One Year Anniversery at HW Prostate

I only realized this morning, that I had passed my One-Year anniversery here at HW Prostate Cancer.  I joined on October 13, 2008.  That was a month and a day before my open surgery.

What a year this has been for me.  I am still unemployed a year later, hard for me to comprehend.  Still have PC.  While I feel I had a great surgery, the cancer is still with me, and thus the reason I am in the midst of salvage radiation.  I would have never dreamed that I have spent a total of 116 days so far of that year on a total of 8 catheters, and would have needed 3 corrective surgeries since then, plus several ER type episodes.  This isn't how I read about treatment in books on the subject, lol.

I have met so many wonderful people here at HW.  I know more of them here, then I do in my real life.  We have really good men and women here.  We share information and knowledge freely, we agree and disagree at times (after all, humans are human), we come from all walks of life, different back grounds, definitely different political, economic, and religious backgrounds.

I have read stories here that have made me cry out of joy, and others out of sadness.  I share with everyone's victories, and also with their sadness.

I think of all the new friends here, they keep coming and coming.  Many scare out of their minds, still under the shock and awe of having a cancer dx, yet we come out and greet and embrace them into our community.

For all those that think I have done this or that since I have been here, I can say with a clear heart, I have never been able give back to HW what I have taken from it.  I just try to do the best I can.

If you happen not to like me or my style, you are s.o.l., because I intend to stay around a long time, to keep greeting, comforting, encouraging, and teaching our brethren.  And its truly ok to agree to disagree about things, that's what civil peoples do.

May God keep us, protect us, and provide for each and every person that passes through our gates here at HW

David in SC

David, now you've gone and done it! Your post brought tears to my eyes!!!

Don't you even think of leaving this forum - we need you and you need us.

Enjoy your day ...

Sephie and John

David, you are a true inspiration to everybody who reads your posts. May your God be with you for the future.

Glad to see a lot of good news and reports being on threads here the past few days, that an encouragment we can all use

David,

Congratulations for 1 year. It is very difficult to read your struggles. I hate my catheter so much that I can't imagine having one in so long.

What will you do when they finally take it out, take it for long walks on cool moonlit nites?

Always trying to keep things bright.

Thank you very much for sharing.

OBB

Sheldon, thank you my brother.

OBB, I will get to learn to be dry for the 4th time in a year, hopefully it won't be so bad.

Tud, thanks for the honors, living in SC, don't want to be associated with the Dukes of Hazzard

david

Thanks Jeff, just one of the boys here, actually. As someone accused a long time ago here, a word smith, lol.

Bob,

Thanks, you are quite right, if you had asked me two years ago that I would spending quality time at an online prostate cancer support site, I would have never believed you. Such is life.

I hope for the same thing for all of the guys here too.

David in SC

Dear 1worried,

I thought the guys gave you a lot of good advice this evening. I have a daughter too, she's a real daddy's girl and is 28. Even though she has been married for almost 5 years, she still calls and checks on me every single day. I have two sons too.

I can always talk through things with her, can be very open at all times, and she can give me another angle to anything I am worrying about.

I too am a Gleason 7 (3+4) but am a stage 2 not a stage 3 like your dad. Everyone thought the surgery "got it", but within 6 months, the cancer is still there. That is why I am in the midst of having Salvage Radiation Treatments. You can follow my other threads on my current treatments or those of other men going through the same thing.

So glad you found us here. We are indeed a brother hood of men united by our prostate cancer journeys. we have a lot of good sisters here too in the form of wives of men, and several little sisters just like you, the daughters of the men.

Just so glad your father has you to watch over him and his condition and situation. He has lots of time and plenty of options in front of him, so take it one step at a time and allow yourself time to continue to enjoy your father, cancer or no cancer.

May the peace of the Lord be with you both,

David in SC