I’ve been meaning to let everyone know what’s been going on in my life the last few months but I didn’t know where to post this. I’ve finally decided to just go ahead and post it here.
Last summer, my PCP told me I needed to go to see an urologist about my elevated PSA (prostate specific antigen.) It was at 7–not horrendous but more than it should be. When I saw the urologist’s nurse, she explained that I needed to have am MRI of my prostate. Now, I’ve been working as a scheduler for a California-based radiology company that set up their call center in Tulsa. My job was to schedule patients for all sorts of exams, including MRIs of the prostate.When she started to explain what the exam entailed, I stopped her and explained that I knew what she was going to tell me as I’d scheduled numerous exams of the same type. She smiled and we quickly set up a date for the exam.
The exam went smoothly and when the results came in, the urologist scheduled me for a biopsy. After the biopsy came back, I met with the doctor, who explained to me that I have prostate cancer. As I had already seen the test results, I knew that, but we went over the results, with him filling in parts that I hadn’t learned yet. He then explained that he wanted me to schedule a PET/CT exam. He then started to explain what a PET/CT exam entailed. However, since this whole situation started, I moved into the role of a PET/CT coordinator. That entails my checking that we have all the necessary documentation for a patient’s exam, so the radiologist that would read the exam has the most information needed to make an accurate reading of the images. So, I stopped him and said “Doc, I’m a PET/CT coordinator.” He broke out laughing, realizing that I already knew what he was going to tell me.
After the PET/CT exam, my urologist discussed my case with a radiation oncologist (that he characterized as the “best radiation oncologist in Tulsa,”) and they came up with a treatment plan. Due to my age and certain other conditions, I was not a candidate for the removal of my prostate. Therefore, they came up with a two pronged treatment plan. My urologist administered a hormone shot in November that will last six months and the radiation oncologist set up a series of 44 radiation therapy treatments that started on December 3rd.
The radiation therapy treatments were a piece of cake, even though each weekday I was given close to 8,000 rads of X-ray radiation delivered directly to my prostate via external beam radiation. I should have been finished by February 5th (going five days a week but skipping Christmas, the day after Christmas, and New Year’s Day) but there were two days I missed due to various issues that I won’t get into here. That moved my final therapy date to February 9th.
Until the weekend of January 31st/February 1st.
A symptom of prostate cancer is an enlarged prostate. (You can have an enlarged prostate without prostate cancer but if you have prostate cancer you always have an enlarged prostate.) This affects your ability to urinate, as the enlarged prostate squeezes down on the urethra, restricting or even blocking the flow of urine. In my case, and despite the use of medication to prevent the blockage of urine from my bladder, I slowly lost the ability to urinate on my own. I finally went to the ER on Sunday night, February 1st. There, they found my bladder was so overfull that the waste products were backing up into my bladder.
I had a Foley catheter inserted and it pulled off somewhere between 3 and 5 liters of fluid in the first few hours. They then started with saline IVs to help flush out my kidneys and by Wednesday the 4th, I was cleared to return home–but with the catheter still in place. This was because my urologist said he wanted me to complete my radiation treatments before he would remove the catheter.
The good news is that today was my final treatment. I had a number of friends come out to celebrate this achievement. The receptionists in the Radiology department of the clinic I went to (Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute) even gave me a medal! They explained that many of the marathons in the Tulsa area donate medals to OCSRI to award us patients who complete our therapy. My medal is from an Ironman competition that was held in Chattanooga, TN. I also rang the bell to indicate my completing my “marathon.” A number of friends from my church and a Toastmasters club were there to cheer my accomplishment. Some of them joined my for breakfast at one of my favorite places–Black Bear Diner. Sadly, I forgot to get a picture of the group!
So, what’s next? Tomorrow, I get my catheter removed and take a “voiding test” to see whether I still need the tube or I can be freed of the annoying encumbrance. Then it will take a few weeks to allow my body to settle down and see if the cancer has been eradicated or not. Looking down the road, I’ll need to have my PSA tested on a regular basis (a simple blood test.) I may need further MRIs, biopsies, or PET/CTs, depending on what my PSA level is.
With all that being said, how do I feel right now? I feel pretty good. I had no side effects of the radiation therapy and the side effects of the hormone therapy that have affected me the most are occasional hot flashes and low grade headaches.
So that’s been my recent history. How’s yours been?
My medal.
(Video to come.)
Me ringing the bell.
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