Chris, your courage, candor and kindness are "off the charts." This series has been a huge help to me as I am dealing with PSA levels that have "bounced around" for about eight years. Will be meeting with a urologist at a local teaching hospital next month. Don't know if I have cancer or not, but either way have found this whole series inspirational. Thank you for doing this.
As a medical professional as well as durable prostate cancer patient (post Proctectomy, in radiation) this sharing of yours has been most helpful to me. It is difficult to discover stores of patients who display such a high measure of honesty, clarity, filtered through realistic expectations. I thank you for sharing and I am happy that you are navigating this so well.
I'm glad you're winning the battles, stay strong! Your attitude is a huge part of the fight and yours is fantastic! At 57 yrs old I too had my prostate removed last year due to an aggressive form of cancer 4+4 Gleason. After surgery my PSA was .08 and climbing over 6 months. Doctors figured I still had some remaining cancer cells in the pelvic bed. My PSA reached .42, so we had 38 pelvic bed radiation treatments done and 6 months of hormone therapy (Lupron). My PSA has been non-detectable for 4 months now while being lower than .02. I thank god, my doctors, family and for having good medical coverage. Stay well my man, good luck and good life to you!
Great to hear and see you are doing well Chris. I've watched all of your videos and they have been helpful. Many Thanks. If it's helpful to anyone, I had prostate cancer back in 2014, had my prostate removed and forgot about cancer (9 YEARS!) until last August when out of a bright blue sky, during a totally routine PSA test, my cancer was back. It's very low 0.13 in August 2023, and 0.37 now (5 months). I'm awaiting a PSMA-PET scan and we'll see what the future holds after that. I put my trust in God, He is in charge of things, and He is happy to take on my worries for me. God Bless!
Hello Chris, I have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and came across your channel. I just finished watching all of your videos and I wanted to thank you for documenting and sharing your experience. I want you to know that I admire your courage as well as your candor and straightforwardness. You have expressed how you hope that your videos will help others. Trust me, they really have. I sat with my notebook while watching, jotting down points to discuss with my surgeon. Wishing you all the best in your continued recovery! Thank you!
Chris thankyou for the videos, you have helped me through some dark times with my own journey of surgery then radiation. Please keep posting and I wish you continued good health. Thanks mate.
Thank you for sharing your experience Chris, and glad that you're doing okay. I'm new to your videos and happy that I've found them. Having my prostate removed soon and trying to gather as much information as I can, so thanks again for your videos and your time. Best wishes, JA
Good evening Chris.... 1st of all congratulations on your pathway to 0 cancer. I wanted to ask a question regarding the salvage radiation. I had my prostate removed my PSA was 11 and arising in June of 2023 after 2 recent PSA checks it was 0.16 and it is now 0.22. My urologist is suggesting salvage radiation. I watched the video with this title and I just wanted to say thank and I pray for your continued recovery and for all of us in the chat. I am nervous about this as much as anyone else would be.... I ask that you just pray for strength and courage for all of us. Thank you for sharing this information to help all of us.
So glad to here your doing well Chris. I was diagnosed in December 2019, PSA 27.5. After external beam, brachytherapy and two years ADT, PSA 0.2 and stable. Keep up the great work all!
Just starting my journey w/a 25psa and going to look back one your videos to see what is ahead of me. MRI yesterday and next week I'll hopefully get the results. Thank you,
Well done Chris. I was diagnosed and treated here in the UK on 2022. Had a radical prostatecomy aged 49!. Your videos helped me then. I have been clear so far but of course the fear of it coming back is an ever present worry. I am pleased you are still winning the battle and have the time now to let us all know. Keep fighting and to quote my new motto. Life Goes On!
Hi Chris thank you for your videos. It is much appreciated that you put yourself out there to help others. It can be a lonely journey as it is difficult to discuss even worth closest
Very pleased to see you posting an update. I have been following your posts and started to become worried when the posts stopped. I have treated one recurrence and am going on three years of clean scans. Glad to have you back!
thank you for sharing very helpful in my case i started my treatment in hormone therapy and my doctors do not recommend surgery so i started with psa level of 62 and gleason 3+4 now my last test for psa after 2 months is 5.3 if anyone and you can help if i am in the wirght path i will appreciate that thank you
Chris - just found your videos - thanks for posting -really helpful I am stage 4 on ADT (Prostap and Apalutamide , just finished radiotherapy) Keep positive
Thanks for this Chris my PSA has risen to 0.18 and my blood test has been brought forward as its nearing 0.2 which is the figure when they can scan and detect it better your video has given me more confidence so thanks again and keep going
Chris I have listened to all of your videos everyone!!! But I can't remember recalling what was your original Gleason scores. Very important for me to know. Cuz I am researching deciding what treatment I am going to take. I'm sort of leaning towards proton therapy. But I plan on refusing all hormone treatments. Also, would you happen to know the "volume" of those scores. Thank you so much.
Chris glad you are doing well. I was wondering how you were doing. I was 64 years old in 2020.To make a long story short, in october 2020, had my PSA checked. It was 16.67--- had a biopsy done. Aggressive prostate cancer. Three weeks later, had robotic surgery and also the urolagist took out the lymph nodes. I got home two days before thanksgiving. Then about six weeks later I wasn't feeling well, I was kind of in a daze. I went to the E/R that evening--- found out I had sepsis. They could not treat me at the hospital in my town. I live in central minnesota, so they said they would try and find a room in minneapolis or fargo ND. Covid was rapid, so most hospital rooms were taken. But 2 or 3 days later, found a bed for me at sanford hospital in fargo ND. I was there almost a month, I lost 65 pounds, I was so sick. Sepsis is really some bad stuff. In the old days most people that got it, died. For people who don't know sepsis is a blood poisoning. The sepsis damaged my kidneys and I had to go on dialysis, 3 times a week, 4 hours each visit. I was lucky, in a few months my kidneys got better and I could go off dialysis. The doctor was surprised, he thought I would be on dialysis for life. At this point they think I am cancer free. I can relate to a song by elton john called I'am still standing!
I was wondering how you were getting on, hadnt heard from you for a while. Very pleased with your news, and you are looking very well by the way. (Also on a prostate cancer journey)
Hi Chris thanks for your very helpful advice, you have been through it all. At 70 yrs and a year after surgery I have 100% ED and not prepared to waste time with pills and injections my best option seems to be an implant. Same as you it's a last resort and worried about the risks. Are you still satisfied with your decision and does the need for ongoing treatment due to increasing PSA have any implications relating to an implant? Thank you.
With PSA 3-5 a PSMA scan should see it. Since it's not, you may have a variant that will more likely show up on a scan like a choline scan. I think there are also others like it that use the cancer metabolism to image. I know Mayo does Choline scans. Perhaps one of these types are available at Anderson.
Thank you for returning and posting again Chris! Your videos always have been very helpful. Upon starting my journey in 2021 your posts provided guidance during preparation. Glad to hear about your nubeqa treatment. Good luck! Have you mentioned your current PSA level?
Great news! I had a slight uptick in my PSA - from .04 to .08 so we'll recheck it 3 months. Side note: when I had the blood drawn that resulted in the .08 reading, I had just gotten over Covid where I lost my smell & taste for a few days. I learned that small amounts of PSA are excreted by the salivary glands, and since Covid affected them, the glands might have excreted a bit more PSA than normal.
Well, first of all, I was diagnosed in 2012 and then had my prostrate removed. I am a firm believer in physical exercise. I walk about 3 miles a week I exercise for about two hours with weights. I eat good and at least my PSA is at a standing rate of 040.
How do you like the implant?…do you recommend?…4 years out from surgery, I have about 50% response, the rest with medication…thinking of doing what you did…but your feedback would be appreciated…
It took some time to get use to even the idea of the implant. As most things, with time I have adjusted. Don't think about it much now. Love the function of it. Works as ot should and I like that don't need medication.
So glad for you. I felt a loss and thought the journey was over for you. While it might be difficult for you to post. it is much appreciated. I am 75 years old and my age makes me live in a medical isolation Zone. Some medication would finish me off at my age. other treatments re price and availability and other factors exclude me. What you and others have done , has enabled me re choice etc. Ten minutes with a Doctor does not give you all the options. Your journey will make parts of mine more understandable. PS Last May 13 ! had a notion to do a trail run, it was about a hundred +miles from Austin Texas, I could have plodded round OK (I walk at least 6 or ten miles a day as a holding level) But the temps would have been 75/84 f and humid and rain. I live in North of Scotland, just could not cope with humidity, My reason for going to a small meet was I could talk about Cancer. Also my birthday was a couple of days later, and I could do a local jog( plenty of joggers in Austin} on my birthday before I left. Thanks for making the effort and posting, All the Best, PPS Do you use a treadmill at all ?
Thank you for the video. I have followed your videos since I was diagnosed with PC in 2020. I have had a prostatectomy and salvage radiotherapy, but no hormone treatment (which I refused). For the last year, my PSA level has been 'undetectable' ie
My PSA has only been undetectable while on hormone therapy. My last PSA was 4.5 in January which is why I am doing another round of Nubeqa. Although my PSA is high, we still don't see any cancer on the scans so I will take that as a win!
38 radiation treatments! Because you had a PSA of 0.45? Wtf! This is why I don't even want to try any kind of treatment when I hear stories like yours. Why would the doctors radiate their pelvic area with such a almost undetectable PSA score! I would think they would have to get it up to one and a half or two! So they could at least see where the cancer is with a PSMA pet scan! Comments thoughts please. It's becoming so frustrating when I hear stories like yours I could be wrong but man I don't think so bro.
I am debating between surgery and proton therapy. Does anyone know what the percentage of reoccurrences with ... Surgery? I thought my doctor told me 40%. Which is very high I think. Does anyone know.
Glad you are doing well. I’ve been waiting for up dates. I have a reoccurrence and decided to go ahead with radiation. What were your side effects from radiation?
Hi, for both rounds of radiation I was also on Lupron to lower my testosterone so it is difficult to know what side effects were from radiation vs medication. For the most part it was not too bad. Fatigue in the last weeks of treatment but manageable with rest. Wishing you the best.
I was fortunate in that respect. No long-term damage to colon or bladder but that was a risk factor. I had some stomach issues during the last weeks of treatment with diarrhea but that went away for me within days of completing treatment.
Glad you are off Lupron, as that medication has horrible side effects, which I am sure you experienced. I am sure Lupron is effective, however, life without testosterone is miserable.
I've been finding studies that say lowering testosterone is a bad idea! I personally don't believe testosterone is the fuel that feeds the cancer. So therefore you wouldn't necessarily need any hormone treatments. Just saying my thoughts. One friend of mine was supposed to take lupron for 2 years. After one year the side effects were so bad he says no more! So he didn't take anymore and he had no problems with the cancer.
Chris, your courage, candor and kindness are "off the charts." This series has been a huge help to me as I am dealing with PSA levels that have "bounced around" for about eight years. Will be meeting with a urologist at a local teaching hospital next month. Don't know if I have cancer or not, but either way have found this whole series inspirational. Thank you for doing this.
Thank you for sharing. Praying for you.
As a medical professional as well as durable prostate cancer patient (post Proctectomy, in radiation) this sharing of yours has been most helpful to me. It is difficult to discover stores of patients who display such a high measure of honesty, clarity, filtered through realistic expectations. I thank you for sharing and I am happy that you are navigating this so well.
I'm glad you're winning the battles, stay strong! Your attitude is a huge part of the fight and yours is fantastic! At 57 yrs old I too had my prostate removed last year due to an aggressive form of cancer 4+4 Gleason. After surgery my PSA was .08 and climbing over 6 months. Doctors figured I still had some remaining cancer cells in the pelvic bed. My PSA reached .42, so we had 38 pelvic bed radiation treatments done and 6 months of hormone therapy (Lupron). My PSA has been non-detectable for 4 months now while being lower than .02. I thank god, my doctors, family and for having good medical coverage. Stay well my man, good luck and good life to you!
Great to hear and see you are doing well Chris. I've watched all of your videos and they have been helpful. Many Thanks. If it's helpful to anyone, I had prostate cancer back in 2014, had my prostate removed and forgot about cancer (9 YEARS!) until last August when out of a bright blue sky, during a totally routine PSA test, my cancer was back. It's very low 0.13 in August 2023, and 0.37 now (5 months). I'm awaiting a PSMA-PET scan and we'll see what the future holds after that. I put my trust in God, He is in charge of things, and He is happy to take on my worries for me. God Bless!
Hello Chris, I have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and came across your channel. I just finished watching all of your videos and I wanted to thank you for documenting and sharing your experience. I want you to know that I admire your courage as well as your candor and straightforwardness. You have expressed how you hope that your videos will help others. Trust me, they really have. I sat with my notebook while watching, jotting down points to discuss with my surgeon. Wishing you all the best in your continued recovery! Thank you!
So happy for you Chris. 👏👌👍❤️
Chris thankyou for the videos, you have helped me through some dark times with my own journey of surgery then radiation. Please keep posting and I wish you continued good health. Thanks mate.
Glad to hear your doing well and fighting forward…inspiring!
Thank you for sharing your experience Chris, and glad that you're doing okay. I'm new to your videos and happy that I've found them. Having my prostate removed soon and trying to gather as much information as I can, so thanks again for your videos and your time. Best wishes, JA
Thanks for sharing your life Chris. So happy your are doing well. Stay strong.
Thank you very much, you story is very informative and helpful.
Good evening Chris.... 1st of all congratulations on your pathway to 0 cancer. I wanted to ask a question regarding the salvage radiation. I had my prostate removed my PSA was 11 and arising in June of 2023 after 2 recent PSA checks it was 0.16 and it is now 0.22. My urologist is suggesting salvage radiation. I watched the video with this title and I just wanted to say thank and I pray for your continued recovery and for all of us in the chat. I am nervous about this as much as anyone else would be.... I ask that you just pray for strength and courage for all of us. Thank you for sharing this information to help all of us.
Thank you for taking the time to give us an update! I am glad you are still doing well. May you continue to have positive results from treatment.
So glad to here your doing well Chris. I was diagnosed in December 2019, PSA 27.5. After external beam, brachytherapy and two years ADT, PSA 0.2 and stable. Keep up the great work all!
How many cores were cancer.
Just starting my journey w/a 25psa and going to look back one your videos to see what is ahead of me. MRI yesterday and next week I'll hopefully get the results.
Thank you,
Good to see you are well .
Well done Chris. I was diagnosed and treated here in the UK on 2022. Had a radical prostatecomy aged 49!. Your videos helped me then. I have been clear so far but of course the fear of it coming back is an ever present worry. I am pleased you are still winning the battle and have the time now to let us all know. Keep fighting and to quote my new motto. Life Goes On!
Hi Chris thank you for your videos. It is much appreciated that you put yourself out there to help others. It can be a lonely journey as it is difficult to discuss even worth closest
Very pleased to see you posting an update. I have been following your posts and started to become worried when the posts stopped. I have treated one recurrence and am going on three years of clean scans. Glad to have you back!
Nice to hear that you are doing well. Cheers!
thank you for sharing very helpful
in my case i started my treatment in hormone therapy and my doctors do not recommend surgery so i started with psa level of 62 and gleason 3+4 now my last test for psa after 2 months is 5.3 if anyone and you can help if i am in the wirght path i will appreciate that thank you
Thanks a lot Chris, for sharing your experience with us. Greeting from Belgium
Chris - just found your videos - thanks for posting -really helpful I am stage 4 on ADT (Prostap and Apalutamide , just finished radiotherapy) Keep positive
Good to see you, glad you have this under control seems you have a great medical team thanks for the post ..
Gives us hope for the future
Thanks for the video Chris
Thanks for this Chris my PSA has risen to 0.18 and my blood test has been brought forward as its nearing 0.2 which is the figure when they can scan and detect it better your video has given me more confidence so thanks again and keep going
Thanks for the update, Chris. It’s nice to know you’re doing well.
Great news Chris..👏👏💪❤️
Chris I have listened to all of your videos everyone!!! But I can't remember recalling what was your original Gleason scores. Very important for me to know. Cuz I am researching deciding what treatment I am going to take. I'm sort of leaning towards proton therapy. But I plan on refusing all hormone treatments. Also, would you happen to know the "volume" of those scores. Thank you so much.
Chris glad you are doing well. I was wondering how you were doing. I was 64 years old in 2020.To make a long story short, in october 2020, had my PSA checked. It was 16.67--- had a biopsy done. Aggressive prostate cancer. Three weeks later, had robotic surgery and also the urolagist took out the lymph nodes. I got home two days before thanksgiving. Then about six weeks later I wasn't feeling well, I was kind of in a daze. I went to the E/R that evening--- found out I had sepsis. They could not treat me at the hospital in my town. I live in central minnesota, so they said they would try and find a room in minneapolis or fargo ND. Covid was rapid, so most hospital rooms were taken. But 2 or 3 days later, found a bed for me at sanford hospital in fargo ND. I was there almost a month, I lost 65 pounds, I was so sick. Sepsis is really some bad stuff. In the old days most people that got it, died. For people who don't know sepsis is a blood poisoning. The sepsis damaged my kidneys and I had to go on dialysis, 3 times a week, 4 hours each visit. I was lucky, in a few months my kidneys got better and I could go off dialysis. The doctor was surprised, he thought I would be on dialysis for life. At this point they think I am cancer free. I can relate to a song by elton john called I'am still standing!
You have been through a lot. Stay strong and keep fighting.
Keep moving forward and stay healthy
Hi Chris. I was worried about you. No news is often bad news. Glad to see you are bowed, but not beaten.
Chris, so glad to hear that you are doing well! Hang in there buddy!
So glad to here your doing well Chris.
I was wondering how you were getting on, hadnt heard from you for a while. Very pleased with your news, and you are looking very well by the way. (Also on a prostate cancer journey)
Hi Chris thanks for your very helpful advice, you have been through it all. At 70 yrs and a year after surgery I have 100% ED and not prepared to waste time with pills and injections my best option seems to be an implant. Same as you it's a last resort and worried about the risks. Are you still satisfied with your decision and does the need for ongoing treatment due to increasing PSA have any implications relating to an implant? Thank you.
With PSA 3-5 a PSMA scan should see it. Since it's not, you may have a variant that will more likely show up on a scan like a choline scan. I think there are also others like it that use the cancer metabolism to image. I know Mayo does Choline scans. Perhaps one of these types are available at Anderson.
Thank you for returning and posting again Chris! Your videos always have been very helpful. Upon starting my journey in 2021 your posts provided guidance during preparation. Glad to hear about your nubeqa treatment. Good luck! Have you mentioned your current PSA level?
At last check, off medication, it was 4.46
@@chrishartley6966 I'm thinking that on medication it probably is much lower or undetectable.
Great to hear! Stay strong man! 💪🙏
Thanks for the video, glad your doing well. What type of radiation did you receive?
Great news! I had a slight uptick in my PSA - from .04 to .08 so we'll recheck it 3 months. Side note: when I had the blood drawn that resulted in the .08 reading, I had just gotten over Covid where I lost my smell & taste for a few days. I learned that small amounts of PSA are excreted by the salivary glands, and since Covid affected them, the glands might have excreted a bit more PSA than normal.
Covid shots. What about the vaccines?? How many did you get if any.
@@ricknowak4582 I had only the initial 2-stage shot that everybody had to get. No boosters or anything after that.
Great news! I am happy for you!!! 😇
Well, first of all, I was diagnosed in 2012 and then had my prostrate removed. I am a firm believer in physical exercise. I walk about 3 miles a week I exercise for about two hours with weights. I eat good and at least my PSA is at a standing rate of 040.
How do you like the implant?…do you recommend?…4 years out from surgery, I have about 50% response, the rest with medication…thinking of doing what you did…but your feedback would be appreciated…
It took some time to get use to even the idea of the implant. As most things, with time I have adjusted. Don't think about it much now. Love the function of it. Works as ot should and I like that don't need medication.
stay strong!
Chris, how is your progress going?
Chris, are your annual scans PSMA PET scans or some other type of imaging?
So glad for you. I felt a loss and thought the journey was over for you. While it might be difficult for you to post. it is much appreciated. I am 75 years old and my age makes me live in a medical isolation Zone.
Some medication would finish me off at my age. other treatments re price and availability and other factors exclude me.
What you and others have done , has enabled me re choice etc. Ten minutes with a Doctor does not give you all the options. Your journey will make parts of mine more understandable.
PS
Last May 13 ! had a notion to do a trail run, it was about a hundred +miles from Austin Texas,
I could have plodded round OK (I walk at least 6 or ten miles a day as a holding level)
But the temps would have been 75/84 f and humid and rain. I live in North of Scotland, just could not cope with humidity, My reason for going to a small meet was I could talk about Cancer. Also my birthday was a couple of days later, and I could do a local jog( plenty of joggers in Austin} on my birthday before I left.
Thanks for making the effort and posting,
All the Best,
PPS
Do you use a treadmill at all ?
I am now focused on maintaining lean muscle so I lift 4 ton5 days a week. I do an incline walk for 45 mins 2 to 3 days a week.
🙏🏻🙏🏻
Great News Chris - Thanks for the update.
Thank you for the video. I have followed your videos since I was diagnosed with PC in 2020. I have had a prostatectomy and salvage radiotherapy, but no hormone treatment (which I refused). For the last year, my PSA level has been 'undetectable' ie
My PSA has only been undetectable while on hormone therapy. My last PSA was 4.5 in January which is why I am doing another round of Nubeqa. Although my PSA is high, we still don't see any cancer on the scans so I will take that as a win!
38 radiation treatments! Because you had a PSA of 0.45? Wtf! This is why I don't even want to try any kind of treatment when I hear stories like yours. Why would the doctors radiate their pelvic area with such a almost undetectable PSA score! I would think they would have to get it up to one and a half or two! So they could at least see where the cancer is with a PSMA pet scan! Comments thoughts please. It's becoming so frustrating when I hear stories like yours I could be wrong but man I don't think so bro.
I am debating between surgery and proton therapy. Does anyone know what the percentage of reoccurrences with ... Surgery? I thought my doctor told me 40%. Which is very high I think. Does anyone know.
Hi Chris, I am glad that you are doing well. Even though your scans are negative, what’s your current PSA?
PSA I'm goes between 3 and 5 off medication.
Glad you are doing well. I’ve been waiting for up dates. I have a reoccurrence and decided to go ahead with radiation. What were your side effects from radiation?
Hi, for both rounds of radiation I was also on Lupron to lower my testosterone so it is difficult to know what side effects were from radiation vs medication. For the most part it was not too bad. Fatigue in the last weeks of treatment but manageable with rest. Wishing you the best.
@@chrishartley6966
I am just concerned about damage to colon and bladder areas
I was fortunate in that respect. No long-term damage to colon or bladder but that was a risk factor. I had some stomach issues during the last weeks of treatment with diarrhea but that went away for me within days of completing treatment.
Glad you are off Lupron, as that medication has horrible side effects, which I am sure you experienced. I am sure Lupron is effective, however, life without testosterone is miserable.
I've been finding studies that say lowering testosterone is a bad idea! I personally don't believe testosterone is the fuel that feeds the cancer. So therefore you wouldn't necessarily need any hormone treatments. Just saying my thoughts. One friend of mine was supposed to take lupron for 2 years. After one year the side effects were so bad he says no more! So he didn't take anymore and he had no problems with the cancer.
👍