Dear Mr. Alok,
No words can desribe the time and effort you decidate for the teatment of your paitents.
Post a couple of months for obstruction in passing urine and investigations at various places, we decided to go for an operation TURBT.
During the operation procedure the surgeon found a hard ball like substance in the postrate and decided to conduct a biopsy.The biopsy report revealed the presence of two primaries.
Therafter on a reputed urologists advice and multiple opinions we re-evaluated the biopsy slides and conducted a Pet CT. The surgeon advised us to adopt a wait and watch approach and not go for another surgery to remove the tumor cosidering the old age.
He referred us to Dr.Alok, a young professional medical oncologist. Upon meeting him and spending considerable time on evaluation of options, immunotherapy was finalised. We had the option of surgery or immunotherapy and decided to go for the latter. The drug was recommended by the doctor and is injected once a month. The doctors confidence and assurance in what he was doing needs a special mention because it has briught hope and zeal to live life again.
It was to say the least traumatizing upon finding out about the disease and mentally challenging. Upon the paitient and familly's little knowledge about the disease we decided to look out for opinions and search the internet. It is tought to digest at first and you are taken aback. At first time suddenly seemed to run out and finally awareness and results of the treatment have given a fresh spur of life and finding love in all little things.
Monitoring the disease and being aggressive with investigatons have led to results which can be explained in the points :
- Post the first four doses and past 4 months of medication the feeling and mindset has completely changed about survival and life. Able to do regular activites without much help of others and actively walk in farms ranging in the distance of upto 5 km almost on daily basis.
- The PSA levels have come in the range of 0 which was well over 4-5 previous to the immunotherapy. Scans have showed the tumor size has shrunk and obstruction in urine has not happend for over 2 months.
- The doctor was initally speculating the presense of bladder cancer which could had likely spread to the bladder. It is a little difficult to understand the presence of 2 types of cancer's in the body parts located nearby. The latest discharge summaries of the hospital have started mentioning the presence of Postrate Cancer only. This was what the doctor believed before the start of treatment.
- Having faith in your doctors abilites and capibilities of understanding the subject is rewarding. The way they look after and care for their patients is tremendously appreciative. Anytime availability and constant consulation with fellow doctors gives the paitent reassurance about the treatment.
- A little bit of burning sensation, redness and weight gain have been a couple of sideffects of immunotherapy ( Firmagon) apart from bone weakning for which medication is in place
- Never loose hope in life and fighting diseases, if at 84 and old man can then everybody can.