Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Conditioning and testosterone
Hi, Tracy.
It has been months since I've posted to this blog. I'm doing so now after reflecting on my conditioning. Before I was treated for prostate cancer I was pretty fit. My weight wasn't quite where I wanted it, as I recall, but my stamina was fairly good. When I made my last failed run at Mount Adams, I was packing 50 pounds. I'm not sure I can do that now. Yes, I'm older, but I'm persuading myself that I should be able to get into condition. However, there are some things I've discovered:
Weight gain: I think the impact on my schedule from daily radiation treatment made me less active. Along with that was the impact the radiation had on my body. I experienced significant loss of energy and corresponding weight gain. And the Lupron shots and Bicalutamide that blocked my testosterone seem to have contributed to that gain.
Weight loss: After the testosterone blockers wore off, I have it hard to take off the weight I gained. Part of the difficulty is the belief that I can always take off weight, because I took off 35 pounds over five months about 12 years ago. So I can always get serious tomorrow. But I have gotten serious, and it still seems quite difficult. I think the radiation affected more than my prostate gland, and that I'm producing less testosterone now. I'm kinda fat. I took a photo of myself lately, and this picture here shows what I look like on a good day. People say I look fine, but when I get out of the shower, there's just too much tummy. This shows me at 200 pounds (bathroom scale--207 at 24 Hour Fitnesses' rather clunky scale). I managed to creep up to 210 recently, but then pulled myself down to 200. My top weight was back in 2004, when I weighed about 220. The incentive to lose then was when I realized I was within 5 pounds of obesity.
Swimming: I have been swimming at the gym and worked my way up from pathetic to 1/2 km at a time. My styling is improving (you'll recall I was on my high school swim team) and my speed as well, and I feel good about that. However, I can't sink! I used to be able to let all the air out of my lungs and sink to the bottom. I could actually identify the point where the last mouthful of air allowed me to submerge. And I could hold my breath for a long time under water. Now I have little capacity for holding my breath a long time, and I just bob to the surface. It's a fight to stay under water. Fat has displaced muscle. Big time.
Upper body strength: I started doing pushups, and worked up to 150 a day in repetitions of 15. This was hard to sustain. It seemed that my arms would get only so strong, but no stronger, and that I was wearing myself out doing this. 15 pushups at a time is all I've build up to, and that's hard to do.
There was a time when I could push off the floor, clap my hands, slap my chest, and have my hands back in position to keep me from smacking my face on the way down. I don't see that happening again any time soon. What I do see, from time to time, is a big fat belly and some emerging muffin tops.
While I don't expect to be in the same shape I was in in my mid-20's, I would like to see improvement in my upper body strength in terms of strength and speed, but it's slow going.
Hiking: This is my strong suit, but nothing to write home about. I hike regularly, but I'm definitely not where I was. I sometimes hike was a group led by a man 10 years older than I (83) and he's hard to keep up with. Roger Matthews and I are talking about climbing Mount Adams next summer. I know people my age do that, and I am continuing to train for that possibility.
I am going to monitor my progress and speak with my physician in the near future. Next month it's time for another blood draw to measure my PSA. I'm optimistic that it is staying within normal range.
Love,
Dad
It has been months since I've posted to this blog. I'm doing so now after reflecting on my conditioning. Before I was treated for prostate cancer I was pretty fit. My weight wasn't quite where I wanted it, as I recall, but my stamina was fairly good. When I made my last failed run at Mount Adams, I was packing 50 pounds. I'm not sure I can do that now. Yes, I'm older, but I'm persuading myself that I should be able to get into condition. However, there are some things I've discovered:
Weight loss: After the testosterone blockers wore off, I have it hard to take off the weight I gained. Part of the difficulty is the belief that I can always take off weight, because I took off 35 pounds over five months about 12 years ago. So I can always get serious tomorrow. But I have gotten serious, and it still seems quite difficult. I think the radiation affected more than my prostate gland, and that I'm producing less testosterone now. I'm kinda fat. I took a photo of myself lately, and this picture here shows what I look like on a good day. People say I look fine, but when I get out of the shower, there's just too much tummy. This shows me at 200 pounds (bathroom scale--207 at 24 Hour Fitnesses' rather clunky scale). I managed to creep up to 210 recently, but then pulled myself down to 200. My top weight was back in 2004, when I weighed about 220. The incentive to lose then was when I realized I was within 5 pounds of obesity.
Swimming: I have been swimming at the gym and worked my way up from pathetic to 1/2 km at a time. My styling is improving (you'll recall I was on my high school swim team) and my speed as well, and I feel good about that. However, I can't sink! I used to be able to let all the air out of my lungs and sink to the bottom. I could actually identify the point where the last mouthful of air allowed me to submerge. And I could hold my breath for a long time under water. Now I have little capacity for holding my breath a long time, and I just bob to the surface. It's a fight to stay under water. Fat has displaced muscle. Big time.
Upper body strength: I started doing pushups, and worked up to 150 a day in repetitions of 15. This was hard to sustain. It seemed that my arms would get only so strong, but no stronger, and that I was wearing myself out doing this. 15 pushups at a time is all I've build up to, and that's hard to do.
There was a time when I could push off the floor, clap my hands, slap my chest, and have my hands back in position to keep me from smacking my face on the way down. I don't see that happening again any time soon. What I do see, from time to time, is a big fat belly and some emerging muffin tops.
While I don't expect to be in the same shape I was in in my mid-20's, I would like to see improvement in my upper body strength in terms of strength and speed, but it's slow going.
Hiking: This is my strong suit, but nothing to write home about. I hike regularly, but I'm definitely not where I was. I sometimes hike was a group led by a man 10 years older than I (83) and he's hard to keep up with. Roger Matthews and I are talking about climbing Mount Adams next summer. I know people my age do that, and I am continuing to train for that possibility.
I am going to monitor my progress and speak with my physician in the near future. Next month it's time for another blood draw to measure my PSA. I'm optimistic that it is staying within normal range.
Love,
Dad
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Another UTI
Sept. 9, 2018
Hi, Tracy.
Thought I was done with UTIs, but at this writing I'm struggling to beat one back without resorting to a visit to urgent care. Symptoms of mild pain and frequency were showing up and I wondered whether I was on the verge, and then I went for a hike yesterday and on one occasion had an accident.Today I was passing small amounts of blood, including tiny clots. So I am forcing liquids with the idea that I can flush out the problem. If that doesn't work, it will be back to urgent care.
But I've beaten one in the past with sufficent hydration, so I'm going to try that again.
We'll see.
Love,
Dad
Hi, Tracy.
Thought I was done with UTIs, but at this writing I'm struggling to beat one back without resorting to a visit to urgent care. Symptoms of mild pain and frequency were showing up and I wondered whether I was on the verge, and then I went for a hike yesterday and on one occasion had an accident.Today I was passing small amounts of blood, including tiny clots. So I am forcing liquids with the idea that I can flush out the problem. If that doesn't work, it will be back to urgent care.
But I've beaten one in the past with sufficent hydration, so I'm going to try that again.
We'll see.
Love,
Dad
PS:
Sept. 10: Drank oodles of tea yesterday, and pain and color is now gone this morning. I will keep hydrating.Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Blood pressure Aug 13, 2018
August 13, 2018
Hi, Tracy.
Had my annual physical today. Check out the blood pressure chart:
For years I was 120 over 68. Then it bumped up a bit at times. Now it's the best it's ever been.
My pulse was 58, but I was sitting up in an exam room. I'm adding this on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m.: I just laid down on the bed and took my resting pulse. It's between 46 and 48 bpm.
Love,
Dad
P.S. On Aug. 23 I had a return visit. My blood pressure was 138/76 and my pulse was 55.
Hi, Tracy.
Had my annual physical today. Check out the blood pressure chart:
For years I was 120 over 68. Then it bumped up a bit at times. Now it's the best it's ever been.
My pulse was 58, but I was sitting up in an exam room. I'm adding this on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m.: I just laid down on the bed and took my resting pulse. It's between 46 and 48 bpm.
Love,
Dad
P.S. On Aug. 23 I had a return visit. My blood pressure was 138/76 and my pulse was 55.
Friday, July 27, 2018
PSA test, July 26, 2018
July 26, 2018
Hi, Tracy.
Thanks for the birthday call today, and for the inquiry as to what I wanted for my birthday. You were too late, although I didn't know it. I had my blood draw earlier, and it turns out that my present was already delivered: a PSA score of 1. More precisely, it is 1.00 ng/mL, while the standard is 0.0 - 4.0 ng/mL. Last March the score was 0.520 ng/mL.
Here a thumbnail of the score in the last couple years:
Component Value Date
PSA 1.00 07/26/2018
PSA 0.520 03/01/2018
PSA 0.400 11/02/2017
PSA LESS THAN 0.02 04/25/2017
PSA 19 05/09/2016
PSA 16 02/17/2016
PSA 12 09/02/2015
PSA 10 02/23/2015
I haven't talked to my oncologist yet, but I am confident that this rate is good. The numbers are gradually climbing to the norm at what I believe is a respectable pace. No discernible worries.
Update: Oncologist has scheduled my next blood draw for October.
Love,
Dad
Hi, Tracy.
Thanks for the birthday call today, and for the inquiry as to what I wanted for my birthday. You were too late, although I didn't know it. I had my blood draw earlier, and it turns out that my present was already delivered: a PSA score of 1. More precisely, it is 1.00 ng/mL, while the standard is 0.0 - 4.0 ng/mL. Last March the score was 0.520 ng/mL.
Here a thumbnail of the score in the last couple years:
Component Value Date
PSA 1.00 07/26/2018
PSA 0.520 03/01/2018
PSA 0.400 11/02/2017
PSA LESS THAN 0.02 04/25/2017
PSA 19 05/09/2016
PSA 16 02/17/2016
PSA 12 09/02/2015
PSA 10 02/23/2015
I haven't talked to my oncologist yet, but I am confident that this rate is good. The numbers are gradually climbing to the norm at what I believe is a respectable pace. No discernible worries.
Update: Oncologist has scheduled my next blood draw for October.
Love,
Dad
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Another Pesky UTI
May 15, 2018
Hi, Tracy.
Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . another pesky UTI. I've been back only a few days from my road trip, and today I felt that tingling that told me something was possibly happening. Then I had to visit the bathroom several times and it became increasingly obvious that that old aggravation was returning. I dropped an AZO pill to keep the discomfort down; that's the pill that produces that really rich yellow color like the freshest and richest of egg yolks. After a while that yellowing effect occurred, but then the color got richer with a healthy infusion of red. No question now.
I've been drinking lots of water and reading up on UTIs. One question I had is whether they can go away on their own. In rare instances they can. You can help this along by forcing water, which tends to reduce the ph of the urine; the closer it is to neutral, the better, according to one source. There are also the nostrums about what to drink to bring it under control, and some of the suggestions are way out. Cranberry juice is a familiar story, but today was the first time I read that you can add a teaspoon of urine to the water you're drinking and it may help.
No thank you.
One time at urgent care I passed a lot of bright red lemonade, and then the urine suddenly ran clear again. The medical staff prescribed antibiotics. My method this time is to see whether it will run its course and stop generating blood. I'm not burdened with incontinence, and the urge to pee hasn't been uncontrollable, so I'm going to treat this as a learning session. I'll eventually contact my urologist, but not until I've seen the progress of this latest aggravation.
I slept through the night, awakening occasionally to pee, but never with great urgency. I experienced no incontinence. By morning the ASO was out of my system and the urine was clear. Not sure whether all the bacteria are gone from my system, but the symptoms are all gone.
Love,
Dad
Hi, Tracy.
Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . another pesky UTI. I've been back only a few days from my road trip, and today I felt that tingling that told me something was possibly happening. Then I had to visit the bathroom several times and it became increasingly obvious that that old aggravation was returning. I dropped an AZO pill to keep the discomfort down; that's the pill that produces that really rich yellow color like the freshest and richest of egg yolks. After a while that yellowing effect occurred, but then the color got richer with a healthy infusion of red. No question now.
I've been drinking lots of water and reading up on UTIs. One question I had is whether they can go away on their own. In rare instances they can. You can help this along by forcing water, which tends to reduce the ph of the urine; the closer it is to neutral, the better, according to one source. There are also the nostrums about what to drink to bring it under control, and some of the suggestions are way out. Cranberry juice is a familiar story, but today was the first time I read that you can add a teaspoon of urine to the water you're drinking and it may help.
No thank you.
One time at urgent care I passed a lot of bright red lemonade, and then the urine suddenly ran clear again. The medical staff prescribed antibiotics. My method this time is to see whether it will run its course and stop generating blood. I'm not burdened with incontinence, and the urge to pee hasn't been uncontrollable, so I'm going to treat this as a learning session. I'll eventually contact my urologist, but not until I've seen the progress of this latest aggravation.
May 15, 2018: Postscript
Love,
Dad
Thursday, March 1, 2018
PSA, Testosteron Levels
March 1, 2018
Hi, Tracy. I had my blood draw today, as part of the on-going process to monitor my prostate following radiation and hormone reduction therapy. Here are the results:
P.S. Msg from Dr. on March 2:
Your PSA is as follows:
Lab Results
Component Value Date
PSA 0.520 03/01/2018
PSA 0.400 11/02/2017
PSA LESS THAN 0.02 04/25/2017
PSA 25.0 09/13/2016
PSA 19 05/09/2016
PSA 16 02/17/2016
PSA 12 09/02/2015
PSA 10 02/23/2015
We should repeat it in 4 months to see if it remains stable or continues to increase. I will place an order for July 2018.
Hi, Tracy. I had my blood draw today, as part of the on-going process to monitor my prostate following radiation and hormone reduction therapy. Here are the results:
Testosterone:
My value: 295 ng/dL Standard range: 170 - 800 ng/dLPSA (Prostate specific antigen):
My value: 0.520 ng/mL Standard range: 0.0 - 4.0 ng/mL
In September 2016, my PSA score was 25. In November 2017, seven months after radiation ended, it was 0.4. So the score is recovering toward the normal range, but slowly. I take this as a very positive sign that this will have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Love,
Dad
P.S. Msg from Dr. on March 2:
Your PSA is as follows:
Lab Results
Component Value Date
PSA 0.520 03/01/2018
PSA 0.400 11/02/2017
PSA LESS THAN 0.02 04/25/2017
PSA 25.0 09/13/2016
PSA 19 05/09/2016
PSA 16 02/17/2016
PSA 12 09/02/2015
PSA 10 02/23/2015
We should repeat it in 4 months to see if it remains stable or continues to increase. I will place an order for July 2018.
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