Great news, Laurel!! Thanks for updating us. Tell Gregg "Have a
happy" for me, and I hope you both go out and celebrate!

Fuller

--- In protoninfo@yahoogroups.com, "Laurel" <LaurelFace@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Everybody,
>
> I thought that some of you might be interested in Gregg's latest good
> news.
>
> His bi-annual bladder scope for bladder cancer was clear. He has been
> bladder cancer free for 3 1/2 years now. Will continue on the six
> month schedule until year 5 and then go to annual scopes. As you are
> all living with PSA test anxiety, you can imagine what the bladder
> scopes are like. Speaking for myself, I can hardly breathe as the
> time for the scope draws near.
>
> Speaking of PSA tests, Gregg is coinciding his blood draw with that
> of the submission of urine for a bladder cancer protein test. The
> latest PSA test result was 1.4. This was up from 1.2 six months ago.
> I took a couple of deep breaths and re-read some of my PSA research
> material to remind myself that 1.4 at 20 months post proton therapy
> was nothing to worry about.
>
> Quoting Dr. Rossi in his book, Bob Marckini writes "Post radiation
> treatment PSA drop is never a straight line. It can be a roller
> coaster ride. It can plateau and it can even temporarily bump up,
> especially during the first two years following treatment."
>
> I copied this from a 2006 study:
> A gradual decline to nadir led to the best results, wrote Michael E.
> Ray, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan and colleagues from
> eight other institutions. Biochemical and clinical outcome as well as
> distant metastasis-free survival were also better among patients in
> whom PSA nadir was not reached for two years or more after radiation.
>
> I heard the head of radiation oncology at a local hospital say that
> it can take as much as five years for radiation to complete its job,
> especially for a sexually active man.
>
> So we are still waiting for Gregg's number to fall to below 1, but I
> am confident that it will do so.
>
> On the legal front; we have reached the end of the road with Kaiser
> (our HMO). After almost two years and $3,000 spent on legal
> representation, Kaiser unearthed a document signed 10 years ago, by
> Gregg, in which he waived his right to anything but Arbitration in
> settling a grievance.
>
> We were banking on the fact that he was not bound by the Arbitration
> clause. He was promoted within the Sheriff's Dept. in 1998 to a
> position that necessitated a slight modification in our health
> insurance plan. The signing of said document was routine and Gregg
> did not remember having signed it.
>
> The sad thing is that it took Kaiser so long to play their card. That
> and the fact that Gregg's case never even made it to the legal
> department within Kaiser. The document came from a claims adjustor :(
>
> We very much wanted to kick Kaiser's ass, but certainly do not regret
> having made the decision to go with Protons.
>
> A friend of ours who knows about proton therapy and even went so far
> as to go for a consultation in Loma Linda, is going in for surgery on
> Monday. This suprised us very much, especially since this man has
> been doing active surveillance for about 3 years. He explained his
> decision to Gregg, and at the end said that "radiation is my ace in
> the hole should surgery not work." Blah, blah, blah. Gregg gave him
> the counter argument and that seemed to bring him up short, but he is
> still going in for surgery. I wish him the best of luck, but you all
> know that I think he is making a serious mistake.
>
> I am so glad that this group is here. It is nice to be able to share
> good news with you all. Gregg will be 60 this month and I am so
> grateful to be able to celebrate a healthy, happy birthday with him.
>
> Laurel
>