The substance of this blog...

My first thought about a blog was that it would give me a way to share something that is having a major impact on me. I will let people know about these pages and figure that friends and the sincerely interested will take the time to find their way here.

In a few words, I am ill. It sounds strange to say as I haven't been seriously ill for thirty-five years. As you can tell, I haven't found a good way to tell people I have cancer. It came as a heck of shock to me. No one in my family has ever had it. How could I?

At first it seemed as though I drew the long straw... Prostate Cancer, may be the best cancer one could have... no big deal, right? Monitor it, watch and see, get tested regularly... most men will die of heart disease or old age before PC wreaks havoc.

Unfortunately, that's not the stage making it's home in me. My body is housing an aggressive and advanced form of the disease. Stage 4.

Diagnosed in October 2013, Prostate removed February 2014, Gleeson score 4+5=9, cancer had spread to a neighboring lymph node and seminal vesicle, PSA score dropped as expected following surgery only to start creeping up. Hopes of battling the remnant with well-coordinated natural healing were dashed after a couple of months. The PSA trended up.

This PC is aggressive. My urologist/oncologist had one option to hold out as a source of hope... an aggressive treatment plan... Hormone Suppression Therapy. Injections of Lupron effectively removing the testosterone from your body, every six months for two years, starting July 2014. PC thrives on testosterone.

Most of the time I feel very good and people tell me I do not look sick. I practice hours a day and am thrilled with how I am playing. Music is a huge part of my healing.

I have had three shots and the good news is my body is responding well to treatment. My PSA at last count was 0.02... very good news! Many of the side-effects have made themselves known, too. I describe them as "unpleasant" an understatement somedays. My doctor is pleased with the results and how I am handling it. He will push for another two years of shots before taking me off them and seeing how my body does on its own.

The word is I will do OK for awhile without the shots and then the PSA will start to go up again and I will need to get back into treatment. If this cycle goes on for long, the cancer will become resistant to the Lupron and it will be time to look for something new.

All of this has changed me. I'm not the person I was a couple of years ago. Living with an advanced stage of cancer, has taken me to a deeper appreciation for the gift of each day, each friendship, each opportunity to create, each moment with my grandchild, every whisper from God, every invitation to soar and be happy, living a life that is messy and well-lived. All of this will be the substance of this blog

A new day...

I've decided to Blog in order to share what's going on in my life with the idea it might help someone, while making deeper connections with friends as I grow in my ability to identify and express gratitude for all the gifts life gives.