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

My story begins with a move from the Windward to the Leeward side of Oahu. As a result of this move, I selected a primary care physician in my new neighborhood and went for an overdue annual physical. He noticed my PSA was at the top of the normal range for my age and referred me to a Urologist. The Urologist informed me of activities that could cause a spike in the PSA. I refrained from such activities and had my blood drawn again, 48 hours later. The same results were yielded and a biopsy was agreed upon for "peace of mind".

The biopsy result appointment was one week after the procedure. My wife had experienced Breast cancer this year and they called her right away with the results (she is recovering well after a mastectomy). Since my doc hadn't called right away, I figured I was in the clear.

When I went in for the appointment, he told me of the 10 samples taken, the 5 on the left were clear but the 5 on the right were 25% cancerous. I was stunned but tried to listen to what he said. I later was surprised at how much I did retain but he also provided me with a great booklet with explanations, diagrams, and many important links including YANA. He told me of my Gleason score and my PSA results, he was unable to tell my stage until the tests below were competed.

I told him I was concerned because I was scheduled to work in Arizona for the next week and then go to Virginia on vacation the following two weeks. He said that I shouldn't be concerned because I would need to wait at least 6 weeks post biopsy before I was physically ready for any treatment but I also would need to be emotionally and mentally ready for the treatment as well. I was impressed with this approach from a surgeon and went on my trip two days after completing the bone scan, chest X-ray, and CT scan.

When I returned and went for the follow up appointment, he told me the other tests came back indicating no further spread of the cancer. I was obviously more stressed by the wait than I thought because I immediately felt lighter. In hind sight, I should have asked him to share the results with me on the phone if possible.

I have an appointment with a local Radiation Oncologist in two weeks and a decision making appointment with my Urologist the first week of October.

I have coronary artery disease and have four stents in my right coronary artery. I'm on B/P meds, cholesterol meds, and an aspirin a day. When I asked the Urologist what treatments would be of greater risk to me with my heart condition, he told me that most surgeries go well but some have excessive bleeding and that could be an issue for a heart condition such as mine. I find this Urologist to be interested in helping me decide what is right for me, not just what he has to offer. When referring me to a radiologist, I told him I was considering Proton Beam and he told me he would send me to a radiologist who know something of this option. Apparently there are some radiologists in Hawaii who know little of the procedure.

At this point I've been comparing treatment options and weighing out the risks, side affects, etc. The Proton Beam treatment at Loma Linda sounds like a good choice for me. I plan to call them tomorrow morning for more information and to see if I'm eligible for services there.

I'll post more when I've made my decision. I am very grateful for the very useful information on this site and the openness of those who have shared their experiences before me. I'm also grateful for not having a more serious form of cancer. I had a friend who developed pancreatic cancer last year, he was in severe pain and died within two months of diagnosis. I look forward to developing a treatment plan and getting on with my life. I have found that no matter how bad things seem in my life, there are always others who are worse off.

>I have made a decision to have Proton Beam therapy at Loma Linda University Medical Center. I chose proton beam because my research has indicated no significant difference in cure rates for any of the treatment options yet proton beam is the least intrusive with the least amount of side effects.

I chose Loma Linda University Medical Center for the treatment because the were the first to implement this procedure and have been doing it for 17 years. I definitely want experienced people providing which ever treatment. I have also read testimonies and talked to others who have been to LLUMC for proton beam treatment and am impressed with the rave reports about how well they were treated. I have not heard one negative experience from anyone yet.

I go in January for a two day consult and will begin the 10 week treatment process 3 to 8 weeks after that. I have lots of leave saved up on the books so no problem taking time off from work.

My wife is wonderful and provides great support for me. She will go with me for the consult in January and we plan to do a little sight seeing that week as well.

I will update more after the consult.

My wife and I ventured to Loma Linda for the initial consult the week of January 8, 2008. We decided to have some fun while there so we built in some extra time. The consult went well except for a few scheduling glitches. I was supposed to wrap things up on Tuesday and Wednesday but it turned out to be Tuesday and Thursday. No problem though, we just adjusted our play schedule as we had the whole week anyway.

Dr. Jabolla was very thorough and spent about 2 hours with us. He painted the whole picture including what some of the worst case scenarios had been. This was not too disturbing since the worst cases consisted of about 20 to 30 men out of 8000 he has treated. The nurse, Maryellen was very nice and helpful. I met Patti Lee who is the head of the Social Work folks and she was very helpful also. The technicians who set me up for the CT scan and inducted me into the Brotherhood of the Balloon were also helpful and respectful. I'm all set to start treatment and my first session is on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2008. I expect to be there until about the end of April. I have been able to secure a one bedroom apartment three blocks from the hospital and it should be quite comfortable for my stay.

Being from Hawaii, I took chocolate covered macadamia nuts so I could share a little Aloha with those I met with. This is the way here in Hawaii and I enjoy giving to others. All of the staff seemed to enjoy these.

I will report more later after I start the treatment. I wish you all great success and good health.

I have now completed 6 Proton Beam treatments at Loma Linda University Medical Center. So far no side effects what so ever. I'm enjoying my time in Southern California. I have met many wonderful people here, both Hospital Staff and fellow patients. I will update more later.

I am now at Proton treatment # 37 so I thought I would give you folks an update.

I am doing very well. No difference in energy level, only slight pink "sun burn" on the hips. No urinary or any other problems to speak of at this time. I did have a little soreness in my hips for a few weeks but I don't know if it was from the proton beam or all the extra walking I've been doing. At any rate, that is now gone also. I'm scheduled to finish here on 4/22/08 and plan to fly back to Hawaii on 4/24/08 (leaving a little breathing room in case the Gantry has problems).

I would have to say all in all this has been a very positive expereince for me. The staff have all treated me with respect and very professionally. The other patients have been awesome. I've tried to participate in most of the pot luck dinners and haven't missed but one Wednesday night support group. Last night Bob Marckini was here and gave a presentation on Proton BOB.

There were two guys at the meeting last night who had PSA and Gleason scores much higher than mine when they started and are now negligible PSA scores 10 years later. I hope to be reporting similar scores to you folks in the future.

I believe I made the right choice of treatment for me and am thankful for the opportunity.

Well time has passed quickly and it's been 4 months since treatment.

I had my first post treatment PSA last Thursday. The doctor at Loma Linda had said I should expect a 30 to 50% decrease in PSA, it had dropped 70%. Needless to say I'm very pleased with my progress. My PSA when I started treatment was 5.0 and it is currently 1.4. I have to say that I am very grateful for the opportunity to have Proton Beam therapy.

I currently have no side effects from treatment. Also of note, one of my treatment buddies made a point of calling everyone in our group and they had all had good readings.

My next PSA is in three months and I will post more then.

Time passes so quickly, I've just had my second PSA reading since I completed Proton treatment. It decreased 50% of the last reading (from 1.4 to .07), right on track.

I am totally satisfied with the treatment I chose and the results I received. I realize we all have to make our own choices. If anyone wants more information regarding my proton experience, fell free to email me.

Wishing you all low PSAs!

It is now May 23, 2009 and I have completed Proton Beam Therapy over a year ago.

I just had a 3 month PSA with my urologist and it continues to drop. Currently it is 0.05. It is my understanding it takes about 2 years before it settles down to whatever my normal will be.

I'm still very pleased with the choice I made. I wish you all great success and low PSA's.

Aloha All,

I had my last PSA reading two weeks ago and it is now at 0.30. This is a decrease from the last reading so all is going well. I stated that my last reading was 0.05 but it was 0.50. The important thing is that it continues to drop and remain at a low level.

I am continuously grateful for the opportunity to have had proton beam treatment. I have no side effects that interfere with my life. The group that I went through treatment with are having a reunion in April at Loma Linda and I plan to attend. They were a great bunch of guys and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

If any one has questions or would like to talk about my treatment option please feel free to reach me via email.

Aloha Folks,

I went to see the urologist for a 6 month update and my PSA is 0.20. It continues to drop as it should. I noticed in my story that I have been entering the readings incorrectly. I have been listing them as .0 and the number but it should have been . and the number as I have entered in this message.

At any rate, my PSA continues to drop and I am still very pleased with my choice of treatment. No side effects what ever at this point. I wish you all the best of health.

Aloha All!

I just had a six month follow-up with the urologist. Latest PSA is 0.40. That's up a bit from the last one but I'm told the numbers do fluctuate up and down a bit so no worries.

Long term side effects for me are nil. I am very pleased with my decision to have proton beam treatment.

I wish you all good health.

Aloha All,

My most recent PSA results were provided to me on February 17, 2012. It is now at .30 four years after treatment at Loma Linda. I finished treatment in April of 2008 and the guys who were there with me do an annual reunion to reconnect and raise money to donate for proton beam research. I'm unable to go this year as I will be on business in Chicago. I hope to make it next year for our fifth. I continue to have no side effects from the proton beam and am pleased with my treatment choice and the results.

I wish you all good health.

Aloha All,

I had my last PSA in February of this year and it is now .20. April was 5 years since my treatment and I continue to not have any side effects from the proton beam radiation (other than those mentioned early in treatment). Naturally, I'm pleased with my treatment choice decision and the results I've experienced. I wish you all low PSAs.

Larry's e-mail address is: halesl002 AT hawaii.rr.com (replace "AT" with "@") (but this e-mail address may no longer be valid)

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