The Long Hot (Flash) Summer

Not much sun, but the heat comes in the middle of the night

Three weeks after my Lupron shot I don’t feel much different than I did before. There is one notable exception – the dreaded hot flash.

During the day I keep pretty busy writing, building, pouring concrete, cutting weeds, and other manly activities with nary a flash of hot. That’s good. But once I go to sleep I can count on at least one and usually two bouts with heat and sweat during the night. Worse yet, it wakes me up-so I get up, change my jammies, go to the bathroom, turn my pillow over to the dry side, and try to get back to sleep. I usually succeed.

None of these bouts lasts more than a few minutes and they’re certainly not unbearable. My wife just smiles and says, “See, I told you what they were like”. Mostly it’s an annoyance and results in a lot of extra laundry the next day.

I’m sure many of you have more and worse side effects so this will be my last time complaining about this particular one. Probably. But if I should ever have a new one...

axman

The Next Step – Lupron

With a shot in my backside I was launched into a new phase of prostate cancer treatment...

I knew this day would come sooner or later (I’d prefer later‑‑given a choice). My substitute oncologist (Dr. G) recommended a change in medication because my PSA has gone up significantly every three months for almost a year on the old hormone meds. Lupron was her drug of choice. It’s stronger than the hormones I’ve been taking and is supposed to lower my PSA in a short time (stay tuned for my October PSA test). I know many thousands are already using Lupron, so let me know what your experiences have been.

The shot is good for three months so I don’t have to take so many pills—that’s a plus. But the side effects may be a little stronger and stranger. I can expect hot flashes, some bone pain, headaches, depression, and maybe weight gain (I can probably fight those last two). On the inside my bones will likely lose mass. So I’ll take more calcium, more D3, spend time in the sun, and get lots of exercise. Fatigue in another side effect but I’m already tired so may not even notice.

I intend to let the summer unfold, bask in the sun, keep busy building more rooms onto the house, and continue doing all the things on my Bucket List.

axman