Big Day Today!

While I never thought that my 40th Birthday would be celebrated by IV’s and injections, I don’t think it is a bad thing. Not only investing in what we hope is a very lengthy remission, but also if I can’t celebrate with family and other friends, the people that I have met here and in Reno are the closest thing to it. Their positive attitude and spirit help me to see light at the end of this tunnel. The focus that these people have in being able to now set aside the trivial and lock in on their treatment and what is important in their lives has taught me as much as I have learned medically about Prostate Cancer. There is a right way to live your life and they understand it. I have told some that I am not emotionally mature enough to be able to call this cancer a blessing, but I can easily recognize the blessings that have come from it. Most of the blessings r​ead this blog.

Last year I wondered what it would feel like to turn 40. I thought at the time that it was just turning another page, albeit a thicker one. I did think on some level that it was a milestone and I felt that some part of my life had passed, never to return. So while I wasn’t necessarily feeling my mortality, I felt that I was progressing into an older, not necessarily wiser, stage of life. It made me feel how quickly my life moved and amazed me that I have an 11 and 9 year old, and have been married over 13 years. As I look at what this 40th Birthday means to me today, it is very different. I thank God that I have been able to do the things I have, watch my children progress from infants to very distinct personaliti​es, and to get to know all of you. I don’t worry today about my age or growing older. I pray to walk Sarah down the aisle. I pray to see John take a wife. I pray to see grandchildr​en. I pray to grow old with my wife and kick kids off of my lawn. I love my life today and getting older isn’t a curse. In short, I pray for the opportunity to grow much older. Every positive test result gives me hope that I will do just that. I believe in this treatment and this doctor and see positive results daily in many of my friends receiving treatment.



On the medical front, I found out that my sialic acid is very high (190), as to be expected. This would indicate that there is a large amount of cancer in my body. But I knew that. The PSA and AlkPhos seem to show that it is not very active right now due to the Hormone Blocker. This was drawn before treatment started, but takes about a week to culture the sample and get the results. I will be receiving the Neo-Springe​r Vaccine (See Link under San Diego Clinic, Treaments) on Monday.
​Explanation of Sialic Acid –
Carcinoma cell (cancer cells) are covered with Sialic acid (which also serves as a carcinoma marker for diagnostic purposes) and this helps hide the cancer from the immune system. Sialic acid is not particularl​y immunogenic.​
T/Tn antigens (Neo-Spring​er Vaccine) covertly attach to immunogenes in order to induce an immune response. The body then goes after the cancer with a vengeance.
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I will be meeting with Dr. Munoz on Saturday and hope to get the rest of where he thinks we are headed with treatment, now that he has seen all of the baseline bloodwork.

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Thanks for reading and humoring this newly 40 year old!

Brian.