In 2007 my labs for my PSA came back at 29.0. I was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the prostate. My doctor at the time wanted to cut immediately. However, due to an issue with his practice changing insurance companies while I was waiting for approval from my insurance company - his practice no longer accepted my insurance. Faced with a very large deductible I set out ot find another doctor.
I found Doctor Lotenfoe in Celebration, Florida. I went to him because his last resort is to cut.
Doctor Lotenfoe started me on Lupron, which caused my PSA to drop. He also treated me for an enlarged prostate, which as a result of the treatment started to shrink in size.
The Doctor also applied an intermittent treatment of the Lupron so I was able to stay on Lupron (on and off) until 2012.
Mid 2012 I finally decided to have a HIFU operation and on August 12, 2012, I was operated in Mexico. I flew to Cancun on a Friday, was operated the next day (Saturday) and flew back to Florida on Sunday and was back to work on Monday.
My 3 month PSA was 0.02. My next PSA was 0.06 and my most recent and 3rd PSA test result is 0.11. So here I am 9 months later and felling pretty good.
There are not any side effects. I am leading a normal life, which I can attribute to Doctor Lotenfoe and I can honestly attribute him with saving my life - for which I will be eternally grateful...
What ever the treatment, what's most important is that you seek out and have treatment. Also make sure that you have your PSA level checked annually.
I lost my dad to prostate cancer and still I never thought I would be afflicted, so I did not get checked. Only because I went for a physical and my doctor decided to run labs, did I find out that my PSA was 29.0.
More of us need to speak out and share our experiences in order to help save others...
Mike from Florida
PS - Thank you Doctor Lotenfoe :)
In 2007 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My PSA was 29 and I had a high Gleason. The doctor stated that the cancer was aggressive.
Long story short, I changed doctors due to an insurance issue and as a result the operation I was scheduled for was not performed. Meaning my prostate was not cut out.
I found Dr. Lotenfoe whose practice is in Celebration, Florida. Since his approach is not to cut, he placed me on Lupron. The Lupron treatment turned out to be an intermittent treatment where I was on Lupron for a period then off Lupron for a period.
I found the above referenced treatment to be beneficial to me, given the potential side effects of that one can have when taking Lupron for an extended period of time. I did not experience any side effects. My dad who passed away from prostate cancer seven years before and refused treatment until very late had an issue with his bone marrow. It simply did not exist. Not sure if it was the medication or the cancer or a combination of both. But I am glad Dr. Lotenfoe had me on an intermittent therapy.
Finally in 2012, I has the HIFU operation. I flew to Mexico on a Friday, was operated on Saturday, flew back home on Sunday and was at my desk working on Monday. The two issues I had were:
1. I was hungry since I was on a liquid diet before the operation - but readily ate a steak afterwards
2. The catheter was uncomfortable
However, the key that I found was not to rush having the caterer removed and drink plenty of water. Drinking lots of water helps pass any residual tissue. And also perform your Kegel exercises.
I now take vitamin A, C, E and Selenium. This (at least for me) works very well for me in terms of getting and keeping an erection. I am also somehow ejaculating fluid. I have not had it checked but there is definitely fluid and there is volume to speak of.
I am happy that I elected to have the HIFU operation and to date, all is going well.
I also wish to ask that anyone who can find the time, to sign up as a mentor. Even with my busy schedule, I have managed to help three couples by showing support and by simply answering questions. Honestly it does not take a lot of time.
The gift I was given was life...
The gift I wish to give back is letting those afflicted with prostate cancer know that there is hope...
I am happy to report that 4 years post my HIFU surgery my PSA is 0.21 (at the age of 63). Thought my PSA went from 0.16 to 0.21 in a one year period, my doctor is monitoring the increase but is not overly concerned. Of course I still see my doctor (Dr. Richard Lotenfoe, Celebration Florida) for regular labs and checkups and will continue to do so. After all, I did fail to check my PSA until I was in my mid 50's at which time I found out that I had a PSA of 29. Having been given a second chance, I cannot allow that to happen again as I may not be as lucky next time.
I continue to take vitamin a, c, and e nightly as I find that doing so keeps my ability to be aroused relatively high. I did stop taking selenium because there was mention of selenium potentially causing prostate cancer. My doctor just ordered labs to have my testosterone (T) level checked and I will obtain my T level during my next appointment.
I was having some bouts of leakage especially after exercising. However, after I started performing Kegels while working out, the small amounts of leakage that I experience from time to time has dissipated to close to being nonexistent.
Considering that my pre-op PSA was 29 and I had a very aggressive cancer, I am truly happy and blessed to have my health and be as healthy as I am. If by any chance you read this post and are either a male over 40 or know a man over 40, please be sure and urge them to have their PSA checked. I say 40 because in retrospect, when I think back to my situation, I was displaying symptoms that I was having health issues with my prostate when I was in my 40's. So better to be safe than die of prostate cancer.
Feel free to contact me with any questions and especially if you need some more encouragement to seek treatment.
Respectfully yours,
Mike
It has been 7 years since my last update. I turn 70 in 2023 and I am happy to report that since first being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, 16 years ago, and my having had my HiFU (High-intensity Focused ultrasound) procedure 10 years, 10 months ago - my PSA is 0.29. After a high of 29 when first diagnosed.
For those recently diagnosed, eat well and do work out. After my diagnosis, besides working out, I sought out anticarcinogenic foods, drinks and fruits. I also revered back to the foods I grew up eating. I figured those were part of what contributed to my building blocks. Did it work? Who knows? What I do know is that doing so made me feel like I was doing something. I was engaged I was fighting back. I stayed positive and I had faith. I strongly believed I would be OK. But, at the same time, you must also seek out a doctor and collectively take action.
Best regards,
Mike
Mike's e-mail address is: reachromano AT hotmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")
