tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post7756194986545648119..comments2024-02-17T04:06:00.805-05:00Comments on Just Not Said: CancerJohn Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-6744121320149689292016-01-25T04:41:56.487-05:002016-01-25T04:41:56.487-05:00Ambrose --
Thank you very much….I hope so. Ambrose --<br />Thank you very much….I hope so. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-53594454543398914122016-01-25T00:29:26.658-05:002016-01-25T00:29:26.658-05:00I'm sorry to hear about the news John. Chances...I'm sorry to hear about the news John. Chances are, as you pointed out, you'll survive it and be right back banging out interesting and humorous posts! bluffcreek1967http://www.ambrosekane.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-28694319779071617322016-01-24T13:59:18.838-05:002016-01-24T13:59:18.838-05:00Sally --
Thank you very much. I thought you were g...Sally --<br />Thank you very much. I thought you were going to make a comeback when I saw you at the pool about ten months ago, but then you disappeared again. Hope to see you there soon. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-82848978291397164412016-01-24T13:47:48.221-05:002016-01-24T13:47:48.221-05:00Hey John - I still have you in my favorites ... ac...Hey John - I still have you in my favorites ... actually the blog is in my favorites, but I associate you with a favorite past time,swimming of course. Thanks for sharing your struggles with prostate cancer. <br />My husband was treated at Sloan Kettering over 8+ years ago for 3 different tumors and we can not say enough about their care, not only for patients but families as well.<br />Good luck & I'll be thinking of you. Hope to do a set in the pool with you soon!<br />Best,<br />Sally<br />Sallynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-69198190511585927122016-01-24T08:48:31.256-05:002016-01-24T08:48:31.256-05:00Samuel -
Thank you again. Your suggestions are not...Samuel -<br />Thank you again. Your suggestions are not at all a distraction, but I do have to figure out which treatment to go with first. You've been very helpful. <br />John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-88786473457473962582016-01-24T08:31:26.400-05:002016-01-24T08:31:26.400-05:00Your doctor most likely will not be knowledgeable ...Your doctor most likely will not be knowledgeable about the iron issue. As long as you are within the "normal" range (which is from about 40 - 300), he/she will say you are fine. It is much better to be at the lower end of that range.<br /><br />In any case, I fear my suggestions here are probably all a distraction for you since you are focused (rightly) on the evaluation of the immediately relevant treatments for your condition.<br /><br />Go ahead and focus on the main thing, and only pay attention to ancillary stuff such as I am mentioning, if you have the mental energy, inclination and time.<br /><br />Best of luck to you again, and I'm sure you will come out of this strong. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-18110705375449688732016-01-24T06:54:59.800-05:002016-01-24T06:54:59.800-05:00Samuel --
Once again, thank you very much for putt...Samuel --<br />Once again, thank you very much for putting all that thought into this. I appreciate it. I've had my blood tested several times before, most recently last week, and nobody has ever mentioned the iron thing, but I'll ask about it. <br /><br />Coincidentally, I just read about Hof's ice baths and breathing exercises last week. Pretty amazing. I've heard about the stomach breathing/diaphragm-expanding method before in terms of controlling anxiety. But I don't have time to look into that stuff right now, at the moment I have to just get this prostate thing taken care of one way or the other, then if I have the time later on maybe I will. <br /><br />But I appreciate you putting all this thought into my health, it's kind of you. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-53485332565613761142016-01-24T05:33:46.563-05:002016-01-24T05:33:46.563-05:00John,
I see you made that clear (the biopsy) in t...John,<br /><br />I see you made that clear (the biopsy) in the original post. For that second comment I made, I guess I forgot that from the original post since I went off and brainstormed and posted the comment without reviewing your post again.<br /><br />Anyway, if there is cancer, you might consider the following as well, although obviously one's ability to do certain things will be hampered by dealing with the treatment itself, time, interest, etc. <br /><br />-- Get your iron (serum ferratin) levels tested. It is becoming increasingly clear that high iron levels are detrimental to health for a very wide range of things: CVD, cancer, diabetes, among others. Unlike women, who menstruate for a good portion of their lives, men do not lose iron, and it builds up to dangeour levels. I would think that reducing those levels could increase your body's ability to fight the cancer. See E.D. Weirg's book "Iron: Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron." Also read P.D. Mangan's blog Rogue Health and Fitness, where he has posted a lot on this issue. Again, this isn't about prostate cancer in particular, but immune health generally.<br /><br />-- For someone in as good shape as you, consider trying to use methods that activate the body's own immune system. I am thinking in particular of certain breathing techniques that have been shown to achieve this. Wim Hof's breathing exercises are one way into this. Another is through John Alton's Unified Fitness, which is based on Qigong. For Wim Hof, you can search it out online. Again, I do not consider this stuff hokey because both of these guys are coming at this from a scientific perspective: the stuff works, it is not "magic", the fact that we don't fully understand the mechanism doesn't mean it isn't explainable in scientific terms eventually. Whether this interests you will depend on the time committment you can make, particularly in the middle of your treatment. I mainly mention it because I think you are at a level of fitness were it could actually reach a level of effectiveness for you that would take others much longer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-62538622533782796252016-01-23T18:02:26.257-05:002016-01-23T18:02:26.257-05:00Andrew --
Thanks….I guess we'll find out.Andrew --<br />Thanks….I guess we'll find out. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-12512320502367628642016-01-23T17:59:03.650-05:002016-01-23T17:59:03.650-05:00You made me LOL in this post (until the last bit)....You made me LOL in this post (until the last bit). I hope you don't lose you sense of humour.<br /><br />AndrewAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-49018507656912904952016-01-23T12:35:00.832-05:002016-01-23T12:35:00.832-05:00Annie Oakley --
Thank you very much. I'm suppo...Annie Oakley --<br />Thank you very much. I'm supposed to be too old for testicular cancer, but I can see how it could travel from the prostate to the testicles. <br /><br />I'm reading up on and debating treatments right now. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-52190433237968244002016-01-23T12:26:08.971-05:002016-01-23T12:26:08.971-05:00John, long time lurker here. When I saw your email...John, long time lurker here. When I saw your email about cancer I had to comment. God bless you. You're going to be OK. I'm going to pray for you and keep good positive thoughts your way. <br /><br />OTOH, I had a co-worker many years ago who had prostate cancer. They did have to remove one testicle. He's still alive and thriving. He has a g/f and his sex life is just fine. The girlfriend wasn't bothered by it. <br /><br />With all the new advances in medicine and healthcare, your type of cancer is easily cured.Annie Oakleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03159628256478237188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-10976586058616074372016-01-23T06:12:45.748-05:002016-01-23T06:12:45.748-05:00Long time lurker --
Thank you very much…..yes, tha...Long time lurker --<br />Thank you very much…..yes, that's pretty much how I feel. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-70499998924763215012016-01-23T06:09:49.704-05:002016-01-23T06:09:49.704-05:00John,
I'm a long term lurker to your blog and...John,<br />I'm a long term lurker to your blog and really appreciate your way of thinking. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I think the side effect thing would bother me more than the actual problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-37586945533715765752016-01-22T19:42:04.406-05:002016-01-22T19:42:04.406-05:00Europeasant --
Thank you very much.
Hey, 73.7 is...Europeasant --<br />Thank you very much. <br /><br />Hey, 73.7 is basically the same as 75, so that counts. And if you adjust for the five extra years, you outdid me. So, I'm impressed. The 200 meter dash is a fair challenge, everybody runs, but I have to admit, I knew I was being unfair by throwing in the swim, you'd have to have been a swimmer to do that. <br /><br />Anyway, thanks for giving the one hand clean and jerk a try, and also for the good wishes. Enjoy your beverage.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-72241465157034167192016-01-22T19:13:46.469-05:002016-01-22T19:13:46.469-05:00Wishing you well.
Thanks for the challenge(swim, ...Wishing you well. <br />Thanks for the challenge(swim, run and weights). I needed that. I'm pretty close to your weight at 165lbs but a little shorter and maybe older(66).<br /> I don't have solid dumbells up to that weight(75). My set only goes to a pair of 25 pounders. I used my adjustable set and worked up to what I thought was 75 lbs. I was able to lift that overhead but it was hard. However when I weighed it on my digital scale it only weighed at 73.7 lbs. I was going to put an extra 2 and a half pounders on each end but they would not fit and I was too tired or worn to do another try.<br /> The run and swim will have to wait. Okay it will not wait as I am 100% sure I will never outdo your results. The lift challenge will have to wait till some other day as I have already started on my evening pain alleviation and health beverage.<br />Hope everything turns out well. I love reading you common sense stuff. europeasantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-33441465777138328802016-01-22T09:36:10.279-05:002016-01-22T09:36:10.279-05:00Spike --
Thank you very much for the encouragement...Spike --<br />Thank you very much for the encouragement. I'm debating which way to go right now, at the moment seem to be changing my mind every day. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-56246938495011582652016-01-22T09:32:18.979-05:002016-01-22T09:32:18.979-05:00Sorry to hear this news John, but I'm not worr...Sorry to hear this news John, but I'm not worried. You'll be fine, you're a strong man with a strong will. <br /><br />A friend of mine had those radioactive seeds implanted and he's doing great some ten years later now. Spychiatristnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-63512824094458011932016-01-22T07:30:48.594-05:002016-01-22T07:30:48.594-05:00Samuel --
Thank you very much for all that. From w...Samuel --<br />Thank you very much for all that. From what I've seen so far, from the book reviews, it comes out mostly against the PSA test as a reliable measure of the possibility of cancer. I'm sort of past that stage: I had the biopsy, and I do have cancer. Also, doctors do seem to vary their advice with a patient's age. My father "probably" has it, according to his doctor, but his doctor's advice is to just ignore it at his age. With me, at 61, the likelihood of it spreading and being my cause of death is higher, so I have to deal with it, especially since I don't have the slow-growing variety (I have an intermediate type). <br /><br />I agree with you about how the medical establishment gets a lot of stuff wrong, though. <br /><br />In the meantime, I've been doing a fair amount of reading on the pros and cons of each type of treatment. (It's all pretty ugly.) <br /><br />Anyway, thanks again for doing that research. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-49104672726561089412016-01-21T22:19:59.878-05:002016-01-21T22:19:59.878-05:00John,
I do not purport to have any expertise in t...John,<br /><br />I do not purport to have any expertise in this area, but I have previously read accounts of how prostate cancer is waaaaay over-treated and that there is a good deal of ignorance even in the medical community about risk factors, necessity of treatment, etc.<br /><br />I would never _discourage you_ from seeking medical advice and treatment, but DO get all the facts and info. I think about something like the concerns over dietary fat, cholesterol, eggs, etc. and the belief in chronic cardio exercise: the medical and health communities have been wrong about SOOOOO much, it shocks to consider it.<br /><br />That is a prelude to saying maybe you should look into the following book. I have _not_ read it but it will go into much more detail about the issues I alluded to above.<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Great-Prostate-Hoax-Medicine-Hijacked-ebook/dp/B00HBQ6NY8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453432315&sr=1-1&keywords=the+great+prostate+hoax<br /><br />On a related note, there have been Op-Eds and articles in recent years by doctors (not specifically about prostate cancer) but detailing how many many doctors do not follow their own advice or give their relatives the same advice that they do to their patients. For malpractice reasons they HAVE TO advise certain courses of action even if they would not subject themselves to it in the same circumstances.<br /><br />Again, I am definitely not saying don't get treatment. Just get educated and make an informed decision. Your PSA score is low enough, I would think, that you don't need to take any precipitate action on an urgent basis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-55260657472973935912016-01-21T21:26:59.289-05:002016-01-21T21:26:59.289-05:00Gardner --
Ha! Thank you very much.
(I think I c...Gardner --<br />Ha! Thank you very much. <br /><br />(I think I can feel them.)John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-85923512817122653002016-01-21T21:22:33.313-05:002016-01-21T21:22:33.313-05:00I am sorry to read this, JC. I hope treatment goes...I am sorry to read this, JC. I hope treatment goes well and is not too much of a nightmare. <br /><br />Being in such good shape will undoubtedly help you. Don't feel bad about the occasional bout of self-pity. Soon enough you'll be i the ranks of other "brave cancer survivors," I am quite sure of it.<br /><br />You may not feel like posting, but keep us updated and stay in touch.<br /><br />Even if you never found out if you could get them from the ultrasonic/needle-injecting wand, I'm sending good vibrations your way.<br /><br />- GardnerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-91023616783353433982016-01-21T14:05:36.137-05:002016-01-21T14:05:36.137-05:00Brian --
Thank you very much, I'll ask the doc...Brian --<br />Thank you very much, I'll ask the doc about that procedure. Sorry you had to go through that, but glad it had a good outcome. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-67540643012317734802016-01-21T14:02:35.478-05:002016-01-21T14:02:35.478-05:00Katy --
Thank you very much. Not sure, I can manag...Katy --<br />Thank you very much. Not sure, I can manage the positive thoughts, but...John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-69820668980911715892016-01-21T14:01:52.696-05:002016-01-21T14:01:52.696-05:00Bob --
Thanks, I'm debating whether to go with...Bob --<br />Thanks, I'm debating whether to go with zapping or an operation right now. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.com