Well, it certainly has been a long time since I sat down behind this keyboard. In fact, it's been too long so I plan to go on a marathon to catch things up. This first article will deal with a subject that kinda rocked my world for several months.
About this very time last year, I went in for one of those Medicare wellness check-ups. First of all, they were going to pay for it, so I figured that since I had not had a physical since I retired from the Army in 2008, what the heck. I figured the worst he could do was yell at me for being about 20 pounds overweight, but I could take care of that. Also figured that he would order some blood work and that was nothing new so -- I called and scheduled it. You know, it's easy to make phone calls, but it's another thing when it gets down to a few days before the appointment. Maybe I won't feel good that morning and have to cancel. I guess I can't say I just forgot, because then they would charge me. So I was committed. Besides, my wife knew about it and she would make sure I made it there -- on time.
OK. Yep -- he yelled at me for being overweight, and said that could cause diabetes (which I knew already ran in my family). But that was not what he was most concerned about -- it seems my PSA results were over the moon. He was sending me to see a urologist to get this looked at. Like real soon.
OK. I have been told before that I have an enlarged prostrate, and that we just need to keep an eye on it. 'Course that was 11 years ago when I was leaving the Pentagon. So after about a month or so, (so much for real soon), I was able to get in to see the doctor. After about an hour of poking, listening, and digesting what was being said, I walked out of his office trying to get my head around the "C" word. Yep --"prostate cancer ... aggressive ... need to do something about it soon ... real soon... I am ordering more blood work and I will see you back here in a week." Boy -- what a drive home !!
So in a week, we were back in his office and things had calmed down a bit. The world hadn't come to an end, California hadn't fallen into the ocean, and I had settled down a lot. This time, he outlined a plan which called for radiation treatments (no surgery -- too old and not positive it would do the trick) and meds. My wife and I went home, Pam did a lot of research on doctors that were recommended and hospitals for radiation, we talked to some guys who had had this before -- both surgery and the procedure he outlined for me, prayed, and decided to go with his plan.
So that was in late April. Radiation started in May and ended in mid-July. One treatment every week day for 45 days (10 weeks). I had my work done at the Premiere Health Facility in Troy and those doctors and technicians and nurses were absolutely the best !! You know, going into this you don't have any idea what the outcome will be, what the side-effects could be, you just know it probably isn't good, but hope it will all work out. I met people there who were really hurting and in a bad way. But you know what -- I never heard one cross word, saw one sour-puss expression or any short tempers from the techs, nurses or doctors. They really made it an OK experience -- at least for me. I thanked God each day I left that place that my condition was no worse than it was and was, hopefully, getting better each day.
Well, after the treatments ended, the doctors wanted more blood work to check to see if the PSA numbers had really improved and the treatment had done what it was supposed to do. Well ----- my numbers went from the upper 20s to 0.6 !! The meds were working and the doctor thinks the radiaiton did what it was supposed to do. Thank you Lord.
I cannot thank all those involved enough -- the doctors, technicians, nurses, neighbors -- my wife. On the last treatment day, my neighbor had made some signs and sent them in with one of the techs who lives up near us. So when I got back to the room for the last treatment, it was quite a surprise.
The neighbor boys who go fishing with me all the time at our pond made some of these signs. They even put them in our house while we were gone. Great neighbors!!
So this is something I will have to keep an eye on for the rest of my life, but as long as the numbers stay good, I think I was/am pretty lucky. I know mine wasn't anything, and I certainly think about those people I met at the hospital, but it got my attention.
When I had my heart attacks, when I had my issues in Iraq, when we had that bus wreck on one of our Vet trips to DC and they all worked out OK, I told myself that God still had something He wanted me for. It wasn't my time yet, and for that I thank Him.
Oh yeah, I know none of you who are reading this are as dumb as I was and have not had your PSA checked. This is one of those things that can be pretty much a non-issue if caught early. So, as Larry the Cable Guy would say -- "Git 'er done."
From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health. (Catalan Proverb)
Hooah
P.S. One more thing -- in this process I have lost 25 pounds. Guess that first doctor won't be able to yell at me now :-)
I called the box office at the Dayton Dragons and got two seats behind home plate (remember -- nothing but the best) and even got the Jeep washed before we went. I always like to take my sweetie out in clean wheels. It seems that Dayton was playing the Lansing Lugnuts that night -- doesn't get much better than that. OK, OK -- if you don't think that a good minor league baseball isn't a good show, you have never been to a game at that level. The players hustle, there are dancing mascots and vendors shooting T-shirts up into the crowd. I remember going to one of the Columbus Clipper's games back in the 80s and when a player hit a home run, everyone got up and danced and rang cow bells. Tell me you've got something that compares with that!! BTW -- in this picture of us in our seats, is that lady behind photobombing us?
