This has been a rough period of time in my life but I have been so grateful for this time during treatment. I have done HT, taxotere 13 treatments, Zytiga 16 months and beginning Xtandi next week. With a PSA of 1.65 my cancer is has progressed in recent months.
After being on Zytiga for 17 months I had hoped Xtandi would be the same but after 37 days I found myself barely able to function and weaker than I have ever been in my life.
I went on to 3 more taxotere treatments before I called it quits for everything. I realized I was wasting my time on cancer symptoms and chemo side effects and it has been liberating. I read at one point that with stage 4 and severe skeletal involvement at diagnosis I had a 1% chance of surviving 5 yrs, I guess I will find out if I am that 1% next March. I am one of those few whose PSA has remained at 1 while my cancer continues to grow which is the reason why I was on Zytiga for so long, I figure based on symptoms no one would listen to me about it was growing for 5 months before scans were finally done. I was continually told your PSA is less than 1 so cancer is not the issue.
I am on hospice now and just enjoying the time I have left and hospice is wonderful to me and my family.
Today is March 3rd and this is 5 years for me, I won't make 6 and have been on hospice since May 2015 and it was the right decision for me.
I have been able to live my life the way I wanted, fully and with friends and family. I feel blessed and I fully realize that I am still here only because of the advances in prostate cancer since I was originally diagnosed with stage 4 PCa and hopefully for men diagnosed on this my 5th anniversary they will live even longer.
Submitted by Terri (James' wife):
One year to the date we signed up for hospice he passed away on May 8, 2016. He fought bravely and was stronger than any man I know, and as he lay in his bed the night before and he saw the fresh cut grass and said I wish you would have let me cut that for you this evening. Bedbound and still trying to make things easier for me, but it was my gift for him, he had so much pride in his yard.
I will miss him, my friend, my strength, my husband. And when the sunflowers bloom this summer and every summer after, I will know he is still with me. I found a patch he planted before he passed, he had always said he would and this year he did.
