tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66757147726164279182024-03-06T12:01:55.206-08:00Getting HealedNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-88886330831818644982009-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:002009-05-02T12:22:10.276-07:00Which Do You Want to Hear First? (You Decide!)<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad News</span>: because of my increasing baseline bone pain (see <a href="http://nickshealth.blogspot.com/2009/05/pain-management-merry-go-round.html">previous post</a>), I've had to postpone my ultrasound home therapy, since it creates an inflammation response that is even more painful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good News</span>: If I can get a prescription for either prednisone or dexamethasone (steroids), I can continue the ultrasound therapy, since these will suppress the inflammatory response without suppressing the cancer-killing activity of the ultrasound (this is how the therapy is carried out at the Dove Clinic in the UK for people, like me, with a heavy tumor load).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad News: </span>Although my oncologist had previously recommended prednisone for me for unrelated reasons, I thought I would be able to get a prescription from her -- but now she no longer wants me to be on prednisone.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good News: </span>As a replacement for the prednisone she was going to recommend, my oncologist wants me to start on ProVenge, an anti-prostate cancer vaccine that's new and has had some success. (I received a personalized version of this vaccine when I was treated in Germany in 2007 and got a complete remission for eight months.)<br /><br />Being a basically cheerful person, I will end with the good news! ;-)<br /></span></span><br>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-35619230247118706032009-05-02T12:01:00.000-07:002009-05-02T12:09:05.151-07:00Pain Management Merry-Go-Round<br>(WARNING: TMI alert for this post!)<br /><br />Thanks to all of you that sent notes, calls, and well-wishes this week. Sorry I haven't been able to get back to you and thank you properly, as I've been caught up in a pain cycle I wish I could get out of.<br /><br />I have a couple of good hours a day (like right now), and then my bone pain starts up again. I have a variety of escalating remedies I can take for it, but I always end up (unfortunately) with vicodin. Even with that I am still sometimes crazy with pain at night.<br /><br />The vicodin makes me really constipated...and the bone metastases also make me really constipated, since they dissolve bone material into my bloodstream. Together, both processes make me painfully constipated, which just adds to the cycle.<br /><br />Two days ago I felt good enough to take a long walk...but I started feeling a dull ache near my perineum, and have had blood in my urine ever since. I have a call in to the doctor to see if there's any immediate action I should take. (I hate wasting the perfectly good blood transfusion that I got just last Saturday!)<br /><br />Once I'm able to decrease the pain, I'll be able to evaluate whether this dear old body will be stable enough to move into an apartment on my own. For the past few days I haven't been very sure about this.<br /><br>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-34136071513626078492009-04-27T10:17:00.000-07:002009-04-27T10:29:55.822-07:00Ow, This Thing Really Works!!<br><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bRpKKRbipegMrRbimSvOLGJMjvKTd0qmVs2oOYJnB0nhCLuFvUwm2emMDJCcF6vWvnwqEMtei0pH5lMCrrPPy7Jgzr00EQAQMnbblX-_IbjW-uao_K7mmNK1dIVzxWyFlwvTE4p708mX/s1600-h/ultrasound.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bRpKKRbipegMrRbimSvOLGJMjvKTd0qmVs2oOYJnB0nhCLuFvUwm2emMDJCcF6vWvnwqEMtei0pH5lMCrrPPy7Jgzr00EQAQMnbblX-_IbjW-uao_K7mmNK1dIVzxWyFlwvTE4p708mX/s400/ultrasound.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329422016801988034" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Here's the ultrasound machine that </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have at home -- it's the same one that I was using at the Hope4Cancer clinic in Mexico.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Every week I dissolve three chlorophyll capsules in my mouth and wait 24 hours. Then I smear myself with olive oil and baste for 30 minutes...no, wait, I smear myself with olive oil and then jump in the bathtub! I then slowly rub the wand over the areas where there are tumors. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">While I'm using the ultrasound wand, it's absolutely painless -- I actually can't feel a thing. Within four hours, though, it kicks up an inflammatory reaction in the areas where there are tumors -- my femur, pelvis, and spine. I feel some pain, depending on how long I applied the wand. I definitely have to work on my timing so that I do it for long enough to make a difference, but not too long to make the pain too intense!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Despite the pain, it's really good to know that the treatment actually has an effect, and that I can see such a quick feedback loop between something I do and the effect it has. For so many of the treatments (like the supplements I take, for instance), there's really no way to directly know if I'm having any kind of impact. With the sonodynamic treatment -- oh, you better believe I can feel when I've undergone the treatment!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The next step is to find a helper to use the wand on places I can't reach on my back, and to set up the bank of lights that will complement the ultrasound treatment in activating the chlorophyll inside the body.</span><br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-90822005238080193842009-04-25T11:17:00.000-07:002009-04-27T09:59:07.247-07:00Where I Stand Now<span style="font-size:small;"></span><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br />One week after returning from treatment at Hope4Cancer in Mexico, here's where things stand:</span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">I'll follow the two weeks of treatment at the clinic with eight weeks of home treatment by ultrasound (more on this in a later post)<br /><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">My anemia has become very severe. My hemoglobin level has declined to 8.72, which means that I am ridiculously weak (like can't-make-myself-get-out-of-bed weak). Fortunately I'm getting a blood transfusion today that should make me feel much better for a few weeks (the last one helped me out for 5 weeks).</span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"> My appetite is also in the tank, and it's been hard to force myself to eat anything substantial. Being in the clinic helped, but now that I'm home it's a bit hard to reproduce that kind of regular, encouraing routine! The blood transfusion today should also make me more hungry.</span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">Liz has decided that she shouldn't / doesn't want to commit to our relationship, so we will be going our separate ways.</span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">Accordingly, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to those of my friends that have stood by me and offered their assistance -- thank you all so much! Your kind thoughts and offers have helped immensely and I love you dearly for it.</span></div><div face="Verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div face="Verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">UPDATE (4/27): the blood transfusion helped tremendously -- both my energy and appetite are much improved -- yay!<br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-12036513266588299182009-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:002009-04-22T18:35:51.736-07:00A Bit of Science<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Here's a couple of great articles about the effectiveness of the sonodynamic treatment. One of them has an exhaustive chronicle of what happened to each of the 116 patients that have been treated with this therapy at a clinic in the UK. (PDF files)<br /><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/lrZk6">Photodynamic and Sonodynamic Therapy</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://bit.ly/SHfQR">Next Generation Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT)</a><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-20144059990644828042009-04-15T21:23:00.000-07:002009-04-27T09:48:09.783-07:00It's the People That Count!<div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2dOAWlzj70ITPfyVvJ6ZbkfQAbXAaL9gKVLfa7zalzpzL3OP6wo65drWmACY_R3YSqPO5MbGdmdBxouTMXCQkUbIvmEi1ZAFH0PV6uWJkTq2x9KVXrmQimnvxibeSxrdnDQWNQnty6Ce/s1600-h/Doctors+in+courtyard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2dOAWlzj70ITPfyVvJ6ZbkfQAbXAaL9gKVLfa7zalzpzL3OP6wo65drWmACY_R3YSqPO5MbGdmdBxouTMXCQkUbIvmEi1ZAFH0PV6uWJkTq2x9KVXrmQimnvxibeSxrdnDQWNQnty6Ce/s400/Doctors+in+courtyard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326262876769408338" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-4QFmLkF1D-5FamzXy8VUbcnwLIekQGi_nmEnYpyHMinXMNT8lh0I_TfQ8Yab-re1JMVjirVJwkLr_9kIirmj5ctZtfqFvgsCxSs2-gVtwXuV_QaCT5FSAEsFbdSbjIflDD74AJXWNnO/s1600-h/saturday+at+the+beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-4QFmLkF1D-5FamzXy8VUbcnwLIekQGi_nmEnYpyHMinXMNT8lh0I_TfQ8Yab-re1JMVjirVJwkLr_9kIirmj5ctZtfqFvgsCxSs2-gVtwXuV_QaCT5FSAEsFbdSbjIflDD74AJXWNnO/s400/saturday+at+the+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326262872893444162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">(more Tijuana photos by Liz <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lizpenniman/Tijuana#">here</a>)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm completely loving the scene here in Tijuana! (or "TJ", as everyone here refers to it*)</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">We're actually in Playas de Tijuana, separated from the rest of the city by a major highway and a mountain range -- so there's no problem with drug violence anywhere near here.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The scene at the beach across the street is wonderful. On nice days, it's filled with people -- all Mexicans, and all completely relaxed and having fun. We're only four blocks from San Diego, but it's an utterly different universe. The fresh air and the happy giggling is completely invigorating, and endlessly entertaining. We were lucky enough to be invited into a local home for Easter, and we had a blast.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Inside the clinic, I am thanking my lucky stars several times a day that I ended up here after all my searching. The difference is the people! Besides being complete sweethearts, both the doctors and nurses have plenty of time to be attentive and caring, as there are only four patients staying in the clinic at any one time. Both of the other sonodynamic therapy options that I investigated (in China and the UK) were outpatient, so I wouldn't have received anywhere near this level of care. On my first day here, the doctors discovered a urinary tract infection that I hadn't even known about, and it's now completely gone.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The nurses take my vital signs and check in on me round the clock. They've also been helping train Liz to administre the two shots (Goldenseal + vitamins, and antigen vaccine) that I'll continue once I return home.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Most importantly, we've been well-trained in what will be necessary to continue the therapies (both sonodynamic + supplements) once we return to Berkeley. No other place I checked into has such a well-planned approach to follow-up care.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />I'll put myself through eight more weeks of treatment at home, and then get a bone scan on schedule in mid-July (which I do every six months). That will give me a progress report on how I'm doing, and let me know how well the therapies have worked.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />--------</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* Given that the reference to Tijuana as "TJ" is universal...and considering how sleazy a reputation Tijuana has...I can't believe that anyone actually ended up naming a television show "T.J. Hooker"! Somewhere in Hollywood, an executive producer is still chuckling to themselves.<br /><br /></span><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-40608974154476742612009-04-10T12:11:00.000-07:002009-04-18T20:33:33.990-07:00Bad Pain -- it's a Good Thing!<br><span style=";font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;" ></span><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">Sorry for the slow posting about my stay here at the clinic. A lot of times the days are long here: I have six separate treatments every day, and then there's our three vegetarian sit-down meals, and the three juices in between meals.</span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">But honestly, most of my time the last few days has been taken up with dealing with the pain of the therapies. Each one of them is intended to produce an inflammatory response in order to attack the tumors. And believe me, I am getting these inflammatory responses in spades! Unpredictably throughout the day, I'm getting intense pain in one of several areas around the tumors -- but mostly in my pelvis, where my tumors are concentrated. These waves of pain knock my socks off for a few hours at a time, and I have to stop whatever I'm doing and lie in bed. (although it's difficult to take weight off of my pelvis no matter how I twist and turn!)</span></div><div face="Verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">This is actually a very good sign, as it means that the treatments are being effective against the cancer. I can stop the pain completely for a day by not doing any treatments for that day -- but then, that defeats the whole purpose of why I'm down here, doesn't it? So since I want to keep moving ahead with the treatments, the clinic has several (non-opiate) painkillers that I can use. The best has been a treatment that Dr. Tony has administered the past few days: pulsed light flashes to the acupuncture points for pain relief in my ear. The last few nights I've been able to sleep soundly, without intense pain. It's made the whole treatment process much more manageable, even allowing me to make a few blog posts!</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><br>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-91507211463952717572009-04-08T09:07:00.000-07:002009-04-19T21:29:45.075-07:00Day 3 -- Everything Under Way<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mFeip1Nf2_XTxZ-wFybAggP2vN9nWTidFEs8D2qGFpqSynHptAsFBArrZK3WRUrWRRE9I9HEhkyDJ11rPd5gqu4Gv5atV_FOk_sFyBJ-0rwcM9g_f1pNQ39GyF-doxwBNq63634MQgHs/s1600-h/HotDog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mFeip1Nf2_XTxZ-wFybAggP2vN9nWTidFEs8D2qGFpqSynHptAsFBArrZK3WRUrWRRE9I9HEhkyDJ11rPd5gqu4Gv5atV_FOk_sFyBJ-0rwcM9g_f1pNQ39GyF-doxwBNq63634MQgHs/s400/HotDog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325322779857537650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV9V-ZqT0FCwol2C6Jxm6kOJfxzwaUvsxziECVMncLq-ip35fTMYoJ1nFNGtoQzTCtAhyphenhyphenCzMORLRW3IWTNInNGu4ExRTfGV4eOUcMCsDImj7SRTcpUHXiju6EG2NPAbOVGNzKsDuWPRs_/s1600-h/bath+with+Teresita.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV9V-ZqT0FCwol2C6Jxm6kOJfxzwaUvsxziECVMncLq-ip35fTMYoJ1nFNGtoQzTCtAhyphenhyphenCzMORLRW3IWTNInNGu4ExRTfGV4eOUcMCsDImj7SRTcpUHXiju6EG2NPAbOVGNzKsDuWPRs_/s400/bath+with+Teresita.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326052834965361778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">The routine here is well underway. I waited 48 hours for the RaphaChlor chlorophyll capsules to lodge in my system, and now I am receiving all of the therapies:</span> </span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">full-body hyperthermia (pictured above -- how do you like the pig-in-the-blanket look?)</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Indiba hyperthermia: one heated metal pad is underneath my body, and a heated meta disc is rubbed slowly over all the areas where I have tumors.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-family:verdana;">The main treatment that I've come for is the sonodynamic therapy, which comes in three parts:</span> </span><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">photodynamic therapy: part of the chlorophyll is activated near the surface of my body by a bed of daylight fluorescent bulbs hanging six inches above me -- I stay under these for an hour.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">laser therapy: a small laser wand is slowly rubbed over all affected areas of my body, and inserted rectally to activate my prostate (oooh!). This reaches more deeply than the visible light lengths can reach on their own and lasts about half an hour.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ultrasound therapy: I lie in a tub of water, and an ultrasound wand is slowly passed over the affected areas of body for about 45 minutes. (pictured above with one of the great nurses here helping out.)<br /></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-family:verdana;">We also get three square meals a day of lovingly-prepared vegetarian food, and fruit & vegetable juices three times a day in between meals.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">But the most healing part of the routine so far are the doctors and nurses here -- I feel so completely taken care of! Everyone is a complete sweetheart, and they are extremely patient with my rudimentary Spanish.<br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-69888398540128157732009-04-05T22:11:00.000-07:002009-04-16T08:16:42.057-07:00¡Bienvenidos a México!<div face="verdana" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqhIySKTp6waAcAu1PU45K1qTfrXc5xtyIy6psDAfR-B7hBcDnpcij8RK571t6LI0AvvGh3sa0KVcJxRAbDNl2vZHmcDp39p2bIpN5JKEHyF1CRGl98EAH3oI8kyjy6y5Fp12pMoIh_ZM/s1600-h/Mariscos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqhIySKTp6waAcAu1PU45K1qTfrXc5xtyIy6psDAfR-B7hBcDnpcij8RK571t6LI0AvvGh3sa0KVcJxRAbDNl2vZHmcDp39p2bIpN5JKEHyF1CRGl98EAH3oI8kyjy6y5Fp12pMoIh_ZM/s400/Mariscos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325305714825571426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today we arrived at the US border, 3 hours late after hitting tons of traffic in LA. I am always excited by that moment when the endless streatch of interstate (+ malls + suburbs + stores + restaurants) actually DOES come to an end and we have finally run out of US land to drive through.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jesus (the driver) is there to take us across the border, and we cruise through Immigration and head across the mountains, away from the main part of Tijuana, toward Playas de Tijuana. On the way we chat with another couple from the clinic, he has prostate cancer as well. After 15 minutes of driving parallel to the border fence, we pull off by the bullfighting ring, and turn left to land at our little clinic -- it's directly across the street from the Pacific, and the view from our room is gorgeous! We can hear the crashing surf from our window, and our view is a riot of people and color and shops. From the instant I arrive I'm swarmed by doctors and nurses (there's a staff of 10 of them here, for only four patients! I give my medical history, hand over my records to be copied, and get checked out from head to toe. I already feel VERY taken care of here!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">That night the nurse brings me 12 of the RaphaChlor capsules -- the special chlorophyll formulation that I will take which will be the center piece of the sonodynamic therapy. I'm instructed to let each one dissolve slowly underneath my tongue...in ABSOLUTE darkness so that the photosynthesis of each capsule isn't triggered. Sounds easy, but it takes an hour and a half of cowering underneath the covers, sucking on the capsules!<br /><br /></span></span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-89452750237024838192009-03-26T10:00:00.000-07:002009-03-26T10:28:56.224-07:00Going To Mexico!<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />OK, everything's set -- Liz and I are <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Steve+Miller+Band/_/Going+to+Mexico">Going to Mexico</a> next week!<br /><br />I investigated the <a href="http://www.doveclinic.com/site/treatments/treatments/l_photodynamic.htm">sonodynamic therapy</a> (SDT) that Ralph Moss suggested at the clinic in Xi'an, China. It's an offshoot of photodynamic therapy, which is a fairly standard American therapy for surface cancers (like melanoma). SDT is a relatively new treatment that shows good results for prostate cancer (and bone metastases) that can't be reached very well with surface treatments. (See my <a href="http://nickshealth.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-conversation-with-ralph-moss-part.html">earlier post</a> for more details and a description of how it works; the link above is the best scientific description I've seen, and has case studies of 116 different patients that have been treated with SDT.)<br /><br />Further investigation revealed that there are three places in the world that currently offer this treatment: the clinic in China (which moved over from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.opalclinic.com/PDTSDT.htm">Australia</a>), the <a href="http://www.doveclinic.com/">Dove Clinic</a> in London, and the <a href="http://www.hope4cancer.info/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=101">Hope4Cancer Institute</a> in Tijuana.<br /><br />They all use exactly the same sensitizing agent and treatment technique for sonodynamic therapy.<br /><br />And I can *drive* to Tijuana!<br /><br />What really sealed the deal was my conversation a couple of days ago with Dr. Tony Jimenez, the head doctor and researcher at the Institute. He's a nice guy from New Jersey who's intimately familiar with a lot of the best therapies that I've been researching, and has a great approach to the combination of treatments that I'll be receiving at the Institute. I liked him a lot, and you'll be hearing a lot more details of the treatment once we arrive.<br /><br />I want to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude for all of you that have helped to make this trip possible. I'm not fooling myself that this is any kind of "miracle cure", but it's a darned good shot at getting substantially better, and I couldn't be doing this without your incredibly generous help. Thank you so much!<br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-88955193660067620242009-03-15T21:21:00.000-07:002009-03-26T09:34:21.502-07:00oops, a little blood leak...<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The last week or so has been pretty interesting...in the sense of seeing new phenomena in my body that I'd rather not see.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started losing some blood through my urine...not painful, but I'm really not used to seeing something the color of Hawaiian Punch in that neck of the woods! At the same time, I started becoming noticeably weaker -- by mid-afternoon every day, I really needed a nap.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blood tests showed that my red blood cell count was dangerously low (10.2) -- I was suffering from anemia. The doctors originally thought it was due to a urinary tract infection, and gave me a round of antibiotics to combat it. This did nothing. I came up with a more likely cause when I noticed a bruise developing at the bottom of my ribs. My hypothesis (admittedly nothing more than the opinion of a *very* interested layperson) is that the metastases growing on my ribs were causing some internal bleeding, which was being siphoned off by my kidneys into my urine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I got a blood transfusion last week at Alta Bates, which helped my strength somewhat. And fortunately, the (external) bleeding has completely stopped. I never was in any pain -- but it was a definite (and STRONG) reminder that I need to get myself into a powerful treatment program ASAP!</span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-6271224202049057632009-03-04T20:49:00.000-08:002009-03-08T16:51:42.294-07:00a third possible treatment: IPT<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I spoke with Dr. Dean at the Euro-Med Center in Scottsdale today about a treatment that I've become interested in checking out: insulin potentiation therapy (IPT).<br /><br />Here's a great description of it:<br /><a href="http://www.euro-med.us/cancer-treatment/insulin-potentiation-therapy.cfm">http://www.euro-med.us/cancer-treatment/insulin-potentiation-therapy.cfm</a><br /><br />short version: cancer cells LOVE glucose. In IPT therapy, you're given insulin, which lowers your blood sugar...all your cancer cells start crying out for more glucose! At that point you get a lot of glucose COMBINED with low-dose chemotherapy. The great advantage of this technique over standard chemotherapy is that it's a small enough dose that it does no harm to your immune system.<br /><br />I'm trying to find someone that will give me a valid comparison between this treatment and the Chinese sonodynamic treatment I'm also investigating. Both treatments can often (though not always) take patients all the way to remission -- but even with remissions, you have to go back in for periodic re-treatments. I'm prepared for that; my understanding is that cancer is a chronic condition that I'll live with for the rest of my life. It would be a lot easier to return frequently to an IPT clinic in the States than the SDT clinic in China!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update 3/8:<br /><br /></span>After researching the IPT therapy further, it looks like it's much more appropriate for early stage cancers. I'm going to keep looking for another multi-therapy clinic in the US so that it will be easy to travel to. I'll be investigating the various Mexican clinics -- Ralph Moss has written a report evaluating the various treatments in the major clinics there, which will be helpful.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-59751255707492361762009-03-02T17:41:00.000-08:002009-03-07T09:51:34.810-08:00uh-oh, problems are advancing<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I had a visit with Dr. Sunkara's team today, and it reinforced my sense of urgency to find (and start!) another treatment plan very soon.<br /><br />My PSA has jumped to 659. That doesn't have an impact on me by itself -- it just means I have a lot of cancer floating around my system. What worries me is my low (and dropping) red blood cell and platelet counts. I'm coming in to the doctor's office to have them tested every week or so; when they drop below a specified level, I'll need to get a blood transfusion to boost my red blood cells. This will actually be great, as I am starting to feel very weak in the afternoons because of the anemia.<br /><br />I definitely want my next treatment to get started before I get stuck in some hospital hooked up to a machine. As long as I'm ambulatory and independent, there are things I can do to put the cancer in check.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-82866819585305080102009-02-23T16:21:00.000-08:002009-03-06T20:28:21.727-08:00treatment pause<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've been on the Santa Cruz treatment for a week and a half, and I have to take a little pause from it. The reactions I'm getting to it are way intense -- it makes it impossible to get through the day (big headaches). The immune response that the drops, tablets and suppositories are causing are overwhelming my poor old live. I think I need a complete liver cleanse before I tackle </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">it again -- I will check with the doctor down there and see how he recommends I proceed.</span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-14589787353439988602009-02-19T20:36:00.000-08:002009-03-06T20:41:09.076-08:00*great* conversation with Ralph Moss! (part 2)<span style="font-size:small;"></span><div style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;">(In this part: UltraPheresis therapy)<br /><br />I had a *great* conversation with Ralph Moss the other day. (He's the professional cancer researcher (<a href="http://www.cancerdecisions.net/">http://www.cancerdecisions.net</a> ) who pointed me to my original treatment with Dr. Thaller in Germany, which bought me a remission for several months early last year.)<br /><br />The second treatment that Moss discussed with me (and the one he slightly recommends for me) is UltraPheresis therapy by Dr. Lentz in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany. Dr. Lentz has isolated three compounds in the blood that cancer cells produce as a decoy; as long as these compounds are in the blood, the cancer cells won't get attacked by the immune system. UltraPheresis is similar to a dialysis machine -- it filters these compounds out of your blood, and then your own body's immune system is free to attack the cancer.<br /><br />Moss has also tracked several patients who have received these treatments, and they have got very good results.<br /><br />description of treatment from Dr. Lentz' own site: --<br /><a href="http://www.biopheresis.de/index.php?id=17">http://www.biopheresis.de/index.php?id=17</a><br /><br />great brief summary of the treatment and the theory --<br /><a href="http://www.euro-med.us/lentz_therapy.html">http://www.euro-med.us/lentz_therapy.html</a><br /><br />link to Dr. Moss' Flickrstream from his visit to Dr. Lentz' clinic in the German Alps (I'm almost sure I can faintly hear "Edelweiss" playing in the background!) <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24860924@N07/2514340851/in/set-72157605203869407/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/24860924@N07/2514340851/in/set-72157605203869407/</a><br /></span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-36099636055438525802009-02-18T17:24:00.000-08:002009-03-06T20:41:44.397-08:00*great* conversation with Ralph Moss! (part 1)(In this part: Sonodynamic therapy)<br /><br />I had a *great* conversation with Ralph Moss this week. (He's the professional cancer researcher (http://www.cancerdecisions.net ) who pointed me to my original treatment with Dr. Thaller in Germany, which bought me a remission for several months early last year.)<br /><br />For the past year, Dr. Moss has been traveling to clinics around the world, and has sent several of his clients to new treatments in China and Germany that seem very impressive.<br /><br />The first one, sonodynamic therapy, is an ofshoot of photodynamic therapy, which has already ben approved by the FDA for use in some cancers. Sonodynamic therapy can go deeper, to get some cancers (like my bone metastases) that aren't easily reachable with light.<br /><br />From what I understand, it consists of ingesting a compound made from deep-sea algae that photosenthysize through vibration, since no light penetrates their environment. The compound is designed to be taken up specifically by cancer cells. After your body absorbs it for 24 hours, you sit in a bathtub and the doctors turn on ultrasound for an hour and a half. The treatment lasts for a couple of weeks.<br /><br />The results are really amazing, even for incurable metastatic cancers. Dr. Moss has tracked several clients who have used this therapy and has seen them get good results. Here's an abstract of an article talking about the good clinical results: http://bit.ly/quJtw<br /><br />Some other references on SDT:<br /><br />Here's the blog of a young couple from Portland that went to Xi'an, China for the treatment. Sounds relatively painfree.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.roundhousemedia.net/china/round1.html">http://www.roundhousemedia.net/china/round1.html</a> (start at bottom)<br /><br />2nd page of entries -- <a href="http://www.roundhousemedia.net/china/index.html">http://www.roundhousemedia.net/china/index.html</a> (start at bottom)<br /><br />brief description of SDT aimed specifically at prostate cancer patients (scroll down to "What is SPDT, PDT?" -- <a href="http://www.prostate90.com/prostate_cancer/Metastasis.html">http://www.prostate90.com/prostate_cancer/Metastasis.html</a><br /><br />website of Dr. Mitchell in Australia who has moved his treatment centers to China:<br /><a href="http://www.opalclinic.com/PDTSDT.htm">www.opalclinic.com/PDTSDT.htm</a>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-69608307499211589082009-02-08T17:15:00.000-08:002009-03-07T11:19:17.257-08:00new treatment in California's California!<p></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwBPoSVC_NgiALGiEaHA3tDC6NNzC3KWL-7GfgGUP2bH9-BMEkzh4Y9jkXSrtxGFCnUhyphenhyphendVoYLmC8cii3O8n4p2TWcWwy80RdIhaVUR_vrVBQfwBECcS8HFXCg3Qj8oqIkyOjV8pVNTfG/s1600-h/IMG_0576.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309507744950562866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwBPoSVC_NgiALGiEaHA3tDC6NNzC3KWL-7GfgGUP2bH9-BMEkzh4Y9jkXSrtxGFCnUhyphenhyphendVoYLmC8cii3O8n4p2TWcWwy80RdIhaVUR_vrVBQfwBECcS8HFXCg3Qj8oqIkyOjV8pVNTfG/s400/IMG_0576.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: move; display: block; height: 400px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today was my 3rd day at the Center for Wellness near Santa Cruz. I'm getting a new treatment from Dr. Yarema here.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The idea of the treatment is similar to the one I got in Germany back in 2007 that gave me a remission of several months. It's immunotherapy, geared to wake up and strengthen my immune system so that it attacks the cancer.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Dr. Y has tested my body against a dozen different isopathic compounds (similar to homeopathic compounds), to see which one reacts most strongly against my own blood. All of the compounds are represented by a letter or two that corresponds to their German names: "T", "Dx", "R", etc. The one that reacts best with my body is labeled OM !<br /><br />That was all on Day 1 -- and for the last two days, he's been injecting me with a mixture of those compounds and my blood in areas that are near the tumors.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Let's be honest here -- the least fun part was getting an injection in my perineum. (Why oh why did I have to choose to get *prostate* cancer??) Dr. Y is a great guy, though, and he has a good viewpoint, a lot of valuable diagnostic tools, and a crew of really great people working for him.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The best part of the trip is staying at Land of the Medicine Buddha, a local Tibetan Buddhist retreat hidden in the redwoods in the hills above town. I'm staying in a very monastic room, and there's a gargantuan spinning prayer wheel right outside. It feels like a very healing environment!</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">(And I haven't seen so many people hitchhiking in years, or so many surfers, or so many unrepentant hippies -- Santa Cruz is truly California's California!)</span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-60781877805004781962009-02-03T12:40:00.000-08:002009-03-07T11:36:18.430-08:00oh great, another personal record<p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uOWv33oul4sfQwlX8cx8pgBKbjBHZe9MQ039k5gVYI9b-ZjKkv5Kf4gXGnDJ7q3BfgWA9m6VpYZUv9DmahHFYBZScI3DUayQHaQ1jJc74RGZJTvqkopj13Qp1cC2hvyU1hAcAAFaFk-a/s1600-h/PSA2-13-09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uOWv33oul4sfQwlX8cx8pgBKbjBHZe9MQ039k5gVYI9b-ZjKkv5Kf4gXGnDJ7q3BfgWA9m6VpYZUv9DmahHFYBZScI3DUayQHaQ1jJc74RGZJTvqkopj13Qp1cC2hvyU1hAcAAFaFk-a/s400/PSA2-13-09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310531590270526562" border="0" /></a>(click to enlarge)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">OK, in today's "DO NOT LIKE" department, I just got results from my latest PSA test, and it's a sky-high 410. Let's see, that's over 40 times the accepted "danger" level for a PSA reading. The little cancer cells are going crazy. Fortunately, the cavalry is riding in this weekend with various immunotherapy injections and sodium bicarbonate IVs. (more details on that when I know them).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm also applying to a trial of an experimental drug called abiraterone that's being administered at M.D. Anderson in Houston. I don't know if I'll be accepted, but I fit all of their criteria.</span></span><br /></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-80230442203436410972009-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:002009-02-01T11:29:47.337-08:00new immunotherapy treatments next week!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />I'm psyched today -- I just received a detailed description of the new immunotherapy treatment that I'm going to start at the Center for Wellness near Santa Cruz next week.<br /><br />Immunotherapy is what I received when I was in Germany back in November of '07 that worked really, really well on the metastases I had at that time. The intention is to strengthen your own immune system so that it acquires the power (and good sense!) to attack your cancer cells, just like it does when cancer cells pop up as a matter of course throughout our lives. (Interestingly, this is exactly the *opposite* approach taken with chemo and radiation, where the immune system is battered along with the cancer!)<br /><br />The treatment will be under the supervision of the Center for Wellness, the same place where I've received really excellent ayurvedic care for the past few months. After a BIG swing around the research circle (more on that in future posts), I've come back to these guys because they have a LOT of treatment tricks up their sleeves. They have a lot of international connections, and I've been impressed with their determination to create a treatment plan for me that mimics the best of what I received in Germany -- at a fraction of the cost ($3900 for the initial six days of treatment, as compared to $16,000 for one week of treatment in Germany.) The treatment is also set up in a way that lets me do 90% of the treatment at home, so I think I can still keep my job. I'm really looking forward to this and have a good feeling about it!<br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-69541282247919082952009-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:002009-01-31T17:54:55.363-08:00dealing with new symptoms<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br />I'm a hardcore morning person. Every day I get up with an almost-unflappable positive attitude (which I cultivate as much as I can.) Usually I can't even remember anything bad that might have bugged me the day before; the slate gets wiped clean every day.<br /><br />The past few mornings have been a bit challenging, though. My sense of being an independent observer looking at all my "cancer stuff" is dissolving, because I'm having to deal with more symptoms on a daily basis. My appetite is starting to decrease for the first time in the whole adventure. One out of every two days my hips are painful enough to make me pop a Celebrex for relief. I'm starting to occasionally feel the tumors in my spine, shoulder and jaw. Today I'm a little bit nauseous.<br /><br />Most of what bugs me is just the worry and anxiety tht the symptoms will get worse if I don't find a way to turn this around pretty soon. But still. Dang.<br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-32747409627090787252009-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:002009-02-01T11:59:32.689-08:00hope at the Pine Street Clinic<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br />I had a great visit at the <a href="http://www.pinestreetfoundation.org/">Pine Street Clinic</a> this afternoon (the perfect antidote to having my bone scan interpreted earlier today!!)<br /><br />The practitioner reviewed my supplement list with me today, and gave me a great compliment: he said the supplements and herbs that I'd put together through my research (and the advice of other practitioners) was better than most herbalists could have put together!<br /><br />But of course, the supplements haven't stopped the cancer -- so clearly, something else is needed. He recommended balancing what I'm doing now -- which is *passive*, just taking pills (even though it's over 70 pills a day) -- with *active* treatments for the cancer. By this he means diet, exercise, and specifically Qi Gong exercises tailored for cancer.<br /><br />He also recommends finding a much more aggressive main treatment -- either through clinical trials of experimental drugs, or through another alternative treatment. I'll be investigating those in the next week and will report back.<br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-91432468052026252232009-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:002009-01-31T17:57:32.848-08:00reality check with Dr. Swift<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLci-FhtiejzV1TOTpov7obo3wPX__0w4jMt6GggMqdu4Ff3diSRjKiljo38ILY8Aew5yAOzLQ1-XHAMJjY1YvL14j2MbRUJHikAp3reNqNDvZBYdcsnWXJvqXM-XF3_6mcGBv1EC8U9h/s1600-h/13Jan2009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLci-FhtiejzV1TOTpov7obo3wPX__0w4jMt6GggMqdu4Ff3diSRjKiljo38ILY8Aew5yAOzLQ1-XHAMJjY1YvL14j2MbRUJHikAp3reNqNDvZBYdcsnWXJvqXM-XF3_6mcGBv1EC8U9h/s400/13Jan2009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297597111636697394" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">(black dots are tumors; click picture to enlarge)</span><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >I had a bracing talk this morning with Dr. Swift, my radiation oncologist (I'm not getting any radiation, but he's the resident prostate cancer expert at Alta Bates).</span><br /></div></div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br />When I got a copy of the film at the bone scan last Tuesday, I knew it was bad...but I could only stand looking at it for a little while and I filed it away. My coping mechanism was to immediately dive into researching what my next treatment would be (a process I actually enjoy -- it gives me hope, a sense that possibilities actually do exist out there, and it's something over which I exercise partial control).<br /><br />Talking to Dr. Swift today reminded me in stark terms exactly what I'm facing. The worst metastases are in the pelvis, which have developed dramatically since my last scan six months ago. I also have many, many new metastases -- mostly on vertebrae, but also a few on my ribs and scapula.<br /><br />So where do things go from here if the cancer keeps progressing? The bones where the metastases are will become weaker and weaker, and eventually break. A break in my pelvis means pain, six months of being bedridden, and a big, big hit to my mental state. A break in one of my vertebrae might mean partial or complete paralysis.<br /><br />Needless to say, this is a HUGE motivator for me to find a more effective treatment than what I've been on. It's also a giant challenge not to think about dreadful possibilities all the time. This is the strongest challenge to my cheerfulness and equilibrium that I think I have ever encountered. Fortunately I'm still upbeat most days -- going to the ashram for chanting or meditation really helps, and Liz is being a peach!<br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-62097576933833894682009-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:002009-02-01T14:51:04.682-08:00Alternative Treatment Hunt<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A quick recap for those of you just joining us: when I was diagnosed with Stage IV prostate cancer in July of 2007, I was already at the point where Western medicine really had nothing to offer me. (And definitely nothing that could offer the hope of a cure.) They did offer two palliative treatments. One was hormone blockade therapy, which consists of Lupron shots that zero out my testosterone -- this starves the portion of the prostate cancer that thrives on testosterone. (Yes, this is the same shot that they give to sex offenders...and yes, it has the same scorched earth effect on my sex life.) The Lupron only works for a while...and for me that period ended sometime a few months ago, when my PSA started to skyrocket again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The second Western palliative treatment I used was Zometa, an industrial solvent (!) that slows the growth of bone metastases. Every time I get my infusion, I have pain for a couple of days as the Zometa does its job. (I'm also taking strontium citrate, a non-radioactive natural supplement that supposedly halts metastases the same way that Zometa does.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, long story short: from the very first day of my diagnosis, I was forced to search for alternative treatments for my cancer if I really wanted to have an impact on it. I found a great ally in Dr. Ralph Moss, who has researched the cutting edge of both alternative and conventional treatments for the last thirty years, evaluating which ones work and which ones are hokum (and believe me, there's a lot of hokum in *both* camps!) It was his recommendation that led me to Dr. Thaller in Germany as my first treatment. This was successful, but mind-numbingly expensive ($80,000 for a combined 5 weeks of treatments over several months). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After a brief stretch on pancreatic enzymes and supplement-only therapy, I settled down to ayurvedic treatment this summer -- first at Mt. Diablo Institute in Pleasant Hill, and then at Center for Wellness in Aptos. I learned a lot, I received good care for the psychological and some of the physical aspects of my illness -- but it didn't hold the tide against the advance of the cancer. So I am dipping my toes back out in the world of researching alternative treatments to see what alternatives there might be for me.</span><br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-24132978026021059112009-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:002009-02-01T14:49:51.960-08:00surprise.<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, I had an interesting week. I get a bone scan every six months, and this one came back looking pretty bad. I got my PSA score a couple of days later, and it's 278. Also bad. So the ayurvedic treatment is making me feel and look great on the outside, but it's not doing much against the cancer. As luck would have it, the very next day I had an appointment already booked with the </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.pinestreetfoundation.org/">Pine Street Clinic</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, who had been recommended to be by several different knowledgeable people. They do in-depth research on conventional, Chinese and alternative treatments and are the smartest people about designing cancer treatments of anyone I've seen to date. The guy spent 2 1/2 hours with me going over my current treatments with a fine-toothed comb, and he'll have a set of recommendations for me when I go back next Tuesday.<br /><br /></span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6675714772616427918.post-49105211403898343952008-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:002009-02-01T14:55:26.887-08:00Ruh-roh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Yv3S119JpYkc6rVHO3lZ5ATqEVZSIoFIv89oxztzxIk_X2nqxOl7dwcvrcLHScIp0IORZ-1OARMovf1dOoArmqxzOLDwuCC51oe4efRCC6gd8Y9zM7ibJVfE5CYqu65wUDRYLC4WLekl/s1600-h/PSAOct20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Yv3S119JpYkc6rVHO3lZ5ATqEVZSIoFIv89oxztzxIk_X2nqxOl7dwcvrcLHScIp0IORZ-1OARMovf1dOoArmqxzOLDwuCC51oe4efRCC6gd8Y9zM7ibJVfE5CYqu65wUDRYLC4WLekl/s400/PSAOct20.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just got my PSA test back for this month, and it doesn't look that great -- it's up to 96.1. It seems clear that I'm going into a hormone-refractory phase, meaning that the Lupron shots that I've been taking off and on (mostly on) for the past year and a half are no longer suppressing the cancer. The Lupron zeros out my testosterone, and the testosterone creates prostate cancer -- until now, when the cancer has (mostly) figured out how to work around the lack of testosterone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">First of all, there *is* a Plan B. My oncologist has put me on ketoconazole (the main ingredient of dandruff shampoo!), which supposedly has a similar effect to Lupron and works for a while even after the Lupron has become ineffective.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Secondly, I am *so* happy to say goodbye to the Lupron. Other than the body blow to my late, lamented libido, it's also been responsible for hot flashes, mental confusion, and occasionally pretty severe depression. Not gonna miss any of that, uh-uh!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lastly, I'm not as nervous about high PSA scores as I used to be. I've been told that guys can often live for five years with scores this high, as the free-floating PSA doesn't map directly into physical deterioration. And I'm undertaking other, completely unrelated measures (the ayurvedic work) to build up my health -- which is a completely different paradigm than "battling the cancer".<br /><br /></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827005432578976996noreply@blogger.com0