Dan's Prostate Diary and ResourcesWelcome
Cancer is so limited…
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot destroy peace,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot suppress memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot steal eternal life,
It cannot conquer the spirit.
- Source unknown
This site is dedicated to men and that small organ the Prostate, located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. On this site, we discuss freely and openly (in layman’s terms) all matters associated with prostate health and functions associated with this organ- and personal experiences with treatments.
NOTE: As there is no place on this site to contact me, anyone wishing to do so may reach me by the email address which follows. Please also note that to prevent SPAM, the address is written as it is spoken- simply enter it in the traditional way and your email will reach me.
dan at writetime dot com dot au
Nothing can quite prepare you for the moment when the Specialist looks at you and says "I'm not going to beat around the bush- you've got prostate cancer".
I knew the words were coming- I had known earlier that day (the day after I had had the biopsy) when his Secretary had phoned me early in the morning to say, "He wants to see you at 2 o'clock this afternoon – and bring a good friend with you". She went on to explain, "it's just that he's got some things to tell you and two ears are better than one!" – yeah right! (I knew then he wasn't going to give me Mardi Gras tickets). Immediately my mind flew to the worst case scenario and my only thought was, "how far has it spread?"
The Colon and Prostate Cancer Bear
As I said, even with my "realist brain" having already picked up what was coming, nothing prepares you for that moment. Suddenly that dreaded C word has a new meaning for all time. It's no longer about someone else- it's about you – and from now on it's a part of you forever– and you are already thinking "how?" – not as in "why me?"- but "how can this be real? I'm feeling fine".
From the time the month before, when my Doctor had got the results of my PSA blood test back and noted the one point rise over the previous 12 months, I was almost feeling resentful when he pulled out his pad and said I'm sending you to see Dr G – he'll want to do a biopsy. From that moment on I was already thinking "this will be another waste of time and money!" I was already imagining the "all clear" result after the biopsy and going back to my doctor to say "now what?"
Not in my wildest dreams did I expect my delusion to be shattered that morning when I got "the phone call".
Even now, weeks later – it still hasn't really sunk in. When I was sitting in the waiting room to have CT and bone scans a few days later after getting the dreaded news, I was going through the pile of magazines on the table and there was one book "Health Tips for Cancer Patients". I had already passed the book, mentally dismissing it as nothing to do with me, when the realisation hit me - it was probably the most relevant book for me on the table. I wasn't ready to commit "the sin of acceptance" at that time, so the book stayed there.
Since then, things have moved apace and with the full realisation that we all react differently to different situations- and seeing the widely differing reactions to the news by my friends, I realise that one of the things that has helped me most, is speaking with other men who are metaphorically in the same boat- or who have gone through it already. I find that more helpful than anything.
At this time, I am receiving hormonal treatment and my surgery (Brachytherapy) is planned for early July. In mentally preparing myself for this- there are some things I want to do but there are a lot of things I don't want to do. I don't want to read woo woo theories, drink gallons of dandelion tea and I don't want to become a studious "backyard specialist" reading about every nuance of the disease – heck, I don't even feel as though I want to read one single more word than I have to.
I have decided though, there is one thing I can do and that is to share my experience with other men, particularly those that are going through a similar corridor to that which I am going through – or those that have already been through it. I also want to share it with anyone who wants to follow my journey on this website for whatever reason.
At this time I count myself lucky – it seems we have got it early. Yes, no matter what anyone says, the PSA test worked for me and so I at least have the promise of advantage by early detection. For this reason, I feel it my duty to spread the word to other men – over fifty? Get tested annually – the blood test & the digit up the "you know where" – whether you've got symptoms or not! It's a very small price to pay for peace of mind and/or to keep the chances on your side.
I must point out, however, I am neither a medic- nor do I have any special knowledge and anything said on this website and blog must be taken as such – a personal view and one (layman's) experience only!
I saw a video of a man on the Internet, whose case sounded a lot like mine and it promised that he was going to discuss his experiences. I was sorely disappointed when I discovered he barely spoke for two minutes and said nothing about the things I really wanted to know. The various side effects relating to sexual function and incontinence were only referred to briefly in statistical terms – and that was it!
I reason, that if I wanted to know more about this "stuff" there must be others out there like me, who also want to know, so this website and blog is the result. I invite others to share experiences and by doing so, perhaps help other men to better understand and deal with this condition. For this reason, this site is dedicated to all men and issues that surround Cancer of the Prostate.
Unfortunately, the statistics are already proving that if this experience is a journey, it is also a "well worn path" – but with early detection, medical expertise, lifestyle modifications and a good attitude, there really can be life after prostate cancer.
© 2008 dansprostate.com
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