Taking a break from HW -- with regrets-- sorry

Well folks, I have really appreciated all the wonderful support I've received from my brothers here on HW.

I also hope, in some small measure, that I have provided some help in some small way -- be it support, information, or suggestions. Perhaps my relaying of my experiences has helped some of you.

But, you know in life sometimes we just have to analyze our situation and once in awhile it becomes clear that change is needed.

So, sadly, that time has come for me.

It is not easy to write this. In fact, I am choking up a bit right now -- maybe that's just due to the spicy tacos.

Anyway, let me bid you all adieu and I wish you all well with your individual battles with our disease.

I hope you will all remember me. Perhaps I will live on in your hearts.

But, don't weep, I do plan to be back posting on HW some day.

Actually, it will be in 12 hours, as we want to go the Farmer's Market in the morning. However, if you, my wonderful minions, beg me to post sooner, I might reconsider.

But, for now my friends, as a great now-deceased journalist, Edward R. Morrow used to say, GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK. With a tear in my eye...see you all in 12 hours. Keep the Faith.

Love,

Mel

Ha ha. And as a maths prof. I didn't think you had a sense of humour! See you in twelve hours.

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Creed_three (Lana) - with husband "CJ" now aged 56 yrs (49 years at diagnosis). PSA (2006) 3.5. open Radical Prostatectomy with nerve sparing April 2007 Sydney, Australia. Gleeson 3 + 4 = 7. Small multifocal lesions contained within prostate. Current PSA (April 2014) 0.03 (stable for 7 years)

Mel, it's been a while since I've been here and I was shocked - to say the least - to see your post about leaving HW (albeit for a brief period). Your intelligence, insight, and compassion will be missed by the many friends you've made here as will your willingness to put aside your own struggles to allow you to help others. You are an important part of our family, and your absence will be noticed. Please do come and let us know when you return and please do let us know how things went at the farmer's market as inquiring minds want to know. Perhaps you could take some photos and post them here for those of us who are not able to get to a farmer's market or who might not know what a farmer's market is?

As for myself, I too have decided to step away from HW. Since I don't want to detract from your announcement, I'll refrain from writing too much about myself but I will tell you that I have received one email and one phone call from HW friends who wonder where I had gone to and what I was up to. It did my heart good to know that I am missed on HW and I was encouraged to learn that my ministry of calling out bogus posts is missed here. Something to consider for sure and even though it would cost me to come back, it would be selfish to think only about myself and you know me well enough to know that I'm all about helping others and never, ever think about myself. Will let y'all know what I decide to do. In the meantime, keep on keepin' on.

Post Edited (Sephie) : 8/8/2014 4:40:48 AM (GMT-6)

Leaving is easy ... I've done it several times.

Like all good mathematicians, when the timing is right, you can revert to a prior known case, and hopefully some of us will still be posting here.

I have enjoyed reading your posts and look forward to doing that again some day.

Taking a well deserved break is something all of us are entitled to now and then.

LupronJim

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65 - DX 64 2/13 PSA 3.68 (6 mo doubling) Gleason 9 (4+5)

T1CN0M1B stage IV w. 7 of 12 cores worst ones 70% right PNI

oligometastatic at Dx 5 tumors 1 right sacro, 2 on
T4 & T9, none visible on 5-21-14 whole bodyscan

1st Lupron 4 month 3-28-13,
PSA down was 3.68, Zytiga June 2014
PSA 0.03 on 7-31-14

Prostate shrunk from 50.4 to 31.6

Radiation soon to 3 micro pelvic lymph nodes & prostate

Hark! What is that sound?
So beautiful and so sad.
It is the tragic song of the swan.
Honk. Honk. Honk.
The trumpeter swan departs
For the other side of the lake.

Mel, I'm missing you so much! Do you believe me?

Brother Mel,
Sometimes a man has got to do what man has got to do!

At least you warned us that you will be back in the future.

Bill from Florida

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Age - 63
Feb. 2012 - PSA 18.5 Biopsy 4/27/12
Positive 10 of 12 cores, Gleason 6 then
Da Vinci Surgery 07/17/12, Dr. Vipul Patel
EPE, positive margins, Gleason 3+4=7, involving 50% of gland, prostate weight 57 g. Stage pT3a, Lymph node involvement: 0/4
All post-op PSA tests through 10/15/13 undetectable <0.1
PSA 1/15/14 0.1, 4/1/14 - <0.1, 6/24 - 0.1
AUS AMS 800 installed 4/11/14 finally dry

Sephie, personally I wish you would come back too. There's a locker free in the girl's room.

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Creed_three (Lana) - with husband "CJ" now aged 56 yrs (49 years at diagnosis). PSA (2006) 3.5. open Radical Prostatectomy with nerve sparing April 2007 Sydney, Australia. Gleeson 3 + 4 = 7. Small multifocal lesions contained within prostate. Current PSA (April 2014) 0.03 (stable for 7 years)

Big Mac said...
Brother Mel,

At least you warned us that you will be back in the future.

Bill from Florida

Good point! Gives us all at least, say, eleven hours to know how much we deeply miss someone. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and we sometimes don't have enough absence to get to the fonder part.

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Husband 68
PSA 19, 12 cores all positive
RP July 2012, Gleason 7 (4+3), 8, pt3b
EPE+,PIN+, SVI+, margins-
Oct./12 PSA .04
Radiation completed Jan/13
After radiation PSA .01
April/13 PSA .01
Aug/13 PSA .01
Feb/13 PSA .01

Mel--

You can't leave. We rely on you for reports of good eateries, to say nothing of your ability to demystify the mathematics of common sense with surgical precision.

---

Diagnosed G6 at age 56
Prostatectomy 2006
PSA's <0.05 Cancer Free 8 years

BUMP

(Sorry guys, its been 10 minutes -- I wouldn't want this to be off the front page!)

Mel

I may understand. I have found support here, but I find that there is more to life than prostate cancer even though given my situation it will probably be the end of my life.

Faithful attendance to this forum supports our natural tendency to focus on the disease whereas for a good life we put the disease away until we have to make a decision about the next action. With the support of this forum we make that decision.

And then we go off to read about other things, to be with friends and family with whom we talk about everything but our disease. Enjoy life even though you could be hit by a bus or t-boned by a mack truck, or - heaven forbid - your wife could have a heart attack, or your first-born come down with leukemia.

We're all mostly waiting, right? For whatever.

Our cancer is just one way we could die. Let's not obsess. Let's get on with living.

---

64
RP nov 13 2013
negative margins, 3+4, pt3a, pni, lymphatic invasion negative lymph nodes?? (pls explain)
post-op PSA
feb 4 2014 0.097
march 4 2014 0.15
may 12 2014 0.16
july 10 2014 0.17