GeorgeStGeorge

Funny you should ask. Apparently, anesthesia is not covered by insurance for the biopsy or the pre-treatment procedure. The oncologist, who performed the latter procedure, said he considered nitrous oxide, but it would cost the patient $300, and he'd pretty much need all of his patients to opt for it to make it cost effective for him to get the setup. I told him I would have quite happily opted for it. He said that they ALL say that, AFTER the procedure. Both the biopsy and the second procedure involve inserting a probe which, among other things, contains a lidocaine injection which is supposed to numb the prostate. Spoiler alert: IT DOESN'T HELP. I've met a number of people who have undergone the radiation treatment and experienced no ill effects (including, interestingly, my oncologist), so I'm hoping the worst is over. George

Annual bloodwork. My PSA levels had been slowly rising over the last couple of years. When it got to about 5, I had a biopsy done. (NOT pleasant.) The results showed areas of cancer cells. Further tests showed no metastasis, but my urologist and oncologist started me on the testosterone blocker. I had another procedure a little over a week ago (no need to go into detail here) to prep me for the radiation. It will be five short (~15 min) sessions a week for six weeks. Staying on the T-blocker will allow the remaining cancer cells to die off. George

Of course. George

Thanks. Prostate cancer is one of the most curable, so the odds are on my side. George

A few months ago, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. (Early stage, no metastasis.) My boss pointed out that the radioactive tracer FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) is used to detect cancer cells because glucose derivatives are consumed more rapidly by cancer cells than by healthy cells. He suggested a low-sugar diet. My GP suggested teh same thing, but to lower my triglycerides and A1C. When I asked my radiation oncologist about it, he said that some cancers might have a positive response to a low-carb diet, it doesn't really apply to prostate cancer. He pointed out that, just like other cells, when glucose is unavailable cancer cells will eat whatever nutrients ARE around. I will be undergoing radiation treatments shortly, and, ironically, in order to avoid gas production which could interfere with the targeting, I'm now essentially on a high-carb, low-fiber diet. Mashed potatoes, pancakes, and oatmeal are fine, salads and uncooked vegetables are not. Also, because the radiation may affect my urethra, acids and spicy items are no-nos (so no orange juice or coffee in the morning). About the only things that are both low-carb and low-gas are grilled meats and fish. One thing that really DOES promote prostate cancer, unfortunately, is testosterone, so I've been on a testosterone blocker for a couple of months now. My PSA has dropped to 1.1, which indicates that the cancer isn't growing. The bad news is that I'll have to remain on the blocker for up to two years after the radiation treatments. The good news is that my oncologist is quite sanguine about my chances for eliminating the cancer. George

"I'll go with Paul Lynde for the win." George

So, Raf is up. George

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down." "You are the greatest lover I've ever had." "Well, I practice a lot when I'm alone." George

WW is up. George

A Room with a View Denholm Elliot Trading Places George

A Study in Terror A Midsummer Night's Dream Wetherby George

Sesame Street? George

A couple of the names are vaguely familiar, but I'm not placing an actor with any of them. George

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen George

Sounds reasonable to me. It's been years since I saw the movie, and I don't remember the "talking with carrots" bit, but it certainly would fit these clues. George