cuchi

I don't know how to answer that one. I just hope they are telling you the truth. Sorry to hear your psa is rising. Hope they can find something to get it lowered. It's hard enough dealing with the cancer but dealing with the VA gives you more unneeded stress to deal with. Peace, Cuchi

Hi Wild Bill, Yes they should warn one about the side effects of radiation but they don't. I had rectal bleeding and peeing blood from my previous radiation treatments. It's scary to say the least. But like was said previously this will be targeted radiation to the lymph nodes and not a wide spread of radiation. I take a pill called Trental for my radiation issues for bladder and bowel and it helps. I have not bleed from either locations for some time now. I still have to live in Florida for a month for this new treatment. But luck has it my son lives 1 1/2 hours from Sarasota so he said I could stay with him for that time. I just hope my employer understands why I need to be off work. Can't wait till they start the treatment hope it's real soon. I need to talk with Dr. Myers to set this all up. Well I have talked too much need to go now. Peace, Cuchi

I just got back from Orlando where I had a ct, mri, and another ct scan to find out my prostate cancer is now in my lymph nodes on my left side and is contained in the illiac chain. The radiologist said that I could irradicate the disease with high intense radiation to that spot. So it seems that my initial diagnosis from my urologist stating no matter what I did would help with my surviival turns out not to be true. Everyone out there please try and get a consult with Dr. Charles "snuffy" Myers Jr. in Charlottesville Va if you want to survive your prostate cancer. Peace CCKMA ( Cancer Can Kiss My Ass) Cuchi

No problems with nerve numbness, burning in the hands and feet. Doctor did say they could remove those lymph nodes surgically, but it's a delicate operation. We do seem to have similar types of cancer. Maybe mine is blood born too. Well I am going for my scan on March 3rd and 4th so I will find out then about my cancer. Thanks for responding. Cuchi

Have prostate cancer with having surgery, radiation, and hormornal treatments. My psa continues to rise after each treatment. My doctor is sending me to Sand Lake Imaging in Orlando to have a scan to find out where the cancer is exactly. He thinks it is in the illac chain of lymph nodes in the pelvic area. He says that radiation would be used and I could be cured. This is the best news I have had in a long time. I still receive 100% temporary for prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure. Peace Cuchi

Hello brother wolfhound. I was with the 1/27th also 69 70 mostly 70. The guy's in my unit had malaria with a very high fever. cuchi

I have had chronic sinusitis and had some nasal polypys removed also. Served in Vietnam 69 to 70. Also have locally advanced prostate cancer.

Was just wondering if we were getting a cost of living increase this next year. I know social security did not so just assume we would not be getting any increase. peace, Cuchi

Have prostate cancer with having surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy. Noticed some blood in my urine which could be from radiation or could be bladder cancer. Went to my clinic and they took a urine sample and took x-ray. That was a week ago and have not heard anything. I went for a consult with an urologist but never got one. This has happened before and I went to the patient advocate but do I need to do this again. I just want to find out what is going on with the bleeding. They are so busy there that you can't make an appointment so you have to go and wait all day. Guess I should go back tomorrow and wait all day again and hope I can get a consult with a urologist. Thanks, Cuchi

Been temporary 100% for prostate cancer for two years now. I have had surgery, radiation, and hormonal treatment which was stopped on Oct. 2008. My psa was undeterminable until June 2009 when it started to rise. The VA sent me a letter saying they would retest me for any residuals on June of 2009 but they did not. My psa is now .35 and rising. My doctor said I would restart hormonal treatment in the future. I just wondered why did not the VA contact me last June and I continue to receive 100% . My doctor will not send any letters to the VA stating that I am will always be under treatment for the rest of my life. So I guess my question is should I contact the VA and seek out the status of my temporary 100% or just wait for them to contact me. Thanks all Peace, Cuchi

I had surgery and then radiation. I started the rectal bleeding a year out and it lasted a while but now it has quit. So I would wait and see if it stops like mine. I had the colonoscopy also and they said the same thing. You might want to check you blood count because the bleeding can cause anemia. Good luck, Cuchi

I am 100% temporary for prostate cancer. Have had surgery , radiation, and hormonal treatments. Now my psa has steadily risen. My question is I give my private labwork to my primary at the VA clinic showing this increases. Does the VA have access to this information in determining my next C and P exam whenever that happens? I know my first C and P exam the doctor did not have any information about my aggressive cancer. My private oncologist says to wait awhile before going back on hormonal treatment since you can only go on it a limited number of times and the cancer finds a way around it and wins. The last letter I received from the VA said they would evaluate me last July which they did not. Should I contact them or just wait to hear from them? No news is good news? Peace, Cuchi

Sorry for your problems and your loss. My primary is a PA a doctor's assistant. They seem to be using many of these. She is very upbeat and laughs at everything I say but I think that is her MO. I leave feeling good but then I realize none of my problems are being addressed. What I don't understand is when they assign you to a primary then they meet with you and say we will make an appointment with you in a year. But if you need anything done you have to go through you primary before you can move on to have anything done. When I was there Thursday for the psych exam I thought I would go see her afterwards because she said come back if my asthma and sinusitus wasn't any better. Since we have moved into a new clinic in November , it's like they have made things so difficult that the patients will get frustrated and go away, which I did friday. We used to go swipe our VA card be signed in and sit down. Now you stand in line for 30 minutes just to be told they have no time for you today. The prescription place is now so disorganized. They still use the lighted board when your name comes up but you wait an hour for it to come up and then get in line for another hour. I just hope they get the bugs worked out. Even the doctors and workers don't understand why they have done certain things. They put the button on the elevators about a foot off the ground with a little red light on it a quarter of an inch in diameter. They put a fire alarm button at waist level and everyone keeps pushing it. But it's not connected so nothing goes off. Darn that was one of my resolutions not to complain so much and here I am breaking it already. Sorry, Cuchi

I just took a two hour multiple choice psychological test thursday that was ordered by the VA psychiatrist and given by the psychologist. The only reason they ordered it was for the psychiatrist to get some ideas of my mental state, I guess. There were three parts with the last part the longest. Having ADHD made it difficult to hold my attention. I noticed some questions were repeated through all three sections. The psychologist said that either she would write a report and give it to the psychiatrist or I would meet with her and the psychiatrist and discuss it. Some of the questions would deal with alcohol or drugs. Some with relationships. Some crazy questions like "Do you see animals or people that others don't see?" . Some benign questions like would you like to be a florist. Some questions about nightmares and experiences you don't want to talk about. Some questions about your value system like is it okay for you to cheat on something or take something if it's not hurting anyone. I could go on and on. But If you want to answer honestly it's easy to do. If you want to appear that you are a psycho crazy and have no relation with reality, you can do that easily. I think they repeat questions throughout just to see if you are being truthful. But it keeps you on your toes because there is not one question that is like the next question. They are all over the board. That is why I was having trouble concentrating and needed to reread questions. I was just in a room by myself with the computer. This psychologist who is young and condesending with her remarks is hard to take . The first time I met with her she asked if I knew how to read. This time she asked me if I new how to use a mouse on the computer. Next time I met with her I am going to ask her if she is a pediatric psychologist working with 3 year olds. So just relax and click the mouse about a thousand times and be on your way because they send it out to be evaluated I would think. Peace, Cuchi