Initially I was treated with Lupron to lower my testosterone. After 6 months of lupron I underwent IMRT treatment. I was administered 44 doses of IMRT (focused radiation) over 9 weeks. I also stayed on lupron for a total of 18 months. This treatment allowed me to keep my prostate, and over time regain a sex drive. And to resume a modified but somewhat normal routine.

I was fortunate. Treatments worked as well as my doctor had hoped. My doctor was exceptional. His diagnosis and treatment was better than I could have imagined. To his credit Dr. Billy Perry (Overland Park, KS) is as learned and practical as I could have hoped for.

As of today my PSA is 0.4. Initially it was 36. After treatment it went down to 0.02. Slowly it has risen over the 4 years since my treatment to 0.4. According to my doctor, that is normal. Some of the decrease and subsequent rise in PSA is attributed to being on Lupron.

Lupron was, according to my doctor, significant in the treatment. The side effects were frustrating. Depression and loss of sex drive. A low dose anti-depressant helped tremendously. Sex drive was a matter of working through the treatment.

IMRT was a treatment that I was able to cope with. Suffered some fatigue later on in treatment which lasted about four months after treatment. Some extra sleep and an occasional nap helped tremendously.

One interesting tid-bit I learned after being diagnosed, there were numerous men at the firm I worked for that had prostate cancer. And almost as many different treatments. Some had their prostate removed, some chemo, some Lupron only. And like me all continued to carry on 'normal' lives. They continued to work, travel, and live well.

Something else that should also be noted is that all of the men I talked with said it weighed heavy on their spouses as well as them. In some cases, like me, the spouses were unable to handle it and it caused collapse of the marriage. I strongly recommend professional therapy to help with the cancer diagnosis/treatment and with relationships.

I am a big proponent of IMRT as opposed to removal. Do your homework however. There are some aspects of the equipment that need to be considered. The machine should be less than 2 years old. It is minimally invasive and allowed me to work and have a life throughout the treatment.

Lou's e-mail address is: lsroba AT hotmail.com (replace "AT" with "@") (but this e-mail address may no longer be valid)