh Keltic name. No idea what it means, but Bryony and my Big Maine Coon Cat - "Tiger" get on so well. He weighs in at 28 Lbs - anyone else got a big Pussy? (Sorry Ladies!) Tiger is a Gem! He takes up most of thre bed (a double) when we retire and keepsa stuffing his wet cold nose in my armpit for a lick at some salt - all gone in my pre-bed shower! His tongue is like sandpaper! Yeeoww! Well, nearly intoxicated enough NOT to need medications to help me sleep, so I shall sign off and fall out of my spacious leather computer chair and crawl through to the bedroom (HEY! _ This IS what you wanted to hear ALEX!??) No - seriously - just mellow enough to have fed missy Dodo her supper, strip and deecide which side of the bed is MINE tonight - too late - Miss Dodo ON headphones - to stop the Polish Imigrants downstairs making complaints - I'm finishing listening to my OWN interpretation of "Thine be the Glory" Not Bad!!! (Happy with that!!) Hey - Mr Kramer? Shuggie could fill a whole 200xA4 page in one post - as could Chef Roger... We are just... Being... Shy. (and reserved!) LOVE YA STEVIE BOY! >>I think you can give Chef Shuggie a run for his money on quantity of >>prose. :-) > > Aha! - I just gotta reply to that. > Hey - Mr Kramer? Shuggie could fill a whole 200xA4 page in one post - as > could Chef Roger... [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > LOVE YA STEVIE BOY! I'm glad you took my at my intent. I was amazed that the two greatest posters were both chefs. My son-in-law is a chef and he doesn't speak a lick. Though, when he does say something, we are usually on the floor laughing. SRK > I dunno what it is about us who work(ed) with food and educating people > about food - we just enjoy talking with anyone and everyone, chatting. Shug, I, too, have found that to be mostly true. The most compliments I have received have been that the food is not loaded up with salt. I do not add salt to any items unless they are something like dry beans or ingredients that do not contain any salt but would taste a bit better if a little salt is added. Same thing when I am cooking for family and friends. I use excellent quality canned and frozen foods as some ingredients in my dishes. They have all the salt that is needed for taste. > However that said - I'm puzzled as to how Rog looks so slim on all that rich > food and I'm a fat bastard on mostly veggies? Or is Rog jogging round the > slabs 20 times a day? I envy him! > I realise that Rog probably doesn't eat like that every day - it's heart > attack food a diet continuation like that! I'll bet a lot of days, he'll > just have some cereal and later, some toast with whatever and some fruit. You have hit the nail on the head. Most days I do not eat the kind of food I listed. I do that only when I get together with other RV folks at the Slabs, or cook for family and friends in Baltimore. Rarely, I will have a NY strip steak with a baked potato when I am camped alone. Mostly fish, fruits, and veggies. Lots of juices, some made in a blender, like cranberry juice from a can of cranberry sauce and half gallon of water. Plenty of V-8-type veggie juice every day. Some days I will drink a half a gallon of it. I am a milk-aholic. Full flavor, that is full 4% fat. I often indulge in cheese, especially swiss. It and the 200 proof milk help with the absorption of the artemisinin caps I take. Two 100 mg caps when I get up and two at bedtime.On for two or four weeks then off for a week. Chef Roger "I.P. Freely" > wrote: >> We *assume* you can play great music, Roger; we *KNOW* you can write! >> Too bad your story is not fiction. > > Thanks for the compliment, I.P. Yep, it would be nice if the story was > fiction. Enjoy your stay out West, Roger. Reading your cancer saga is just as if I were reading my husband's. He was diagnosed last year with a Gleason 10, is on Lupron and has now had Casodex added. We worked for most of our careers in Baltimore, lived in Howard County for over 30 years and have now lived on the Eastern Shore for 20. Good for you, to go to the Brady Institute. None better. My little granddaughter is also being treated there. Small world, isn't it. Dora Hi Dora, Yes, it is a small world. Will do my best to enjoy my last year on the road. I grew up in Baltimore. Broke my arm in the elbow when I was a kid living in Dundalk during WWII and my father took me to Hopkins to get it set. Even back then the quality of medical care was first class. That was back when you went into the facility through the big old red brick building on N. Broadway. I'll be living with my sister in Dundalk and once again enjoying fresh seafood, especially fish, crab meat, oysters, mussels, and shrimp. Great food for a good cancer diet. She has a big backyard, open and sunny, where I will plant a lot of our food, freeze some, dry some, and can a bunch of stuff in vinegar. That way I can control what goes on the food I grow. I hope your husband is doing well with his treatment. Yesterday, when my doc was writing out a new prescription he asked if I wanted Casodex instead of Flutamide. I have had such a good experience with Flute almost immediately stopping the bone pain that I decided to stay with it at least until I get updated tests in Yuma. I'll probably add the equivalent of Proscar for a triple block but first I want to see how I am doing with what I am on. Chef Roger > Enjoy your stay out West, Roger. Reading your cancer saga is just as > if I were reading my husband's. He was diagnosed last year with a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Dora WHAT an INCREDIBLE Guy! WHAT an ATTITUDE! - an inspiration to mutterers like myself. Thankyou ROGER! <<SPEECHLESS>> Hughie! (The other Chef who's scared to eat a Steak now...) > Camped in the Desert near Kingman, AZ USA > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Baltimore, MD for the last three years enjoying retirement. Free > boondocking and living off the electric grid. ka-snip! I feel like I'm in a virtual novel with the author a combination of John Steinback, Mark Twain and Michael Crichton. Roger, you have my sympathy regarding your current medical condition that found you to our group that no one wants to join. Your journey has passed by and combined with a trove of infinitely interesting individuals, the likes of which countless other individuals would sell their soul to know. Sometime back you chose the left road that ultimately led you to here. The right or center roads may or may not have led you here too but also may have left you either dead or dead bored a long time ago. Thanks for sharing your stories, they are terrific to hear. And let me just give another hurrah to ALL the members and contributors to this group (except to that M15 poster that could use a little outside help). Thanks, WhiteSoxFan WhiteSoxFan, Mentioned in the company of those great writers makes me wish I had been a writer on many subjects. Alas, I never had the desire to do the "great American novel" (whatever that is) but stuck mostly to non- fiction articles when I needed a few bucks. Did do a few "true confession" stories. At 5-10 cents a word, that was decent money back in the 60's. I have always written to make it stay interesting to the reader and some portions, perhaps, be remembered. Thanks for the compliment. Chef Roger > I feel like I'm in a virtual novel with the author a combination of > John Steinback, Mark Twain and Michael Crichton. My Non-Commercial Webpage: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/ My Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerwoods/ Saga of my Battle with Prostate Cancer: http://rogerwoods.bravehost.com/prostate.html Yahoo Instant Messenger: rwoods4108 Email: rwoods4108@yahoo.com Currently in Golden Valley, AZ > Camped in the Desert near Kingman, AZ USA > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > February 2006 PSA was 20. Like a stupid fool, I did not follow it up. Wow! There is a hell of a lot here to digest. And I will and will get back to you. My primary purpose of this post is to welcome you to the club for which not one of us applied for membership. Several of us did some stupid things. IP and Steve J. listened to their doctors. I skipped a year of PSAs even though my father died of it. It goes on and on. At any rate, like I said,... welcome and I'll get back with you. Others will also -- guaranteed. SignaturePSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years Casodex added daily 07/06 PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04 (06/12/2007) Non Illegitimi Carborundum > More than I ever really wanted to know. I am one of those dudes who is > a full participant in his medical treatment. Listen carefully to the > doc, ask plenty of questions, but also head for the Net and get more > info. Surprised me that the doc is so knowledgeable and covered > everything I needed to know. On line stuff went into greater detail. Excellent! Educated patients are by far the best treatment advocates. > 322.73 That's high. That's godawful high. However, we have had 13 come through this newsgroup with higher. One as high as 4900! Some are still with us. So, don't stick you foot in the grave yet. > Two options: surgical castration or drug castration. > We decided on the drug approach. Injection of Lupron every three > months There is a 4-month option for Lupron, just in case you ever wish to take it. But, a good choice over castration. You can do it, see how it effects you, and then castrate if you decide later. It's hard to uncastrate once castrated. > So far, the effects of the drugs have been minimal. Of course, the > bone pain has stopped. But it is apparently early for the side effects [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > fat butt at the table in the trailer. Now and then I will take an > afternoon nap and the swelling goes away. I have taken Lupron for 4 years and have had just about all the SEs at one time or another. All have been minor. Every human being is different. However, I concur about the swelling. If it goes down at night, it's probably caused by inactivity. > Will the drug treatment work? Good question. Probably. For awhile, anyway. It's no cure, but it's kept some people's cancer at bay for years. > Once I leave the Slabs around the end of April 2008 and return to be > with family in Baltimore, I will get set up with a medical oncologist > at Johns Hopkins.. Great place for it, but I don't know that I would wait until April. At least keep an open mind. If your PSA doesn't drop to double digits in a couple of months, you really need to see an onc before April. SignaturePSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years Casodex added daily 07/06 PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04 (06/12/2007) Non Illegitimi Carborundum > "Chef Roger" <rwoods4...@yahoo.com> wrote in message > > Two options: surgical castration or drug castration. > > We decided on the drug approach. Injection of Lupron every three [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and then castrate if you decide later. It's hard to uncastrate once > castrated. I ended up getting the 4 month shot of Lupron. Next is due end of November. My remark to the doc that castration was ok if he put in billiard balls was tongue in cheek. I never did seriously consider it, nor would I. Starting on the Flutamide a week before the Lupron shot was really beneficial in that it stopped all the bone pain I had, from the cancer spread to the bones, within four days or so. > I have taken Lupron for 4 years and have had just about all the SEs at one > time or another. All have been minor. Every human being is different. > However, I concur about the swelling. If it goes down at night, it's > probably caused by inactivity. Saw the urologist yesterday to get the catheter replaced, pick up a copy of my medical records from him, and get a four month prescription for Flute. I was on my feet for 5 or 6 hours walking here and there in Kingman. No problem with swelling. Once I get to the Slabs I will be in cooler weather and will resume my long walks, toting some cold beer and a supply of Philly Titan cigars. > > Once I leave the Slabs around the end of April 2008 and return to be > > with family in Baltimore, I will get set up with a medical oncologist [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > least keep an open mind. If your PSA doesn't drop to double digits in a > couple of months, you really need to see an onc before April. Before I leave here I will get in contact with a medical oncologist in Yuma, AZ. I will be there by late September, early October and will get follow up tests including PSA, bone and CAT scans, but a bunch of lab work. If PSA is down and scans show no worse spread, I will spend the season until end of March 2008 at the Slabs cooking up some good food and picking music with a bunch of other old burned out musicians like myself. Chef Roger |
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