No Visits This Week

I have gone all week without a visit with one of my doctors...  and while it is nice not to have to see a doctor...  I am thankful that I have got all my visits behind me and can just stay home...

My Cardiologist says I no longer have to take Xarelto because the heart monitor I wore showed no signs of afib...  and, that my afib was probably only associated with a specific event like a staph infection and being sepsis.

My Urologist says that my PSA results are higher than normal but that might just be typical for me now especially after a recent biopsy of the prostate showed no signs of cancer...  plus, prostate cancer is very slow growing and fairly easy to control.

My Oncologist says that my recent CT scan showed that my two cancers had showed no signs of activity which is good but I am to continue with the Imbruvica (Lymphoma) and Opdivo (Melanoma) to ensure similar results in the future.  Because my treatments over the last 13 years have left me with a bad Thyroid, anemia, and an immune system that is almost non-existent, I will be receiving monthly IVIG treatment for a while.

My Dermatologist says that my full body scans are showing no signs of any pre-cancers but I am encountering a skin infection that will require on-going medication to correct.  It is an antibiotic and my concern is that it could damage my organs or not be affective down the road.

Those are good results to have for a person with my age and diseases but it was nice not to have to get cleaned up and go anywhere...

VIDEO Conference with Urologist

Yesterday, I had another video chat with my Urologist as a follow-up to recent blood work at his office and my PSA numbers had dropped from over 8 to over 6 which according to him was still a little high and I again listened to him explaining how this could be nothing or it could be something and that some Urologists would go ahead and perform a biopsy while others would wait... even though there are some fast growing and "wicked" prostate cancers.

He suggested that since there were no other adverse body symptoms that I should wait and in 3 months do another PSA test and see... if the results stay the same or reduce, then we wait some more but if the result are higher then we do a biopsy.

Interestingly, this is exactly how my treatment for Lymphoma began... wait and see... then 6 months later I began treatment and it has never ended... and, according to the Oncologist will never end...

Visit to the Urologist

I had an early morning visit to my Urologist's office for blood work, specifically to double check my PSA levels to confirm the PSA results that were discovered by my family physician.  I had a web conference with my Urologist earlier this month where he did not seem too concerned with my high PSA levels, especially because Prostate Cancer was very slow growing which pretty much gives him a 90 day window or so before any action needs to be taken...  These result will confirm high levels or not and then a follow-up visit with him later this month (another web conference) will determine what, if anything that he will do about it. 

PROTON THERAPY
When it comes to treating prostate cancer, it's important to know all of your treatment options. Proton therapy is a non-surgical outpatient procedure that has become a trusted method for treating prostate cancer with a lower risk of side effects and improved quality of life. Unlike other treatments like prostatectomy and brachytherapy, proton therapy is non-invasive.

Studies have shown that proton therapy is an ideal treatment for all stages of prostate cancer and reduces the risk of serious bowel or bladder complications (compared to traditional radiation), allowing men to maintain their normal daily activities both during and after treatment.

Through Another Lens

A couple of days ago, I talked with my new Urologist about potential prostate cancer via video conference (like Skype I suppose) and while our sound did not work as was intended, we talked to each other on the telephone.  Interestingly, he said that of his 6 video calls that week, he experienced audio problems with 5 of them.

Our meeting lasted about 12-15 minutes and he patiently described the situation about having a high PSA number of 8+ as not being that alarming since it had only happened once, especially since I was not experience the other, more traditional, symptoms of prostate cancer.  He wanted to do another blood test in a couple of months to see if the PSA increased/decreased or stayed the same.

The next step was to do a biopsy of the prostate but because of COVID-19, no biopsies were being performed unless the patient had a PSA of 15 or higher.

He reassured me that prostate cancer was slow growing and since this was my first high PSA that there was nothing to worry about, since it was very early in the process and especially since prostate cancer typically was slow growing.  He also answered my question with a NO that there was no connection between prostate cancer and either Lymphoma or Melanoma; although there had been some evidence that treatment for Melanoma had helped prostate cancer patients.

What I liked about this video conference was that I did not have to leave my house and my first thought was that this is the way it should be normally for all FIRST TIME visits to keep patients from driving to the office and spending time with others in a waiting room for 60 minutes or so...   Perhaps, some follow-up visits could happen like this as well.

HOPEFULLY, this corona virus will change how we conduct future healthcare in this country.

Side Effects

2:16 am} and, I cannot sleep...

Retired, so I worry about very little other than what am I going to do tomorrow...

My eyes and body feel tired but when I lay down in the bed, I feel wide awake and just lay there wondering when the drowsiness will put me to sleep...

So, here I am drinking coffee with a little Cappuccino Mix in it to make it swallow a little easier...   and actually, I think I have become addicted to this sugar-free or fat-free mix because straight coffee no longer tastes good to me which is typically all I used to drink after being in the Navy...

I was in communications and worked in the Radio Shack on the USS Recovery ARS-43 which was a salvage and rescue ship.  It had less than 100 men aboard her and every two years she would spend 6 months in the Mediterranean Sea patrolling outfitted with the latest surveillance gear before leaving port at Little Creek, VA which was part of the Norfolk Naval Base.

About 1:00 am this morning I awoke from sleep because I had to take a piss and after laying back down in my soft, comfortable warm bed, laid there for a hour unable to return to sleep.

Because of my non-Hodgkin's "B" cell Lymphoma, I take 2 - 140 mg tablets of IMBRUVICA  daily which is considered an Immunotherapy Drug, not a Chemotherapy Drug.

Common side effects of Imbruvica include:
low platelet count,
diarrhea,
neutropenia,
anemia,
fatigue,
musculoskeletal pain,
muscle spasms,
joint pain,
swelling of the extremities,
fever,
upper respiratory tract infection,
cough,
shortness of breath,
nausea,
bruising,
indigestion,
constipation,
rash,
abdominal pain,
vomiting,
decreased appetite,
swelling of the mouth and lips,
urinary tract infection,
pneumonia,
skin infections,
sinus infection,
weakness,
nosebleed,
decreased appetite,
dehydration,
dizziness, and
headache.

Of course, my inability to sleep could be coming from my enlarged prostate and a PSA count that was twice what it was last year and over the recommended amount and the reason why I am going to a Urologist to see if I have prostate cancer next week.

In addition to my IMBRUVICA, I am receiving a monthly infusion of OPDIVO to control my Metastatic Melanoma which in a matter of 41/2 years went from my foot to my groin to my neck; although, when it was removed from my neck, the Melanoma was DEAD thanks to the radiation treatments I had along with the OPDIVO infusions; apparently, when OPDIVO is combined with radiation, the radiation super-charges the OPDIVO to fight the Melanoma...   lucky me...

Common side effects of Opdivo include:

• fatigue
• rash
• itching
• cough
• upper respiratory tract infection
• swelling of the extremities
• shortness of breath
• muscle pain
• decreased appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• constipation
• diarrhea
• weakness
• swelling
• fever
• abdominal pain
• chest pain
• joint pain
• weight loss
• irregular heartbeat
• eye inflammation
• infusion-related reactions
• increased amylase
• increased lipase
• dizziness
• numbness and tingling
• skin peeling
• skin redness and
• psoriasis.

YEAH...  I was pretty frigging amazed when I saw these two lists too...  I have been taking immunotherapy drugs for two years but I have also been taking chemotherapy drugs for 10 years, all of which basically has the same side effects...   

WHILE sleeplessness in not on the list...  WTF...  I experience it once or twice a week like clockwork...