Lookin’ Good: Cancer Update

It’s been a while since my last cancer update. Sorry.

A week or so my PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) level was down to 1.9. I think this means that the cancer cells are slowing in their growth and slowing their spread.

This is, of course, good.

Side-effects of the meds continue. I don’t know if they are increasing or if I’m getting old or both or something else. I wake up several times each night and often have difficulty falling back to sleep. Someone suggested that it was because I was having hot flashes, maybe, but what I think I’m getting up for is to go to the bathroom.

Oh, hot flashes. I’m still having them. Sometimes I’ll go a whole day without remembering that I had one. Other days, I seem to have them every time I turn around. I can’t tell what causes them other than I think they happen more when I’m hot. So, I wear my shirt untucked and I’m still wearing sandals. It seems to help to be cooler. Winter might be interesting.

I’m not experiencing much pain. In fact, the pain seems to be less than what I mentioned in my last post. It could be because I’m playing less golf, or because when I do play, I’m playing better. Whatever, I need to work out more. When this whole shebang started, the doctor told me to lift weights, which I’ve not done a very good job of. I have a bit more pain in my hip, but it comes and goes. I also have the same pain in my back, but it seems to be less.

I’m tired a lot. But that might be because sleep is difficult rather than because of the cancer. I don’t know.

I’m continuing work, pretty much as usual. Counseling is going well. I’m teaching a basic counseling conference. I say I’m teaching it because it consists of eight hours each weekend for four weekends, one each month (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec). For more information about that, go here. Even if you haven’t attended the first weekend, you’re welcome to come to the rest. We had the September one last weekend and taught five of the hours. I was tired, but I’m always tired after those kinds of things. The thing that’s good about those is that I love teaching. So, I’m tired from the excitement and standing, not the drain of thinking hard.

I almost forgot the goodish news. I say goodish because it was me reading between the lines, not that the doctors said anything specific. So, the plan moving forward is for me to continue doing everything I’m doing and taking now, until December. Then, when I go back to Spokane, in December, I’ll have another MRI done and maybe some scans. Then, if the PSA number is down to zero, we’ll talk to a radiologist about shooting some radiation bones, prostate, and/or other places. I have no idea what we do if the number doesn’t continue to drop. It’s all part of the adventure, I suppose.

But that isn’t the goodish news, that’s just the plan. The goodish news is that if the PSA number is zero, I’ll stop taking the monthly shot to my stomach (Firmagon) and begin taking them every six months. Did you notice that? Every six months. That sounds like not only six months but plural six months! That’s pretty encouraging, isn’t it? That means the doctor thinks we could be meeting for years! I could even out live him! 

Overall God has been very good to me. He’s still at the center of my life. I still praise him every day for everything. I know that things could be much worse. And I’m very grateful that they aren’t. I keep praying that I’ll maintain this attitude when the cancer gets around the meds and start kicking up a ruckus, which unless God intervenes is what will most likely happen. But for now, I rejoice in the Lord always, pray without ceasing, and try to be as winsome to others as I can be.

Thank you for all your prayers and for all your comments and for asking about how I’m doing. I never tire of talking about and hearing how good God is. Also, not many have told me I look good, but now I hear it all the time, “You look really good!” What fun.

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash