Bill Curry's Profile Page

Biography

At my annual physical in Feb 2007, my doctor found evidence I should have a prostate biopsy, and, a month later, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The surgeon told me I’d have an 80 per cent chance of cure (no recurrence) so I proceeded with a radical retropubic prostatectomy that September. Like so many of us, I thought I’d have my surgery, heal and get on with life. It wasn’t to be: Two (of 13) lymph nodes harvested at surgery each proved to have a small tumor, so I’m Stage 4. I had 30 months of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (Lupron), which suppressed my testosterone to “castrate” levels—don’t you just love the words they come up with? Hormone therapy was crazy: I was a pre-pubescent boy with the hot flashes of a menopausal woman. And general chemo-brain.

But nine months after ADT, my PSA was back. You can argue whether PSA is a good diagnostic tool, but after a prostatectomy you should have 0.00 prostate-specific antigen. So the presence of PSA in me means cancer’s still in me. Slowly, my PSA crept upward, to a point where I wanted to do something about it. I had salvage radiation (36 treatments) to the pelvis, combined with a brief round of androgen deprivation therapy (Lupron and Casodex). I’m now in full wait-and-see mode with quarterly PSA tests.

Cancer Symptoms

Elevated PSA and palpable digital rectal exam

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects

Open radical retropubic prostatectomy, Sept. 11, 2007. Erectile dysfunction, a bit of incontinence. Because of pre-surgery indications of capsular penetration, my right neurovascular bundle was removed so—ta-da!—erection malfunction…and then at pathology, the capsule proved to be intact.

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

Hormone Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

Nine Lupron injections—one every three months, ending Oct 2009. Emotional lability (i.e., mood swings), reduced mental acuity (a/k/a chemo-brain) and high-temperature hot flashes. And my constant companion: fatigue. Second round of Lupron to accompany radiation. Two, three-month shots, which should start washing out in January. Same wonderful side effects!

Clinical Trials

Pre-surgery Nexavar investigation for possible impact on prostate cancer

Comments:

Hey, maybe I should jet up there and set up a stand on the road with dry shovels from Md? Here, if they predict 1”, the people go crazy and buy up all the bread, milk and toilet paper. Uck…
I left a longer, private message for Blair and Kathy. It’s so sad and scary since we can all picture ourselves in their place.
Hope you are well and happy.
xoxo

Posted on January 19, 2012 at 8:36:11 AM by Debbie

Cancer is always horrible, but it seems esp bad to me when it hits people so fast. We need time to come to grips with our new reality, and people in that situation (like my sister) don’t get that “luxury” (kind of hesitate to use that word, given we aren’t talking about a high-end vacation here!). Snowed in here as well, drinking hot cocoa and playing Clue. Our street is the designated sledding area for the neighborhood which is driving my dog insane. But overall, not too bad!

Posted on January 18, 2012 at 4:16:21 PM by Ann

CHanging venues…I’m sure the rest of the gang is tired of this exchange! I should have put San Antonio Texas – there is a tiny town in New Mexico by the same name, and it’s the home town of Conrad Hilton, whose father ran a boarding house there. The gigantic bar counter from the boarding house is in the Owl Bar, frequented by the guys who were setting up the Trinity bomb experiment. so much weird history out here…

Off to dinner!

Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:18:04 PM by Private User

thanks, I have a potty mouth so I don’t think that will be a problem. LOL

Posted on November 17, 2011 at 6:15:01 AM by Laurie