First Xtandi PSA – 38.10
24 April 2015 | Providence Cancer Center - Portland Eastside
Mark
First Xtandi PSA - 38.10
The PSA from a blood draw on Friday, 4/24 was 38.10. This was about 10 1/2 weeks from my final Chemo infusion, and represented a 73% bump from previous (4/9/15). It's now Memorial Day, Monday, 5/25/2015 as I type this post.
Once again, I've gone way too long without a post - my apologies! For quite awhile, my general pain level has been holding at "Not So Good", mostly in my legs. I began my new treatment, a daily oral drug, Xtandi four ½ weeks ago. Thus far, I don't know that it's had any effect on either the progression of cancer, or my pain. For the treatment of pain, I have Oxycodone (10 mg) and Morphine (15 mg). While I'm permitted to take either every four hours, they make me a little woozy, with distress of the lower tract; and providing little relieve. So I don't take them nearly that often. Also, about a month ago, I was radiated for pain treatment on both shins. No joy.
In two weeks, I'll get another PSA number and see my general oncologist.
A BIT OF HISTORY:
As you may know Debbie & I flew to Florida in late March to visit Carl & Trisha, her brother & sister-in-law and my old sailing buddy, John "The Boss" Haste". Even as we walked through the Portland Airport, my legs began to hurt. Once in Florida, the pain increased over time. I felt it walking very short distances, standing and even sitting. Frankly, at that time, lying down wasn't that good either, as it made my feet & shins feel as though they were in an ice chest. Strangely, my best position was the driver's seat of our POS econobox rental. I found I could drive the Ford Fiesta all day in relative comfort! Debbie & I both had middle seats on the plane from Dallas to Portland - I didn't like that!
We returned home on 8 May, and since then I feel pretty good while lying down, so I lie down a lot. In fact, I'm almost always either in bed or on the couch. I leave the house exclusively for medical appointments. My left leg is worse, so operating a clutch is out. Our pickup is an automatic, but don't really trust my right leg with the brakes, so Debbie drives.
LOOKING FORWARD:
As mentioned earlier, the "miracle drug du jour" is Xtandi. It otta' work, as it costs $8,500 per month! Fortunately, my insurance covers it without co-pay or deductible. We were hoping it would start working immediately. After all, two years ago Zytiga kicked in within about a week - and it's only $6,000 per month! Now at 4 ½ weeks I notice nothing from Xtandi. It's too early to be disappointed, as this drug often does nothing for 6-8 weeks. And, who knows? It could be fighting the cancer even now; regrettably without addressing the pain. The results of the next PSA may answer that question.
So, it's wait & see. We might have to start over with yet another miracle drug. Or, the docs might start concentrating on addressing the pain. In the meantime, I'll address the pain:
THE PAIN
Two years ago, severe pain coursed through my body from toes to hair. It was barely relieved with 4-hour doses of Vicodin. I was in bed, hurting a lot! This time, with rare exception, the pain is in my legs - mostly from the knees down - and mostly the left leg. If I'm lying down, I can get rather comfortable. If not, I'm hurting. Standing hurts. Sitting hurts. Walking hurts, a lot. Both shins hurt immediately. After a few steps, it feels as though I've twisted my left knee. And, there's muscle pain in both thighs. Before long, the right knee also feels twisted, while the left knee feels severely injured. The same occurs when I sit for fifteen minutes or more. The longer I "abuse" my legs, the longer the pain lasts - several hours or more. That's about it for now...
Oh yeah, my hair's coming back: I can't complain about that!
LOCAL NOTE:
Since I've been home, I've discouraged visits from well wishing friends. I believed I'd be "Tip Top" in days, so there was no reason to entertain guests while flat on my back.
I'm now comfortable enough on the couch that I don't mind people coming by for an hour or so. I only ask that you call first and DON'T BRING ANY FOOD!