Research Study

Hello everyone,

I wanted to let everyone know that I was accepted in the new vaccine research study at the University Hospitals and Clinics here in Madison. The study is going to involve about thirty men much like me who have rising PSA levels with no presence of prostrate cancer. The study will take two years to complete and I will be participating for four months.

Monday, April 30 I meet with the research doctors to go over the details, sign the paperwork and get all my questions answered. Then on Tuesday I will go through the four hour leukapheresis procedure. During leukapheresis my blood goes through a machine, much like kidney dialysis, that separates and collects some of my white blood cells. The collected cells will be used to measure my present immune response. I will repeat the leukaphersis procedure again at the end of the study to compare the white blood cells before and after to see if my immune system responded to the vaccines.

I get the first vaccine on May 14 and one every two weeks thereafter, with the last vaccine on August 7. Anyway, that the low-down on the research study, and with that, hopefully that will bring you “Up To Speed.”

Later, I have a turkey I need to go shoot.