I mentioned some short term things that I wanted to accomplish going forward.

I was able to complete a Polish class, which will help my genealogical research.

I also completed a genealogy class. 

But I passed on tutor training for Literacy Volunteers for now.

My back was just too stiff for me to sit in class all day (the other classes were a couple of hours). Plus my continuing incontinence makes me nervous about being in public for long stretches.

My back is better now, and I start physical therapy for incontinence tomorrow.  I think I should be squared away to start tutor training in the spring.

Maybe others would be more determined than I am, but you have to be comfortable in your own skin while recovering from advanced prostate cancer treatment.    

I thought there were no side effects from Xtandi, the new high-powered hormone that I'm now on. I think I spoke too soon.

I take warfarin because of a heart defect - it reduces my stroke risk when I go into atrial fibrillation. I get monthly blood tests to check my warfarin levels, and they started getting inconsistent after being steady as a rock for a long time. My cardiologist checked the literature and sure enough, Xtandi can interfere with Warfarin. He made a dosage adjustment and it appears that my warfarin levels are now good.

I went in for a regular checkup with my cardiologist and my echocardiogram showed my heart rate to be elevated. He scheduled me for an EKG and possible holter monitor the next week. In the meantime he told me to up my metoprolol dose from 50 to 100 mg, and to check my heart rate on my home blood pressure machine.

While I was seeing some slower heart rates, I was still seeing several fast ones as well. The EKG showed my heart rate to be fast, and he increased my metoprolol dose to 150 mg, and sent me home with a holter monitor for a day. 

I haven't heard the results of the holter test, but I'm thinking I'll be stable again.

Bottom line: powerful hormones can affect your body in many ways. 

PS - my PSA has dropped from 20 to 10 to 7.5. Every month should show lower readings. This is due to the Xtandi.

A few things happened in November. I finished physical therapy for my back and it feels better. I still need to continue to walk and to do the exercises that I learned in PT. I'm not sure what my "new normal" will be, but I'm quite sure I'm not there yet and that I will have to do months of work. I also got a list of what I can and cannot do with 4 titanium rods in my back.

My thighs continue to be numb, but I think less than it was before. It's amazing how slowly things heal when nerves are involved. Time and exercise should fix this. I'm just not a very patient person.

I continue to do my Kegels religiously but three months since they removed the catheter post-surgery I'm still incontinent. I keep a log and I think things are improving but slowly. The good news is that I start physical therapy for incontinence tomorrow. It worked once before so there's no reason why it shouldn't again.

I will continue with November updates in the next day or so.