Paul
Tweedy and Betsy live in Indiana, USA . He was 59 when he was diagnosed on February
4, 2010. His initial PSA was 15.1 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 3 + 4 = 7 and it
seems he was staged T1c clinically. He is undecided and waiting to meet with the
doctor on March 5 when the bone scan results are available but leaning towards
robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery as to his choice of treatment. Here is his
story. (Just an aside...Paul's wife, Betsy, is typing his story. She had a
total right hip replacement in December 8, 2009 and was busy recovering through
Christmas and early January 2010, and now healed up and pain free, she is totally
focused on Paul's Problem Prostate!)
In November of 2009, Paul went
to the Veterans Clinic in Scottsburg, IN for his worsening asthma symptoms. The
doctor gave him a complete physical which included a PSA blood test. His asthma
was improved with a change of medicine. He was encouraged to lose weight, being
6' and a husky 280 lbs. And he was asked to have another blood test in December,
2009. The Nov. PSA results were 13.5. December's PSA results climbed to 15.1.
At this point, the clinic's urologist, Dr. Holt, had Paul come in for
a January 2010 exam which included a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination). The results
were positive. Good Dr. Holt strongly advised Paul to have a biopsy done. Paul's
biopsy was set for February 4, 2010 at the Urology Clinic at the Veterans Hospital
in Louisville, KY. The biopsy wasn't NOT fun...Paul explained that the warmed
blanket that was draped over him was semi-comforting but he doesn't want to repeat
the biopsy experience, if possible. The sound of the "gun" clicks and the accompanying
needle pain was vividly described to wife, Betsy later on. [There
is no excuse for any man to feel pain with a biopsy procedure. Doctors should
provide local anaesthetics automatically. If they don't these should be requested.]
Betsy came along to drive him home but he insisted on driving and
even revived sufficiently for a stop at McDonalds for a breakfast. He entertained
himself and Betsy by rating the ebbing pain of the biopsy on the ride home.
The
biopsy results were received by Betsy on the phone from the nurse practitioner
working with Dr. Holt. She explained that all the 8 cores contained cancer, 60-70%
and that both nodules involved. For some reason, the Gleason Score was not given.
A bone scan was the next step. Betsy told Paul the results when he got home from
work. Both were quite shocked to hear the word cancer. The Veterans Hospital set
the bone scan for February 25 and an appointment with Dr. Holt and his team for
a discussion of Paul's treatment options on March 5th.
In the weeks since
the biopsy results and before the bone scan, with encouragement from his wife,
Paul requested his records from 2007 visit to a local urologist when he had blood
in his urine. A cytoscopy and a CT scan...nothing but a benign renal cyst showed.
But his PSA was 9.2 in Jan. 2007!! Paul seemed to think that the results were
due to BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) and did not follow up with more blood
tests until the VA clinic got hold of him in 2009. Betsy didn't get the memo on
the 9.2 PSA or he would have gotten follow-up blood test before that. Betsy also
called back to the VA urology clinic and obtained the Paul's Gleason score of
3 + 4 = 7.
As we have been doing the research on Paul's Problem Prostate.
we are thrilled to find YANA and overwhelmed with the wealth of information, support
and links to other sites. Thank you to all the men and their families who have
shared their experiences and knowledge. We will update OUR story when we have
meet with the urologist on March 5th.
Paul's e-mail address is: btweedy57@yahoo.com
