I have been lurking, reading the newsgroup for a few weeks and I have
decided to begin to post.  I have been active, on and off in various
newsgroups since 1994, initially in alt.support.depression and most
recently in rec.sport.soccer.

It has been more than a year (March 9 2004) since I posted my
Contrarian all fours meditation report. Not very well received to say
the least. I have meant for a long time to update my situation for the
group but besides being contrarian I'm also a procrastinator.

I hope I'm not asking too many questions here. It seems that, as I work my way
through this process, there's always something new cropping up.
Next month I'll be flying out of state for prostate surgery. I have a couple of
post-op travel options:

I had a biopsy about a month ago that came up with one sample in ten
positive. Gleason score 6. I'm scheduled for brachytherapy in a week
and a half. But here's something I didn't expect.
After the biopsy my ejaculate was a little rusty with blood, as

Dr Walsh mentions in his book on page 114 about a study at Johns
Hopkins led by urologist H Carter. In this study he says that "fifteen
years before cancer was dx, all of the men who turned out to have
aggressive prostate tumors had levels of free PSA that were lower than

http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.php?event=news_print_list_item&id=846
"Obesity Raises Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer", Medical News
Today, May 23, 2005,
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=24963

I was visiting New Orleans a couple of weeks ago and caught a TV ad which I
thought was for Outpatient robotic prostatectomy at Tulane University
Hospital.  I was flabbergasted to see this on TV.
I verified it with Google when I got home.  One article I found was

I used to have a sign over my desk that read:
"A pessimist's surprises are always pleasant"
I guess that's what you guys are advising.
Thanks again

After the MRI and bone scan I received a letter in the mail.  The
doctor wants to x-ray my knees, elbows, back and my feet.  It is
Saturday and I can't talk to the doctor directly.  Does this mean the
cancer has spread?  Or, could it be something else?

Clear Day5 MAY 05
Dear Members,
   I've mostly lurked since I was diagnosed with PC last November.  Mine
was a T1C, Gleason of 4+4=8 and a PSA of 4.0, up from 1.5 within a year.

This is slightly off-topic but the Los Angeles Times published my
letter to the editor last week:
"I read your editorial today about Disneyland's 50th anniversary this
summer. I was there as a Junior in high school the summer it opened in

Does anyone know anything about a photodynamic drug called TOOKAD?  If
so, is it being used anywhere?

Was diagnosed PC some 5 months ago
3+3=6 in one of six biopsies (0.5 mm)
psa: 1.4
age 47

Hi gang,
Just thought I'd step out of the shadows again and crow happily that I
have finally said sayonara to Zoladex and all the horrific side
effects that the drug has dumped on me.

Thanks as always for your really helpful replies.  The doctor has increased
the Flomax and prescribed Phenazo (Phenazopyridine).  The only thing is that
I am afraid to take it more than twice a day because of the water that has
to be consumed with it.