Recovery After Treatment
Share your tips, tricks, questions and progress about recovery after treatment for prostate cancer. Have you tried Kegels? Diet changes? Other exercise? Let us know below!
Hello all, I have a question! Has anyone that has had stage4 advanced prostate cancer for many years. 13 1/2 years for me, had their PSA go to 0 for a year? Mine went to my lymph nodes and then to my bones ( base of my skull ). After radiation to my skull and a follow-up with true beam radiation. It started dropping and went to 0 and. Has stayed there for a year. I also had a clean bonescan. My doctor said that he has never seen that before. At the clinic they are calling it a miracle. I of course know that it is possible that some cancer cells may come back. Will continue to watch it for the rest of my life. Thanks Sam
Hi Sam Collins, I was at stage 4 prostate cancer Gleason scale 10 for 3 and 1/2 years. The absolute lowest they got my PSA down to was 3 for short time. I've also had a number of radiation treatments too. I was on a regular chemo drug for a while then they took me off of it it put me on hormone pills. That lasted about 7 months the PSA started to rise again. my doctor tells me my cancer is very aggressive. So I've been through five different chemotherapies and now I'm on my 6th. And out of 11 doses my PSA went from 1200 down too 162. and I'm still kicking around. I don't let it beat me up anymore I laugh along with everybody have a great time at life the best thing you could do is just have a good attitude. Attitude is always the best. And as I said to other people with prostate cancer never give up, never give in. We will beat this together. Stay strong Sam.
Chuck moderator
Hi Sam ... That is really great news and I hope it continues. Any more prostate cancer is becoming more of a treatable condition vs. what it was just a few years ago .
I sit on a consumer review group for the Dept of Defense and its funding of over $100 million in grants for advanced prostate cancer research. All I can say is that it is amazing to see the resources that are at work in trying to cure this disease. Dennis (prostatcancer.net) moderator
So many changes in my life following my initial diagnosis, surgery and then later radiation. The first big change was to really pay attention to what I was putting in my body as far as food was concerned. To date I have almost eliminated beef, cut back on items that contain sugar and focused on a eating patterns base on the Mediterranean diet.
A few things happened with the diet change. First I feel better knowing that while I can not control cancer -- I can control what I am consuming. So it's a feeling of empowerment and something positive I can focus on. While I understand that the jury is apparently still out out on cancer and the effects of diet I figure why not put the odds on my side and on my plate in this battle.
I continue to do Kegel exercises following surgery and also after my 40 radiation treatments. A few weeks ago urologist came in to speak with our group about sling surgery to help men who are experiencing some leakage. He said he had noticed that most men who underwent radiation had weak muscles and eventually had issues with urine control. He suggested that the continued use of Kegel exercises was quite helpful and was the first step to consider.
While I can not predict the future so far doing so appears to have given me good control and I only experience the occasional drop that is easily contained without the use of any pads ... Dennis (prostatecancer.net) moderator
The best thing I did for my recovery after surgery was I went to a physical therapist who specialized in pelvic floor therapy. She was awesome, two sessions and no incontinence.
I wish I had your level of success with physical therapists,
. Incontinence is still an issue for me after two-and-a-half years and two different PTs. It's not lifestyle altering, but still something I have to be mindful of everyday. I am currently doing a new series of exercises that seem to be making a difference.
