Update: Got the Xtandi and have started taking that. 1 year prescription. It arrived inside a bright yellow plastic bag emblazoned with a bio-hazard symbol and the notice "danger - chemotherapy drug handle with gloves only". 4 pills once a day.
So far the side effects have been minimal, thank dog. A bit of diarrhea, some difficulty sleeping and a kind-of skanky feeling in my guts. The cost is $10,000USD a month. I applied for and received a grant to cover my copay which is $2600USD the first month and $600USD every month until the end of this year when we start all over again...maybe. Depends on the Radiation Oncologist and the results of any further radiation treatments I may get.
I immediately gained 7 pounds within 2 weeks when I started Eligard ($4700 for 6 month injection) and my cholesterol has gone up to 218 from 98. Testosterone is less than 2.5 ng/dL, PSA is .13.
Other than that I remain healthy, though I am in for a complete physical exam later this week. Am continuing my daily 7 mile runs with my lovely lady Labrador, weight training, Taekwondo and yoga. Hopefully this practice will continue to reinforce the chemotherapy.
A new word that I have taught to my doctors: "oligometastatic". The cancer has metastasized, but there are less than 5 mets. Oligometastatic patients may still be curable. My mets are in 2 pelvic lymph nodes. Closeby mets are different than distant mets and may be more amenable to further treatment. We shall see.![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
So far the side effects have been minimal, thank dog. A bit of diarrhea, some difficulty sleeping and a kind-of skanky feeling in my guts. The cost is $10,000USD a month. I applied for and received a grant to cover my copay which is $2600USD the first month and $600USD every month until the end of this year when we start all over again...maybe. Depends on the Radiation Oncologist and the results of any further radiation treatments I may get.
I immediately gained 7 pounds within 2 weeks when I started Eligard ($4700 for 6 month injection) and my cholesterol has gone up to 218 from 98. Testosterone is less than 2.5 ng/dL, PSA is .13.
Other than that I remain healthy, though I am in for a complete physical exam later this week. Am continuing my daily 7 mile runs with my lovely lady Labrador, weight training, Taekwondo and yoga. Hopefully this practice will continue to reinforce the chemotherapy.
A new word that I have taught to my doctors: "oligometastatic". The cancer has metastasized, but there are less than 5 mets. Oligometastatic patients may still be curable. My mets are in 2 pelvic lymph nodes. Closeby mets are different than distant mets and may be more amenable to further treatment. We shall see.