Update # 27

As expected my PSA went up...from 91 to 103.  Not a big jump but it means the Taxotere is no longer working and I will be going on the just approved drug which is an oral medication (yea, no more sticks for a while!).  My weight is holding steady, I'm at 178...just like high school!  And my blood pressure was down to 128/84.....the clinical trial drug had pushed it up to an average of 142/90.  Maybe I need to go buy a lottery ticket!

 

Ya know...for a guy that really thought he would skirt through his entire life without even needing to get a Handicap sticker it still surprises me that I’m “Here”……Somebody famous…...can’t remember who…has on his tombstone something to the effect “Everything was going along just fine when this happened!”

I did a Blog post on death in April of 2010 called "Death and the Questionnaire" (see link below) it pretty well conveys my thoughts on death.

Dying doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but I’m not afraid of death!....I mean hell….aren’t we all going???? Please let me know if there’s another plan out there that I don’t know about!…..I don’t want to end up somewhere by myself!  (The link below may have to be copied and pasted, it works on the draft but when it's transferred to the site it doesn't link).
http://bobmingle.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-numbers-continue-to-improve-my-psa.html
My job in this battle is to endure, tolerate and not complain about the side effects of the treatment…whatever it is. Other than some occasional bone pain and fatigue the cancer doesn’t make me feel bad….it’s the chemo that makes me feel bad but it’s one of the major weapons I’ve got (Prayers and Spiritual Light by me and others being the other major weapons). And as high as the PSA may seem now….for those of you who may be new readers…when I started chemo in December of 2009 my PSA was 374!....even my nurses raise eyebrows at that! I got it down to 26.

So I’ve proven I can kick this thing’s ass......and I'm just getting started!!  I've told folks that I'm the poster boy of the worst that can happen with Prostate cancer....I also intend to be the poster boy of how to beat it! 
I don’t want to be overly dramatic here but this is a real fight to the death and as I’ve said before ….I ain’t in this to tie!

When I got the PSA down to 26 we made the decision to go off the Taxotere and continue with the clinical trial….bad decision in retrospect but at least we know and the side effects from the clinical trial as it turns out were far worse than the chemo! So good riddance!

I’ve not checked the numbers but some % of men survive this! Dennis Hopper sure didn’t! But I can do better than that! Anyway, I intend to fall in the group that survives.

I’ve said several times how many people I see that are in such far worse shape than I am….I mean….walking into the chemo room with an oxygen tank for God’s sake!....They probably aren’t going to make it!...…if I manage this properly I will live to see the cure whether that is a “cure cure” or just remission with minimal drugs, I don’t care….I just want to stop the madness!  For me and all the others as well.

I’ve mentioned my friend Lester Osborn is honoring me by sponsoring me in his ride in “24 hours of Booty” a 24 hour bicycle ride in Charlotte to raise money for cancer research. His web site is http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/TR?px=1217442&pg=personal&fr_id=1150&et=1iYcXwz-4iG6JzZTaKm21w..&s_tafId=12270

Please log on and push the button “Support Lester” and make a donation…..it doesn’t have to be much but anything is appreciated for the cure.

My Dad once told me “If you’re not in bed by 9:00 o-clock….go home!”

As always, thank you all for the Spiritual Energy and Prayers as I said above...they’re major weapons for me and I can’t express my appreciation enough but I promise I will keep trying.  Bob