My Prostate Cancer Treatment Update – Pt1
I’m As Busy As a Bee
I’ve been extremely busy of late on other, more pressing issues so getting time to make a new post concerning PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENTS has been all but impossible. That said, I also think my time management capabilities are somewhat wanting. What ‘dill’ was it who said “Retirees had too much time on their hands?”
I guess the first thing I should attend to is an update on my own health challenges.
Let’s have a recap first off for the benefit of newcomers to my blog…
My Past Is My Future
With 12 years as a soldier and policeman behind me in 1970 – seven years of which was spent in Asia – I came with my wife and three children to Australia seeking the sun and my fortune. I subsequently entered the corporate world in middle management roles primarily in security and loss prevention and later, as a senior executive in a multinational and then eight years later, with a major Australian company. My various roles spanned a number of disciplines including; human resource management, training and development, industrial relations, risk management, internal audit and crisis management.
On leaving the corporate environment, I used my comprehensive military, police and business experience to develop a Crisis Management Consultancy operating throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Ill health forced early retirement.
Let’s Recap My Health Issues
Major health issues developed in 1995. A large cancerous tumour was discovered on the rear of my right kidney. It had stayed hidden for eighteen months during which period my doctor and urologist were telling me I didn’t have a problem. I persisted and eventually, when found the size and location of the tumour dictated removal of the whole kidney.
Are Doctors Dangerous?
That episode led me Five years later, in 2000, to a further, eye-opening and unfortunate dalliance with the medical profession. During a six monthly check-up, X-ray and CT-scan, and immediately following a bout of severe bronchitis, two suspicious nodules were discovered on my right lung and one in my liver. My doctor diagnosed a cancer metastasis vis-à-vis my previous kidney cancer and, with great feeling and sincerity, gave me 12 months to live. He did concede however, that this period could possibly be prolonged with treatment and sent me off to see an urologist.
This gentleman was fairly non-committal and suggested a wait and see approach, with monthly reviews. I was more than pleased to agree. After several such reviews and without him ever considering a different course of action, I went along for another visit hoping for the best.
This Doctor Was Decidedly Dangerous
Unfortunately, I found that my regular urologist was overseas and a locum was in his chair. This chap went to some length to convince me of the high probability of a metastasis and suggested I see an associate of his, a thoracic surgeon, at the local private hospital. Happy to get another opinion I agreed and duly attended for an urgently placed appointment.
Well, this chap very quickly and with hardly a look at my medical profile told me it was most certainly metastasis and he could fit me in for surgery within a day or two. He explained that he would remove the offending part of the lung only, if he could, but I should be prepared to lose the complete right lung if that was called for. This really came as a surprise to me. I was there for an opinion and here he was booking me in for surgery. Wow! Things must be bad. But I still had questions to be answered.
So I quickly said words to the effect “I don’t understand. If I have cancer in my right lung and cancer in my liver what’s the point of taking out my right lung and not my liver?”
“Oh! I don’t do livers” He retorted.
“You’re not getting my drift” I said “If cancer is in my lung and in my liver, surely it is likely to have spread elsewhere too. Removing my lung at this point will do more harm than good”
He looked flustered and made no comment.
With that, and a not too pleasant utterance, I walked out. Quite obviously this chap was more interested in filling out his operating theatre quota than he was in my health and well-being. (Note -This experience was probably the point where I really started to question my childhood upbringing where my parents had instilled within me that the family doctor sat next to god at the dinner table).
My Urologist Is Trumps!
When I explained my hospital experience to my regular urologist on his return from overseas, he said little but it was quite evident from his demeanor he was very angry and I had no doubt that he intended pursuing the matter further with his peers.
Fortunately for me though, after six months or so of these visits and reviews and also follow up tests my urologist was able to assure me that I did not have metastasis and that the nodules in my lung and liver were most probably haemangioma; a normally harmless and benign self-involuting tumour of endothelial cells (the cells that line blood vessels). And now, some 9 years later, time would appear to have proved him correct. Bless him.
Holidaying in England.
In 2001, with the uncertainties and anxieties of the times, my wife and I decided to take a ten month holiday in England, basing ourselves in London, at an apartment very kindly supplied by family members. Ten months in exciting London, visiting family and friends in various parts of the country and generally having a ball, was enough time to make us realize that in retirement, busy, bustling, hectic and frantic Sydney, exciting though it was, was no longer the place to be. So we decided that on our return to Australia we would move to Queensland… the land of sun, sea, surf and sand, where it is beautiful one day – and perfect the next. So that is precisely what we did.
Skin Cancer Attack
During June 1999 my wife became suspicious of a mole situated on my back and I had it removed. It turned out to be a malignant melanoma, one of the more deadly cancers. In October that year I had another mole removed and that was biopsied as a dysplastic compound naevous with a note added “malignant melanoma not excluded”. I guess we could say that one was a near miss.
I couldn’t help wondering if this was a sign of more such things to come.
To be continued/.
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