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Wigged goes to pre-op assessment.

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Posted 2/4/2011 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
Greetings.

Last Wednesday in the middle of the biggest blizzard Chicago area has seen, I made my way to Northwestern Memorial for my pre-op tests and assessments.

They took chest x-ray, some tinkle, blood, gave me an EKG x 3 which came back slightly abnormal, but they would have been fine signing off for surgery. Wife thought (wisely) that I should go for an echo that the hospitalist mentioned so I don't lose sleep over this part. The MD didn't seem to concerned since three other patients had irregular reading. And also since the fact that I work out every day, generally very healthy and have no signs of heart stuff.

Either way, echo next week, to be followed by the robot a few days after that, feb. 14th.

Tomorrow will be bad, since this is when I plan on breaking the news to my mom about what's going on. I didn't want to mention anything until I knew exactly what my own intentions were, and what I as going to say to her.

Best to all of you.

W-O
Posted 2/4/2011 10:15 PM (GMT 0)
W-O,
Good luck in the coming procedure, keep us posted. Obviously you chose to monitor with active surveillance at first. Did you have other PSA tests that were showing a steady rise or was the jump to a PSA of 12 sudden?

Tony
Posted 2/4/2011 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
WO -- i haven't told my mother and it's been over a year.  i last saw her after i started HT and i had only put on a couple of pounds at that point.  this year she'll notice the difference so i'll either tell her or not visit cool .

ed

 

Posted 2/4/2011 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, active surveillance for one year. My psa has been rising steadily forever. Never a down or lateral reading. But the real deal closer was not only the last biopsy, but the jump from psa of 8 to 12 in three months!

W-O
Posted 2/4/2011 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
Wow.
It certainly shows that active surveillance is only effective as long as you remain very actively involved after diagnosis. You have done well and you still have a good opportunity to nip this is the bud.

Again, good luck...you have a cheering section here at HW...

Tony
Posted 2/4/2011 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
W-O:
- wishing you all the best with the echo and upcoming surgery -
- depending on how close /communicative you are, wishing you the best telling mom - I can see how with some men it is not always wise or necessary to do so....
- when I told my mom, she was very supportive and sympathetic.... until I hung up the phone... she called my sister and proclaimed.. " he better not die before me -he's not gonna show me up!.."
- fortunately, my mom lives in Australia ( to be near my sister) ....
- so, if that is a worse case scenario... hope your mom copes well with the news and it doesn't stress you out too much...

hugs,
BRONSON
Posted 2/5/2011 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone.

Bronson,

The wrath of a jewish mother is nothing to mess around with. This is a lose-lose situation. The reason I waited until the last minute was the fear that cell phone towers between her house and ours would be jammed, creating not just a headache of the "checking in" calls, but a small telecommunications disaster for AT&T and or other cellular carriers. A burden I just couldn't stand to bear.

Never mind traffic from the Iphone. I-Mom could topple network!

I think coping will be OK. This will take her mind off of her bad back.

Only seven days of alcohol left for me prior to R2D2, so please pardon me while I refill.....

Best to all.

W-O
Posted 2/5/2011 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
Wigged,
If you've been shoveling snow like I've been shoveling snow, hot chocolate may be a better choice than alcohol. I'm impressed that the Blizzard of '11 didn't prevent you from keeping your pre-op appointment.

I can sympathize with your EKG experience. My family doc didn't like something he saw on a strip he ran in his office, so he had me do a nuclear stress test. I thought it was going to be just a regular stress test, but NO, it was the nuclear version. I passed that just fine, but he still insisted I see a cardiologist, who also pronounced me fit with a good strong heart. I was getting nervous that he wasn't going to approve me for surgery.

Good luck with the echo and good luck with the surgery.
Posted 2/5/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
clocknut,

My version of conscious sedation. Hot chocolate is a wise choice though. The way I obsess< the echo is just a re-assurance. Even in the state that I'm in, I'm not to worried about echo test.

Your testing must surely have been a stress test itself.

Thanks for your thoughts.

W-O
Posted 2/5/2011 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Your condition is very treatable. Get good professionals and go all in with the treatment you are most confident with.

I was diagnosed about a week before my father passed away at age 93 last October. I regreted not telling him, but now I know that he knows and is guiding me. Earlier in the year my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in15 years and my father was her biggest suporter. Unfortunately, my mother has such short term memory loss that I could tell her 20 times in a day and she would not remember tomorrow. Thus, with her I don't talk about me, I help her remember what is meaningful to her.

Tell everyone and then determine who is interested and can be supportave, but most of all concentrate on getting the best treatment and building your own inner strength.
Posted 2/5/2011 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
W-O :
I understand fully - instead of W-O it could be O-V ... but up here that would stand for O Vienna beer....

Do make sure your water intake replaces the alcohol in your blood so you are balanced when you get to the machine - so they don't have you dispensing martini's through your jackson pratt .....

all the best

give your mom a hug from me,

BRONSON
Posted 2/5/2011 9:12 PM (GMT 0)

bill catalona operating on you?  you're doing the right thing.  most importantly, you have very few choices.  the operation is a snap.  take metamucil 2 week before and 6 weeks after.  don't eat too much two days before and two days after.  only use the big foley catheter bag.  drink plenty of water.  talk to people about it.  you'll feel better and so will they.   WE

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