I'm at a cancer crossroad.

[Gilles]

Hello jsceash,

I really sorry about your condition and only you know the difficulties that you are experiencing with Prostate Cancer as each person body reacts different to the treatment.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and I spent about one year trying to get approval from the insurance company for a ‘Pencil Proton Therapy’ that it is supposed to be very precise with minimum collateral damage and nearly a year later, after two denied approvals I decided to search for a different treatment, which ended being SBRT which is a Radiation Therapy treatment that lasted 9 weeks combined with a Lupron Hormone Therapy (that has very nasty side effects…)

My treatments ended 6 months ago and the side effects are mostly gone, and even if my last PSA was .01 I know very well, that I am not out of the woods because I need to wait at least five years… please note that 12 years ago, I lost my father to Cancer and three years ago I lost my mother as well (different kind of Cancer), but we must put our life in God’s hands, we must have faith on him as only He knows what his plans are for us.

Now, regarding your car…

Hopefully you can manage to keep it, as you know the satisfaction that brings to you every time you drive it, as I know this is also a good form of therapy.

Last February when I was in the middle of the radiation treatment, a young lady ran a stop light on the corner of my office and hit my Cayman at about 40 miles an hour, luckily for me the impact was distributed between the driver side door and the engine air filter intake (which attaches the roof of the car to the floor), otherwise I may have not been able to walk away, I was devastated for many reasons as I got this car new, spent many years upgrading it and was planning to keep it forever, and the depressions caused by the Lupron Therapy didn’t help at all..

However, about a couple of weeks later I found a 981 CS with 7k on it with 4 year factory warranty and jumped on it, and now most likely I will be eating ramen noodles for the next 4 years but with my wife support I should be able to manage it, and being realistic it may be the last car I buy... already 61, and uncertain about the future (but since I could not do anything about anyway), I decided to move forward with my life enjoying my biggest passion, at least until I have the health required to drive safely.

What am I trying to tell you? That we have to be optimistic about the future and enjoy life as long as we can, please take care yourself and enjoy your passion.

Best regards,
Gilles

[thom4782]

Best wishes.

I'll suggest a different calculus than others have offered for making your decision.

1. Take care of family finances first meaning sell the car at a time that provides the most money possible for loved ones. That could be today if short term cash reserves are critically low, much later or perhaps never.

2. Once you've assured the best possible financial future for loved ones, keep the car as long as you possibly can and enjoy it to the max.

In summary I'm saying nothing more than find a balance point between your needs and your loved ones needs. When you figure that point out, you'll know when the time to sell is right.

I haven't had to face medical issues like the one you are, but I used this approach to decide when to part ways with my 01S and my nationally competitive sailboat that our team had raced for many years. The 01S that needed a $7K plus engine refresh got put up for sale when I realized I could have just as much fun with a 30 year old pristine 951 with far less costs. The sailboat went on the auction block when team member interests moved to other things as we gracefully got older and the boat spent the last 18 months sitting on its trailer in the boatyard. Both were tons of fun. Then I found other things to enjoy as well. And hopefully, others will enjoy my past toys

Again, best wishes.

[p3230]

I was diagnosed with colon cancer seven years ago and last year I was told I was cancer free, after going through chemo therapy for six months and then being told I had liver cancer and had to get half of my liver cut out and more therapy I was about ready to give up. I had this car that I really enjoyed not a Porsche but a 2008 Nissan 350Z that was just a pleasure to drive so I sold it as I didn't know what was going to happen with all these problems popping up. Finally when I discovered that I didn't have liver cancer that I was ok and went through MRI's and Scans for five years now I am cured cancer free and I bought my first Porsche my 03 Boxster S and realize if I had to go through this again I would do the same thing sell it so it won't be a bother to the family and cope with the illness the best i can. I'm sure you will do what your hearth tells you and it will be the good decision. Good Luck and the best to you.

[Brian in Tucson]

I had my Prostate removed when I was 53, it was aggressive but caught early. that was 13 years ago and my PSA has stayed at non detect. A coupla years ago I had a bout of kidney cancer--removed a tumor laproscopically and so far so good, and they salvaged the kidney. I'm type 2 diabetic and have lowered kidney function. And my oncologist says I'm pre-bone cancer (multiple myeloma.) I'm pretty sure what's going to get me.

Most of us who've had Prostate or other cancers know from your description how serious your condition is and at least a little bit want to shed a tear for you and your family.

I think at this point your main concern should be taking care of your family. The Porsche just isn't that important and if lightning would strike and you would get well, you could get another one. So my counsel is to sell it, have the money now, take a little & easy vacation, and spend the remainder of your days in the loving arms of your family.

Take care brother!

[Fyeganeh]

Depending on your status, there are novel investigational treatments for advanced prostate cancer using radioactive PSMA - typically using Lutetium PSMA or Actinium PSMA. The data from Europe has been impressive and initially they begin with Lutetium but if that doesn’t work they have had success also with Actinium.

The following site has a clinical trial in the USA using LuPSMA
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03511664

You can also search there for other trials under prostate cancer PSMA.

Best wishes.

[robdelorenzo]

Reading this thread makes me both sad and grateful.

There is also a light-activated treatment being used in Israel and I think in trials here in The US.

I think it's called "Tookaid" but Dr. Google will know.

I enrolled in a clinical trial at UCLA and my Dr's turned out to be the head of oncology and urology, as they were running the trial.

Dr's I would not have had access to otherwise.

My .02 is keep the Box, you will want it around after you win this round of the fight!