Clark
Minton and Barbara live in Texas USA. He was 65 when he was diagnosed in January,
2008. His initial PSA was about 22.0 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 4+4=8 and he
was staged T2 or T3. His choice of treatment was Robotic Surgery. Here is his
story.
In May of 2006 my wife Mona of 38 years died suddenly. I was devoted
to her and worked day and night to avoid complete devastation. I was 64. My PSA
was 3.4 and did not seem to be a problem for me or my physician. I was in OK physical
shape ,but I spent much time at the gym and Yoga, Pilates classes.
I had
a mild heart attack with 2 stents inserted in the Spring of 2007. My PSA climbed
to 5.6 and after a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) my physician wanted me to
go to a urologist. I refused based on my ignorance that all prostate cancer was
slow growing and all old men get it. Besides I had no time to deal with any more
medical problems when I was seeking a wife to live with the rest of my life. I
was fortunate to meet a lady where we had mutual friends and she became a friend.
Later romance was embraced by us with a wedding date in December 2007.
In
January I went to a Urologist and had a biopsy. The Gleason score was 8. I felt
good and I wanted no part of any more surgery. The Urologist was connected with
a physician that was connected with a Cryotherapy machine ownership and I was
not sold. I talked with a friend of a friend that had had robotic surgery locally.
I talked with that physician. He seemed young. I didn't feel comfortable. At a
local prostate meeting I asked a Nurse where was the robotic surgery performed
initially. She thought it was at Henry Ford hospital in Detroit. I used the internet
and was impressed when two web sites one of Cornell University and one other I
don't recall where the head of the department said they had studied under Mani
Menon MD in Detroit.
In March 2008, I went to Detroit and had Dr Menon
remove my prostate and the Gleason score was now 9. The lymph glands were clear
but there was evidence it was involved with my seminal vesicle. A month later
my PSA was 10 and it continued to rise after I went to local oncologists whose
solutions were hormone therapy. I refused because I was just recovering from the
surgery and wanted to preserve my newly wed status. I went for a final opinion
from Dr Arujo MD PHD at MD Anderson in Houston. He also recommended hormone therapy.
I pushed him to tell me how long I had without treatment since the MRI showed
rib and hip metastasis. I asked 2 to 5 years thinking he would say 5 to 10. He
said closer to 2 than 5. If I refused treatment he suggested to enjoy life.
I
promptly in July 2008 had an erection surgery operation locally. The operation
worked and my wife and I scheduled a few cruises to enjoy. Around December, 2008
I had some pain in my right leg which I thought might be from a weight machine.
This aggravating and moving pain in my leg and ribs continued until I finally
began using a cane and my lover boy qualities were greatly diminished. I went
back to MD Anderson to take the hormones. My PSA was 649.7 . After one month of
hormone therapy and 14 days of Casodex my PSA dropped to 9.7. I took a 3 month
hormone shot with no Casodex. I am 2 months into the three months hormone shot
and I walk 3 miles a day and lift weights 2-3 times a week. The pain is very diminished
and life is almost normal except the libido is gone for now. I feel very good
and think that I will die by being hit by a bus rather than the cancer. However
I have began to study it a bit closer and will change some of the diet and supplements
from time to time. Depending on my PSA next month I may go to Charles Myers in
Virginia for more and different treatment.
Clark's e-mail address is: caminton@aol.com
