Simply Shocking

By Greg Reynolds

2 min read

I started my cancer journey on Easter 2011. I was in Vail, Colorado visiting relatives when I had an altitude related heart episode. I was rushed to Vail Community Hospital where they got me stable and did a complete work up on me.

The first scare

A grapefruit-sized tumor was found on my liver/stomach. I was told to get it checked further once returning home. I had the tumor removed that November 2012 where parts of both organs were also removed. Luckily the tumor was found to be benign. Also luckily, the liver rejuvenates itself and the stomach stretches back to its original size given time.

Rising PSA

It was the following year, 2012 after a follow-up blood test my PSA was found to be 44.3, at the time I had no idea what that meant nor had I seen a urologist. An appointment was made for me to see a local urologist, but in the meantime I discussed this find with my male work friends. I was informed by them that that number was probably incorrect, more normal would be 4.43.

I had the biopsy a couple weeks later, which really sent my blood pressure soaring high waiting. The biopsy was more uncomfortable and embarrassing than painful. Overhearing the remarks of the technicians about the size and hardness of my prostate was a little scary. I asked the oncologist if the PSA number was really 44.3, he concurred that it was. I was not told about the bleeding after the biopsy and had an embarrassing moment getting new tires on my car right after the biopsy.

Hearing my results

The urologist biopsy results appointment was the week before Christmas 2012. I was certain this was all a mistake and asked the nurse if the doctor could just phone me my results. After looking at my chart she said I had to see the doctor. I ended up being the last person in the crowded waiting room to see him.

I was scared waiting in the examining room of what could be my prognosis. The doctor came in, showed me a laptop of a picture of my prostate, 90% engulfed with red dots symbolizing cancer. We scheduled surgery that day for 1-13-13 the closest day I could for a radical prostatectomy.

A flood of emotions

My emotions were all over the place from feeling sorry for myself to being mad at God. I got over it soon enough by talking it out with friends. I sure wish I had a site like ProstateCancer.net at that time to look to for answers and find comfort. After my surgery, which was lymph node positive, it was recommended I have radiation in a couple months. I had 45 radiation sessions in the summer of 2013, afterward my PSA rose to 163. I started hormone therapy with a different urologist 90 miles away. I'm happy to say that during my last visit in March 2018 my PSA was 0.

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Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
Hope you are still doing well - and the PSA numbers are ok ...Dennis (prostatecancer.net TEAM)
dorfman Member
Greetings fellow prostate cancer club members. while not a club I looked forward to joining,At 55My PSA was somewhat elevated. The urologist felt No lump in my prostate, but suggested since my PSA was elevated, more Importantly It had doubled in one year That I should have a biopsy. different people describe the biopsy differently. I found to be like a kick in the You know where every time A hollow needle was pushed into my prostate.I had prostate cancer six Gleason score, was under 10 PSA. my doctor said that considering it was the" garden-variety" as he stated I could take my time deciding on what type of treatment I would have, or no treatment.Very open to both choices. I even asked him if I had no treatment what are the statistics on my type of cancer. He said possibly 15 years.If I got in this PC at 65 I might have opted for that, although no guarantee of course. I looked into the available treatments of the time,Frequency recurrence, collateral side effects and whatever else I could find about this new experience in life. I came across a clinic that promoted seed therapy and radiation.. I am 79 now so that was a long long time ago. I was told that it was still experimental and had not passed the so-called 10 year gold standard of no recurrence. I went to visit the clinic two here one of their advocates of their treatment. there also people had been treated was able to talk to.Is now a fairly common option. in my case it was successful.No recurrence but despite what they promote the side effects are quite similar to a prostatectomy. not nice. one interesting bit of trivia here that might cousins on both sides of my family, yes my cousin on my mother side and my cousin on my father's side both had prostate cancer, along with an uncle. they're both still alive, they both Chose a prostatectomy.What makes this interesting( to me at least) as I read about an ancient Jewish tribe that had writings about a "wasting disease".Of course that was Not necessarily prostate cancer but is definitely in my opinion a genetic correlation with PC.
1. JillBrodie Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="dorfman" user-id="9744187"/> thank you for sharing your story with us. I did have to edit out your email address as it violates our Community Rules: Activity cannot contain any personal information such as an e-mail address, physical/mailing address, or phone number. Please remember that Health Union websites, like the entire Internet, are publicly viewable and discoverable by search engines. Thank you for your understanding. Jill (Team Member)