SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2017
Us TOO Florence
My Prostate Cancer Journey (Part 2)
o, my journey continues.
Back in 2013, I had a reg-
imen of targeted radiation
treatments for a spot of prostate
S
cancer that somehow had got-
ten in my upper right arm. Dr.
Mehlhaff and I kept an eye on
my PSA after that and I had two
annual bone scans.
The first still showed some-
thing “worrisome” in that area,
but in the second report that
Tuesday 7/4
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Deb Price
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Florence
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Three Rivers Casino Resort
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Diane Volke
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Thursday 7/6
Mark Malos
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Eugene
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Deb Price
James Berry
Florence
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Debbie Wheeler
Florence
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Stephanie Brown
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Grocery Outlet/Florence
5 B
This is part of a series of true personal stories about men’s expe-
rience with prostate cancer. These men tell their stories with the
hope that it will help someone else traveling the same road.
B Y C HRISTOPHER S CHWARTZ
CANCER SURVIVOR
language was missing.
Good news: The radiation
got it!
We continued to monitor my
PSA and my hormone treat-
ment (Lupron). My number
continued to stay very low and
my testosterone was negligible.
In December of 2015, I was
due for another 6-month
Lupron injection. Dr. Mehlhaff
and I decided to see what
would happen if we tried skip-
ping the injection.
Would my PSA stay low?
Would my testosterone go up?
Were there any little buggers
still in there?
We checked my blood every
month and gradually over the
next four months my PSA did
start a slow climb, as did my
testosterone. So, in the spring
of 2016, we resumed the hor-
mone treatment and my PSA
started a decline.
Then in late 2016, it began a
slow increase. We watched it
for 3 months and then decided I
was a viable candidate for Dr.
Mehlhaff’s next arrow in his
quiver: a drug called Provenge.
This is a series of treatments
that consist of seven visits to
OUI’s apheresis unit (within
their Radiation Center in
Springfield). The first visit is,
of course, spent with the head
nurse to discuss vitals, proce-
dure, setting up schedule, etc.
The first treatment is a blood
withdrawal (Leukapheresis).
This is a process of withdraw-
N ATURAL
ing white blood cells for pro-
cessing at the Provenge Lab in
Seal Beach, Calif. This takes
about 3 to 4 hours. Before leav-
ing, I was told I had to stop first
thing for a milkshake to help
replenish my calcium and was
given directions to the nearest
places.
The second step occurs three
days later. In between, my
white blood cells are specially
packaged,
couriered
to
Portland and flown down to the
Provenge lab. There, they are
treated by exposing them to a
protein from prostate cancer
cells and a stimulatory mole-
cule, priming them to selective-
ly attack prostate cancer.
After the lab has treated my
white blood cells, they are
returned to OUI, where I am
supposed to be waiting to have
them infused. This part is time
sensitive: the infusion must be
done by a specific time, other-
wise the sample is no good.
Infusion takes about one and
a half hours.
That two-step process is
repeated two more times, with
a week in between. The patient
may experience “flu-like”
PERSPECTIVE
symptoms after the infusion. I
didn’t after the first, but did
after the second and third.
It lasted just 24 hours, but
boy oh boy did I ever feel those
symptoms. Also, for a couple
of weeks after the final infu-
sion, I was extremely lethargic.
But that also went away just in
time for a vacation to Hawaii.
Dr. Mehlhaff said that would
be excellent therapy, and he
was certainly correct.
The good news is that for
three straight blood checks
post-treatment, my PSA has
gone down. We will continue
with the hormone treatment
because the Provenge can’t do
it on its own due to my some-
what aggressive form of
prostate cancer.
Ginney and I have been on
this journey for five years now,
and we expect that to continue
for a good long while.
Having a loving and support-
ive partner and friend like
Ginney has been extremely
important for me on this jour-
ney. She’s been my rock and
kept me from giving up. She’s
also been my driver for these
treatments.
There are three partners on
this journey and she’s my
Number One!
We don’t use the word
“cure.” We are treating this dis-
ease.
As Doctor Mehlhaff told me
when we first met, his job is to
see that I die of something else.
Made sense then, makes
sense now — and the journey
continues.
—
Living the slug life
ummer is in full swing, but
here on the coast we are
generally spared the most
scorching temperatures. With
plenty of cool, cloudy days our
yards are havens for slugs.
Lacking shells, slugs may be
less endearing than their rela-
tives the snails, and they usual-
ly do not garner the same level
of culinary interest as their
more distant cousins the clams,
oysters and squid.
Nonetheless, slugs are fasci-
nating creatures.
Anyone tending a garden
has likely found slugs lounging
under rocks or flower pots, or
may have seen the aftermath of
their feeding.
Slugs love many flowers and
leafy vegetables, and some of
you may be familiar with the
disappointment of turning over
a beautiful strawberry only to
find a slug has already chewed
a large bite out of it.
The most frequent culprits
of garden damage, and more
than half of Oregon’s slugs, are
non-native species such as the
rust-colored European red slug.
Oregon’s native slugs,
including the rather iconic
banana slug, tend to inhabit
forest areas where they have
important ecological roles as
decomposers and recyclers,
showing that not all slugs
deserve a bad reputation.
While frustrating to garden-
ers, it is hard not to be
impressed with the scale of
destruction done overnight by a
cornucopia of slugs (yes, cor-
nucopia is the proper term for a
S
LIVING
50
Plus
Snack foods that
promote better sleep
A
ccording to the National Sleep
Foundation, changes in sleep patterns
are a part of the aging process. Many
people experience diffi culty falling asleep
and then staying asleep as they age, and that
diffi culty can make men and women over 50
feel more tired during the day.
But even though diffi culty sleeping may be
a part of aging, that does not mean men and
women over 50 cannot take steps to improve
their sleeping patterns. For example, certain
snack foods may help to improve quality of
sleep, especially when these foods replace
less healthy snacking options. While men
and women over 50 should always consult
with their physicians before making any
changes to their diets, the AARP notes that
the following are a handful of snack foods
that promote better sleep.
Almonds: Magnesium is a mineral with
muscle-relaxing properties, and almonds
contain enough magnesium to help men
and women get a better night’s sleep. A small
amount of almonds before bed might be
enough to make falling and staying
asleep easier.
Bananas: Much like almonds, bananas
provide a substantial amount of magnesium.
Bananas also contain the amino acid
tryptophan, which many people associate
with Th anksgiving turkey. While tryptophan
might be most oft en associated with the
sleepiness people feel aft er eating a holiday
meal, it also has been linked to better sleep
quality, so a banana shortly before bed might
be just what you need to fall and stay asleep.
Cheese and crackers: One more traditional
snack may just help you get a better
night’s sleep. Cheese and crackers contain
tryptophan and carbohydrates, which can
induce a better night’s sleep and help you fall
asleep sooner.
Cherries: Cherries contain the sleep
hormone melatonin, and the AARP notes
that recent studies indicated that participants
who drank tart cherry juice on a daily basis
fell asleep more quickly and slept longer and
better than participants who did not.
Hummus: Th e primary ingredient in
hummus is chickpeas, which are loaded with
tryptophan, folate and vitamin B6. Folate has
proven especially benefi cial to older men and
women who need help regulating their sleep
patterns, while vitamin B6 helps the body
regulate its clock.
Peanut butter: Peanut butter is another
snacking item loaded with tryptophan.
Spread some peanut butter on a
carbohydrate, whether it’s a slice of toast or
some crackers, before going to bed, and you
may enjoy a better, longer sleep.
Walnuts: Like cherries, walnuts contain
melatonin, which can contribute to a longer,
more restful night’s sleep. Walnuts also can
help regulate stress, which is a leading cause
of sleeping diffi culty.
Many men and women experience diffi culty
sleeping as they age. But the right foods may
just help combat such problems and help
men and women get a more adequate
night’s sleep.
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BERG
ATTORNEY
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Probate
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Suite B-3
Florence, OR
997-8114
B Y E MILY J. U HRIG , P H D
Special to the Siuslaw News
group of slugs).
Slugs feed using a tongue-
like structure called a radula
which has thousands of small
teeth to rasp away at plant
material. The radula grows
continuously throughout the
slug’s life with tooth replace-
ment, similar to that of a shark,
ensuring that it remains sharp.
Another of the slugs’ calling
cards is their distinct slime
which is often seen as shiny
trails across leaves or up the
side of a house. The slime is
multi-purpose as it absorbs
water to help the slug stay
moist while acting both as a
glue to hold the slug to surfaces
and as a lubricant to help it
glide along smoothly.
Engineers have been study-
ing the slime’s unique proper-
ties to help with building wall-
climbing robots. The glue-like
aspects of the slime are also
being studied in the medical
field for developing alterna-
tives to stitches for closing
wounds.
From
their
important
ecosystem roles to the potential
applications of their slime, per-
haps the biology of the slug is
something that even ardent
plant lovers can still appreciate.
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