YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Greg B. and Kim live in Tennessee, USA. He was 46 when he was diagnosed in November 2008. His initial PSA was 6.0 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 8 and although he does not state his staging it seems clear from his narrative that he was staged T1c. His choice of treatment was Radical prostatectomy. Here is his story, told by Kim.

I am writing this for my husband, Greg, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 46. It was a total shock to us and his primary care doctor, who also happens to be a close family friend. Our friend and doctor told us it was divine intervention that he even checked the PSA box when Greg came in for his annual physical. Surprisingly, his PSA came back at 6.0. We hoped for a lab error, it was not, a repeat was also 6.0.

Next we were referred to a urologist for a biopsy. 6 of the 12 sites came back positive for cancer. Those positive sites were all on one side of his prostate. It was an aggressive cancer with a Gleason score of 8.

We have a lot of respect for Greg's urologist, who because Greg was young and had such an aggressive cancer, backed out of his treatment at this point and referred him to an awesome oncologist/surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Greg had a radical prostatectomy performed on January 16th, just a few days after his 47th birthday. The surgery was performed robotically to try to spare nerve function as possible. The surgery was successful. His doctor told us that the cancer was confined to the prostate and his margins were negative. An answer to prayers!

His first PSA came back undetectable after surgery. He just had another PSA taken which would be 6 months after surgery, also came back undetectable. Again, an answer to prayers.

Greg has done extremely well with incontinence. He is very well controlled in that department. Impotence remains a challenge and we are working through that. We have tried several drugs with poor results so far. He is going to speak with his surgeon about this more on his next visit. Let me assure you guys out there, speaking for the women in your life, we just want you guys around. Difficulty in that area is a small price to pay as long as we get to keep you!

I guess now, we just keep an eye on those PSAs. His doctor did tell us that year 2 and 5 are milestones in determining recurrence. This all makes me nervous but Greg takes it all in stride. He has said this has been harder on me than him. I think he is brave and has a great faith.

Please keep us in your prayers, as we will keep all of you.

 

UPDATED

February 2010

 

 

We just got back a PSA and thankfully it was again undetectable.

It has been a year since Greg's surgery and things are progressing well. Incontinence is not a problem. Impotence is slowly improving. No oral drug has helped but the shots worked too well. It was hard to get a dose low enough. Now it just seems that nature is slowly healing on it's own.

Greg has lost approximately 15 pounds over the past year due to help control some blood sugar problems that have cropped up recently. I also give him a cup of pomegranate juice every day.

In it's own way, the cancer has made us appreciate all that we have more. I can't say this is by any means something we would have chosen. But we now do not take for granted that Greg got to see his daughter get her driver's license, I don't take for granted that there will be a voice on the other end when I call his phone.

We thank God for the time we have been given. We continue to pray for the members of this site.

Greg's e-mail address is: k_beeson@yahoo.com