Medical tests this month give grounds for optimism while also showing clearly that I am not yet finished with the cancer adventure. My testing cycle has settled in to a two+ months rhythm, so I will now be looking to August for additional guidance.
This month I had the usual PSA blood test and the result was 6.1, not what I wanted. I am expecting that the PSA score will level off at some point, but instead it is basically doubling every two months for the past year, since being <.1 when I stopped hormone therapy in July 2011. A score of 4 is considered the threshold for concern, so 6.1 is not good but also not extremely alarming in the absence of other indicators. I can go back on hormone therapy if I need to, as I seemed to tolerate it pretty well during the nine months October 2010 to July 1011.
Meanwhile I also had a pelvic MRI, which showed good improvement in every area affected when compared to the prior scan in October 2010. This is good news, continuing the recent pattern of positive scans (chest x-ray and visceral ultrasound in April). Overall these are giving an optimistic place to rest. It was interesting to experience a bit of anxiety this time from just being in the testing environment again, the location of complex feelings when the diagnosis was first given.
My attention is being drawn to a renewed exploration of subtle factors in my whole adventure, while also staying with the rest of my oxygen-diet-supplements regimen. Cancer includes the phenomenon of disturbed cells “hiding” from the immune system and becoming “invisible” to one’s natural defenses. Similarly I have a sense of there being further unidentified territory left to explore in terms of the psycho-emotional context of my condition. This is my current focus area.
I have benefitted greatly from new input from several sources, including interactions with Olaf Korpiun (Germany), author of the new book, Cranio-Sacral S.E.L.F. Waves” and Jaap van der Wal (Holland), embryology expert. They presented seminars here and both were rich with relevant material to help me better understand the physical process of cancer and also energetic interpretations about the nature of my experience.
My next update will be in mid- to late-August, probably just a PSA test as I am not over-scheduling the more expensive and complex scanning tests.