No Free P--N on This Blog

Entry 48

April 13

I just returned from a great bike ride on a beautiful day. It was the first ride of the season and the new bike seat performed admirably. My pal Jim and I rode 20.3 km according to my gps.

Click image above to see how some people got here

 Hmmmm. We've had some strange visitor activity on this blog recently. Since we started the blog in the fall of last year, it has had thousands of hits from around the world, with the majority coming from Canada and the US.  From what we can surmise, most searches that lead here seem to be by people who are looking for an update or links to information related to prostate cancer. In the last month or two, we noticed that some Internet users found this blog by searching for a particular phrase which when we checked it out was the name of a free p - - n site. We think we can reduce visits from those guys by modifying one word in the magnet blog entry of December 23rd, replacing some letters with dashes so that it doesn't keep attracting people seeking p - - n.  

-----------

Update: Our plan worked. It appears we are no longer having visits from people seeking p - - n :)

Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |

Pain in the @#*

Entry 47
April 6

The change of seasons is causing me to think about my favorite spring activities like cycling, inline skating and paddling.  


One real concern in two of these pursuits is that prostate problems can sometimes result in sitting problems. Although I haven't experienced serious discomfort since the days immediately following prostate surgery, friends have told me how they had to find ways to make sitting more comfortable. One used a rolled up towel, another tried a sock filled with rice that had been chilled in the freezer, and a third modified and disguised a donut cushion. I'll be looking for a lightweight solution that can maximize comfort, if necessary, while on an extended spring canoe trip.

In anticipation of riding my bike, I contacted Morgan at Olympia Cycle for a bike seat solution. Morgan recommended the Serfas Men's Performance Rx saddle which has a deep groove designed to eliminate pressure in soft areas. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm going to try it out. Morgan says we'll keep looking until we find one that works. Virtually any good bike shop will have seats like these.  I'm also going to invest in a new pair of cycling shorts with the gel padding and gusseted crotch that will protect the area. Fortunately, I don't have lingering incontinence so pads are not an issue for me when I ride.
-------------
The Serfas bike seat worked great.....

Another option, recumbent bikes are often recommended for cyclists who can't tolerate pressure around their "sit bones".  Someone called it "a cushy club chair on wheels".  Sounds like just the thing for a guy with a tender butt.


Links:
Prostate Pressure and Bicycle Seats 
Bicycling Life: Recumbent Bikes

More good links from Hugh
http://www.bicycleseats.org/prostate-relief-exercise.htm
http://bicycleseatreviews.com/what-is-the-best-bicycle-seat-for-prostate-relief/

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |

Still No Side Effects

Entry 46
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

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |

Prostate Cancer in the News

Periodically, we're going to shift the links to media items from the right sidebar into the body of the blog.  The change will clear the sidebar a bit and at the same time help us preserve our search ability and links to this news. That's what happened today.

Experimental Treatment for Early Stage PC

Profound Medical signed with Siemens to conduct clinical trials of alternative, innovative treatment process

The PSA Test Debate

Even the scientist who discovered PSA has his doubts about PSA testing.

The Day I Found Out

Cancer patients talk about their disease. Several of them tell about discovering their prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer : New Test, Fast Results

Urine sample test that detects prostate cancer is being developed.

Prostate Cancer Genome to Be Decoded

$$20 million project in Canada announced

Drug May Slow Growth of Early Prostate Cancer

Men with early prostate cancer may be able to avoid being overtreated, study reveals

New Test May Guide Prostate Cancer Treatment

Test identifies which patients need aggressive treatment

Blood Test to Spot Cancer

J&J plans to bring liquid biopsy to market

Internet Weirdness: Mayor Dalton's Prostate

Rex Morgan is a comic strip. Mayor Dalton, one of its characters suffers from prostate cancer. Mayor Dalton's Prostate has its own Facebook page.

Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca

Clipart used with permission from http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm

Some Surprises

Entry 45
March 21


Today I had my first ADT (androgen deprivation therapy/hormone therapy) time-release injection. 


In her usual cheery manner, Gayle Nikol, the Primary Nurse at the Manitoba Prostate Centre explained the side effects of the Zoladex (weight gain, hot flashes, etc) as she tore apart the drug company's packaging to expose the ready-to-use syringe. Margaret wasted no time getting out the camera to take its picture.


My first surprise was that I had to stay upright for the injection. A sitting position made it easier for Gayle to pinch some of my abdominal skin for the subcutaneous shot. The second surprise was that the shot was fast, simple, and surprisingly to me, gave very little discomfort - much easier than described in some of the stuff I had read.


The third and biggest surprise was to learn that the cost of this treatment is covered if you have it at the Manitoba Prostate Centre. Otherwise the cost is $1200 per injection times four injections annually for a total of $4800 in a year. For patients who are facing androgen deprivation therapy, it may be advisable to ask someone on their medical team about the options for obtaining the drug and its cost coverage.  It seems that the issue of fair coverage has been a matter of some debate in our community.


I walked for two hours this afternoon. We've loaded my iTouch with lots of free podcasts from iTunes including some interesting podcasts from CancerCare Connect. (You can also hear some of those by going to the Cancercare.org site.) Listening to podcasts and music makes the walk go by quickly.

Anyway, I'm going to go into the family room and practise my mood swings. I figure if I can time them so they happen between the hot flashes I can maximize the sympathy quotient  ; )

Click above image to enlarge it

Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Katz, Anne. Cancer Care Manitoba/Manitoba Prostate Centre. Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Winnipeg: 2011. Printed brochure.

Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |

Prostate Cancer Support Group

Entry 44

March 17

I didn't count how many people were at the support group meeting I went to on a blustery Thursday evening but I would estimate upwards of 30 people attended with about a quarter of those being women. Some of these folks had driven in from as far as Steinbach (~80 km) to take part.

The monthly meetings are structured into two one hour sessions. The two parts are separated by a coffee break during which people visit. In the initial hour, group members discussed issues related to the disease and/or their own personal experiences. I was asked to speak about this blog. The second hour featured a presentation by an expert.

The educational session for Thursday's meeting was by Dr. Ellen Lee of the University of Manitoba who presented on “Excercise After Prostate Cancer". It underlined the importance of trying to be as fit and active as you can, a belief I share.

The next meeting on April 21st will feature a naturopathic doctor who is talking about alternative therapies.  "Mistletoe injection therapies and intravenous Ascorbic Acid for the treatment of Prostate Cancer." 

Click to enlarge the above text

Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group
University of Manitoba:School of Medical Rehabilitation
Exercise May Improve Odds Against Prostate Cancer Death
Manitoba Naturopathic Association

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |

My GPS and Me

Entry 43
March 15


I went out for a hike on the snowshoes yesterday, probably the last such outing for the season since the temperatures are rising and the snow is rapidly deteriorating.  


My gps keeps track of the details of my daily walks, many of which have exceeded 10 kilometers. Psychologically, the gps prods me to go further than I might otherwise. The distance on Monday was 5.97 kilometers, much of it on crusty snow and almost none of it in neat straight lines because I was in open fields or copses of trees.  You can see that our dog, Gracie and I stayed alongside the railway tracks for a bit and then broke trail to reach a nearby forest.  Here's the map from yesterday.

Contact : hdstimson @ shaw.ca

|  Before Surgery |  After Surgery  |  Before ADT  |  ADT/Hormone Therapy  |