A Theological Quandary

sunshine

Here at AnCan, we like to highlight the perspectives of every person that enters our virtual “door”, so to speak. That includes religious perspectives; we are SO proud of how diverse our community is. So, as such, these views aren’t an official AnCan viewpoint.

Now that that’s out of the way, we just thought we would share a more religious perspective on a person’s cancer journey. In her blog, Stingray of Sunshine, author Dana Hendershot asks the question, “If it is truly a God blessing that my cancer was found early, then I also have to believe that God did NOT bless the person whose cancer wasn’t caught early.”

Author, and cancer survivor, Dana Hendershot, goes into depth about those words and phrases that others might deem comforting to someone going through cancer. Phrases like “God has his reasons” are the opposite of comforting for her.

CLICK HERE to read Hendershot’s blog post about her “Theological Quandary”

No matter our religious (or nonreligious) perspective, these sentiments may be felt by many in our community – regardless of which illness you may have.

Thank you to one of our fantastic MS Moderators, Jennifer Digmann, for the blog suggestion!!

Our MS group meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Check out our calendar for more info on our other groups.

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 12, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 12, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 12, 2023

AnCan is grateful to the following sponsors for making this recording possible: Bayer, Foundation Medicine, Pfizer, Janssen, Myriad Genetics, Myovant, Telix & Blue Earth Diagnostics.

AnCan respectfully notes that it does not accept sponsored promotion. Any drugs, protocols or devices recommended in our discussions are based solely on anecdotal peer experience or clinical evidence.

AnCan cannot and does not provide medical advice. We encourage you to discuss anything you hear in our sessions with your own medical team.

AnCan’s Prostate Cancer Forum is back (https://ancan.org/forums). If you’d like to comment on anything you see in our Recordings or read in our Reminders, just sign up and go right ahead. You can also click on the Forum icon at the top right of the webpage.

All AnCan’s groups are free and drop-in … join us in person sometime! You can find out more about our 12 monthly prostate cancer meetings at https://ancan.org/prostate-cancer/          Sign up to receive a weekly Reminder/Newsletter for this Group or others at https://ancan.org/contact-us/

Join our other free and drop in groups: Men (Only) Speaking Freely…1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/men-speaking-freely/       Veterans Healthcare Navigation… 4th Thursday @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/veterans/

Editors pick: His growing prostate tumor causes pain, but he’s “too old” for treatment. (bn)

Topics Discussed
At the end of his treatment road, a spirited Carl Forman speaks to us from home hospice — “it’s almost like a spa”; prostatectomy at age 49, recurrence at 58, now on ADT and feeling “like a Mack truck hit me”; PSA stops creeping higher and stands still; high fever, swollen groin keep returning — is it his artificial sphincter?; radiology report suggests he’s developing MS — why’d medonc say nothing?; growing tumor causes prostate pain, but docs keep ruling out treatments; a month after ADT, testosterone is up tenfold; managing uncharacteristic low spirits after surgery; safe to walk the streets near Penn?; weighing a 20% fracture risk from spine radiation against the benefits; Myovant sold; mutations spring up out of nowhere in new somatic report; update on AnCan’s Great Nonprofits ranking; we’re no stranger to palliative care.

Chat Log
AnCan – rick · 6:12 PM
Forman – over 5 years… Sep 2018

Unknown · 6:17 PM
Carl Forman carl.forman@gmail.com

AnCan – rick · 6:35 PM
Gents – please be aware that AnCan has spoken often about end-of-life options and hospice.

AnCan – rick · 6:38 PM
We actually had an amazing session with Prof Bill GRHS that I think is accessible on our website. I will see it.

AnCan – rick · 6:56 PM
Prof Bill Burhans GRHS discusses hospice and end-of-life https://ancan.org/20064-2/ …..

AnCan – rick · 7:20 PM
cabazitaxel (Jevtana) vs docetaxel (Taxotere)

Alan Babcock · 7:21 PM
I have another meeting. See y’all next wek.

AnCan – rick · 7:24 PM
Suprapubic catheter is a tube above the prostate to the bladder that exits to a bag.

Len Sierra · 7:46 PM
Prostate-Specific Antigen Level at the Time of Salvage Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer and the Risk of Death Derya Tilki , MD1,2,3; Ming-Hui Chen , PhD4; Jing Wu, PhD5; Hartwig Huland, MD1; Markus Graefen, MD1; Osama Mohamad , MD, PhD6; Janet E. Cowan , MA7; Felix Y. Feng , MD6; Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH7; and Anthony V. D’Amico , MD, PhD8

AnCan – rick · 7:48 PM
Tx Len

Neil Sundstrom · 7:50 PM
someone is breathing heavily and it is hard to hear. Please mute

AnCan – rick · 7:50 PM
It’s John Kish who is speaking

Julian – Houston · 8:00 PM
Orgovyx: 1-833-674-6899

Julian – Houston · 8:01 PM
Orgovyx does too!

Len Sierra · 8:04 PM
Sumitovant Biopharma, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma, acquired Myovant Sciences for $1.7 billion in an all-cash deal.

AnCan – rick · 8:08 PM
Tx again Len

Julian – Houston · 8:11 PM
Thanks everyone – Got to go = See you all next week!

Peter Gudel · 8:11 PM
See you all next time..

Unknown · 8:13 PM
Myovant bought by sumitoma subsidiary sumitovant biopharma

Peter · 8:17 PM
good night all!

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 12, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 4, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 4, 2023

AnCan is grateful to the following sponsors for making this recording possible: Bayer, Foundation Medicine, Pfizer, Janssen, Myriad Genetics, Myovant, Telix & Blue Earth Diagnostics.

AnCan respectfully notes that it does not accept sponsored promotion. Any drugs, protocols or devices recommended in our discussions are based solely on anecdotal peer experience or clinical evidence.

AnCan cannot and does not provide medical advice. We encourage you to discuss anything you hear in our sessions with your own medical team.

AnCan’s Prostate Cancer Forum is back (https://ancan.org/forums). If you’d like to comment on anything you see in our Recordings or read in our Reminders, just sign up and go right ahead. You can also click on the Forum icon at the top right of the webpage.

All AnCan’s groups are free and drop-in … join us in person sometime! You can find out more about our 12 monthly prostate cancer meetings at https://ancan.org/prostate-cancer/          Sign up to receive a weekly Reminder/Newsletter for this Group or others at https://ancan.org/contact-us/

Join our other free and drop in groups: Men (Only) Speaking Freely…1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/men-speaking-freely/       Veterans Healthcare Navigation… 4th Thursday @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/veterans/

Editor’s pick: Five of our Regulars wrestle with recurrence this week; and one more is his own best advocate to get a scan(rd)

Topics Discussed

Eminent internist handles Gleason 4+5 diagnosis well; recurrence points to doublet therapy; abiraterone can result in cardio/BP issues; innovative GU med onc addresses lung spots with switching meds before trying RT; Gent finds his own NIH trial to his doc’s chagrin; T. flows back well post Orgovyx; PSMA scan shows oligoMx recurrence – AnCan reassures anxious Gent; with too many lesions, spot RT may yield to chemo; finally feeling better post prednisone; enzalutamide makes another man dizzy; doc agrees on FDG PET for concordance with PSMA but shies away for Payer reasons; neuroendocrine blood markers; Jimmy G remembers Jimmy B. – and Gent shares his Merkel Cell history.

Chat Log

  • AnCan – rick sent · 5:35 PM
    Embr Labs
  • AnCan – rick sent · 6:06 PM
  • Len Sierra sent · 6:19 PM
    Hi Jeff,
  • Gary P sent · 7:05 PM
  • Frank Fabish Columbus OH sent · 7:07 PM
    Thanks guys. Got to go. See you next Tuesday.
  • Geoff sent · 7:17 PM
    Thanks for those private messages to me about being afraid. I can’t seem to reply privately so thanks everyone!
  • Len Sierra sent · 7:18 PM
    According to Dr. Karim Fizazi, Darolutamide was not associated with a higher incidence of seizures, falls, fractures, cognitive disorder, or hypertension than placebo.
Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, Sep 12, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, June 5, 2023

Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat, June 5, 2023

AnCan is grateful to the following sponsors for making this recording possible: Bayer, Foundation Medicine, Pfizer, Janssen, Myriad Genetics, Myovant & Telix

AnCan’s Prostate Cancer Forum is back (https://ancan.org/forums). If you’d like to comment on anything you see in our Recordings or read in our Reminders, just sign up and go right ahead. You can also click on the Forum icon at the top right of the webpage.

Apologies to all who attended live last night! GoTo issued a massive update over the weekend and did not advise their customers. Some folks couldn’t even open their rooms – in our case we lost video. Citrix support was less than honest, causing even more grief. As you saw we had to shut down the room and restart after they reset our settings. It put me in a very grumpy mood … :-(( – apologies if I offended anyone!

All AnCan’s groups are free and drop-in … join us in person sometime! You can find out more about our 12 monthly prostate cancer meetings at https://ancan.org/prostate-cancer/     Sign up to receive a weekly Reminder/Newsletter for this Group or others at https://ancan.org/contact-us/  Join our other free and drop in groups: Men (Only) Speaking Freely…1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/men-speaking-freely/       Veterans Healthcare… 4th Thursday @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/veterans/

Editor’s Pick: I could go for the very end with ice cream and Capt Joe’s tips on koi – BUT how about somatic testing?! It’s so important, many docs don’t test, and when they do, forget to repeat!

Topics Discussed

Dx at a young 80, denovo Nx; time to switch from the VA?; Gents wants to add abi but doc reluctant; chemo fails – nothing sticks… what next but somatic testing!; multiple treatment modes at one time;…and another without answers who needs testing and a GU med onc; retention issues from RT damage – back to rad onc; our foamy gland guy holds steady; switching to Metformin for diabetes … and cutting out the ice cream!; all you ever wanted to know about keeping koi!

Chat Log

rd sent · 5:31 PM DELMARVA gents… organize a lunch!!!

rd sent · 5:48 PM somatic testing

Julian – Houston sent · 6:31 PM good evening everyone – see you next week! Thanks!!!

TonyFig sent · 6:53 PM https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/31825023-peter-van-veldhuizen

Peter sent · 7:09 PM Good night gents!

Steve Schuler sent · 7:22 PM Thanks folks, have to go

Mike Yancey – Oklahoma sent · 7:26 PM Great Meeting. Early morning of more treatments. Gotta drop

Chip & Jane sent · 7:29 PM G’Nite Gents. THANK YOU! Seems I found a ” home” here . Much appreciated.

Frank Fabish Columbus OH sent · 7:37 PM I’m off. Thanks guys.

Jack G. sent · 7:37 PM Good night and thanks. See you next week. Jack G.

ICE  Checklist … in case you go cold!

ICE Checklist … in case you go cold!

ICE Checklist … in case you go cold!

Last month’s Under 60 Stage 3 & 4 Prostate Cancer meeting was small, intimate and produced a true gem from Down Under to benefit all AnCan’rs …

For the life of me, I forget what raised the topic … maybe a Death with Dignity discussion – but Aussie AnCan’r, Steve Cavill told us about the ICE “In Case of Emergency” Checklist Document that he and his wife Leonie, who occasionally attends our Care Partners Group, have both completed. Steve and Leonie reside in the suburbs of Melbourne and are currently heading towards mid-Winter.

This ICE Checklist takes much, if not all, the difficulty out of placing your key information in one place. Like your vital passwords to your laptop, phone or bank accounts; names of key individuals in your life and more. You know .. all that information making it possible for someone to piece your life together if you’re suddenly no longer with us.

Frankly it’s information we should all compile no matter how old. With this checklist guide at hand to march us through it, there can be few excuses. Just remember, this version of the ICE checklist was created in Oz, so it may not be fully applicable Stateside.  If one of our US volunteers has time to ‘Americanize’ it, I feel sure it will be greatly appreciated – we have very few solicitors in the US and a few too many attorneys!

Here’s the checklist document in Word format ICE Document Template  Now do your part …. and a BIG THANK YOU, Steve Cavill!!