[2006] Hey Guys...anyone having prostate problems?/Merged

[Miss Marty]

Hi AwayWeGo

*
To maintain a lifestyle that is healthy, it is important to feel happy and stress-free. You can also go on occasional (timeshare) vacations, to dump all your worries aside and get on with the fun in life. Thanks for updates!

 

[AwayWeGo]

Some Remarks That I Resemble.

Click here for another prostate cancer patient's account of what's up not only with his own case, but also with procedures & physicians involved that are familiar to me because those physicians treated me using those procedures in 2008.

I am OK now -- so OK that my cancer doctor no longer wants to see me for follow-ups, which he says my regular family doctor can handle from here on out.

I am extremely grateful to have had such good diagnosis & treatment with such a positive outcome.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[bogey21]

IMO the most important thing (at least one of the most important things) to take out of the story is that his prostate cancer was caught early, not because of a high PSA but a sudden doubling of his PSA. It used to be if your PSA was below 4, doctors said you were fine. They have now found out doubling time is the better indicator.

Mine jumped from just over 1 to about 2 in less than 6 months five or six years after radiation treatment. Doctor got right on the case and found recurrence of cancer and performed cryo surgery on the half of the prostate which contained the cancer. My PSA has been undetectible for about 5 years now.

George

 

[Miss Marty]

Medicare A

January: Negative Prostate Needle Biopsy No Sign of Cancer
February: "185 minute Laser Surgery" for Enlarged Prostate

Hospital Claim for Prostate Surgery & SICU
was finally submitted and paid in June 2012

Charged $9,767.19 - Approved $9,767.19
*One or more procedures denied by Medicare.
Adjusted $8,025.15 - Deductible $1,156.00

Deductible submitted to secondary Insurance.
Remember to get your annual prostate exam!

 

[AwayWeGo]

That Ship Has Sailed. That Toothpaste Is Out Of The Tube. Etc.

Remember to get your annual prostate exam!

After surgical removal, there's no more need for annual exams -- nothing there the doctor can check.

But post-surgery PSA tests are still important to make sure there's no recurrence at the site or metastatically. (In fact, original approval of PSA tests was for post-treatment follow-up only, not diagnosis.)

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Miss Marty]

AwayWeGo

About how much did Medicare and your Federal Government Health Insurance paid out for your Prostate Surgery & Treatment

 

[SmithOp]

January: Negative Prostate Needle Biopsy No Sign of Cancer
February: "185 minute Laser Surgery" for Enlarged Prostate

Hospital Claim for Prostate Surgery & SICU
was finally submitted and paid in June 2012

Charged $9,767.19 - Approved $9,767.19
*One or more procedures denied by Medicare.
Adjusted $8,025.15 - Deductible $1,156.00

Deductible submitted to secondary Insurance.
Remember to get your annual prostate exam!

I had same procedures, psa was 6.8 in Jan at annual check, biopsy in Mar (neg), green light laser apr 30.

Bill just came:
52648 - laser vaporization of prostate $7,093.00

Private insurance, I paid $45 co-pay for 3 office visits, nothing on bill because I used contract urologist. The bill shows $6,299.34 as the contract rate, discount applied of $793.66.

I did not go to a hospital, it was a surgery center so costs were lower and it was 120 min procedure.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Zippity-Doodah.

About how much did Medicare and your Federal Government Health Insurance paid out for your Prostate Surgery & Treatment

El freebo all the way.

I was a clinical research guinea pig at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes Of Health, Bethesda, Maryland -- not for the surgical treatment itself, which was non-experimental state of the art (DaVinci surgical robot, etc.), but for the advanced high-definition MRI diagnostic imaging they did before surgery.

I already had cancer diagnosis via conventional biopsy, but the wizards at the Cancer Institute took me in anyhow. Once I was under their wing for their diagnostic program, they took me through the whole 9 yards -- treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up, & all that, at no charge. That is, they absorb all costs without making their medical research subjects pay any bills, either out of pocket or through Blue Cross & Medicare -- your tax dollars at work.

Full Disclosure: I am covered by Medicare plus supplemental "medigap" insurance that covers Medicare deductibles, etc. I have every reason to believe that my out of pocket expenses would have been low to none if I had gone ahead with treatment by my private urologist instead of switching to the National Cancer Institute. In fact, surgery by my private urologist was already scheduled & all the pre-op testing done when I changed courses just 1 week ahead of the scheduled operation. All the details are spelled out here on TUG-BBS way back in some of the earlier entries on this discussion topic, round about 2008.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[bogey21]

I had both IMRT and High Dose Radiation in 2000 and Cryosurgery on half the prostate in 2006 due to partial radiation failure. Radiation was in Hackensack, NJ and Cryo was in Rochester Hills, MI. Since Cryo PSA has been something like 0.04. Medicare and Back-up Insurance paid 100% of cost except for travel, lodging, etc. Travel, lodging, etc. were deductions on my Federal Income Tax.

George

 

[AwayWeGo]

Clean Bill Of Health For 4½ Years. Another 6 Months & I'm "Cured."

But post-surgery PSA tests are still important to make sure there's no recurrence at the site or metastatically. (In fact, original approval of PSA tests was for post-treatment follow-up only, not diagnosis.)

Recent PSA blood test showed I am OK following prostate removal surgery done in October 2008.

Result = < 0.05 ng/mL

Every day is an answered prayer. I am extremely grateful.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[AwayWeGo]

Fish Oil Might Increase Prostate Cancer Risk? What Next ?

Daily vitamin E for a long time was recommended to reduce cancer risks, including prostate cancer. So I swallowed some every day for years & years, along with other supplements (vitamin C, fish oil, folic acid, etc.).

Recently I heard a piece of radio news saying scientists have changed their minds about vitamin E. Now they say vitamin E can increase prostate cancer risk by as much as 17%, & so men should stop taking it. (Duh!)

For me, it's all mox nix. I had (successful) radical surgery in 2008 to treat early-stage prostate cancer & I am OK now (far as I know).

But the new recommendation about not taking vitamin E has me wondering whether I brought on prostate cancer myself by taking those dumb capsules for all those years back when the stuff was still recommended for guarding against cancer.

I ought to quit listening to radio news & just stick with the Top 10 Tunes on iPod. Sheesh.

Now they're saying fish oil supplements might also raise the risk of bad prostate cancer -- not that there's any good prostate cancer, only bad & less bad.

It's not a slam-dunk against fish oil, but stories have started circulating. Click here for an example.

As with Vitamin E, it's all mox nix in my case. Still, it makes me wonder what other good health recommendations floating around out there might not be as solid as previously believed.

So it goes.

Full Disclosure: I take a fish oil capsule practically every day. Might help guard against heart disease, etc., I don't know. Prostate is gone, so no worries over that.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[SmithOp]

Now they're saying fish oil supplements might also raise the risk of bad prostate cancer -- not that there's any good prostate cancer, only bad & less bad.

It's not a slam-dunk against fish oil, but stories have started circulating. Click here for an example.

As with Vitamin E, it's all mox nix in my case. Still, it makes me wonder what other good health recommendations floating around out there might not be as solid as previously believed.

So it goes.

Full Disclosure: I take a fish oil capsule practically every day. Might help guard against heart disease, etc., I don't know. Prostate is gone, so no worries over that.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

I'm taking 5mg finasteride to lower my psa. I take no supplements. I was reading a holistic Dr account that by getting testosterone / estrogen out of balance it can promote prostate cancer. I have no idea what to do, so I try not to think about it and just enjoy life.

 

[Miss Marty]

Thanks everyone for your health updates!

Bill went for his yearly check-up in June
PSA & Sonogram Results came back OK.

Remember all men are at risk for prostate problems, which include prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostatitis.
Find out more from your MD by having an annual prostate exam.

 

[AwayWeGo]

If 5 Years Of Near-Zero PSA Means I'm Cured, Then I'm Cured.

Recent PSA blood test showed I am OK following prostate removal surgery done in October 2008.

Result = < 0.05 ng/mL

Every day is an answered prayer. I am extremely grateful.

PSA test done last month at 5-year mark following surgery gave the identical result.

I guess that means I'm cured.

If so, then I have to say the whole thing was worth it -- testing, biopsy, surgery, recovery, follow-up, & ongoing repeat PSA tests.

My good luck in escaping the worst feared side effects of prostate surgery (i.e., incontinence, impotence) is an added bonus.

Life is good.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[SueDonJ]

Life is VERY good, Alan. So happy to hear your healthy news.