March 26th
It's been a week since I started the Zoladex and tomorrow is the last day that I take the Casodex which limits the initial testosterone flare caused by Zoladex. Together, those drugs constitute the antiandrogen therapy that is intended to control my metastatic prostate cancer. I will be having Zoladex injections every three months for an as yet undetermined amount of time. We have a long list of possible side effects of the treatment with hot flashes, weight gain, and decreased energy at the top of the list. So far, I have had no apparent side effects (..touch wood).
I've been getting decent exercise 5 to 6 days a week, alternating between indoor/gym and outdoor activity. Maybe that will minimize the potential for weight gain. Last Friday I enjoyed a long walk with a friend and now fellow prostate cancer patient, Brian Hatherly. Brian's surgery and catheter removal were more recent than mine. Excluding the fact that his recovery was complicated by the arrival of the flu, it was interesting to compare our recovery timelines. Six weeks after his surgery, Brian had very little obvious trouble with our ~7 km walk.
We hope the side effects don't make an untimely appearance on our summer cruise to Alaska. Gayle Nikol, Primary Nurse at the Manitoba Prostate Centre, helped us adjust the timetable for the antiandrogen therapy to accommodate the cruise plans. The three month pattern of administration of the drug is followed fairly strictly within a safe margin of a week or less from the prescribed date. Margaret's mother is joining us on the trip and she had the same issue for a drug injection that she requires. We think we've got it sorted.
Links:
My Brief Life as a Woman
Adverse Effects of ADT
Side Effects of Hormone Therapy
Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca
So glad to hear there are no side effects so far. I must say, you are looking great!
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