Courage

Howdy,

Never have any doubts about belonging here. If you have ANY type of PC, this is YOUR place.

With this in mind, also think of others who have stats similar to yours, who may just be lurking here to read what others are saying. They perhaps come in scared and, in reading of your situation, go away feeling much less panicked and much more hopeful for the future.

So everyone with PC in here, whether low risk or high risk, is performing a beautiful service to his/her fellow human beings.

Note that I said his AND her -- because wives, mothers, girlfriends, etc., are all victims when a male loved one gets PC.

So please keep coming with your valuable contributions!

Yeah, I've been to Mayo Clinic dozens and dozens of times. Many are in wheelchairs because of their illness while a smaller percentage are "riding" simply because the place is so vast. You can get a real workout on days when you have one or more appointments per hour in locations ranging from the subway to the 18th floor, from one building to another, etc.

A marvelous place for sure. :)

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 painlessly removed morning after surgery.
Catheter painlessly out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping. 100% continent after 3 weeks.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Brief, firm erections on occasion, still hoping for more improvement.

Could not have worded it as well as Chuck did.

Some here have life threatening issues, some have incontinence or ED issues and some like you have so-called minor PCa. The only minor cancer is like the only mild heart attack, when it is happening to someone else rather than to you.

This so aptly named HealingWell.com and another Inspire.com forum are great places to have dialog with others in same situation and learn from experiences of those who preceded us in our Pca journey, whatever of several very different roads that may be. It's also a great place to vent whenever that becomes necessary.

It's a little easier to appear courageous behind the friendly confines of a keyboard, but you are right we have to learn what we can control as well as what we cannot and make the best of the hand we have been dealt.

One therapeutic way of doing just that is to at least appear courageous for those newly diagnosed, and pay if forward if you will from others who did the same for us when we were newly diagnosed.

those of us with advanced PCa are also here selfishly to learn about emerging technologies. I particularly appreciate those who have been cured to extent that is possible and still come back to help newbies. It would be quite easy for them to just move on and not give back.

You will find over time though that even afflictions you are not currently directly affected by, you learn about after reading so many threads on the topic.

The forum "search" function is not the friendliest, but one can also learn a lot by reviewing past threads. The meds change over the years but the issues are pretty much the same.

LupronJim

GeetarMan,

Thanks for your post. You have brighten my morning and will carry your kind words throughout my day.

All the above post are great and very well said.

Wished this forum had a "LIKE" button.

Thank you again. We fight to the end and only God knows when that is.

Dave in Bartlett, TN

Geetar,

well written post.

Rick

Redwing57,

Very well said-again.

Dave

Welcome to Healing Well. Great place for information and support all things related to prostate cancer. Just dealing with what you've had to deal with already takes courage. I cringe remembering my biopsy and then being told you have cancer. Even though it appears yours is low grade, and not much of it, I'm sure it still is shocking to be dealing with it. So good for you....

As far as the courageous men and women on this forum-you are so right...in my 4+ years here I have seen so many fight the beast with their head held high...They are a true inspiration...they contribute and have an impact on more people than they will ever know...

Gman... Being sappy is a great way to be. In tune with others is a great character trait to possess. I, too, marvel at those who hang here and have high post counts. It is not for the faint of heart. I find this place both blessing and curse.

This forum is a virtual Mayo to me. I read these stories of struggles and it really gets to me at times and makes me feel guilty my personal situation is much better, at least for now. It provides me joy when I read of good news. It's much like the airport used to be...a very interesting place with a wide range of emotions. Turn to your right and see the family rejoicing a loved one is home. Turn to the left and see one devastated that one is leaving knowing they may not see them for a long long time if ever again. Being here also reminds me of what I've been through and I quite frankly don't want to remember other than to help others. Being here forces me to see myself differently than when I'm not here and I don't like how I see me when I'm here except for the times I might get an email from someone who has seen that I've been to Mayo and may have a private question to ask. I get great pleasure from being able to help with that.

PCa should make all of us sappy to a certain extent. We have a perspective that is one of life's greatest gifts and that is it can end at any moment and is precious for each day it affords us.

Bohemond... I hope your nephew is better off than it appears. Having had cancer it makes you all the more sensitive just hearing the word affixed to others.