Phil
Munford and Kathryn live in Houston, Texas, USA. He was 42 when he was diagnosed
in May 2007. His initial PSA was 5.5 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 7 (4+3) although
he says his staging was T2c and his choice of treatment was Surgery. Here is his
story:
My story began in April 2007 when I attended a health fair that
my company sponsored. I reluctantly went as I knew that I would hear the same
old story, "you're fat, overweight, and need to exercise more". For some unknown
reason I decided to go ahead and attend anyway. They ran me through all the typical
things; they weighed me, measured me, took my blood pressure and to my surprise,
they took a sample of my blood which I was not expecting. And as I predicted,
they told me "you're fat, overweight, and need to exercise more". So I left that
day thinking Great! That's over for at least another year. And so I thought!
The
following week my cell phone rang and a strange voice came over the phone and
said that I needed to see a urologist right away. When I asked why, the voice
said "Your PSA is high". I replied, "My WHAT?" "Your PSA", the voice said. I had
no clue what this meant. So I went to the internet and started my search; my heart
sank when I began to read what the PSA test was used for. Prostate cancer! Not,
me!
I immediately made an appointment with a urologist and he performed
a DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) and found a small nodule. He recommended that
I have a biopsy. At this point I could not believe what was happening. My head
was spinning over this. I thought fine, my PSA is only 5.5 ng/ml, only 1.5 ng/ml
over the cut-off, it couldn't be that bad. The doctor told me that 5.5 ng/ml is
off the charts for a guy my age, what a comforting thought.
My instinct
told me to contact The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre here in Houston.
I figured since they are right in my backyard; why not take advantage of their
services since they essentially write the books on most cancer treatments. So
I self-referred myself to them and was accepted as a patient. Thank God my company
insurance plan considered them as an in-network provider. (As a side note, MD
Anderson will accept self-referred patients for prostate cancer without an actual
cancer diagnosis. They will accept you on the basis of a high PSA or a positive
DRE from a qualified doctor.) I'm sure I could have received great treatment other
places, I just figured why not pursue treatment at one of the world's premier
cancer treatment centres.
Biopsy day arrived. This was the beginning of
the proverbial "losing my dignity" with respect to my male pride. I quickly learned
this was like re-entering the military all over again, but worse. Contrary to
what people tell you, biopsies hurt, especially where the sun don't shine. I'm
tough, I got through it, but it hurt like hell afterwards. If you are reading
this and haven't experienced the joy of a prostate biopsy, don't let this scare
you. Just do yourself a favor and ask for some pain medication for after the treatment.
I wish I would have. The doctor said we will have you results within a week.
Three
days later while I was sitting in my office the phone rang. Kind of weird but
when it rang I knew immediately who it was and what the news was going to be.
I was right. The doctor told me that I had prostate cancer. He said my biopsy
resulted with six of the ten samples positive for cancer. My Gleason score was
7 (4+3). I cried like a baby that day.
The doctor said the gold standard
for someone my age is to have the prostate removed, hands down. Without much thought
(as I had already researched all the alternatives) I agreed and scheduled myself
to see the surgeon. I elected to have the robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical
prostatectomy. I pulled myself together and decided to forge ahead; this was not
going to beat me. My wife kept telling me this is a bump in the road. She is a
tremendous person and has stood with me the entire way. Kathryn is more than a
wife; she is truly my best friend.
My surgery was conducted June 14th
2007. The surgery was a success! The doctor was able to remove my prostate and
successfully spare both nerves. I was very worried before the surgery as he stated
that the largest nodule was very close to one of the nerve bundles. He said that
my surgery was tedious, but he was able to spare that nerve as well. I wanted
to hug the guy! I was so confident with my surgeon because when I asked him during
my preoperative appointment why me at 42, he said that he asks himself the same
question. When I asked why he shared with me that his wife is going through breast
cancer for the second time at age 38. I was so relieved that he shared that with
me because I knew at that point he was the best man for the job of removing my
prostate. My doctor understands first-hand the impact of the whole cancer thing.
The phone rang less than a week after surgery. The doctor said he had
great news. The cancer was contained to the prostate, twenty lymph nodes were
all negative for cancer, and my seminal vesicles were all negative as well. My
Gleason score stayed the same; I was panicked that it would be higher after the
surgery, but it wasn't.
It is now July 12th 2007 and I have been at work
now since Monday the 9th. I feel pretty good but still get tired. I have to take
it easy for a while.
Lessons learned:
1) Be patient. This is a waiting
game; answers do not come quickly.
2) Don't assume that the worse will happen.
Look up and try to stay positive.
3) Trust God and pray everyday. Pray for
the people who pray for you.
4) Go easy on your family. Love them and accept
their kindness; understand when they hurt for you and themselves.
5) Take it
easy and get plenty of rest. Be patient during recovery; all the hurting crap
passes in time.
6) Share your story; spread the word about prostate cancer.
My follow-up appointment is July 31st. I will post the results then and
hope to share more. Please email me if you have questions or I can help answer
any questions.
May God bless you and your families.
Phil
Phil's
e-mail address is: philmunford@yahoo.com
