The Cancer Consults

On Friday, October 21^st Karin and I met with my urologist to discuss the options to get rid of the cancer from my prostate and ultimately from my body.  I gotta tell you it was a generally crappy 24 hours before our meeting at 4pm, with the stress of anticipation of even meeting with the doctor and again facing this thing head on.  Karin and I had come up with a list of ten or so questions to ask the doctor, ranging from my outcome goal of being able to see my grandchildren grow up to what will be the best results from which treatments that are available to me.

As the doctor began the consultation, our anxiety began to dissipate because he was very clear in his explanations and frank in his assessment of possible outcomes.  He used the illustration of a Predator drone attacking a hut filled with terrorists in the desert.  The drone launches a missile and destroys the hut and all the occupants in it.  Yay!  Well, the hut is equal to my prostate and the missile is equal to the surgery that removes it.  However, there is always the possibility that if there was one terrorist out in the outhouse relieving himself, he will survive the attack.  That one guy is equal to the small chance that all the cancer may not be removed with surgery.  But that is always a possibility no matter what treatment plan we use.  There is the chance that the cancer might come back after treatment.

We also met with a radiology oncologist on Thursday morning, October 20^th, to discuss the possibility of radiation therapy.  There are two types available: EBRT (external beam radiation therapy) and PSI (prostate seed implant).  The EBRT would require as many as 40 or so treatments (which equals 5 treatments a week for about 8 weeks); the PSI involves the implantation of radioactive seeds that release a high dose of radiation to be delivered to the prostate with limited damage to surrounding tissues into the prostate. The implants remain in place permanently, and become biologically inert (no longer useful) after a period of months. 

I’ve decided against radiation therapy for a couple of reasons.  One is that if it doesn’t work, radiation cannot be attempted again … that card has been used.  Surgery would be the only option, but that isn’t really a very good alternative either because the prostate wouldn’t be as good a candidate because its physiology would have been altered by the radiation.

The other reason, and the most important one in my mind, is that with seed implantation I would literally have to stay away from my grandchildren for the duration of the radioactive output of the seed.  This is simply that I would be radioactive, emitting radioactivity that could harm the kids.  We’re talking a year or maybe more.  What kind of a life would that be for them or me?  Not so great, to say the least!

I have talked with a few guys who have had either type of therapy, and the outcomes have been good in most instances.  So I am confident that our decision is sound and Lord-directed.  That’s the clincher, that I have a chance at a reasonable quality of life, even though the recovery time may be longer, I can still have Jake, Maddy, Charlotte and Elise around me and not be worried if a dose of radiation from me will harm them. 

Jesus Christ has been involved in my life since high school, nearly fifty years ago now.  I am convinced that he is in the middle of this cancer situation too.  I am trusting him through this part of the adventure that I’ve been on for the last sixty-four years.  Stay tuned as this saga continues!