Dying With Dignity

A prostate cancer diagnosis, just like any type cancer diagnosis for that matter forces us to think of our mortality. Not to sound morbid, but dying is something we will all do! Will we be prepared? Will we do it with dignity? Attend one of the PAF meetings in February in San Francisco or Santa Rosa, John Bohan, PAF Mentor will be covering this delicate subject with caring & compassion.

Dying With Dignity

Many of us have watched family members or friends suffer thru the final stages of advanced cancer. It is not a pretty site. There are only three states in the USA that allow the terminally ill to legally take their own lives, California May soon become another. 

Prostate cancer patients live with the knowledge that they will not live forever. We all come to grips with this issue one way or another. John Bohan, PAF Mentor has put together a presentation titled "Death And Dying - Prostate Cancer

and will be lecturing on this important subject at our PAF meetings in San Francisco & Santa Rosa meetings in February.

PAF Meetings & Hikes this Week in Sonoma County

HWe're excited about meeting some new friends at the newThursday night PAF meetings in Guerneville at the Senior Center. 

We did an aggressive hike in Sugarloaf State park in Sonoma County Monday. Looking forward to going back to this beautiful well kept secret of a park on Wednesday for an easier, more casual version. Hope to see you there

The Cost of a Prostate Biopsy

Nobody we talk to is thrilled about getting a prostate biopsy. Fear of needle tracking, potentially dislodging a cancer cell and having it travel to find a home elsewhere in the body is a common concern. A second growing concern is a reported increased infection rate associated with this non-sterile procedure, now approaching 10%. 

But what about the financial cost. We have had recent conversations with men who were billed as little as $1200 and as high as $19,000 for the same procedure! Why the big spread? What did your biopsy cost? We also note that more and more, an MRI is being done to better determine if a biopsy makes sense.

Happy Holidays

Wishing you and yours a great

holiday. I wanted to share one of my favorite John Muir words of wisdom:

"Keep close to Natures heart....

And break clear away, once in awhile,

& climb a mountain or spend a week

In the woods.

Wash your spirit clean".

Photo is on the Cataract Trail on Mt Tamalpais in Marin County, CA

Maca and Prostate Cancer

The PAF conducted an anecdotal trial on Maca Root extract in 2005. We wanted to see if Maca would have an effect on men's libidos who had with prostate cancer. Some of the men were on ADT therapy which means they were using pharmaceutical drugs to block their bodies ability to produce testosterone. They were chemically castrated (testosterone level under 20). We were surprised to hear that one of the three men on ADT reported that using Maca helped him retain sexual interest and achieve an erection. This was pretty profound. Of the 10 men in the trial, 6 reported improved sexual energy and libido. 2 reported a reduction. Six reported an improvement in mood and feeling of well being while 1 reported a diminishment. It would appear this root from the high Andes has endocrine system modulating capability for some men and requires further studies. 

It should be noted that the price of maca is increasing dramatically lately due to a cornering of the market by Chinese interests selling it as an aphrodisiac!

Below is a picture of Walter Radtke PAF's   

Videographer, UTube expert and regular hiker on the Mt Whittenberg trail in Pt Reyes Natonal Park.

What did you eat for Thanksgiving dinner?

I haven't eaten turkey since 1995 when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and became a fish eating vegan. 

We had a Field Roast brand Hazelnut & Cranberry Roast. This company makes a tasty line of sausages so thought we would try the roast. Made from wheat gluten, surrounded by a pastry crust like a beef Wellington and stuffed with the hazelnut & cranberry dressing. Yummy. We also had wasabi mashed potatoes and a side of Brussels sprouts, string beans & mushrooms. Gail made a pumpkin cheese cake and a chocolate cake. Everything vegan and delicious. See below: