HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

ONE WILD RIDE

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic locked
12 3
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/28/2006 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
OK gang, this is not going to be your average medical info thread, so anyone who does not want to hear about the commical side of having prostate cancer and some other unplanned & unwanted benifits of having this desease, please read no further!!!!!!!!!!!

This thread contains ADULT MATERIAL and is rate "R". Some of you may not apreciate the humor.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So here goes, I've been through a lot in my life, from being an All American Swimmer in collage to a homeless drunk, from a drug addict to living at a hippy comune, from working 1 mile under ground in a zink mine to being a underwater scuba life guard. I've seen quite alot in my short life but I've never been through anything like this prostate cancer trip of mine. I first learned from a blood test that I had a high PSA and needed to be checked out by a uroligist so off I went. At my 1st appointment after drinking a load of water and waiting an hour the doc asked me to pee in this large jar which I darn near filled up. Then he put me in a chair w/ sturopes and a nurse put this plastic hose up my penis and filled me w/ air till I was begging her to stop, about 25 seconds later she did. Then they left me in the chair w/ the hose in me for over an hour while another nurse tryed to get my med. files faxed over. What fun I thought!! Finally the Doc came in and let me let the air out, pulled the hose out and stuck some sort of scope bigger than the hose up there. Boy, did that ever feel good! Well finally I said to him, I'm glad thats over with! He answered, that was nothing compared to the biopsy. Biobsy!! I thought that was the biopsy! Nope, They walked me down the hall in one of those hospital gounds w/ the front completely covered w/ blood and the back wide open passed all these people sitting on benches along the hallway. (2nd stop on their way in to see the doc after the waiting room) The people cringed and turned their heads as I walked by as they finally put me in the room at the end of the hall. The biopsy as you guys know felt like electric shocks traveling from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet as the two Docs discoused money matters and property values. Anyway after a week or two, the test results came back negative.

End of part #1, I'll finish tomorrow if anyone wants to hear more?????????

Your friend, Pete

Posted 12/28/2006 11:39 PM (GMT 0)

PETE !

8/20/03 ? which 03' we talking about here 1903? What the heck were those doctors trying to do to you ? I can't wait to read the rest of this saga.

Glen

Posted 12/28/2006 11:54 PM (GMT 0)

Part #2

So that was my 1st experiance w/ prostate cancer, Negative biopsy results, Pete doesn't have cancer! Another year w/ other misc. ilnesses and pains went by and it was time for my anual physical. The Doc, as Docs usually do asked me how I was feeling and being the hypocondriac I am, I unloaded on him. "Well Doc my flat feet are hurtin pretty bad, my left knee, the one that had bone on bone 6 years ago when I had it scoped for the 3rd time is kinda hurting along w/ my left hip (dislocated & shatterred pelvous 77'), left ribs (8 broken in the front & back 98'), left sholder (alrteady had the right one fixed 95'), lower back (3 ruptured discs, stonosis, & Aurthritis ) middle back ( good question??) , and neck ( broken with all discs ruptured, stenosis, & aurthritis also 77') along with several other minor pains, and oh yea, I don't pee too good! He said maybe we should call you lefty! Funny Doc. So after the stress test and colenoscopy ( 6 polips removed) and heart fine, my blood test came back and low and behold, my PSA went from 3.5 the year before to over 6. Doc said you need to get another biopsy. I said what for its just going to come back negative again, I don't have cancer! So back to my favorite uroligist I went but I told him to forget about using me for a human balloon again this time! 2 weeks later and I was back to his office for my results sure that there was no problem, My wife was working close by and since I had to miss work that afternoon, I asked her to meet me after my apt. for a rare lunch out. Well she showed up on time but as ussual the office was packed and I had only made it to the second bench inside the office that again was loaded with patiants. So my wife joined me on the group W bench as my Doc walked by. He turned to me and said "I'll save you some time, you have cancer" right in front of the group W benches so all could hear! Needless to say we were speachless along w/ the rest of the crowd! I finally got enough air in my lungs to tell him what I thought of him and that I would not be back and would send for my records! 

End of part #2, Sorry folks, I know I'm boring you but it does get better!

Your babbling buddy, Pete

Posted 12/29/2006 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again Pete,

Sounds like that first urologist was a fugitive from a gulag. For your sake I hope the story improves.

Glen
Posted 12/29/2006 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
Pete,

If it wasn't such a pathetic story it really would be funny. Yep, Paramedics do have a dark dark sense of humor. I admit it..I laughed. In a really empathetic way of course.

I'm so glad you made it through although, I do wish you had contacted the state medical board. The laws (HIPAA) he broke come with severe fines. No one deservs to be fined 225 grand more than the Doc.

swim
Posted 12/29/2006 11:59 AM (GMT 0)

Hey Pete wake up i want to hear the rest of the story!!!!!!!!!!!

ed from pa

Jesus Christ Big C

cancer small c

Posted 12/29/2006 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, tell us more! This is as good for us as I hope it is for you! Spill it.
Posted 12/29/2006 2:27 PM (GMT 0)
OK Ed, I'm up! I just wrote part #3 but accidently deleited it #@!!**&^>><<?
So I'll try again!!
After my wonderful experiance w/ uroligist I was a little gun shy but I knew I had to get another one fast so I started w/ the good old yellow pages. I couldn't beleive how many there were just in S. Fla.! But with all the old folk that live here I guess it must be a gold mine for them here. I went down the list calling the ones that would accept my insurance and when I reached the end, the one who could see me 1st was in 3 weeks. Sold, I made the appointment which left me with 3 weeks to search the web for information on my afliction. I really wished I had found this forum back then! But no such luck. The more I read the more I realized this is the same desease that killed my Father back in the early 70s! It all fit togeather like peices of a puzzle. 1st the problems urinating then the swolen lymph glands, all the surgeries and finally the bone cancer. Vissions of that last two years leading up to his death came back to me like they had happened last week. Such a horrable way to go! I was the same age he was when he got it. Depression sent in and just seemed to be getting worse along w/ my alcahol consumption and my wife told me I needed to see a shrink. After a few alcahol fueled fights I agreed to go. One of her friends suggested some guy, so I went to see him. I found one thing to be true about them, they have confortable couches! So after 20 minutes worth of pouring my guts out to this guy he came to the conclusion that I was severly depressed w/ panic attacks. So right after telling this guy about my drinking problem, he perscribes Prozac & Zannex for me. Oh this guy was really good! I hit the pharmacy on the way home and washed a handfull of pills down w/ some cold ones when I got there. He was right, it did get rid of the pain! This behavior continued till I went to see uro #2. He was a nice old guy w/ really thick eyeglasses and his waiting room looked like a rest home. I dont think anyone was under 90! He told me that he could do my surgery in about a week and my odds for incontenance / impidence were abot 50 ~ 50. I told him I'd talk it over w/ my wife and let him know. I told my wife I wasn't sure this guy could even find my prostate let alone spare the nerves! I hadn't told anyone about my new problem but some of my friends knew something was up, with the hangovers every A.M. I started to ask some of my older friends about uroligists and one told me that his was a young guy who was a really cool guy and he would see if he could get me in ASAP. He did, I went and he was a real nice guy who had grown up in a neiboring town up north from me. We hit it off like champs! He said that he would be honored to do my surgery but at my age I should look into getting into a clinical test that some of the bigger places like Mayo, Cleaveland or Johns Hopkins. I thought that was real nice of him to tell me about options when I would have trusted him to do my surgery. I started calling around and J.H. told me they were doing a study on guys under 50 w/ P.C. and could I come up for an interveiw? DONE!!
Ok, thats all for now, I have to get some work done!!!
Your bud, Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Round #4
You have all heard about how great a experiance I had at Johns Hopkins so I will not bore you with that part of my story except for one kind of nasty sypmtoms I experianced while there. This is the "R" part of the wild ride, so please do not read any further if you are skweemish or don't like to hear about "guy stuff"










I haven't heard anyone talk about this on our forum so maybe I'll be 1st. Did any of you guys who had a R.P. or DaVinci have a problem trying to go to the bathroom? I was so constpated from all the pain meds I couldnt go even after an enama. But thats not the problem I'm getting to, just relaated. My testicles were so swollen, black & blue and huge that when I sat on the one of those tall hospital toilets, my sack was down toutching the water! Then when I went to the hotel in downtown Baltamore and used the reg. size toilet there, the darn thing went right down into the water! It was hard enough trying to crap without figuring a way of keeping them out of the water and I was trying to go all day and most of the night. I think that was the worst part of the whole surgery experiance for me, trying to keep my balls out of the water while trying to crap! Sorry but like I said, I never heard this from anyone else.
Now for the rest of the story! Right after I got home from Baltamore, I received a phone call from a credit card company asking if I had recently purchased some computers on line????? Hmmmm, let me think, NO!!! I was just in the hospital having cancer surgery!! Well, that was the 1st of many. Someone had stolen my identity! I started geting calls from all over the country and was so pissed off I started calling every goverment official from the local police right up to the president of the good old USA! No one would help me! I called the FBI, CIA, congressman ( the one who just quit for liking those young pages) senators, Gov. Bush, everbody!! To make a very long story short, When I had my 2nd biopsy sent out to be checked by Quest Diognostic, a girl in the office checked me out through my SSN and found I had a good credit rating, owned my house outright and didn't owe anyone anything. BINGO, she started selling my info to all kinds of degenerate people. After 2 years of fighting, 2 people got a suspended sentance and probation for putting me through hell.
To be continued, unless I shouldn't be writing about this??? someone please let me know!!!
Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 5:03 PM (GMT 0)

Pete, don't stop, this is awesome. You really should be thinking about writing a book. I mean it. This is too good. Keep it coming, this is the most i laughed all year.

ed from pa

Jesus Christ Big C

cancer small c

Posted 12/29/2006 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've got to tell you good people that after going back and reading some of the posts from today and yesterday, I know there are people on this forum that are in pain right now, stressed out to the max about hearing they or a family member have cancer or worrying about an upcoming surgery. I just don't feel quite right about what I'm writing. I think back when I was in their shoes, if I saw some guy making light of such a serious matter, I may have gotten upset. " What a Jerk!!" The worst part is that it's all true!
Feeling Guilty,
Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Pete,

This has been the best therapy for you. For the first time since you were diagnosed you've finally begun to laugh at yourself. The flood gates have opened so, go head and do what most of us do a little at a time....let it out. It's soooo healthy for you! If you had done this years ago, you wouldn't be here setting the example for these folks now. To everything there is a purpose!

Besides, we're pretty sick for laughing so that makes us all even!

Swim
Posted 12/29/2006 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Swim, as usual you make me feel better when I'm not sure of myself and straighten me out when I need it. I'll try to finish the rest later. Beleive it or not I'm leaving alot out!
Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 6:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Pete

In one of you writings you mentioned your father having PC. After I went through my ordeal my brother and I were talking about my Fathers death. At the time and before he died he had no insurance because his employer put him on part time so they would not have to pay for his insurance. He could not afford insurance on his own, so I know he was not going for physicals. He started having bone pain which was later diagnosed as cancer and he died within 6 weeks of diagnosis. They claim the cancer originated from his lungs but now we are not so sure if he indeed had prostae cancer. No autospy was done. Now I am making sure that my 17 year old son will be dilligent in the future about his physical and hopes he follows through. He is pretty smart and know the relationships of the possibility of his having PC in the future. He did give me a great big "thanks". Sorry to ramble you just triggered some memories of my own

Posted 12/29/2006 6:55 PM (GMT 0)

You are right to think it could have been P.C. I don't know what they knew about it back then but My Dad's illness sure looked like it to me now. They said his started in his lymph glands but lymph to bone sounds like P.C. to me. I have two sons and my surgin at Johns Hopkins told me to have them get checked at 30. He said my cancer had been there for a very long time. I guess he must have known by the size and slow growth rate. I also have two brothers, one older and one younger who are having theirs checked yearly, at least thats what they tell me!

Your friend, Pete

Posted 12/29/2006 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
yeah Pete -- your story is compelling and interesting.  yeah Please keep telling your story.  (If someone doesn't feel it's appropriate, they have the option of not opening the thread).

Interesting about your father too and Daveed . . . my own father (this is Linda posting) passed away 5 years ago after a battle with bone cancer that also originated with undetected prostate cancer. . . .upon looking back he had many brothers die similar ways.  These are all people born in the 1920's, so early detection wasn't always an option.

My husband (Bob) has two brothers, one older, one younger and the older one had same surgery, same surgeon 1.5 years before Bob.  Their father also had prostate cancer in his early 80's which was put into remission by radiation. . . he died at 86 from unrelated issues. . . . other than perhaps the strain the radiation had put on his heart as he had his first heart attack fairly shortly after his radiation.

All the young males in all of our families MUST start early in detection of this disease that is so treatable when found at the right time.

Although Bob's primary cancer in his prostate was slow growing the pathology report DID reveal a more aggressive cancer that was undetected in the biopsy but still contained.  We feel very lucky as first post-op PSA was undetectible.

Pete you are doing us all a big favor by sharing your story, not to mention the good therapy for you . . . you are a way different guy than you were on your first post you know.  Your story also shows what a great wife you have.

Have a very Happy 2007. yeah yeah

;o)  Linda & Bob

Posted 12/29/2006 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Linda and Bob too!
Just a foot note to anyone who may be wondering, I quit drinking shortly after my surgery 3 1/2 years ago! I am no longer or ever planning on being a drunk again! Praise the Lord!!!
and thank him too!
Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
LAWINK  & DAVEED     ,  My father died of unwatched PC. He had radiation then thought he was cured .It came back with a vengence and he died of Cancer head to toe. And Painfull!

All males in my family watch for it now!!   PETE,S TRAVELS    PLEASE CONTINUE!!! SHEPLA

Posted 12/29/2006 9:22 PM (GMT 0)

Pete, tell it all, do not leave anything out. What you leave out might be just what someone needs to hear. Like me!

Your friend,

ed from pa

Jesus Christ Big C

cancer small c


Posted 12/29/2006 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
The boss let me out a little early so before I take a nap, I'll try to start part#5.
Back home post surgery, thank God we didn't have a huracane that year! Being a dilligent employee, I started back to work in about 10 days, right after I had the staples taken out but with my cathater still in. Sitting at my desk doing electrical take-offs from blueprints and taking orders over the phone from guys working in the field. It hurt but what the hell, a paycheck is a paycheck. One thing I forgot to tell ya'll about happened just prior to my finding out about my cancer which is kind of important in the big picture. I had signed up for Aflak Insurance back in Feb. of 03'. The salesman told all of us in the meeting that we would be covered by the middle of March because it would take 2 weeks for the papper work and one month before it took effect even though we began paying after the 1st 2 weeks. This it seemed was the only good thing about getting the big C, (sorry Ed, the little c) was that I took out all types of Aflak in case of hospital stays, cancer, missing work, travel and what not! Since I was diognosed in early April I was ready!! NOT, my wonderfull employer had not sent in our payments for the 1st month, meaning I missed the cut off for being covered by about a week! He blamed them and they blamed him and if I wanted to keep my job, I couldn't blame anyone. My wife and I figured it to be about $20K we lost because of him. Sorry, back to getting home and returning to work. My boss had actually asked me to come back to work early! There was so much work to do, so many quotes that needed to be done! Nice guys really do finish last. My Uro in Fla. was really pissed at me for starting so soon. Hey Doc, I need the $$$. Anyway besides fighting the battles of the unknown spenders using my credit (about 1 = 2 a calls week) things were looking up. I had my cath. taken out and was dry as a bone except for a couple accidents at night while sleeping and I seemed to be healing OK. Getting some $$$ back in the bank before the hollidays was coming along and I had enough of an erection w/o any pills to have intercouse (although a little aukward) with my wife after 6 weeks when the Doc gave me the OK. I was starting to feel pretty good and good about myself because I had stopped drinking! I should know by now that just when things start to look up, it's time to start worrying. The week of Thanksgiving my boss called me by phone and said he was selling the company and today was my last day, I needed to clear out my office. This is the same guy who begged me to come work for him when I was working at a very large national company. The same guy that told me I was the best thing that ever happened to his company and promissed me a very large bonus at the end of the year because I had made him so much $$$$$$$$ that year. I was totally blindsided! The funny part was he gave me an excellent referal letter but never sold the company and would not take a call from me. When I went to see him his wife would say he wasn't home. I would go to the office and he would go out the back door run to his truck and drive away. I think he thought I was going to hit him or something. What a couard! I never would have hit him! Maybe because I am over a foot taller than him and out weigh him by 150lbs,??? This guy didn't want anything to do with me! So I'm going to stop right here and go take a rest, it's been a long week!! I'll give ya'll a breather from all this drama and myself too!!
Your on-line brother,
Pete
Posted 12/29/2006 11:56 PM (GMT 0)

Keep it comin' Pete.  Wish I had the guts to let it all hang out, but I don't.  If you have a chance, go back to Swim's post.  I agree with her 100%.

Regards,

Bill

Posted 12/30/2006 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
Pete Pete Pete...

The lousey so and so Boss got rid of you because you were gonna cost him higher premiums after having cancer. Just having an expensive operation probably pissed him off. Employers get cheaper rates if their employees are low risk. Long story to explain but some employer plans have incentives built in. Sounds a lot like he had one of those.

He could have just fired you but that might have drawn attention to his motive. ...which is illegal of course. The business year was about to end and he probably had to re-up his insurance contract. Bet he's the type that got pissed anytime somebody got hurt or sick, eh? Probably had Met-Life...LOL! (Just watching the news...19 million in restitution for illegal middle man payoffs). The guy probably hires illegals too...schmuck!!!!! At any rate...You got schka-rood. Someday sombody'll catch him in a dark alley... wink wink ;>} He'll piss of somebody who can run faster than he can!

PS: ALFLAC did the same exact thing to us!!! Interesting isn't it? Your Boss might have been truthful about that. Their agent "screwed up" and 2 of the 4 policies never went into force....but I paid for them...natch!
Swim
Posted 12/30/2006 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
#6 The depression sets in!
I had been working straight for over 20 years without more than a weeks vacation once a year, if I was lucky enough to get one. Actually I did take off 10 days to go to Europe w/ my musician brother. Boy was that a hoot! Why do people treat musicians the way they do?? We were treated like royalty every where we went. I especially liked Belgum, nice people and the beer was unreal! I gained 20lbs. on that trip! Thanks again to my wife for pushing me into going!! Anyway to get back on track, I was without a job going into the hollidays with 2 teenage boys and a wife with a horse habit. I asked my wife Lisa, who was into horses her whole life and had been leasing a horse for years, if she could wait till we got the house finally paid off, before she bought a horse. She agreed that would be best as they are so expensive to keep in our area of Fla. We live about 2 mi. from Wellington where the National Horse Show is held every winter (moved here a couple of years ago from Madison Sq. Garden) and is the epicenter of Polo in the U.S.A. During "the season" board for horses can go for over $1K a month! Crap, we were already paying more for board than our morgage was out of season. She got a beutiful Q-horse / therobred mare about 6 years ago before all the sh** hit the fan. She ran a barn (took care of about 5 borders and gave lessons) for a couple of years to help pay for Lily. Thats a lot of horse sh** to shovel every night after work! Why do girls like horses so much?? Off track again, sorry folks! So I'm staring at Christmas and for some unknown reason, most of our big bills like taxes, insurance and the like all come in November / December. Why does that happen?? I am starting to hurt. I mean my whole body is hurting! My back and hip are so bad I can hardly walk! My neck keeps me up all night long. It's like every break and smash my body ever had all came back at once. Boys, can you put up the Christmas lights for Dad this year? Most of the time I'm using chutches to get around sometimes a cane so I finally deside to go see a Doc. I start w/ the ortopedic guys, the 1st says I need a titanium cage bilt around my spine to hold it to my hips. Maybe I should get a second opinion? The 2nd says he can't do anything for me because there is just too much damage. The 3rd says we have to take care of your neck 1st if you don't want to end up a quadropedic! The next says I need a new hip & knee. God I love Fla. doctors! I've heard of snow birds flying down in winter but its like all the ducks or docs (quack, quack) end up down here too. Of course seeing all these drs. takes quite a bit of time, 3 weeks wait to see this one another 2 to see the next, on and on and on. Several of the docs are telling me I should get Social Security Disability because I'm never going to be able to work again. That just really helped my depression! Real bad thoughts are starting to pass though my head, very bad things. Ideas on how to fix all the pain. I'm so tired of it all!!!!
To be continued!! Unless I'm starting to bumb ya'll out???
All my love to All Ya'll!!
Pete
Posted 12/30/2006 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Keep it moving!!!!!!!! don't stop now!
Posted 12/30/2006 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
Pete,

Another interesting coincidence...My sister "Lisa" is an equine chiropractor/massage therapist! Her degree is in healthology. Spends her days being an alternative Vet.
Lisa had to make it a career...horses are really expensive to own whether they're boarded or on property.
Swim
✚ New Topic locked
123