YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

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Karl G. and Britt live in Luleå, Sweden. He was 54 when he was diagnosed on December 4, 2006. His initial PSA was 60 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and although he is not certain what he was staged it seems that it would have been T1c. His choice of treatment was EBRT (External Beam Radiation Therapy) Here is his story.

I had some trouble peeing at a dinner on a restaurant in December 2005. I felt I couldn't finish. I had to go a number of times and was never "satisfied". I didn't think much about it. It was a cold day and I thought: "What the hell, I've gotten cold and probably have some sort of urine infection!"

Some months later, in my summer house in the summer of 2006, I felt I had the same problem. I had to pee a lot and I was never empty. The force just wasn't there. I began to worry, but not that worried.

During the autumn of 2006 I was planning on taking a leave of absence from my job. In that time it was possible to take a leave of absence leave with about 75 % of the salary. In order to get this leave of absence you had to fill in a form and agree with the employer. I dragged on the filling in, but had discussed with my employer about it.
My wife was anxious that I would take this leave of absence because I really was exhausted! I told my wife I'd like to wait because I had to visit my GP to check up my urinating problems first.

I visited my GP. He made a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) and took some tests. He told me everything seemed OK, but wanted to wait for the tests before he made a decision. This was on the 26th of September (actually my daughters 23rd birthday).
After a couple of weeks I was summoned back to the doctor for more tests. This time they checked out how much urine that was left in my bladder after I peed (is that the word). They also took some more tests. I still didn't suspect anything serious.

After an other couple of weeks I got a letter from my GP telling me that my PSA was "slightly" high. He sent me to an urologist at the local hospital. I still didn't suspect anything.

The urologist told me my PSA had been 55 the first test and 60 the next. He was worried about that. He also performed a DRE, which was negative. He checked my prostate with ultra-sound. That also was negative. However, as my PSA was sky high, he decided to do a biopsy. He assured me it was routine, but acknowledged he was worried due to my high PSA.

After some weeks I was back at the urologist. I never forget that day. It was the 4th of December 2006. He just said: "I have a bad message to you - You have cancer in your prostate!" I was stunned for a while. I remember saying: Satan (which in my language is a bad word something like "fuck"). We had a talk about my cancer. I had cancer in two of the biopsies, I hade Gleason score 6 and it could be treated. I asked if I was to live. He answered: "90 % lives five years, 80 % ten". That was not comforting. I was 55 and some days!

I went back home in my car. I called my wife and told her (she was at her work). She came home! It was not one of my best days! Probably my worst day! I kept on working, but sat at the computer scanning the internet for information during most of the nights. I was constantly tired, but functioned satisfactory at work.

The doctor had told me it was up to me to decide which treatment I would choose. I told him I couldn't! We had a discussion about the alternatives and after a couple of days I informed him that I'd chosen external radiation. This of mainly some reasons:

1. The side-effects was milder after radiation than after surgery.
2. The radiation that the regional hospital has (it's called escalated radiation; external) had shown very good results.
3. I could get this treatment within a reasonable distance (some 300 km) from my home.

On the 19th of December they made an x-ray (it's called MRI I think) to check if the cancer had spread to the bone structure. Fortunately it hadn't. On the 8th of January 2007 my lymphatic system was checked. I undergone a surgery where some of the lymph nodes close to the bladder was operated out. This was also negative (that is the cancer wasn't there). I was sick and away from my job for two weeks after this surgery.

The day after the treatment started. I got an injection of something called hormone treatment (I just can't remember what it was). This was to last for some three months. On the 12th of April 2007 the radiation treatment started. I was to have 39 treatments!
On the 11th of June 2007 it finished.

I didn't work during this treatment. Mainly because of the distance (ca 300 km) to my home and work, but also because of side-effects. During my treatment it sometimes felt like I peed barbed wire. I had problems with my stomach and some times I had to go to the WC once an hour around the clock. It was an ordeal! In April I got a second shot of the hormone.

When I left the hospital on the 11th of June 2007 my PSA was 4.5. I was worried about that. The oncologist assured me it was normal.

In July I started a six-month treatment with something called Casodex (a pill everyday). This treatment finished about the 10th of January 2008. On the 21st of January in 2008 I re-visited the oncologist at the regional hospital. I was very worried and prepared for the worst. However, my PSA was 0.12! All the other tests were perfect.

I asked the oncologist if I was cured. He sort of hesitated and said: "Everything has gone really well, but I can't give you any guarantees! I think you will live for another 20 years, but I really can't say!"

Anyhow, both my wife and I took the results as a declaration that I'm healthy! Though there's still a dark cloud over my head. Not as dark as before but still.

I will be back to my urologist at the local hospital in about six months. I pray that my tests will be as promising as they were on the 21st of January.

This is my story so far!

 

UPDATED

May 2008

 

 

I've been to the oncologist on the 21st of January 2008. My PSA was 0.12. As I understand it I'm in the clear for at least a couple of years. But you'll never know! This cancer is unreliable - it can strike when you least expect it. However, at the moment I feel completely cured.

Since a couple of month I have no side-effects at all. I can't drink my normal dose of coffee (8 - 12 cups per day). If I do I suffer from gasses. When I don't my stomach is normal - no problems.

For the moment me and my wife are planning on going to France in September. We are going to ride bicycles for a week in Alsace. That will be super!

My next visit to the doctor, this time the urologist, will be in the middle of June this year. I really hope that my PSA is extremely low. But I'm scared!

I'll be in touch after my visit!

Karl G.


Karl's address is: karl.gote@telia.com