A Brief History of 2014

1-I'm Still Alive! Is that brief enough?
2-My prostate is still gone (since 2003) and is unlikely to grow back.
3-My PSA is remaining low--my medications seem to be working. For the cost, I should be cured.
4-Hormone therapy side effects are still alive and well and help bring out my 'feminine' side.
This part of the update has been about the same for a few years now.

2014 additions and challenges...
1-I discovered a new side effect in February. It's called Radiation Induced Bladder Cystitis. Nine years after radiation therapy no less. It is not easily treatable so many of us who had radiation before or after prostate cancer treatment are now living with bleeding and clotting in our bladder. Annoying but not life threatening.
2-A pesky mole on my back turned out to be cancerous-a
Melanoma. The surgeon got it all, put in 33 stitches and that was that...except for some other moles that will also need to be biopsied.
3-With each passing year I get slower, forget more, and spend more time getting injected, inspected, bled, scanned, and being told that, "You're doing pretty good for someone your age."

Conclusion
Life is good and I intend to make the most of it.
Enjoy

axman

Movember Results and other Tidbits

Movember is over for 2014, after raising another $70 million worldwide. Pretty good. Movember makes fundraising and giving almost fun. Tens of thousands of men all over the world grow, or try to grow, a mustache for the month of November. It has worked. Hopefully all that money will improve and expand prostate cancer research, support, and educational programs.

I joined the fray, donated, and didn't shave or trim for more than a month. Unfortunately, I didn't look much scruffier at the end than at the beginning. Maybe I'll let it grow for another year and see if it looks better then.

Private donations for cancer research, such as the Movember program, seem to be on the rise (that's good) as  public funds diminish (not so good). Add to that low participation in cancer clinical trials, the slow process of clinical trials, and the high cost of medications of the successful meds, and you have  a mixed result. At best, two steps forward and one step backward. Sometimes it seems more like one step forward and two steps backward.

More men with prostate cancer are surviving longer with a better quality of life--I'm one of them. That's a direct result of research, clinical trials, and good medical choices. I'd still like to see a cure. Maybe more of us should grow a mustache next Movember.

axman