This is a long overdue update. Honestly, I forget about this blog until the annual WordPress renewal fee comes due. The blog traffic numbers are low, but if it helps even a few people navigate the stress and uncertainties of a prostate cancer diagnosis, it’s worth it. And, to those of you who have commented … THANK YOU! We love hearing from you and it makes us feel like we aren’t just talking into a void.

This Thanksgiving it’ll be three years since Paul finished radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Post treatment, he gets regular blood work to see if his PSA is staying low. (The good news is that it is!) If it were to rise suddenly, or even start to rise, that would be a warning sign that the cancer was returning. But, so far so great. Here’s a graph of his latest PSA test (taken in Sept. 2021). His PSA was .5 and we’re very hopeful that he’s cancer free.

In addition to monitoring his PSA, Paul regularly gets his testosterone checked. He was on a testosterone blocker for a full year following radiation, and it took nearly another year for the medication to process through his body. Those two years were tough as he felt sluggish, gained weight and lost his libido. These were all side effects we expected, but when it happens, and it’s out of your control, it’s no fun. Today his testosterone has rebounded (woo hoo!) and it’s higher than it was pre-radation.

It took a while, but Paul lost the 30+ pounds he gained while he was on the testosterone block and he’s feeling (and looking) really good. We truly believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle (limiting processed foods, lots of exercise, getting good sleep, time in nature) and having a positive attitude helped him navigate the difficult post-treatment year.

As for other updates, we are ending our fourth year living in Denver and continue to love it here. We made it through the COVID pandemic (so far) without getting sick and are now both vaccinated. Almost three years ago we got a Cavapoo puppy (you can see her at #ruththecavapoo).

Paul changed jobs in December 2020 and is working full time as EVP of Operations for a consumer products company. I’m continuing to work as a marketing consultant, while I build my blog following and visiting the grandkids as often as I can. We’re starting to dream about what retirement (or semi-retirement) might look like and are looking forward to traveling, spending time with family, and going on lots of adventures.

We hope that you’re also doing well and thriving during these unprecedented times. Thanks for following our journey and for your support.

Jill & Paul