Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/11/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]---- Rick Floyd <rickfloyd@comcast.net> wrote: > Don: > > I've been a member of this group for a long time and often feel like I > take more than I give. So, let me try to relate my experiences with > prostate cancer. At the age of 50, I started noticing more frequent > trips to the bathroom. Nothing screamingly different, but enough in > the night to get my attention. When I discussed this with my doctor, > he felt that PSA testing wasn't reliable enough to depend upon. He > couldn't detect anything with a digital exam, so I just let it go. > > After a couple of months, the symptoms were not going away. My trips > to the bathroom were becoming more frequent. By chance, a local radio > station was having a mens screening day with free PSA testing. > Results from that test showed an elevated PSA level of 7.6. My father > was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 67. I went back to > my primary physician and demanded further testing. They repeated the > PSA which was now at 10.6. > > He gave me a referral to University of Michigan to see a urologist. > The urologist repeated the PSA which had now risen to 10.8 > (statistically, not significant, but sent a panic through me). The > urologist then performed the biopsy with 16 sites collected. The > results of the 16 samples revealed 15 clear and 1 with cancer. That > one had about 20% cancerous cells and showed a Gleason score of 7 (4 > over 3). The urologist sent me to the UofM urology oncology > department were I discussed my treatment options. > > First I met with a surgeon - what a jerk. Then I met with a radiation > oncologist. I was really torn and decided to seek a second opinion > from a surgeon. My wife is on staff at UofM and got me a meeting with > the head surgeon of the urology oncology department. I will tell you > I was really torn. But, ultimately, I decided on radiation as my > course of treatment. UofM uses the Calypso System to ensure accurate > treatment of the prostate. You can go here if you would like to read > more: > > http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/calypso.htm > > I received 42 treatments over the course of 8+ weeks. The treatments > were simple - lay on the table, be positioned, and receive the > treatments as the machine worked its way around the nine positions. > Each treatment lasted about 55 minutes. About 36 treatments in, I > became very weak and didn't think I could make it to the end. My > radiation therapist became my cheerleader and helped get me through > the process. I am now 54 and my most resent PSA was 0.6. I am tested > every 3 months and my levels have been between 0.2 and 0.6 during all > those tests. > > I can remember my frustrating time being wishing someone would just > tell me the best path to proceed. I discovered each person must make > those decisions for themselves. So, I won't tell you what to do, only > what worked for me. > > I will suggest that you go to the livestrong website (Lance Armstron's > site) and order the free Survivor Workbook. If you email me your > address, I will gladly send you a copy I have. I found it really > helpful in organizing my appointments, medication, thoughts, worries, > and everything that went into my treatment plan. > > Don, all in all, it sounds like you are asking the right questions. > If I can do anything to help, please let me know. I agree it is > interesting to see peoples reactions to the news of you having > cancer. My sister couldn't talk with me at all until the treatments > are over - very weird. I will have to find the photos my son took of > me for his photography class with my M6 + 50 Summicron. They are so > special in meaning to me. I'll post them and send you the link. > > With all my thoughts and prayers, > Rick > > > > --- On Thu, 11/6/08, Don Lawrence <DLawrence@fkp.com> wrote: > > > From: Don Lawrence <DLawrence@fkp.com> > > Subject: [Leica] Off Topic - Prostate > > To: lug@leica-users.org > > Date: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 9:26 AM > > Having been reading this list for years and being an > > infrequent poster, > > I feel a bit like part of the extended LUG family. > > Therefore, I feel comfortable and hope no minds me asking > > for advice on > > an important topic totally unrelated to photography. > > I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. > > > > One of the advantages of living in Houston, is that we have > > MD Anderson > > Cancer Center here. Frequently rated number one or two in > > the USA for > > cancer care, they have been a client of mine for years. I > > was able to > > speak to some friends and got an appointment very quickly. > > They are also > > one of only three sites in the USA with a proton radiation > > therapy > > machine, a form of therapy that uses particles rather than > > photons. This > > is a breakthrough, as it can reduce the risk of collateral > > tissue damage > > during the course of therapy. > > > > I am 53 years old and my father died of prostate cancer > > metastatic > > disease at the age of 70. > > Since there a probably many of you here near my age or > > above, I thought > > some of you might have been through this experience. > > Everyone in my family has advised me, and I have had first > > and second > > professional opinions on all the various treatment options. > > Of course since day one, I have scoured the internet to > > learn more. > > Finding that people are right when they say the internet > > can be a > > torrential downpour of information, mostly unfiltered and > > frequently > > overwhelming. > > Given all this, I feel fairly well versed in all of my > > options. > > > > I am almost convinced to have a radical prostatectomy using > > the DaVinici > > robot, but if any of you have been through this mess of > > treatment > > options you know that each medical professional who > > consults with you is > > totally convinced that their specialty offers a great > > chance of a total > > cure. > > Radiation oncologists are convincingly describing a 90% > > chance of no > > cancer in 5 years and surgeons give about the same odds. > > It boggles the mind and makes it hard to come to a > > decision. > > > > It is interesting to see how some people react when they > > learn you have > > cancer. A few are motherly and are willing to consult and > > share > > thoughts. But mostly people are strangely silent, as if the > > subject is > > taboo and too personal to speak about. Weird! > > > > So if any of you photographers here have been down this > > road, I would > > appreciate any advice or thoughts you are willing to share. > > Contact me by private email. > > > > Thanks > > Don Lawrence > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > > information > > > Rick- Thanks for taking the time and effort for such a comprehensive > report of your ordeal. I think with more serious medical situations and > procedures- it is best to get a second (or more) opinion. When I had a > rotator cuff operation- I went for a second opinion-event though the > surgeon I was to use was a renouned (sic) doctor at UCLA. Since I'm left > handed and that is where the problem was- I wanted to be sure of my > condition before going under the knife. My sister who was 43 at the time > had a heart valve cleaning operation at U of M, and died a month later. > With medicine and operations- it's all risky. I just had an operation 3 > weeks ago- eyelid surgery and eyebrow lift- and I'm recovering (my scalp > is still numb!). I'm a young 65 (so people tell me). Best, Stasys > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information