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| Each man's Journey is listed under his BASIC treatment. When you click on one of the names to read a particular Journey, you may see one or more different treatments in bold lettering immediately above the Journey text. You will see (Recurrence) if they are due to a recurrence. Otherwise, they will be treatments used in conjunction with the basic treatment, i.e. Lupron with External Beam Radiation or External Beam Radiation with HDRT/Brachytherapy, etc. | |
Active Surveillance Alternative (Natural) Therapy Cryoablation - Freezing Hormone Therapy Radiation - Brachytherapy Radiation - External Beam Radiation - HDRT Surgery - Open Surgery - Robotic |
As the mother of three, I am use to runny noses, broken arms and strep throat. I have been able to provide chicken noodle soup, tissues, and hugs to encourage and support my children. The furthest thought from my mind was that one day I would be providing support for my husband of 34 years, who is now battling Metastatic Prostate Cancer. My journey with Prostate Cancer began with a doctor's appointment to refill my prescriptions. I mentioned to the visiting doctor that my husband was 51 and had never had a PSA or a colonoscopy. He said, "No problem, he is my next patient." Blood work was ordered for the next day and we were off. Results came in quickly. They gave us all of the basic blood panel results. Everything looked OK. When we asked about the PSA, they said, "OOPS!" They had forgotten to include this one. One more trip to the lab followed by a surprising phone call from Dr. Naing. Tim's PSA was rather high and he needed to be referred to a urologist in Eugene. Knowing that Tim had a rather high PSA, I was already in the "support mode." Before seeing Dr. Mehlhaff, I called his office to see if it was possible to get a biopsy, if necessary, done at our initial visit. They told me, "No." I do not like this word. Tim spent the first part of his exam with Dr. Mehlhaff getting a good check-up. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Mehlhaff, himself, came to get me from the waiting room. I knew something must be up. He said that upon examination, he could feel "something" on Tim's prostate gland and if it was OK with us, he would like to perform a biopsy before we left his office. The doctors took 12 samples from Tim's prostate gland. We left the office that day with pamphlets about Prostate Cancer. Waiting the 7-10 days for the biopsy results seemed like forever. Tim was at school with his students when the phone call finally came. Everything Dr. Mehlhaff said to me seemed like a message in a fog. I wrote down all the test results on the kitchen counter. Next came my having to share this news with my husband. I was not looking forward to this call. How do you share with someone that their life is about to change in so many ways. How do you share with someone that their life might be taken from them? Prayer, readying a quiet voice, and waiting for the school day to end was what came next. Do I wait for Tim to come home or do I call him and give him the news over the phone? We had agreed that I would call him as soon as the results came in. This conversation was short and direct. I read the results off the counter. Tim was very quiet. At this point, we didn't really know what these numbers all meant. My role of wife has now taken on a new priority, the health and well being of my husband. I have spent many hours researching treatment, dietary needs, supplements and alternative therapies. I have spoken with many others whose lives have been affected by this terrible disease and found a local support group, US TOO Florence. This group has provided me with education and others who share their cancer experience. Wives, survivors, and family all show up to share personal experiences and lend support to each other. I have spent many hours on my knees with the Lord. What is happening with Tim's Prostate Cancer is always on my mind. We have a positive outlook and will continue to do what is best for Tim as we go for another 34 years. |
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