It's been eight years since I heard the words nobody wants to hear: YOU HAVE CANCER. Not the sort of call anyone wants to get from your doctor, especially in the middle of a busy day at the office. But there IT was - and IT didn't care whether I had time to deal with IT or not. IT arrived quietly and without warning. IT was prostate cancer, and I had IT. No warning - that's what was the most frightening. There were no symptoms, no pain, no way to know what was going on in there. I was overdue for a physical exam. My wife lovingly but insistently kept reminding me to schedule an appointment. I was busy. I had a lot of things to do. I had classes to teach and appointments to keep. But finally, I ran out of excuses and scheduled the exam. After being poked and prodded, all seemed to be OK. Then there was the PSA, the first one I'd ever had. Too high, said the doctor. Maybe nothing wrong, but we'd better do some more tests and another PSA. Still high, and possibly some slight irregularities in the tests. Probably nothing to worry about, said the doctor. Maybe we'd better do another test, I insisted. This time, the test was a biopsy. And there IT was. Not to worry, said the doctor. IT is slow growing and is no immediate threat. Sometimes IT is OK for years. We can wait and see how IT does. Not an option, said I. My mother died a horrible death from cancer. The thought of walking around with a time bomb inside me was enough to make me take a good look at other options - and DO something!The options seemed to be: - do nothing now; wait and see
- radiation treatments
- radical surgery
- seed implant therapy
The doctor explained each option thoroughly. I opted for #4, the radioactive seed implants, a newer procedure, less invasive, faster recovery time, good short-term results, but not a lot of long-term success data at that time. Well, I'll spare you the details, but I had the implant procedure eight years ago, and I've never been sorry. I get check-ups and PSAs twice a year. "Eight Years and Counting" has become "Eight Years and All's Well." I have been blessed with good results and good health.The moral of the story? GET REGULAR CHECK-UPS. The exams aren't the most pleasant of activities, but far better than the alternative. MEN: get a check-up NOW, and keep getting regular exams and PSAs. If you discover a problem, don't wait. Consider all your options, but do something about IT. WOMEN: keep insisting that the men in your life get regular check-ups. You are welcome to pass this along to anyone you know who may need to read it. If sharing my story will help you or someone you know take positive action to avoid being a victim of cancer, we'll all be a lot happier and healthier. Good Health to you! |
