Cancer

I remember getting a call from my doctor. I had just eaten a slice of pizza, and the news was quick.

He was referring to the result from the biopsy of my prostate a few days before. I started thinking of the "almost-pregnant" line I had joked about before. Nothing was funny. I had Prostate Cancer (PC) and would have to decide how to treat it. I had time to research. The doctor said to take the summer months to figure it out. "There are lots of options." Then, a few kind words and click. 

I gave my wife the news. She thought I was joking at first. Slowly, it began to sink in for both of us. I could handle it as I had been through Cancer with my beautiful and wonderful sister in 08/09. She lost her battle. My mom and dad had Cancer, too. I was the holdout. I learned a lot about the disease during the summer of 19. Dealing with the medical part of Cancer is one thing. How you deal with it and where it takes you are super important, too. They are at least on par with the medicine. 

Prostate Cancer (PC) treatment decisions are an arduous task. There are many possible treatments to think about. Each one is the preferred treatment by the doctor who performs it and does not necessarily mean it is best for you; it's that doctor's specialty. They recommend what they do. We were conflicted, so I returned to my urologist and asked to see him again. We met in his office, and I asked him what was best for me and my Cancer. I had seen doctors who recommended seeds, radiation, cyberknife, and surgery. All sounded viable and were the preferred options by the one performing the procedure. I appreciated their confidence but was interested in what was best for me. I told him all this, and he started to talk about the options again. I got pissed, so I said, "Why are you being such a pussy? Just tell me what you think is best for me. I will make the decision." I got his attention. He wasn't pleased. I had been to many practitioners, read about PC daily for weeks, and asked many questions. My head was jam-packed with more than I ever thought I would learn about the topic. I liked this doctor and just hoped he would be straight with me. After thinking about it and referring to his notes,

he said, "Go to Sloan Kettering and get the surgery."  

For me, going to Sloan in NY meant the removal of the prostate. I spent the next couple of weeks looking for a doctor. I found one who had the most experience and recommendations. No sooner had I made an appointment than I came across news on my doctor. It came in the form of a New York newspaper and concerned an affair he allegedly had with a patient's wife. I talked about it with my wife, and we decided it had nothing to do with our decision. We wanted the best surgeon possible to remove my Cancer. It would happen in the city in the form of a radical prostatectomy a few days before Christmas. I had my surgeon, procedure, and plan for recovery. I was 58 years old and considered young for this Cancer. The operation would take over six hours, with part of it having me hanging upside down. While considered a major surgery, I would only spend one night in the hospital. My recovery would take a couple of weeks at home in bed with my new friend, a catheter. 

Peace, Chris

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