Well, on Monday I had surgery to remove my prostate. As you remember I was diagnosed back in June with prostate cancer and we chose to have the prostate removed. So on Monday morning, at 5:30am we went to Covenant Hospital in Lubbock and Dr. Vallabhan removed my prostate using the robotics. Unlike when I had my hand fixed, they were able to get my IV on the first stick, so everything started on a good note. The surgery was supposed to begin at 7:00am but the surgery crew had an emergency early so they were a little bit late getting started on me, but not much. The surgery took 3 hours and I was asleep over 5 hours, and woke up with 6 holes in my stomach. The doctor also removed some lymph nodes and sent them off to be checked but said that he thinks that he got all of the cancer. So I am home recuperating and doing nothing for 2 weeks, and very little for 6 to 8 weeks. This is only Wednesday and it is already getting old.
When I checked into the hospital I had to weigh in and I have lost a total of 47 pounds, if you ask my wife she will tell you how many sticks of butter that is (that's just gross). Anyway I am home trying to heal up, so respond to my blog and maybe I will keep you updated.
Showing posts with label prostate cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prostate cancer. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
UPDATE
When it rains...
Well I went to Lubbock to see another urologist and he said that I still have prostate cancer but we are not in the rush to get it done. My Gleason's score and my psa are both low, so I have more time to get more weight off. So far I have lost 20 pounds and I need to lose another 45 before he operates. So I am working hard to become less and less of a man. I lost the first 20 just by changing my diet, no breads, chips, sweets, pastas, nothing white or fried and lots of salads. My goal is to become 1/3 less of a man.
On Tuesday I am having the carpal tunnel fixed in my hand fixed, this has hurt me for a long time, and I fell in November last year and made it worse, now it's getting so that I can't use it much. I decided that if my prostate surgery was going to be a ways off, I might as well get my hand fixed.
So now you have an update on me, what about you?
Well I went to Lubbock to see another urologist and he said that I still have prostate cancer but we are not in the rush to get it done. My Gleason's score and my psa are both low, so I have more time to get more weight off. So far I have lost 20 pounds and I need to lose another 45 before he operates. So I am working hard to become less and less of a man. I lost the first 20 just by changing my diet, no breads, chips, sweets, pastas, nothing white or fried and lots of salads. My goal is to become 1/3 less of a man.
On Tuesday I am having the carpal tunnel fixed in my hand fixed, this has hurt me for a long time, and I fell in November last year and made it worse, now it's getting so that I can't use it much. I decided that if my prostate surgery was going to be a ways off, I might as well get my hand fixed.
So now you have an update on me, what about you?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
JUST THE FACTS MA'AM
Just an update and a few facts about my cancer.
The fact is that this is not something that I am looking forward to, but it is something that I must have done in order to continue living. Dr. Pate said that if this had not been found or if I choose not to have it taken care of, I might live to my mid fifties. Considering that I am 49 now and will be 50 in August, that doesn't leave much time. However, if I do get it taken care of I should have 20 or 30 more years. Let me think about this for a minute.....5 years.....20-30 years.....
Dr. Pate went over everything with us, all of the different procedures, none of them sound like much fun, radiation from the outside will take who knows how long and the side effects are not good, radium seeds implanted into the prostate won't work so good for me because my prostate is only 18 centimeters, a man my age it should be about 23, to get enough seeds into it, it needs to be at least a 30.
To have it removed the old fashioned way will require being opened up from stem to stern. And then there are robotics where they go in through 4 small holes. Either way the surgery is a BIG DEAL. It is a major surgery with many risks, but God is a BIG GOD. I am not down nor depressed regardless of what the rumor mill says. Becky and I have been through so much over the recent years that we know God will see us through, and if He chooses to let it all end, just remember "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil 1:21 (ESV)
We are confident that we can take care of this and not have to do any other treatments such as radiation. One thing, we can have this removed and then have radiation if needed, but if we do radiation first the prostate can not be removed later because of damage the radiation does. So hopefully I can get by without further treatments, unlike my wife who will have treatments for her cancer the rest of her life.
Did you know that more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year that women with breast cancer? Do you know how important it is for men to have blood drawn and their PSA checked? Also did you know that prostate cancer runs in families? Did you also know that Grandad Wilson had prostate cancer, it was found when he was older and because of his age it was left alone. Get your PSA checked guys, it could save your life!!!
Anyway there are a few of the facts, and I want to leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul;
"You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. 7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. 8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. 9 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. 10 Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad."
2 Cor 5:6-10 (MSG)
The fact is that this is not something that I am looking forward to, but it is something that I must have done in order to continue living. Dr. Pate said that if this had not been found or if I choose not to have it taken care of, I might live to my mid fifties. Considering that I am 49 now and will be 50 in August, that doesn't leave much time. However, if I do get it taken care of I should have 20 or 30 more years. Let me think about this for a minute.....5 years.....20-30 years.....
Dr. Pate went over everything with us, all of the different procedures, none of them sound like much fun, radiation from the outside will take who knows how long and the side effects are not good, radium seeds implanted into the prostate won't work so good for me because my prostate is only 18 centimeters, a man my age it should be about 23, to get enough seeds into it, it needs to be at least a 30.
To have it removed the old fashioned way will require being opened up from stem to stern. And then there are robotics where they go in through 4 small holes. Either way the surgery is a BIG DEAL. It is a major surgery with many risks, but God is a BIG GOD. I am not down nor depressed regardless of what the rumor mill says. Becky and I have been through so much over the recent years that we know God will see us through, and if He chooses to let it all end, just remember "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil 1:21 (ESV)
We are confident that we can take care of this and not have to do any other treatments such as radiation. One thing, we can have this removed and then have radiation if needed, but if we do radiation first the prostate can not be removed later because of damage the radiation does. So hopefully I can get by without further treatments, unlike my wife who will have treatments for her cancer the rest of her life.
Did you know that more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year that women with breast cancer? Do you know how important it is for men to have blood drawn and their PSA checked? Also did you know that prostate cancer runs in families? Did you also know that Grandad Wilson had prostate cancer, it was found when he was older and because of his age it was left alone. Get your PSA checked guys, it could save your life!!!
Anyway there are a few of the facts, and I want to leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul;
"You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. 7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. 8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. 9 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. 10 Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad."
2 Cor 5:6-10 (MSG)
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