Mo Mo said...
By the way as you can see in the title I am a little perturbed that I got the call from the nurse...
I can tell you a "funny" story on how I found out about
my diagnosis. I had pre-arranged with the technician, as she prepped me for the biopsy, for her to call me with the results because I didn't want the anxiety to build up if I waited to see the doctor in person.
A few days later, as I returned home from doing some shopping, I saw on the Caller ID that the doctor's office had called. I felt a lot of uneasiness as I walked over to the phone because I knew that the next few minutes could very well be one of those benchmark "life" moments.
I sat at my desk and dialed the number and she came on the line. As my heart pounded, she looked at the report and said, "it's benign." I never felt such pure relief flooding through my veins, began to silently say, "Thank you, Lord."
Then, before the feeling of relief could completey sink in, I heard her say, "Wait a minute." Then, I was placed on hold and some music began playing.
After a very brief moment, she came back on and I could hear papers being shuffled as she spoke. She then said, "Sorry, I was looking at someone else's report. Then she found MY report and said, "Yours, is ..... malignant!"
I cannot express the feeling of utter, cold shock that collided head on with the relief that had begun coarsing through my veins. To go from one joyous extreme to the opposite, horrific extreme is not a snap of emotions that I care to ever experience again.
This was a Friday afternoon. She then said she could get me in to see him a week from that day. Then she corrected herself and said, "Wait, you probably want to see the doctor sooner than that, right?" I almost answered, "No $h!t, Sherlock" to her.
So, anyway, I saw the doctor the following Monday and he could not have been nicer or more reassuring. It sounds as if your case is similar to mine -- Gleason 6 with a few positive cores with smaller percentage involvement.
When I asked him what the chances of metastasis were, he closed his fingers in an "O" and said, "Zero." He told me that if I had the prostate removed I would live out my full lifespan.
Mo Mo, it does seem like you have a very curable case, as I (hopefully!!) did. So, aside from being told by the nurse about
the diagnosis (at least yours got it right, LOL), you will hopefully be looking back on this in a lighter tone after successful treatment of your choice.
Here's wishing you the very best,
Chuck
Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Pathology showed Gleason 3 + 3, pT2c, N0, MX, R1
adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & VERY slowly getting a bit stronger.