Three Months Later

Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy Vacation

Two years ago today I had my prostate removed as a result of being diagnosed with prostate cancer a few months prior. Surgery or no it was one of the crazier days of my life. The “novel” coronavirus had just made headways into the United States and hospitals were beginning to enforce visitation limits. Jodie wasn’t allowed to stay for my surgery, or even visit when I woke up. It was probably a good thing because my daughter, Kaylee, broke her arm while I was being rolled into the operating room. In some twist of irony Kaylee and I both had operations on the same day, and likely the same time. Jodie and Kaylee were so worried about upsetting me that neither wanted to tell me what had happened, although I eventually found out. It’s incredibly hard to hide a bright pink cast, after all.

We recovered together. We had lots of time to recover, too. What eventually became known as COVID took a lot away, but it also gave Kaylee and I a lot of time to do nothing. And nothing is exactly what it takes to recover from surgery – I mean surgeries, plural.

I’d like to say that was the end of my cancer story, but it wasn’t. Less than six months later I started radiation treatment. This was in addition to two years of testosterone-eliminating hormone therapy, too.

Fast forward two years to today. Today marks three months since stopping all treatments. I had my quarterly blood work done today and it indicated that my cancer is still undetectable. Better yet, my testosterone has returned to normal levels as well. This is all good news.

I’m still not in the clear, and honestly I may never be, but every good test results inches me closer to – what? A cure? No, not cure. My doctor has made it clear that “cure” is not in the vernacular for people in my situation. At best people like me get to stay in remission. Long, happy, grateful, normal, live-life-to the-fullest remission.

Thanks for all of your support.

Take care. Stay healthy. Live life.

-Scott

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Next : Six Months Later

Prostate Cancer PSA — My PSA ( ng/mL ) as of 03/16/2022

#prostatecancer #cancer #prostatitis #psa #prostate #urology #oncology #radiationtherapy #radiation #ebrt #proton #radicalprostatectomy #chemotherapy #hormonetherapy #surgery #lupron #leuprolide #radiationtherapy #radiation #ebrt #photon #hormonetherapyvacation #psma # #drawnandcoded #iwillbeatthis #abiraterone #zytiga #prednisone

Bowl Half Empty

#ParentingFail #Dogs #Pets #HealthyDogFood #Kids #DogLover #StuffDogsEat #JunkFood #DrawnAndCoded #Comic

Viva Las Vegas

Las Vegas Cheer Competition Jam Rancho Bernardo Broncos Dead Van Chrysler Town and Country — My family and I may have lost a minivan, but we gained an adventure.

A van full of seven.
A cheerleader competition.
Through the desert to Vegas, let’s go!

With twenty miles left.
The van ran out of breath.
Worried, we grumbled, oh, no!

We rolled into a gas station.
And shouted exasperations.
As the van barfed up it’s engine and died.

And then a stretch limousine.
Rolled onto the scene.
And offered us all a ride.

We couldn’t believe our good luck.
The kids were awestruck.
We raced to meet the rest of the team.

Guess what? They won second!
And it was worth it I reckon.
I guess things are not always bad as they seem.

#LasVegas #CheerCompetition #Jam #RanchoBernardoBroncos #DeadVan #Chrysler #TownAndCountry #BadPoetry #Comic #ParentingFail

Walk the Walk

Team Vandervort ZERO Prostate Cancer Walk Blue Sky Ecological Reserve Poway — “Team Vandervort” at Blue Sky Ecological Reserve in Poway for the 2021 ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk

The Prostate Cancer Run/Walk didn’t quite go as planned. Due to COVID, the organizer, ZERO, deemed that it would be too risky for a large group of people, including those undergoing treatment for cancer, to meet. As such the event was made virtual. Instead of a walk around De Anza Cove, ZERO welcomed participants to walk on their own at whatever venue they wanted and to log their mileage online.

Disappointed, but still very much wanting to walk, I emailed all of my friends and family that had signed up and invited them to join Jodie, Ashley, Kaylee and I at Blue Sky Preserve in Poway. In the email I wrote :

I am almost two years into this cancer thing and I’m doing good. Good enough to walk the walk even if there’s no fanfare, music, or finish line. Because all the pomp and circumstance doesn’t really matter. All that does matter is kicking cancer’s ass, preferably in the company of the friends and family who have supported me along the way. Please let me know if you’d still like to join us.

44 people showed up.

It was awesome.

In all honesty I didn’t walk the entire 5k. I led from the rear with my mom and aunt. We decided to turn back as the others on our team reached the halfway point and met us on their return trip. Although we could have gone the distance it didn’t seem as important as it had been just an hour earlier. The walk was a success. We raised $4134 making us the second biggest fundraiser in San Diego. We were also the second biggest team. Even better, we brought attention to a nasty disease, and honesty, selfishly, gave me the best day I’ve had in a long time.

( Later that night )

“Did you like my rousing speech today?”, I asked Jodie.

We had just finished dinner and she was washing dishes in the sink. I stood next to her drying them with a dish rag.

“What speech?!?”, she exclaimed, diverting her attention from the soapy water to me.

“The speech!”, I insisted. “…right before we started walking. The motivational one!”

“All you did was blubber and cry behind your sunglasses!”, she laughed, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah!”, I smiled, “That one.”

Thank you for your support. I hope to see you all next year!
-Scott

Previous : Osteoporosis

Next : The last shot

My PSA ( ng/mL ) as of 09/10/2021 — Prostate Cancer PSA

#prostatecancer #cancer #prostatitis #psa #prostate #urology #oncology #radiationtherapy #radiation #ebrt #proton #radicalprostatectomy #chemotherapy #hormonetherapy #surgery #lupron #leuprolide #drawnandcoded #iwillbeatthis #prostatecancerzero #prostatecancerwalk #prostatecancer #theenedofprostatecancer #teamvandervort

A Bake Sale

Today my family and I held a bake sale to benefit Prostate Cancer Research and Awareness. My wife, Jodie, and daughters Ashley and Kaylee baked and decorated sugar cookies and cupcakes. They were a hit and brought in over $360 in donations! During the bake sale we even recruited a few new members for our team, “Team Vandervort”, which will be participating in the Prostate ZERO Run/Walk in San Diego on September 18th.

For more information on the Prostate ZERO Walk/Run and how to support “Team Vandervort” click here.

Thank you for your support.

Take care. Stay healthy. Live life.
-Scott

Previous : Walk with me

Next : Osteoporosis

My PSA ( ng/mL ) as of 08/14/2021 — Prostate Cancer PSA

#prostatecancer #cancer #prostatitis #psa #prostate #urology #oncology #radiationtherapy #radiation #ebrt #proton #radicalprostatectomy #chemotherapy #hormonetherapy #surgery #lupron #leuprolide #drawnandcoded #iwillbeatthis #prostatecancerzero #prostatecancerwalk #prostatecancer #theenedofprostatecancer #bakesale

Meet the Parents

My father-in-law, Bert, passed away last month. When my wife, Jodie, posted a eulogy on Facebook she referred to her dad as “a character”. Her assessment of him was quickly confirmed in a flurry of responses, thumbs up, and heart emojis, making it, in the day and age of social media, absolutely correct. Bert was a character and the truth is, as much of a pain-in-the-ass he was, I miss him. He drove me nuts but made me smile, too.

Being such a character I always felt Bert was ripe for inclusion in one of my comic strips, however I was always hesitant to draw him ( strip him? ) lest I offend him. When I did, I was always very careful and made sure my drawings pass the appropriate “censors”, mainly my wife and sister-in-law, Jayme.

I’d like to dedicate this series of strips to my father-in-law, Bert. They take place a long time ago in a memory not so far from my heart – about a month after I met a beautiful young college student named Jodie Fagan.

Take care. Stay healthy. Live life …

-Scott

#MeetTheParents #DrawnAndCoded #FirstDate #NewYears #Relationships #Love #LifeBeforeMarriage #InLaws #MyFatherInLaw

The Snail

Parenting Fail Snail Watching — My daughter, Kaylee, and I spent well over five minutes watching the “snail” through the kitchen window. As of today it still hasn’t moved…

#ParentingFail #RaisingKids #DaddyDaughterTimeWasters #KidsAreFunny #ParentingHumor #Parenting #FamilyHumor #Comic #DrawnAndCoded

The Feeding Trough

Dinnertime Foodie Feeding Trough KidsEating Meals DrawnAndCoded — At dinnertime I’ve learned to watch where I put fingers and not expect more than a grunt or burp as far as conversation.

#EatingLikeAPig #DinnerTime #DinnerTimeWithKids #ParentingFail #FeedingTrough #EatingWIthKids #Foodie #FoodLover #DrawnAndCoded #Comic

Walk with me

Prostate Cancer ZERO Run/Walk Team Vandervort

“What should I call my team?”, I asked without looking up from my laptop, “‘Team Vandervort’?”

“I don’t want to sound conceited, but I really don’t know what else to name it.”, I continued.

“’Team Vandervort’ is good”, Jodie replied. She was scrubbing a cake pan in the kitchen sink. It was one of many left over from my oldest daughters’ latest baking frenzy.

I looked up from my laptop and over to her.

“I’m thinking about a slogan, too….”, I ventured.

“Oh?” ( scrub, scrub, scrub )

“How about ‘Help me nip cancer in the groin’?”, I asked with a hint of a smirk.

The scrubbing stopped.

I consciously refocused my eyes on my laptop and the registration form displayed on its screen, but I could feel her “are you ^#$@%# nuts” glare burning into my temple.

Silence.

“…. weeeeeeeell, maybe not. Just ‘Team Vandervort’ will work I guess”, I answered quickly.

The scrubbing resumed.

And that’s the problem with Prostate Cancer. While Breast Cancer has captivated the public with humorous yet risque catch phrases like “Save the Boobies”, Prostate Cancer is quick to refrain from such things less people be offended. Admittedly, the prostate just isn’t as much of a crowd pleaser. I totally get it. I wouldn’t want to see one strolling down the street, either.

Regardless, the 2021 Prostate Cancer Walk is important to me. When I was first diagnosed in late 2019 I had missed it by a month. I promised my daughters that we’d walk next year – only to be denied again by COVID restrictions. This year, however, Prostate ZERO has pulled out all of the stops. It’s happening,

Unlike most cancers, Prostate Cancer can be cured if caught early enough. I walk to bring attention to the disease so that other men will be aware of this. So that they will get tested. So that they can “nip cancer in the groin” before it’s too late. I walk to support people afflicted with the disease so that they can afford the treatments and care that will make them better. I walk because I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I have.

Rest assured that I am doing well.

It’s been well over a year since my prostatectomy, seven months since my last radiation treatment, and my hormone therapy will be winding down later this year. My PSA, an indicator of prostate inflammation – or in my case ( since I am lacking a prostate ) – cancer, has stayed undetectable. I credit my incredible medical team at UCSD Moores Cancer Society, my loving and supportive family and friends, and some pretty extreme lifestyle changes. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of so many people.

If you’d like to join me and “Team Vandervort” in the 2021 Prostate Cancer ZERO Walk please click here for my team page. On my team page there are two buttons: “Donate to Team Vandervort” and “Join Team Vandervort”. The second button, “Join Team Vandervort”, will register you to participate in the walk and prompt you to select a team. The first button, “Donate to Team Vandervort” will allow you to make a donation but not participate in the walk.

There is a 5k run/walk as well as a 1k walk. My family and I will be participating in the 5k walk.

Time:

Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 8:00 AM

Location:

De Anza Cove Park
3000 N Mission Bay Dr.
San Diego, CA 92109

For more information on the event click here. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see you there!

Take care. Live life. Walk with me.

-Scott

Previous : The Road Ahead

Next : A Bake Sale

My PSA ( ng/mL ) as of 06/10/2021 — Prostate Cancer PSA

#prostatecancer #cancer #prostatitis #psa #prostate #urology #oncology #radiationtherapy #radiation #ebrt #proton #radicalprostatectomy #chemotherapy #hormonetherapy #surgery #lupron #leuprolide #drawnandcoded #iwillbeatthis #prostatecancerzero #prostatecancerwalk #prostatecancer #theenedofprostatecancer

The Last Battery

#COVID #COVIDLockdown #WorkingFromHome #RemoteLearning #TheLastBattery #RechargeableBattery #DeadBattery #Family #ParentingFail #Kids #WirelessKeyboard #WirelessMouse #Comic #DrawnAndCoded