Does it really matter

Thanks for your post Dale. Your timing is incredible. It has been a year since my dad was dx with PCa. Around the same time of his dx, I was pregnant and my beloved dog started having grand mal seizures. I felt like my world as I knew it was ending, just as I was preparing to welcome a new life into the world.

A year later, my dog had a seizure yesterday, my son had a 102 fever, BUT I could call my dad and talk about with him. Life is good.

thank you so much for sharing. I have found over the months as I have reached out to help folks that the common thing we all want is just an attentive caring ear, and to be around the folks we love and love us. No need to always discuss cancer, however if that is where the conversation goes so be it. life is truly great and I guarantee that I cherish every day. I would hope some people from HW email me and we can chat and get to know each other.

peace and love
Dale

Bill, I like your motto. Being realistic yet hopeful is essential and the best way to move on with life. Dutchy

Hi David,
You raise a good bit of information I have wondered about. I have been in an odd situation since I started with Lupron prior to surgery. At surgery, I was 40 days into Lupron. I started (before Lupron) with a relatively small prostate - 24cc's. The post surgery pathology report was very detailed and tracked with the biopsy - that is mostly gleason 3's with some gleason 4's. It was bilateral. There was no mention of the Lupron but I doubt the pathologist even knew about it. The good part was that there were no extensions, no postitive margins, and clear seminal vessels.

When I met with my surgeon at the post op first PSA he knew about the Lupron because we also discussed ED. I knew the Lupron would skew the PSA reading, but I also assumed their would be some PSA if an immediate problem still existed. What I have seen with those strictly on harmones is some PSA reading especially early-on. My PSA was .04 which I was told is as low as the machine records, and is equivilent to a zero. I may well be wrong about this, and if so the real test will come once the Lupron has run its course.

I continue to believe the right decision was made. I am comfortable to know that I have done everything I could do to ward off the cancer, and the rest is in God's hands. I believe you also have made the right choice (not that there are any bad choices, fortunately there are several ways now to attack the problem).

Thank you for sharing your information. I wish you the very best in your quest to fight this interruption of life. RB

Age 61
Original data - pre-operation
PSA: 5.1
T1C clinical diagnosis, Needle biopsy - 10 cores, Gleason 7 = 3+4 in 1 core (40%), 7 cores Gleason 6 = 3+3 ranging from 5% to 12%
All scans negative
Lupron administered 4/9/2008 for 4 months (with idea I would undergo external beam radiation followed by seed implants - then I changed my mind).
Robotic DiVinci surgery - Dr. Fagin (Austin) May 19th
Post operative - pathology
pT2c NX MX
Gleason 3+4
Margins - negative
Extraprostatic extension - negative
seminal vesicle invasion - uninvolved
1st Post PSA .04

Well said Dale, I just had an old co-worker stop by who I had not seen in at least 3 or4 years and he had heard of my Pca adventure. He reminded me that he too had prostate cancer back in 1988 and had it removed and here he is 20 years later at almost 70 years young looking just as good as ever. He reminded me as I wait for my next test to never give up the fight and seeing a guy like that gives us hope. Everyday is special!

Norskie

A few days ago Ruth and I were in our garage, I was working out a new tune for a mini weekend performance among about 40 friends, and she was as usual my ever present critic. I stopped playing to tell her how much I loved spending time like this with her. We laughed and we also fell silent. She was in tears because of this stupid disease, worried that we are sitting on a time bomb. I told her I wasn't going anywhere. While we had to go inside because I was having a hot flash, we ended up having yet another beautiful evening together. Was it worth it? Oh yea! Did it matter? Every time I see her come home from work anything that doesn't matter ends, and the best part of the day begins. And everyday starts with unending Hope!

Tony

Tony and Susan your post were so beautiful and heart felt. I am amazed daily as I reach out in my community to fighters and caregivers that an ever present thing is HOPE. My motto is and always will be were there is hope there is life. We have to keep the hope of a better future and the dream of a brighter day ever present in our thoughts. I love you all.

peace and love
Dale

Dale
thanks for the great words of positive reimforcement.
mbshine