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cuchi

Third Class Petty Officers
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Everything posted by cuchi

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. I have had chronic sinusitis and had some nasal polypys removed also. Served in Vietnam 69 to 70. Also have locally advanced prostate cancer.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Thanks all, I am not trying to get compensed for something just trying to figure out how to understand what is going on. I am 100 % temporary for prostate cancer so trying to get all the help I can while I am still 100 %. Because it all started back in July with my father's death and then my sister-in-law taking over the funeral , flowers, the obituary, and yelling at the funeral director when he did not label who the flowers came from. I was just numb and could care less what she did. After the funeral we went away for the weekend came back to find my sister-in-law taking things for her daughter who is from a previous married, including furniture. My brother does whatever she says. I just lost it when I went down to my dad's house and saw what had happened. I decided to go to the VA and they said I was having panic attacks. Then my sister started taking things. I did not care about the stuff I just felt we just buried my dad and give it a rest before you start taking stuff. My brother would call me every day and say we are taking this because... I stopped answering the phone then. They know that I am fragile mentally anyway so they were just trying to upset me. I finally got some meds from the VA so I could sleep since I went from May to August without sleeping. We had a meeting with the lawyer in August and it was just me against my brother and sister with their spouses. After the lawyer left to make some copies my sister-in-law started her verbal attack and I just let her have it. Telling her we had to always bite our tongue because my parents said she would take it out on my brother. I said they are both gone now and I am going to say what has been building up for years and I did. I felt much better after that and have had no contact with my brother since. No Christmas card this year. It's quiet now that I have no contact with them. The reason I went to the private psychiatrist was because the VA did not want to give me anything to stop the madness and let me get some sleep. They did not agree with the closepam but I got it anyway. It just takes too long to get a appointment with the mental health dept. of the VA anyway. I don't know why they want to do the psychological testing but if they can find something out and help me, I am for it. The VA psychologist ordered this testing she said they don't treat for ADHD because that is a children's disorder not an adults. So that is why she decided to do the testing. I go January 8th for the two hour test. She said they do it with some kind of machine or computer. Well I blabbed enough, Happy New Year to all, Cuchi
  16. I am supposed to go for a two hour psychological exam in two weeks at the VA. This was ordered by the psychologist I saw after the psychiatrist could not figure me out. This all started with my father dying and it kinda snowballed into trying to find my problem out. Has anyone gone through one of these exams and what does it entail? My private psychiatrist says I have adhd but I keep changing meds and really don't feel much different. Except for the Clozepam that helps me stay calm and sleep. All I want is to be able to concentrate so I can read a book or organize my clutter. Be able to remember to turn the stove off and not forget that I have something cooking and not let it burn up. I start my breakfast and then decide to get on the phone and call about something and my breakfast burns. Maybe I need to go back to cold cereal. My wife keeps telling me I left the stove on again. I don't do it on purpose but just get distracted and forget. I know how serious this is but don't know how to stop this. I think I will put a sign by my front door " turn off the stove ". Don't bother with this I am just rambling as usual. Cuchi
  17. Thanks Berta, My prostate cancer started with a very low psa 1.8 at the highest so this means my cancer is very aggressive and does not produce much psa. The cancer had spread outside the gland when I had surgery. It ended up in the illac chain of lymph nodes and that is why my psa kept rising after surgery and radiation. The hormonal treatment has my psa at <.01 but for how long no one knows. I stopped the hormonal treatment in October of 08 and my december psa was .01 so it has started to rise. With my aggressive cancer , gleason score 4/5 = 9 , there is a good chance I will not respond well to hormonal treatment for very long. My original doctors did not give me any chance for survival but with this new specialist I do have some hope. The VA has all my records including from my new doctor but they just look at numbers and make the assumption that I am in remission. Just as in breast cancer when it spreads to other parts it's not curable. I go back to my specialist in Virginia on January 9th so I will make sure he repeats to the VA my problems and situation and will be under treatment forever. That is always been a problem with the VA getting my medical records to the correct place and in a timely manner. Even using the DAV and using my congresswomen my records were hand carried over and had a time stamp on when they were received. But the VA keep telling me they have never received these records and six months later they appear. I wonder if everyone has these problems or am I doing something wrong. Thanks Cuchi, PS was not a tunnel rat until we went into Cambodia and had to go into the tunnels but the gooks had all ready gone and we got alot of rice and honda generators.
  18. Hi all, Just a few more questions, if you don't mind. As far as my prostate cancer There is no cure for my cancer since it was found outside the gland and very aggressive. Since I am on hormonal therapy after failed surgery and radiation my psa is indeterminable. But my cancer will never be in remission. The hormonal treatment gets your testosterone down to castrate level and that is what the cancer feeds off of. But the cancer eventully learns to feed off of something else and then when it comes back it comes back full force and then it's hospice time. The Va knows this but does not want to admit it and thinking you are too stupid and go along with them. My last shot went up to October and Now I just tale avodart and fosamax for my bones. But my last psa in the beginning of this month went up after staying the same since July. I go to a private oncologist in Virginia because he has had success with using hormonal therapy but the VA or regular private doctors don't go along with his method but he has extended men's lives for many years including his own since he has survived 12 years with the same dire prognosis as me. But anyway my questions have to deal with other problems I have. I have permanent nerve damage ulnar neuropathty in my left arm. I have asthma. I have disc problems with my back. I have anxiety panic attacks and ADHD plus depression. I have a rotator cup damage in my left shoulder. I have hearing loss and did a hearing test with the VA and they said to wear ear protection when I work because I have lost my upper hearing. How many of these problems can I get treatment for through the VA. Do they do MRI's or CT scans or nerve testing? I think I should get as much done as possible while I still have the 100%. What about social security can I file for that even though I am still working? Turning 62 I would like to retire but afraid I will need private health insurance. I just hope the new administration can get health insurance for everyone. I pay $ 400.00 per month for family coverage though my employer right now. With prostate cancer I probably would not be able to get insurance if I did not continue working. I have this problem where I go on and on and can't stop writing. But when it comes to completing a task can't do it. My bills are usually past due because I can't consentrate long enough to pay them all. I can do it for about 10 minutes and then I get upset and throw them all in a box. I have some that I pay online banking so that has helped. I am still having problems with my sibling after my father's death. I now have the deed to his house and had to get the utilities changes over and get insurance on it. My brother who is the executor had everything turned off so I had to rush and get it in my name so things would not freeze. I can't bring myself to clean out his things. I just have not come to terms with his death. The grief counselor with the VA just gave me a pamplet and said I would be OK. Christmas has been very hard for me and just glad it's over. I won't bother you with any more and sorry for complaining so much. I go from being extremely mad to extremely depressed. Just having a bad day, Cuchi
  19. At age 60 I have been diagnosed with adult ADHD. The VA psychologist says they do not recognize this only in children. I am suppose to have a psychological evalution from the Psychologist and she asked me if I could read and I said yes. She asked me some questions to determine which type of questions to give me. I have been waiting now for a month for them to set this up. I cannot cope day to day so go to a private psychiatrist and take a variety of meds because I cannot just wait for the VA to decide when they want to see me. The VA says they cannot treat me if I go to a private doctor. I understand but who can wait a month to get stable. I take closepam for me nerves and so I can sleep. I am 100% for advanced prostate cancer but my mental problems happened when my father died in July and started having panic attacks. The VA seems to group veterans into drug abuse patients and do not want to give any medicine that might be addictive. The low dose of Closepam I take is not addictive.But the VA says any of the "pams" are like crack. I am just trying to cope with life in general since my father died I am not wanting to be a drug addict. I remember when I came home from Vietnam and was having instant stress syndrome instead of post tramatic and I went to the VA and the docor asked if I was taking drugs and I said yes. he was so happy since she said by admitting my problem is half the battle. I said I was taking Thorazine and she got mad and asked no what drugs like marijuana, heroin, opium , lsd was I taking. I said no I just take prescription drugs. She said she could not help me. Here I am 40 years later still having problems and not being able to find help. I have never been able to read a book just short stories and newspapers. My mine feels like it goes a hundred miles an hour. When I drive my eyes dart back and forth and I see so much more than the average person. This stresses me out because I cannot understand why others do not see what I see. I have trouble iwth work because my mind wanders from one task to another and I find myself going to something else without finishing the first task. I lose track of time and start talking to a co worker and finally realize I should be back finishing my project. Sorry to be so lenghty but having trouble getting help either privately or VA. I am taking four meds that say I should be caustious while driving a car or operating machinery. At this point I am scared to drive so I take the less traveled roads. If I get on the freeway it's like dodgem cars and I get road rage so much I feel like ramming their cars. I just want to stop the madness. Only the good lord is looking after me and keeping me safe. I feel better when I can write this down because I cannot express myself verbally to the doctors usually because I cannot stay on task. I told them I feel that I have a mild form of bi-polar because I am either depressed or panic attacked and screaming at people. But this is only when I am under stress. Right now I am going back into my depressed state watching TV and not accomplishing anything. Well that's it from me. Cuchi
  20. I have been receiving 100 % temporary compensation since last July. My father past away this July and I sought the V.A."s help by seeing a psychiatrist. I have not slept well since May when He went into the hospital. I like the psychiatrist because she actually listens to me. I have only seen her for one hour but I am taking 100mg of Zoloft. My father's death put me in a PTSD when I him dead in his bed. He was getting better and we were getting ready to being him home. He had a blot clot in his left arm and they were not suppose to take blood from that arm but I believe they did. They called me at 6:30 in the morning saying we took blood at 6 and we came back in and he was dead. This has been driving me crazy and I feel I am losing control over my mind. The psychiatrist said I will probably dropped down to 20 % soon since my psa in indeterminable. But that is only because I am on hormonal therapy and it has taken a year to get the psa. There is no cure for my agressive cancer , why would they want to reduce it so low since I need to use the V.A. for my health care but afraid at 20% I would not get much. Cuchi
  21. I posted this in another forum. I got the letter from the VA saying my cancer treatment is over now past six months and they need to review my cancer. I contacted my congress lady's veterans rep and sent him my continued medical reports. He said he would send them up to Cleveland on tuesday and find out what is going on. You guy's were right they try to take the % back as soon as they think you are no longer treated. I learned a lesson to have my various doctors send a medical report to the VA with every doctor appointment. I went six month before they acknowledged my condition but one visit for a C&P and low psa two weeks later time to take it back. I just got it in december and I am just trying to cope with all the side effects of the hormonal treatment. Do not need this added stress right now. Don't worry I am still fighting. Thanks all, Cuchi
  22. Thanks, I have one of those electric fireplace heaters and I enjoy mine. Have a Merry Christmas, Cuchi
  23. My family doctor could not find anything kept saying my psa numbers were wonderful. I knew I needed a second opinion and went to a urologist did a dre and psa and after biopsy set up the surgery. I never found out about the VA and agent orange until 6 months after diagnosis. I am need of a colonoscopy just putting if off. I can now go to the VA doctors for that if I chose to. Peace, Cuchi
  24. Deborah Price, I believe she is the 4th ranked republican, but she is stepping down this year due to her childs illiness.
  25. No problem Don. I could never get the DAV guy to answer or return my calls he was always in training or such not available. As far as the VA saying my treatment cured my cancer I would give all the money back double to get rid of this disease. I am going to Dr. Charles "Snuffy" Myers in Virginia to see what he can do for me, the doctors in Ohio say no matter what I do will help with my survival, how comforting. I am going to keep fighting this no matter what, but at least for the time being I don't have to fight with the VA. Thanks all for your comments, Cuchi
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