THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2014 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.

July 2010 - At age 62 my company decided they liked me so much they gave me a one way sabbatical - right laid off. After speaking with my bank guy I found out we could make it money wise so I decided to go ahead and retire. In my industry positions were (and continue to be) very difficult to get, for a 62 year old ? Sure right I had severence and a lay off package that took me to the end of 2010. The problem - health insurance. I was on COBRA with me and the wife, which was very expensive and with limited benefits. So ok fine I go out Social Security at age 63 - April 2011 , my wife is a few years older than I so she can go on Medicare and I find out I qualify for Veterans Health Benefits due to my time served in the USAF. I figure at that time I'll never really need the health benefits unless I get hit by a truck - I've never been one to go to the doctors for things like annual checkups (right dumb!)

July 11, 2011 - I go to the VA to get my ID card. They say we have to give you a check up and draw blood and what not. Well that was not my plan for the day but if I have to I have to.

12 July I was told by wow you have a really high PSA abnormal and have to see you right away. High PSA - Prostate Cancer - PSA 1474. I'm scared started Googling Prostate Cancer (BAD thing to do!) - crap I'm going to DIE! Soon!

14 July - Bone Scan (Nuclear medicine type where inject with radioactive material) on way home, I was called and said cancer has wide spread to bones. Need to get you into treatments urgently.

Sometine between 14 July and 21 July stumbled across YANA. Ok there are guys who started with a higher PSA and are still around. EMailed a few and recieved some responses, ok I can beat this thing these other YANA guys did - so can I

21 July - Urology appointment - Casodex started, Urologist said possibly Zometa so need to get a dental check up. I started taking Calcium and Vit D3 supplements (2 x a day). Doc recommended to be very careful as my bones can break very easily - He also said "This is treatable and surviable"

23 July - Joined Healing Well - Do it - , my first posting - I continue to be very active on Healing Well. the people there are amazing.

28 July - CT Scan, Dental Check up

28 (or 29) July - I was called and let me know CT scan did not show anything. YEAH!!

4 Aug - Meet with Oncology. first Zoladex, administered. next in 3 months (Nov). X-Rays done in preparation for the Radiation Consult. Radiation Consult scheduled for 12 August.

8 August - First Zometa transfusion (next on 6 Sept), met and Physical Therapist.

12 August - Radiation Consult - Radiation Oncologist - X-Rays are normal! No pinining! No Radiation!! (yes there is cancer activity in bones as evidenced by the bone scan - but no damage to bones)

29 August - Oncology Follow up - Was decided and agreed I would stop the Casodex today. If need at a later time can start again. Blood pressure is high (150), Dr McLusky recommended to start checking blood pressure outside of the hospital (as just being there can be affecting the blood pressure)

6 Sept - Blood Work and Zomata Infusion (second). Blood Pressure 150 (high)

4 Oct - Blood Work and Zomata Infusion (third). . Blood Pressure 130 (Normal Range) Blood Work is all good.

31 Oct - Blood Work (to include PSA), Zomata Infusion (fourth), PSA result 46.4! CHEERS!!- Second Zoladex (actually Eligard)

29 Nov - Blood Work, Blood Pressure 146, Zomata Infusion (fifth)

28 Dec - Blood Work, Blood Pressure 146, Zomata Infusion (sixth), requested for 25 Jan - PSA, Vit D, Testosterone

25 Jan 2012: - PSA 77. Up from 31 Oct. I'm disappointed!

Spoke with Oncologist - not a concern as they can see blips. As I have a Zometa appointment for 22 Feb we agree to do the PSA re-test at that time.

Zomata Infusion ( seventh), and Zoladex (Eligard) (third).

22 Feb - Next Zometa (eight) , PSA 99. Sighs. Add Casodex back into the treatments, Next PSA scheduled with next Zometa transfusion

22 Feb 2012 - Zometa transfusion (eight), PSA 99.

Oncologist wants to get Scans before deciding next treatment.

Scheduled Bone Scan - 29 Feb Scheduled Body Scan - 7 March

29 Feb/1 Mar - Bone Scan done - The bone scan shows a lot of improvement from the first done in July 2011 when the PSA was 1474. Add bicalutamide (Casodex) back. I started taking 1 tab daily on 1 March. Now treatment is: Zometa and Eligard + Casodex., Check PSA again on 21 March (my next Zometa date)

7 March CT Scan CT Scan show something in right upper lung. Yup could be cancer.

21 March - PSA of 144 Started on Zytiga and Predisone, thats in addition to the Zometa and Eligard (Lupron) - the Casodex did nothing so drop it.

3 April - Nuclear Medicne PET Scan - It is probably a infection not cancer in the lung! Cheers!

Next appointment is 25 April.

OF INTEREST ...... The only way I know I have Prostate Cancer is because the Doctors tell me so and because of the side effects of the Hormone treatments. Nothing hurts (thankfully!)

After 5 months being on Zytiga and Predisone, along with monthly Zometa for bone health and every 3 month Eligard my PSA is now 27.4.

Side effects - hot flashes and sweats. I've decided not to take any medication for those as I understand any medications would have their own side effects.

Earlier this year after a CAT scan, the doctors saw 'something' in my lungs. After two bronc's it was determined I have TB. Oh great. But as some friends said - TB Great! That can be taken care of with drugs. I've started the TB medication under a process known as DOT - direct obsevational therapy - being a public health person comes out to my house and watchs me take the medication. Its a 6 month medication process.

All in all I feel fine, other than the side effects from the medications.

What is very interesting is the number of new medications and treatments and what is in the pipeline for us Prostate Cancer Warriors.

We will beat this crap!

Since my last update, while on the Zytiga my PSA went to 90 in Dec 2012 We tried to increase the Zytiga doseage to compensate for the TB Meds - now that was interesting in itself. Had my Oncologist, my infectious disease doctor and the VA Deptarment of Health TB folks all involved in determing if indeed the Zytiga and TB Meds interacted with each other. Bottom line they did - hence TB meds and Cancer meds had to be adjusted.

Did the Zytiga itself stop working? Or was it due to the TB Meds that 'weakened' the Zytiga? Really did not make a difference ws time to move on to some other treatment.

In December 2012 we decided it was time to move from the Zytiga to Taxotere. I had my first Taxotere session on 9 Jan 2013, I expect my PSA was actually higher than the 90. I asked my nurse to have the PSA tested as a baseline but did not ask what it was.

Ok Taxotere is commonly called chemo, lot of people (me included) have really bad visions of what chemo can do to a person. Well let me tell you the medical community has made great strides in how they administer 'chemo', my sessions include a a number of drugs to make the 'chemo' as easy on my body as possible. I'm really happy to report after the first session all I had as a SE was some fatigue the next day.

Other SE which started 14 days after the session - my hair is falling out. A really small price to pay to crush this prostate cancer which invaded my body.

I'll do 8 to 10 sessions - 3 weeks apart.

Bud's e-mail address is: fdoherty AT cox.net (replace "AT" with "@")

NOTE: Bud has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.