YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Tom Herrick and Jean live in Illinois, USA. He was 58 when he was diagnosed on November 7, 2007. His initial PSA was 2.6 ng/ml, he does not know his Gleason Score and he was staged T1a/b. He is undecided as to his treatment choice Here is his story.

I was diagnosed in November of 2006 with BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia). and placed on Flowmax. My Urologist did a cystoscopy and then a uro-flow and advised me that I was going like an 85 year old man! At about six months the BPH got worse again, so I was switched to Uroxatrol.

It worked slightly better and then the symptoms got worse again. By the late Summer of 2007, I was getting really tired of putting up with the symptoms, so I went to see my Urologist to do something more. He at first advised Prolieve (TUMT- Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapy ) and wanted to do some tests. He did a Prostate Ultrasound which showed a normal outside dimension. He then did another cystoscopy followed by a Uro-flow again. This time I was going like a 100 year old (I'm only 58). He then advised against the Prolieve and now was advising the TURP - Transurethral Resection Of The Prostate (roto-rooter).

After carefully considering his recommendation and his reasons for them, I proceeded with the TURP. The procedure was successfully done on October 30th with one day in the hospital and 24 hours with the catheter. Everything was really looking up and I was improving with every day going by. I then got a phone call from my Doctor a week after the surgery. He let me know that the tissue samples (routinely sent in for pathology) came back as 5% cancer. He was shocked. There has been no other indication (including the ultrasound) of any cancer!

I will be seeing him again on November 14th to discuss my progress and then our plan for the cancer. He wants to do a biopsy in a month or so to see what, if any, is left. I hope to get more information from the pathology report as well. I will update as I find out more. Thank God I listened and had the TURP and not one of the procedures that does not provide tissue samples to check!

Thanks,

Tom

 

Later:

I went back to see the Urologist this afternoon and got a good report on the TURP procedure. Recovery is going well. I got a copy of my pathology report. It is T1A with a Gleason score of 3+3=6 total. Not too bad. The TURP procedure may make it more difficult to do surgery, so I may have to consider one of the newer external beam radiation treatments.

I am going to get another PSA done on Dec 14th and biopsies done right after that to better see where I stand.

More later.

 

UPDATED

January 2008

 

I had a new Endorectal MRI done on Dec. 10. That showed small amounts of cancer all through my prostate. I had another PSA done on Dec. 14th and it came back as 1.0 for about 15 gm of prostate left.

I then had a biopsy done on Dec. 20th, 9 samples taken from each side. I got the results on Jan. 7th, after my Urologist got back from vacation. Right side showed no cancer. the left side had 5 of 9 samples with a total of 10% of the tissue being cancer, Gleason score of 3+3=6. 80 % likelihood of it confined to the prostate and only 20 % that there is capsular encroachment.

I will be meeting with my Urologist again on January 17th and then schedule time to talk with specialists. No treatment will begin before about 6 months after the TURP to provide time for healing, so I have some time to make decisions now. The best options at this time appear to be radiation or surgery.

Later:

On Dec. 20th I had a biopsy completed and the results of that are: no cancer showing in the right side (he may have missed it), cancer in the left, 10% of the total tissue sampled, Gleason score of 3+3=6 and 5 of 9 samples taken (that's 9 from each side!), that's very good news. I have briefly discussed this with my Urologist and am leaning toward some type of surgery. Surgery may be more challenging for me due to scar tissue from the TURP that was already done, but I have several good reasons for this thinking.

Over the next 4 to 6 weeks I plan to discuss my case with 3 to 5 experts, most local, and then set a plan of action. I've been advised to wait 6 months after the TURP before beginning treatments, that will be around May 1, 2008. I'm very much looking forward to getting this FIXED!

 

UPDATED

February 2008

 

 

After many hours spent on the internet, e-mailing and reading books, I have decided to have robotic surgery done in Peoria, Ill. with our local expert. I can stay within 20 minutes of home with this. My surgeon has done several hundred of these, was trained at M. S. K. in New York and is now teaching the procedure at several other midwest hospitals. I am very much relieved with this decision and will be again when the procedure is over.

Thanks to all of those who helped me with this decision! You have all been great!!

 

UPDATED

March 2008

 

 

My robotic surgeon and the Urologist that I have been seeing for more than a year, and am happy with, did not agree on a couple of issues regarding my surgery. Therefore the surgeon "did not feel comfortable" doing my surgery. I cant believe he could not put reasonable differences of opinion aside and do my surgery. I am really disappointed in this! He's going to make me drive four hours away to get my surgery done because of this. Jean and I neither one like big cities and the associated traffic. Indianapolis is only about an hour further than Chicago and easier to get to. I think we can both handle that drive and traffic better.

We went and got home safe at about 5:30 last Thursday from a consultation with Dr. John Scott in Carmel, Indiana, a suburb of northern Indianapolis. He was very confident, has a lot more experience (1,400 Robotic surgeries) and has no problem taking my case! This doctor sat with my wife, Jean, and I for an hour to discuss his methods and my particular case. He was very informative and had a great bedside manner. He has done more than a dozen surgeries after previous TURP (Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate) surgery has been done, so he knows what needs to be done! We even had a few laughs together!!! I called his surgery scheduler last Friday morning (she leaves early in the afternoon every day, so we missed her on Thursday) to get the surgery scheduled and find out what other tests that he needs to get done. I am scheduled to have the surgery on May 20th at 7:00 am. I also discussed with the scheduler that I would be willing to reschedule if someone cancelled and made an opening sooner, as long as I have enough notice.

We are going to enjoy the springtime and our grandchildren while we wait for this!!!

All for now.

 

UPDATED

April 2008

 

 

Everything is going great. All my pre-op tests (blood work and EKG) came back excellent & my GP Doc says "go for it". I got my surgeons second opinion back on my biopsy and they both agree on the early stage. At this point I am good to go. My surgery is still scheduled for May 20 at 9:00 am. I am still on a move-up list, but no sign of an opening yet. If I haven't been able to move up by May 1st, I'll probably just stay with my May 20 date. If I hadn't found out about the PCa accidentally, with the TURP, I wouldn't even be aware of it today.

Tom's e-mail address is:- herrtw@mtco.com