A milestone on my Prostate Cancer journey.

In February 2024 I had a blood test that gave a PSA result of 104, and over a few weeks did more blood tests, rectal examinations, biopsies, MRIs and other high tech scans, from which we learnt that I had a high risk Prostate Cancer, with a large tumour on my Prostate, but no sign of it having moved to any other parts of my body. In June 2024 I had a 4 week course of tablets, which prepared my body for a 2 year course of Zoladex implants, one every 3 months starting on the 9th of July 2024.
Along the way I had 3 gold fiduciary markers implanted into my Prostate, which allowed for very accurate targeting of 28 days of Radiation Therapy at the Oncology department at Wellington Hospital, over 5 weeks and three days in November and December 2024.
In February 2025 the oncologist told me that I was in clinical remission, as my PSA and testosterone results were effectively zero and my prostate has been back to normal size since the gold markers were implanted in October 2024.
However, the Zolodex implants continued every three months until the 9th April, when I received the final implant.
So today is my final day of ADT (androgen deprivation therapy). Obviously this is not the end of my journey, just an important day in my life. It will take weeks or months or possibly years for my body to recover from the Zolodex, and I will continue with regular PSA blood tests to monitor that the treatment was fully successful and that there is no recurrence of the problem, and will have regular appointments with the oncologist until the remission looks like it is final.
Zolodex is a tough drug to live with. It’s effects on the cancer were almost immediate and very successful, and at first the side effects were interesting and easy to live with. As time has passed the side effects seem to have accumulated and become more difficult to live with, and hopefully life will become easier over the next few weeks or months.