Allan Simsee and Astrid live in Motueka New Zealand. He was 52 when he was diagnosed on 27th July 2006. His initial PSA was 1.9 ng/ml and his Gleason Score was 3+3=6. He was staged T2a. He has not yet decided on his treatment but is leaning leaning towards brakchtherapy. Here is his story:

Hi Guys,

I have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer in July 06. Luckily it appears to be very early and confined to one node of the prostate.

Discovered owing to a nodule on the prostate during my regular yearly checkup that ironically turns out is probably not cancerous but they found cancer adjacent to it. Owing to my age (52), my low PSA and Gleason and the side effects of surgery I am leaning heavily towards brachytherapy which is something that both my GP and Urologist have agreed is a good course of treatment for my situation.

I shall have a meeting with the clinic in Auckland in approx two weeks to have the CAT scan etc and then looks like the implants will be done by around end September.

I am looking at Brachy rather than surgery owing to the less brutal side effects. I would appreciate anyone else that has been in a similiar situation giving me a yell so I can get all the information available.

Finally thank God for the Internet I don't really think I could have made this decision with out it. I also found a book that has been a great help to my family and I called Prostate Cancer for Dummies by Lange, written so dummies like me can understand it and by a surgeon that has had the damn thing himself

Regards Allan

 

UPDATED

August 2006

Well the decision has been made and I am off to Auckland on 5th Sept for the CT Scan etc and booked for brachtherapy at Prostate Implants Ltd on 29th Sept. All my reading and conversations make me confident that Brachytherapy is the right choice for me. Fingers crossed that nothing in the CT Scan or other tests puts any spanners in the works.

Will update again after scan

Regards Allan.

 

UPDATED

September 2006

Hi again all,

I went to Auckland last week 5th/6th Sept and meet Dr John Matthews a great guy who runs Prostate Implants Ltd and started the procedure here in New Zealand after training in the US Has done over 400 procedures now in the 7 years he has been going The door should have a BIG sign up saying "Abandon dignity all ye who enter here" But the pre-tests are not to uncomfortable and are done with full explanations as to what is happening and what you are likely to feel Dr Matthews has a great calm manner and really put me at ease, a genuinely nice guy.

Thank goodness all the tests confirmed I am a good candidate for Brachytherapy and we are all go for the procedure on the 29th September back in Auckland. So far I have found the process really simple and seamless and consequently have my head in a really good place about it all. One thing I have started is that Brachytherapy is not publicly funded in New Zealand and the only way to get it is via insurance or paying NZ$30,000 odd. I'm OK as I have insurance but I really feel for those poor buggers that don't and cannot afford the $, as it must add real stress to what is already a really stressful situation.

I have written to our Minister of Health asking why its not available via the public system and await his reply. If any of you out there have similar situations in your country or indeed have Brachytherapy publicly funded then I would love to know as once I am thru this next bit I am going to get stuck into this situation here in New Zealand.

This website has been of immense benefit to me and mine and I also really appreciate all those that have made contact with words of encouragement.

Stay well all and kind regards Allan.

 

UPDATED

October 2006

I went to Auckland on Friday (3 days ago on September 29) and had my seed implants -102 of them so I am told - at 3pm The surgery itself was frankly a breeze with the most uncomfortable bit being pain in the urethra following the cather during surgery. Soon dealt with by morphine by the great team at the hospital.

So far to today on a pain scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being very little to 10 being oh my god the scale is around 1 maybe 2. Not bad enough to take the pain tablets I have been given. My wife tells me I am very bruised around the perineum which means taking a bit of time sitting down etc but nothing to worry about.

Came out of hospital at 10am on the Saturday and went for a walk with my wife about 2pm that day down to the restaurants for a coffee. No problem with the toilet either 1,s or 2,s so far. Since then have been on quite a few walks but am taking it easy until a few more days have gone past.

I could not have been happier with the standard of the surgery by Dr Matthews or the Hospital service, the Nurses were all great and very helpful. So far then so good and fingers crossed that now that bits over I shall continue to get better day by day and have dealt to the cancer

Kind regards to all Allan

 

UPDATED

January 2007

Hi all,

Just had my three month check up PSA is down to 1.2 ng/ml from 1.9 ng/ml, all my functions are fine and I have come off all medications.

Each person has to make the right decision for themselves, from my perspective the decision to go with brachytherapy owing to the perception of minimal side effects has proved correct in reality.

I wish you all well, good health and tons of grandkids

Regards Allan .

Allan's e-mail address is: simsee554@orcon.net.nz