Not trailer related this time

[Motor31]

We are back in Tucson for the majority of the summer. I hate being here but that's where our medical insurance is based.

I was diagnosed with early prostate cancer last February and will be having surgery on the 17th of June. The doc says surgery should be all that is needed for a full cure but won't know for sure until he gets inside and looks around. I have already banked 2 units of blood so everything is all set to get in the hospital. In the mean time it's more hurry up and wait.

We'll be stuck here for at least 4 to 6 weeks after surgery before the doc will clear us to travel. That means all of the summer plans were tossed into the dumpster. All I'll be looking to do is get out of AZ. to someplace a bit cooler for a bit and not too far away. Between the surgery time and our normal visit here we'll be crowding the 180 day "tourist" limit for out of state vehicles.

Once I go in I won't know how long I'll be away from the computer, it all depends on how long it will be before I am able to be sitting in a "normal" chair. Nancy may post a post surgery note but it depends on how much time she has as well. The hospital is clear on the other side of town from the base. sigh.

[terry and jo]

Mike,

It just about goes without saying that our thoughts and prayers will be with you throughout your ordeal. Just try to ignore the heat and keep yourself optimistic.

While I have never had cancer of any kind, I know that it can be beat.

Hang in there, keep us advised, and know that you are thought of.

Terry

[golf_bears]

Mike,

Our thoughts and prayers go out to you. We hope all works out well and that you’re back on the roads very soon.

Take care,

Barb & Roland

[Jim Keefer]

Mike,
I also had prostate cancer and had it removed. It was caught in the early stages in 2003.. Doctor has declared me free of it since as they got it all.. I still have the PSA test done yearly to verify all is well..We will be hoping the best for you and of course DW..
Jim and Jean

[wannabe]

Mike,
We will keep you in our prayers!
My Father-in-law had prostate cancer and lived a wonderful cancer free life for 15+ years....it was a change in his blood pressure meds that caused his passing. This is a highly curable disease!
Take care!
Melinda

[jdwilson3]

Hey Mike, Good Luck. We will keep you in our prayers.

I am going for my Prostate biopsy next Thursday!

If you have to spend that much time in one place, Tucson ain't all that bad. I would tell you to come visit in Benson, but I quit and left in February. Benson is about 5 degrees cooler than Tucson.

Again, best of luck, and keep us posted.

[billr]

Mike,

My Dad went through the surgery about 4 years ago. Good reports since. I hope yours goes as well! All the best, and your back on the road real soon.

Bill

[rotaxman]

Mike

Like Terry and Jo said that damn cancer can be beat. My Girlfriend Joyce had bladder cancer and has beat it no tumors in over 10 years now.

I feel for ya in Tucson I wouldn't want to be there right now either to damn hot for me.

Best of luck Mike I'm sure your gonna beat it.

Joyce and Jerry

[Carny Bill]

Best of luck to you.....

I have a high psa myself

[Motor31]

Thanks all for the wishes, I'll take all the help I can get.

JD, the biopsy ain't fun but it's not all that bad. Figure on losing a day with it as you won't feel like doing much once your done. Frankly figure on taking a nice nap later in the day.

For the guys. No one likes to think about this crap at all. What it comes down to is that a prostate issue is almost a given for us since we are living longer now. This cancer is more prevalent than breast cancer is in women yet men tend to ignore the issue and not get checked. It's always the other guy. Bovine feces.

Go get an annual physical, get a PSA (blood test) and the rectal exam. No it's not fun but it's the best way to find out if you have problems. The PSA is a test based on a trend. Yearly results are checked to determine if cancer indicators in the blood are rising. If the PSA goes up it may be time for a biopsy. It depends on your doctor. If you have trouble urinating, and most of us do later in life, and the PSA is climbing you are a good candidate for cancer. The good news is that it is now curable if caught early. It's no longer a death sentence with a 3 to 5 year life expectancy like it used to be. If you ignore it, it will not ignore you and it can be beaten with a probable return to a normal lifestyle, totally normal.

Get ' r done.

[wannabe]

Very well said Bill!!

[rverdlm]

Good luck Mike! You're in good health otherwise and I'm sure all will work out. One of the most important things is to keep a positive outlook. Barb and I will keep you in our thoughts. For all the rest of you guys out there do the yearly test!!!

[hitchup]

Below from WebMD is what I just emailed my mother. She was just diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer 3 weeks ago. We made a quick trip last week to Seattle to visit to help out.

WebMD: Pledge to the gamma frat
The nutrient with the coolest name—gamma tocopherol—may also be the one with the fastest draw in a showdown with cancer. When Purdue University researchers pitted this form of vitamin E against prostate- and lung-cancer cells, they discovered that it was able to stop the cells in their microscopic tracks.
What's more, gamma tocopherol helped kill existing tumor cells without hurting healthy cells, says Qing Jiang, Ph.D., the study's lead author.
But what about the research showing that vitamin E supplements are worthless, and perhaps even dangerous? Doesn't apply to gamma tocopherol, since it isn't included in most E supplements.
Instead, you'll find it in sesame oil, which you can sub for other cooking oils or sprinkle over salads. Or, if you want a source you can sink your teeth into, munch on walnuts.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100214715&imageindex=1

[Motor31]

Gonna be off line for a few days at least. Surgery is tomorrow at oh dark thirty. Today is the clean out same as for a colonoscopy. oh boy, what fun........... :shock:

[ponch]

Mike
Pat and I both have you in our thoughts and prayers.

I know exactly what today is for you been there many times and yes you are right "OH WHAT FUN" duh :wink:

Take care and we will be looking forward to running into the two of you down the road.

[keithandpenne]

Mike,

Sorry to read your post. As we all know, early detection is the key.

We'll all keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Keith

[Motor31]

Surgery is over and I've been "home" since Friday afternoon. Pain is minimal but the inconvenience factor and irritation of a catheter is starting to get up there. I'll be stuck with that for about 2 weeks. I get the drain removed tomorrow. The doc left it in since I was shedding liquid every time I went for a walk. I did a lot of walking around the hospital to help ease pain and get me flexible. The longer you lay on your back the more problems you have. So far I'm up to a couple hundred yards at a time for a walk now. I'm slow but there isn't much of a problem. This isn't a real big deal but it is a bump in the road. I'm kinda sensitive to bumps right now too. :)

[rotaxman]

Mike

Glad to hear that's it over sounds like it went well I guess the Doc says they got it all and your free of it I hope.

Anyway glad to hear that your getting around I don't think I would care for that catheter much either. I have never had one and don't want one.

Good luck hope things keep going well

Joyce and Jerry

[terry and jo]

Glad to hear that you are getting around as well as you are. While I've never had to have a catheter, I have had family members that did. Granted, it is an irritation for a couple of weeks, but look at it as just a small price to pay for good health.

Our thoughts are still with you.

Terry

[Motor31]

The drain is out. It was an interesting experience. It took a couple seconds longer than I thought since it was about 18 inches or so inside me. I had figured on only about 6 to 10 inches. Not really bad but I'm not anxious to do it again.

The pathology report was in too. There was more cancer than we thought in there. It was on both sides of a very enlarged gland. The prostate was 4 times normal size for my age, which was why we were planning on removal next winter anyhow had the biopsy been negative. The enlargement was not due to the cancer. The cancer also did not breach the exterior, meaning no spread beyond the prostate. The doc says I should be fully cured, no chemo or radiation needed. We will still be doing annual PSA tests to keep an eye out for any recurrence of the cancer but the doc says I should worry about other things instead.

Nancy has been a cancer survivor for over 10 years and my calendar has just started.

Now I have to wait until the 29th when the catheter and staples will be removed. I have enough staples on the incision to drive a metal detector to drink. Sitting in a chair has gotten easier and walking still helps me to feel better each time. I'm looking to do a 1 mile walk by Weds.. So far so good.

[ponch]

Gosh Mike that sounds wonderful other than the extraction part lol

Take care and we will looking forward to celebrating your 10 year reunion and Nancy's 20th!

[jdwilson3]

Hey Mike, how is it going with the catheter?

I just got the results of my biopsy and I to have prostate cancer. Tomorrow is the CT Scan then Wednesday the meeting with the Doc. They said nothing but clear liquids after 9PM tonight...I have verified that Jack Daniels is clear.

[rotaxman]

Top

Well I hate to hear that I hope that you are as successful as Mike was.

Best of luck you can beat it. I'm sure

As always good camping
Joyce and Jerry

[47hook]

Actually, oodles of Boodles (gin) is very clear...after a few shots, nothing else will be, clear that is!!! (Yes, personal experience)

Best friend is now 3 years clear from prostate cancer/surgery. Prayers are with all of you...take care, Top, from Chief Whiskey 4.

[jdwilson3]

Very strange... Of the men I know who had prostate cancer, half have surgery and half went for radiation. Half of the later half had beam radiation and half had "seeds".

Thank you one and all for the positive thoughts and prayers. I will keep you posted. One good thing...booze is cheap at Little Rock Air Force Base.

[Motor31]

The results I have heard about indicate that radiation (seeds or beam) has more problems than surgery. As long as the cancer is encapsulated and does not go outside of the prostate the surgery IS a complete cure. Of course continuing PSA tests will monitor for any recurrence of the cancer.

If the cancer has spread then chemo and radiation are a good idea.

A lot also depends on whether you have the slow growing type or the aggressive fast growing type of cancer.

[GlennWest]

My brother in law had that surgery at 50 and it left him impotence. He actually considered suicide. Had to have help. That was 3 years ago. Cancer free but to this day says if he had it to do over, he wouldn't. (ok, I corrected my spelling)

[jdwilson3]

I always thought I was pretty darn impotent, then someone let me know that I was leaving the R out.

[Motor31]

If you think you are important, try ordering someone elses dog or cat around. :D

[jdwilson3]

September 15 I will have a daVinci Prostatectomy done. Instead of the big incision, there are 5 small ones. Only 6 days on the catheter. The Doctor has done over 1000 of these. Kinda like robotic surgery.

More information at www.daVinciprostatectomy.com

However, the CT Scan also found a compound cyst on my kidney, and that will have to be watched.

[jdwilson3]

OK, surgery done last Tuesday, out of the hospital on Wednesday. Yesterday (Monday) they took the catheter out. Surg not bad, aches, but no pains afterwards.

Biopsy of the surrounding areas showed no spread beyond that found in the prostate. Now, just waiting for the bladder to settle down.

[chevman]

OK, surgery done last Tuesday, out of the hospital on Wednesday. Yesterday (Monday) they took the catheter out. Surg not bad, aches, but no pains afterwards.

Biopsy of the surrounding areas showed no spread beyond that found in the prostate. Now, just waiting for the bladder to settle down.

happy to hear this news John.
chevman :D :D

[Carny Bill]

Just SUPER...................

[BillA]

I will reiterate Mikes encouragement about annual PSA's and digital exams. When you know in time prostate cancer is treatable. What you don't know can kill you.

I got "too busy" to go for annual checkups until I began to have urinary tract trouble. I knew it had been a "while" since I had had PSA and digital exams, but when I called my urologist for an appointment I was shocked to learn that it had been nearly three years. PSA came back 25+, virtually off the scale. Immediately went in for biopsey and then sweated bullets waiting for results and thinking how dumb could I have been to let that simple test slip by for so long and if I had cancer had it progressed to terminal dimensions because of my inattentiveness.

Fortunately, no cancer was found and the high PSA was determined to be the result of an infection of the prostate. After a round of anti-biotics PSA dropped back to a reasonable range. You can bet I will never get too busy for these exams again.

Like Mike said Git-er-done and regularly.

[rotaxman]

Top

Glad to hear all is well. Pretty soon you can get back to business as usual.

Joyce and Jerry

[ponch]

Mike

That is great news!!

So glad that everything turned out so well.

Congratulations!

[47hook]

Glad to hear a good ending for all. And, Top, make sure you keep that "first shirt" tucked in real tight, at least until happy hour and you can show off those itty bitty scars!

[jdwilson3]

Funny thing...PSA was only 2.2. So obviously, one can not live by PSA alone. Two years ago it was 2.2 and last year 1.7.

So, if your doctor isn't having you put your elbows on the table...you could die.

[Motor31]

My PSA went up only incrementally as well. It was a combination of symptoms that caused the urologist to do the biopsy as a precaution. In my case it was a good idea. It also took replacing my primary care physician as well since he wasn't listening to me as I decribed the change in symptoms.

Ya gots to pay attention to the little changes at times to avoid some big problems down the line.

Top, glad the surgery worked out well for you. The bladder will settle down in a few weeks. Just take it easy on doing anything heavy duty.

[jdwilson3]

Today is Friday....seems settled down already!!!!

'nuff about that!