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Posted 12/30/2012 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have joined a few of these forums over the past few months. I recognize a few names here too. I sure seems like each one I get on suddenly becomes very quiet. Is it me? Do I smell of something LOL!

To make a long story short. I am 40 years old and have prostate cancer. I have already done all the stuff and now I am recovering from the surgery that I had on the 19th of December. Cath comes out tomorrow! Woohoo!

My cancer was caught by an over-zealous Corpsman at Navy medical that ordered the PSA, he had taken it upon himself to order PSA for all men 40 and older. Navy Med says 50 and older. I was extremely lucky because as you can see from my biopsy in my signature. It wasn't caught super early. I am pretty well involved. I had no symptoms at all.

So you know, the HM1 corpsman that ordered the PSA got a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and my sincerest thanks for quite possibly saving my life.

Anyways, I hate to be a member of this fraternity, here I am. I hope I can contribute at least a little bit of insight to anyone that asks.
Posted 12/30/2012 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
NavyChief:

 First, thank you for your service to our country.  And welcome to our "club".  Yes, that doctor probably saved your life since you probably wouldn't have been tested for another 10 years. This again shows the importance of PSA testing. 

My nephew is your age and he has 3 relatives, from uncle, to father, to grandfather who developed PCa.  I am on the fence as to recommend/push an early PSA test for him.  Your story is pushing me to make him go for the test now.  Did you have any family history prior?

Well, the hard part is over for you.  I hope your recovery goes smoothly and all systems still function as before.  The good thing in your favor is your age.  Most guys at your age recover quickly and fully and have minor to no issues with ED.  And if you do have issues, remember healing can be a slow process so don't get discouraged.

Bill K. from NJ 

 

Posted 12/30/2012 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
NavyChief, Welcome to the other side. Like Bill said you are on the healing side and your age is an advantage in that regard. How we all remember getting that Cath tossed in the trash. Walking will be very important in the healing process in so many ways. The board is a bit quiet probably due to the holidays. (can't smell you from here but that could be the case as well. :) )

Please keep us posted on your progress and feel free to ask all the questions.

Bill I we have a long history of PCa in my family and my son who is 36 had his first PSA run at his physical. Dr. thought with the family history that getting a base line would be a good idea.

Cajun Jeff
Posted 12/30/2012 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW. Glad you're here.

Good to hear that you had someone willing to ignore the rules.

We can always use more insight into this PC thing so please share what you've found.

I sure it will be a relief to get the cath out. Keep us updated on your progress.

All the best,
Andrew
Posted 12/30/2012 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the dark side. Normally I have some thing clever to say, a lot of guy do here.
When you get your pathology report back is when you will know whats going on for sure. Now is the time to relax a bit and just heal. Remember to walk, walk ,walk.
Posted 12/30/2012 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
NavyChief -

Welcome to the list. If you have been monitoring our list, and even know some of our usernames, then you may be aware from reading some of our posts that we do have a pretty good bunch of vets on the list here, including some Vietnam veterans. (Like me, in-country 1969-1970).

If I see a fellow vet posting here for the first time, I like to post and make sure he is aware of VA benefits that may be coming to him, especially if he is a Vietnam veteran with PCa.

But if you're a Navy NCO, I'm sure you already know all about service benefits, including those that would apply to you if you were ever stationed in-country in Nam (some Navy personnel were).

In any case, welcome to the list and good luck to you.
Posted 12/30/2012 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Chief, Thank you for your service! As an enlisted airman and a commissioned officer I knew from day one of my service as an officer where the work got done and where the knowledge base. While officers may take the responsibility, and unfortunately the credit sometimes, the vast majority of the real work is done by the enlisted folks. Congratulations on making Chief and thanks for serving our country!!   Also sorry you had to join the club and I wish you the best of luck in your treatment!   David (TSgt and Capt, USAF, 1968 - 1993)
Posted 12/30/2012 6:32 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the club, Chief, sorry you have to be here. Don't forget to buy yourself a pack of Depends and to take one with you when the catheter comes out. That way you can get Murphy's Law on your side. The better prepared you are for it the less likely you are to leak. Murphy's Law suggests that if you buy the high-absorbency underwear you won't leak a drop. A few bucks for a pack of Depends pull ups is money well wasted.
Posted 12/30/2012 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Chief:

Welcome. You are a lucky Dude - you caught it early, especially given your age.

Just curious - where did you have your surgery done ??

JAV ( ET1 USN, 1967-1975. USS Everglades AD-24 & USS Mt. Whitney LCC-20 Plankowner)
Posted 12/30/2012 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Surgery was done at MD Anderson in Houston.
Posted 12/30/2012 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
MD Anderson is an outstanding place. You should be in very good hands.

Cajun Jeff
Posted 12/30/2012 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
Some of you may not know, but the corpsman, Hospitalman First Class, who ordered the PSA test was not a doctor or officer, but rather an enlisted man, a close equivalent to an RN. Perhaps he overstepped his authority, but I don't suspect that anybody here is complaining. A good call and a good mindset.

Welcome to the board, Chief, sorry to see you here at such a young age. I served in a Vigilante squadron on the America and the Enterprise, from '69 to '73, made AQ2, and don't regret a minute of my service. As I look back, I count it a privilege to have served.
Posted 12/30/2012 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum, Chief, but as we so often say, I wish you didn't have to be here.

I'm an Army vet, but worked 28 years for the Navy at Great Lakes, so I have a great love for the Navy and tremendous respect for Navy CPO's (and for Corpsmen).

We have a number of 40-year-olds here, and you may have seen some of their postings. I can think of at least one regular here whose husband is recently retired from the military.

The catheter removal is not a big deal, though it might feel like 4 feet of tubing coming out. Take a couple of male pads with you in case the uro doesn't have them available, but here's hoping you don't need them for too long a time.

Best of luck to you.
Posted 12/30/2012 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome aboard, Chief.

From reading your stats, its a good thing it was caught when it was, it was well on its way to being a serious situation. Wish you well in your recovery from surgery, and hope it does the job for you.

I am ex-navy myself, Viet-nam, and son of a now deceased father, who did almost 30 years in the Navy, was a Master Chief when he retired in 1967.

You will find this board far more active than any of the others you may have been at. Glad you found us.

david in sc
Posted 12/30/2012 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Master Chief,
I love to hear great news and you are the luckiest man alive!! You need to send the corpsman who ordered the psa test a bottle of whatever every xmas--he did save your life..I dabble on the VBN forum occasionally and try to get members to join us but haven't had much luck; maybe their monikers are a little too vivid--lol.
Although this is a "bump" in the road for you, don't ever forget your corpsman or the value of the psa test that you've had...
Yeah, I was a ground pounder (army) but did have some navy friends when I was with NATO back in 1967--Turkey and went boar hunting with them--what a hoot! In RVN, it was a pleasure to trade our loot for great steaks..1 night everyone in my company had a steak thanks to the navy.
Bill
Posted 12/30/2012 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
In the old Navy, that Corpsman probably would have been court-marshalled, regardless. The times have changed, for sure.

I think it would be great if he happens to be gay, too. Progress !!!
Posted 12/31/2012 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
Chief,
Glad to see you found us. And a "well done" to the corpsman who caught your PCa when he did. I'm a former Navy radioman (RM3) -- though I hear the navy doesn't have RM's anymore. But having spent a year on shore in 'Nam (Coastal Surveillance) and then a couple of years of nearly civilian (by contrast) life in a P3 patrol squadron in Maryland and Bermuda, I can attest it is the chiefs who really make things work in the Uncle Sam's Navy.

For what it's worth, I'm a decade out from my original PCa diagnosis and treatment -- Gleason 7 (3+4) and T3c and am ok. I hope you will do as well.

And please make sure to get your 20 years or more, if you haven't already. I did ok in civilian life -- no complaints at all -- but I've also worked with many, many guys who have a 20 or more year military, police, or fire department pension and I can really appreciate how much that level of security can help in terms of peace of mind, especially when you hit a rough patch.

Also -- like Gunfighter above, I've posted at VBN forum from time to time, though not particularly active there right now because my PCa seems to be dormant at the moment -- a good thing.

Jim
Posted 12/31/2012 2:11 AM (GMT 0)

Bohemond said...
Chief,
Glad to see you found us. And a "well done" do the corpsman who caught your PCa when he did. I'm a former Navy radioman (RM3) -- though I hear the navy doesn't have RM's anymore. But having spent a year on shore in 'Nam and then a couple of years of nearly civilian (by contrast) life in a P3 patrol squadron in Maryland and Bermuda, I can attest it is the chiefs who really make things work in the Uncle Sam's Navy.

For what it's worth, I'm a decade out from my original PCa diagnosis and treatment -- Gleason 7 (3+4) and T3c and am ok. I hope you will do as well.

And please make sure to get your 20 years or more, if you haven't already. I did ok in civilian life -- no complaints at all -- but I've also worked with many, many guys who have a 20 or more year military, police, or fire department pension and I can really appreciate how much that level of security can help in terms of peace of mind, especially when you hit a rough patch.

Jim

I lived in Bermuda from 77-80. My dad was the LPO of Power Plants at AIMD.

I have 21 in right now. I made Chief while on terminal leave at 20. Better late than never!!


Oh question to pose to all of you. I know I would never have talked about this before this all started. Is it fairly normal to have morning wood with a catheter. I have had it on three different days. I am fairly sure it was 'half-mast' and hurt. I take it as a good sign. I know the dr said that he was able to save about 50% of the bundles on the right side and 80% on the left. I had quite a bit of extra prostatic extension on the right side.

Oh yea. the Corpsman is in my prayers every day! I am just glad I was able to track him down. He retired in August.
Posted 12/31/2012 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Chief, "morning wood" is always a good sign, in my opinion. That you're having it this soon may be a very good sign, indeed. Let's hope so.
Posted 12/31/2012 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Chief,

Got your 20 and E-7, who could ask for more?

Well done on the morning wood. I was not so lucky, but it looks like you are on the right path.

I was in Bermuda on three different deployments between '69 and '71. Great duty. The first two tours it was still an Air Force base -- Chicken in a Basket at 75 cents in the NCO club on Thursday nights; Gordon's Gin at 85 cents a quart in the on-base duty-free (though the off-base tonic water cost 40 cents a quart), rock lobster tail dinners at the restaurant in St. David's, and snorkeling for hours along the rocks on the north shore with the barracudas. It sure could have been a whole lot worse.

Best,

Jim
Posted 12/31/2012 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Morning wood with a cath. Argh. Not a way to get any pity around here ;)

That is a great sign that the nerves were spared, and perhaps not damaged as much as we all expect. But go easy on Willie, as the cath is pretty nasty, and the crud that accumulates on it can make that wood painful.

That is actually great news. Now to see how the continence recovers once the snake is gone -

The nurse who put a PSA on my blood work request when she did not find one in my file after an annual visit falls into that same category of unforgettable.

Welcome to HW!

Posted 12/31/2012 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Go easy on Willie?!!? Like I have a choice. I would rather not have it waking up before me like that.. Its worth the pain though. I am definitely not pulling on it!
Posted 12/31/2012 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
There seem to be a few good Military Docs out there doing what they think it right. Michael was also diagnosed due to an Army Dr at Fort Bragg. He was having his physical for retirement and he ordered the PSA, dont know his thinking but Thank God for him. Michael was 39 years old at that point. Didnt think about Thanking him at the time, we were in such shock, but wish we would have.

Whether it be God or Karma or just a Dr doing his job, we were lucky to have the PSA run and catch the bad stuff.

Wish you well with your continued recovery!
Susan
Posted 12/31/2012 11:08 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Master Chief---I am a newbee too, had surgery in October. After the Cath is removed, remember to do your kegel exercises. The will help tremendously with continence.
Also, thanks for your service to our country.

Best,

Fred
Posted 1/1/2013 6:29 AM (GMT 0)
Chief,

And I thought I was young...it is a fortunate someone was looking out for you, and you were diagnosed at an early stage. Just got mine out, had the catheter out a couple of weeks ago, and am trying to manage my incontinence with pads and Depends.

We're all in the same boat here - it's supportive. Fortunately your youth and health will help your recovery.

Best wishes for your recovery - and thank you for your service!
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