T Level is Dropping???

[amorgan74]

Yes, Ms. Dianne, I feel like maybe we are starting to get to the top of the hill we are climbing with getting the HRT right. Any sign of progress was definitely welcome and I encourage anyone to just hang in there with this. Aplril

[Mom]

Terrific, April. Dianne

[nickohs]

April, yet another lady who stands by her man!

Hi guys,

I don't post often, but continue to monitor every post. I don't need, (thank goodness,), to interject when Brian and others are doing such a great job on this forum.

I am inspired to write today and record my admiration for April, and all the other ladies I know, who have weathered the low Testosterone storm, created in her man, and saved him from sinking.

It will continue to get better April. As long as care is taken not to overdose, it is worth experimenting at home a little to get absolutely on the mark with the dose. I adjusted my dose until I got it right. I informed my doctor of each experiment, and he agreed to adjust the dose on my next script. This went on until we finally got to the right dose. That took two months.

I reckon the next most important thing is that you are managing to be more open in your conversations.

In Deep South Territory, that is sumthin lady!!

best wishes

Nick

[huckchef]

it will!!!!! i'm glad to see things are looking up!!! i hope and pray it will continue to get better!! great job

[amorgan74]

I am happy to say that dosage has everything to do with response and when the dosage is near what it needs to be then life is good. Needless to say we are seeing results with the increased Androgel and my suggestion to anyone going through this is patience and persistence with your doctor. Another thought is that I know you guys have taken enough pills and meds to last a lifetime but do this for yourself, take your HRT religiously until it becomes a habit. It seems that was part of Wesley's problem, this was a daily reminder of what he'd been through and we had to change that way of thinking and have a few heart to heart, eyeball to eyeball talks. Hopefully this is going to continue to get much better. April

[amorgan74]

I wanted to say that during this last visit to the oncologist I told him about how difficult the HRT has been and the mixed feelings that I had about how long it should take for this to get better. He laughed at us and immediately said, "Your dosage definitely needs to be increased again and you may need to try a different med." This of course was not the answer I was expecting. I was expecting wait x number of months and see how things go. He did say that the surgery sight would probably always be tender and sensitive for Wesley and kind of described what exactly is done with the I/O surgery. I felt much better after this visit and was very optimistic about this upcoming 2nd year. He told us that we would know when the HRT was high enough, I would want to lock Wesley out of the house because I couldn't live with him due to him being irritable. I found that kind of funny because I am sure Wesley thinks the same thing with me in regards to PMS. April

[amorgan74]

Thanks ya'll, I hope this does eventually work itself out. April

[huckchef]

good luck with everything!!!! i know how frustating this can be but it will soon get better. my continued thoughts and prayers, brian!

[Karen]

Hi April,
Hang in there and good luck with the urologist appointment. Hope you can get your questions answered so you can look at Plans B & C. Karen

[amorgan74]

Hey gang, Just wanted to report in that we haven't seen any changes in the last couple of weeks but I am hopeful. We see the urologist in about six weeks and we'll see how things are going then. Hope everyone is doing well. April

[huckchef]

I'm Free For A Phone Call Anytime!!! Or Private Email If He Would Like!! Just Let Me Know!!

[nickohs]

April,
You are one brave, strong, smart lady. I'm sorry if I laid it on a bit thick.
As I said, the one prospect of speeding it all up is if Wesley can be persuaded to confide in somebody.

One technique used successfully in the past, was to "innocently" leave some informative printed matter where it would be picked up and looked at out of curiosity.

One lady even printed of selected correspondence between herself and me. Her partner then began to ask questions and ended up emailing me. Things have improved it seems. Very similar circumstances.

Hope it helps,

best wishes,

Nick

[dadmo]

April:
I'm generally pleased with the healthcare system in the US but they only seem to treat the life threatning parts of tc. How is it possible that these young men get treated for cancer and then are to to go home and now enjoy your life. It would seem that at the end of treatment all cancer survivors should have a manditory 3-4 sessions with someone to talk to and that with tc everyone should be checked for testosterone levels. My son and are having some problems, it could be his fault, it could be mine but I would feel better if he had his testosterone levels checked and just chated with a professional. Now I'm rambling sorry. Just stay strong. As co-survivors we have battles to fight to.

[amorgan74]

Okay Nick, I hear you loud and clear and I am in tears but that's okay. It's a release of emotion so tears are okay. I know I can't make this better right now but it sounds like I can make it easier for both of us by backing off a little on this. I understand everything you've said and it's not easy to sit and watch someone go through this and not try to take some of the burden that you feel like they are carrying. I know you understand what I am saying.

I shouldn't be complaining should I, he's the one whose been through all of this and he's doing well compared to how it could be, every now and then I have to nudge myself and remember the alternatives. "Now" doesn't look so bad when I consider that. Sounds like I gotta let this go and not make it more stressful than it already is. A

[nickohs]

Hi April,

OK, I appreciate how this is grinding on you. God knows it is tough to deal with.
But, I am afraid, stuff like this takes time to get over physically first of all. Ignoring the vitally important hormone issue for a moment. Chemo is poison and damages the body significantly. 4xBEP is a particular horror. The Bleomycin affects the lungs, which is why Scuba divers don't get it. Cisplatin can cause Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). I believe Etopiside is the one that can cause Peripheral Neuropathy or Raynaud's Phenomenon. Sometimes the side effects are permanent.

Now then, the one thing I know is that a guy will never feel great and sexy, unless and until his body is in good condition. Recovery from Chemo itself takes about a year, so the improvement in Wesley's demeanour of late is a sign perhaps that things are getting better. The body simply takes that long to replace all the cells damaged by Chemo.

Turning to Testosterone. As I suggested to you earlier, an increased dose may help. It is worth the experiment. However, I would not be at all surprised if Wesley didn't respond, simply because his mind and body are not yet recovered from the shock of Testicular Cancer and Chemo. 4 cycles of BEP is one more than is normal, so Wesley will be coming back from further down the chemo path than most guys.


I am sorry April. I wish I could give you a timescale, but I, nor anyone else can do that.
I know this does nothing for your anxiety and won't help Wesley either. However, sometimes, we can't get what we want when we want it. Life can be that crappy. The lucky ones are open, find the answer, recover well and get on with their lives. Those men who "suffer in silence" tend to take longer to recover and it is more painful for the partner, who is desparately trying to help.

The only way things could speed up, is if Wesley can be persuaded to talk to somebody about how he feels. That will deal with any psychological problems he may be enduring.
He knows how you feel and is probably carrying guilt about the situation. A third party, one Wesley can trust, can often help in those situations.

I hope this helps,

I am available for him by phone if he wants to talk.

Nick