Jack
Assainte and Rita live in New Jersey, USA. He was 77 when he was diagnosed in
June 2009. His initial PSA was 800 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 9 and he does
not know what he was staged . His choice of treatment was ADT (Androgen Deprivation
Therapy) Degarelix. Here is his story.
I had had a PSA just a few years
ago of about 10 and rising. My doctor at the time suggested Lupron, which I declined.
He suggested I see a urologist, which I decided not to do, primarily because I
didn't feel any symptoms. I went to an internist and I began intravenous Vitamin
C. I previously had taken Vitamin C drips, followed by chelation therapy, so at
that point my veins shut down and I could no longer take the drips.
My
internist recommended a PSA test, which showed 800. I went to a urologist who
had me on Degarelix, which I followed for 16 monthly shots. This brought my PSA
down to 0.5 and my testosterone to 5. I was still working with my internist, who
is an integrative medicine doctor and we toyed around with the idea of my taking
testosterone. My urologist assured me that my testosterone would go up and now,
about 4 months after my Degarelix shots it has gone up to 26.
I have plenty
of energy. However, I'd like to take something to give my testosterone a little
boost. I haven't mentioned it yet to my doctors, but I'm thinking of DHEA, which
converts to testosterone and estrogen.
I didn't have a libido before my
treatments and I certainly don't have one now. I still have hot flashes about
3 or 4 times a day. I get up about 3-4 times a night. Fortunately, I can nap in
the daytime. I exercise half an hour twice a day. However, because my back problems
have worsened over the years I can't jog the way I did when I ran marathons until
age 70. I am a welcome customer at the Vitamin Shoppe.
Jack's e-mail address
is: Ritandjack@gmail.com
