Between Journeys

Entry 63

March 29, 2013

New York, Rome, the Canary Islands, Rio and very soon... China. During the last six months, my wife and I have been busy visiting these places we imagined experiencing before we retired.

It's been several months since the last entry on this blog. As I have alluded to on previous entries when you live with the reality of cancer, it's sometimes valuable to take a break from referencing it and analyzing your condition. This is especially the case when not much is happening, as has been the case with me since the last entry.

By way of a quick recap, I had a radical prostatectomy two years ago last December and recovered quite quickly. The not so good news was the cancer had escaped the prostate gland itself and was found in two of the lymph nodes removed during the operation. Between that and a post surgical PSA# of 0.26ng/ml it was clear I would require additional treatment to keep it in check. That treatment, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) aka Hormone Therapy, essentially stops the majority of testosterone manufactured by the male body. Testosterone, by some diabolical quirk of fate is the source a prostate cancer cell uses to sustain and multiply itself.

In consultation with my urologist I chose intermittent ADT as opposed to continuous ADT. This means I was injected every 3 months for a full year with a time release medication called Zoladex. After a year I was taken off the therapy and my PSA# was tested every 3 months watching for it to begin to rise again. When it begins to rise they measure how quickly the PSA# doubles. This doubling is referred to as the 'velocity' and it gives the urologist a yardstick to measure the aggressiveness of the cancer.

So this brings us to where I am today. I have now been off the Androgen Deprivation Therapy for over a year and not unsurprisingly my PSA# is starting to rise again. It has risen from 0.02 to 0.09 ng/ml. Disappointing, but frankly not surprising. We knew the cancer is still in there it is merely manifesting itself as my urologist suggested it would. My next PSA reading, in about 3 months will give him an idea of the 'velocity' and I will likely go back on the Androgen Deprivation Therapy medication sometime on or before this fall.

Harry at the Colosseum

Margaret in the Pantheon

Walking the streets of Gibraltar

Harry on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro

 (More photos)

hstimson @ shaw.ca
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Back to Good News

Entry 62
June 27, 2012


Dr. Saranchuk, my urologist/surgeon delivered the good news yesterday during my appointment at the Manitoba Prostate Centre. My PSA levels remain undetectable, six months after my last Zoladex injection. Apparently, I am responding as hoped to the anti-hormonal treatment that is now in the "drug holiday" phase.


Dan and I returned from our paddling trip in Woodland Caribou Park on my 67th birthday. The two week trip, which while challenging, was an experience we both enjoyed. Here are some of the stats as compiled by Dan along with a few pictures that I took.

"Average daily paddling/dead time from camp down to camp up is 8.25 hours.  Longest 11 hours 31 minutes, shortest 6 hours 15 minutes.  Both numbers exclude the last 1/2 day, 4 hours to Johnson.

Distance was 203 kilometers. Total portages 50, noteworthy rapids 3, noteworthy chutes 4, rock gardens 2.  Of course all the beaver pulls as well."

hstimson @ shaw.ca
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Paddling Upstream

Entry 61
May 30


I will be thinking less about prostate cancer for the next few weeks. The reason? As mentioned in a previous post, I'm going on another canoe trip to Northwest Ontario. If you are interested, there is a live map of our current location . We'll post pictures when we return.  I will have been on the "drug holiday" for six months by then. On June 26, 2012, I will be visiting my urologist for the update on my PSA levels. In the meantime, this appointment, PSA levels, and drug holidays will be at the far back of my mind.


My cancer was discovered right after a similar trip two years ago. 

Harry and Brian checking out Harry's solo canoe

Update : Harry's Current Location: June 7, 2012

hstimson @ shaw.ca
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Spring 2012

Entry 60
May 3, 2012


I would like to give a big thumbs-up to the Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group. The monthly meetings are very well run, interactive and informative as is the newsletter. The last meeting was particularly germane to my situation because the speaker, Dr. Darrel Drachenberg spoke about new prostate cancer therapeutics.


As planned, the hormone therapy for my prostate cancer is on hold. I had my final injection of Zoladex in November after having had those injections for the previous 9 months. I am now on a "drug holiday".  I return to see my urologist in late June to determine the level of my PSA.  We expect that it will climb as we know the cancer went into my lymph nodes before my prostatectomy. 


Except for recovering from infrequent bouts of lethargy and a distinct loss of strength at the end of the hormone therapy, it has been life as usual in our house.


I had a busy start to the year.  I've continued to add regular visits to the Reh-Fit Centre to my usual outdoor activities. Combining those with the spring cleanup at home, I am staying active. 

Washing wood

All winter, just like last year, I have been looking forward to a late spring canoe trip. I have already dehydrated most of the perishable foods I will be taking on the two week canoe trip. The trip will require a flight in a float plane that will take my friend Dan and me into the northeast corner of Woodland Caribou Park to begin. We'll post links and pictures later if you would like to follow us online.

Using my iPad

On another note, I was given an iPad at Christmas. It has made it more convenient for me to access the internet in new ways. I thought I would share a few apps that are available in case you also have access to an ipad. These five are some of those that are free at iTunes:

• The Journal of Clinical Oncology
• Draw MD - Urology
• Prostate MD
• In Practice Oncology
• Medscape (registration required)

Another app that costs $1.99 at iTunes is The Urogenital System (3D4Medical)
Also, there are many apps to help with healthy eating and fitness. We'll list some of our favorites on another occasion.


hstimson @ shaw.ca
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Happy Holidays

Entry 59
December 24th


Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa.
Best wishes for a walk on the path to good health in the 
coming year.

          Image from Flickr Creative Commons

MR Guided Ultrasound Surgery

Entry 58
December 8, 2011


The TED Talks series is my favorite video podcast set. Here's a recent one about a treatment that may have implications for those with prostate and other types of cancer in the future.




Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca

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Anniversary of Surgery

Entry 57
December 6, 2011

My prostatectomy was on December 9, 2010. One year has passed quickly.  What a day that was.


Here it is... time to celebrate Christmas in 2011. Today we enjoyed the Festival of Trees in the grand halls of Manitoba Hydro.

Jets Tree - Click to enlarge the image

I had my injection of Zoladex on November 29. I now begin what they call 'Intermittent Hormone Therapy' which means your medical team takes you off the hormone therapy regimen and puts you on a "drug holiday". Given that the prostate cancer escaped into my lymph nodes, they will measure the PSA number every 3 months in order to observe how quickly it begins to climb - in my case from the 0.01ng/ml baseline in November 2011. The speed with which it comes back, and then doubles, determines the aggressiveness. My doctor and his primary care nurse expect me to be on this drug holiday for 9 months to a year, at which time they will put me back on the hormone therapy again. They plan to keep doing this until the PC figures a way around the treatment, and if history is any indication, it will. Hopefully some bright group of researchers will come up with another treatment that will be additive to the hormone therapy.


My timeline

I seem to be affected by only a few side effects of the hormone therapy; tiredness and loss of strength which I combat with the weight machines and free weights at the Reh-fit, hot flashes I have under control with a medication, weight gain ( I've held it at bay, but it's really tough to make inroads here), and the one I was particularly worried about, heart disease. I'm not so worried about this now but I will have to keep an eye the blood pressure.


Contact: hdstimson @ shaw.ca

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