prostate cancer

MIKEOSH said:

GUYS SORRY FOR NOT GETTING BACK TO YOU. I HAD A LOT OF THINKING AND READING TO DO SINCE I SAW THE DR LAST TUESDAY
SO HERE ARE THE RESULTS GLEASON SCORES TWO AT 3+4=7 ONE AT 3+3=6 INTERMEDIATE CANCER HE SAYS. WE TALKED AND TALKED AND I WROTE THINGS DOWN AS WELL AS MY WIFE DID. I DECIDED TO GO WITH ROBOTIC WHILE AT HIS OFFICE AND HE DID A BLADDER TEST WHILE THERE THAT WASN'T CONFROMTABLE AT ALL, BUT THE RESULTS WERE GOOD ON THE BLADDER AND ALSO GOOD AT WHAT HE SAW GOING THRU THE PROSTATE. HE APOLOGIZED FOR PUTTING ME THRU THE ANXIETY BUT HE HAD SURGERY THAT I SAID I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT AT SOME POINT A PHONE CALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE, TOLD HIM I WASN'T AWARE THAT THE BONE AND CAT SCANS WERE PROTOCOL AND THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MENTIONED. AFTER LEAVING HIS OFFICE I DECIDED TO GET A 2ND OPINION THE NEXT DAY, THIS DR
SAYS I HAVE HIGH GRADE PROSTATE CANCER BASED ON THE FACT THAT HE TAKES THE GLEASON SCORE OF 7 AND PUTS THAT IN THE HIGH AREA WITH 8 AND 9'S. SO CONFUSED I GO. I MENTIONED TO HIM ABOUT MY TIME IN VIETNAM AND IT RAISED HIS EYEBROWS, HE TOLD ME OF THE STORY THAT THE VA AND MEDICAL RECORDS OF ALL VIETNAM VETS WERE DESTROYED IN A FIRE SOME TIME BACK IN THE 80'S AND THAT CONGRESS WITHIN THE PAST 5 OR SO YRS SAID THEY COULDN'T DEAL WITH THE ONSLAUGHT OF CASES AND DECLAIRED THAT ALL VETS OF THE VIETNAM CONFLICT ARE ELIGABLE FOR COMPENSATION FROM THE VA. FOR PROSTATE CANCER AS WELL AS OTHER CANCERS DUE TO AGENT ORANGE. IF ANY OF YOU GUYS SERVED IN VIETNAM BELIEVE ME YOU WERE EXPOSED REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU WERE STATIONED. I CHECKED INTO THAT AND WENT TO THE VA AND FILLED OUT THE PAPERWORK. ACCORDING TO THE WEB SITE VETS WHO REGISTER BEFORE TREATMENT LIKE ME ARE ENTITLED TO FULL 100% WITH A SMALL AMOUNT TO MY SPOUSE. THIS IS FOR SIX MONTHS ONLY TILL THE VA EXAMINES ME. AFTER THAT I BELIEVE IT DROPS TO A MINIMUM OF 30%. THE PROCESS WON'T REALLY START TILL AFTER SURGERY WHEN THE DR SENDS THE PATHOLOGY REPORT TO THEM.
SO THE 2ND OPINION DR SEEMS THE BEST WAY FOR ME AT THIS POINT, HE ALSO SAYS THAT HE WANTS TO WAIT AT LEAST 8 WEEKS AFTER THE BIOPSY SO IT CAN HEAL. HE ALSO SAYS HE WILL TAKE THE PROSTATE OUT, THE TWO LYMPH NODES AND NERVES ON THE AFFECTED SIDE. ALSO SAID I WILL BE DRY BUT THAT OPEN SURGERY TAKES TWO WEEKS LONGER THAT ROBOTIC TO HEAL. I AM TO SEE MY FAMILY DR TOMORROW TO DISCUSS ALL OF THE ABOVE AND THE TWO DR'S. AND GET PRE TESTS SCHEDULED FOR LATER IN SEPT.
I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED AGAIN FOR THE 2ND OPINION DR ON WED TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING.
SO IF YOU ANY OF YOU GUYS OUT THERE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THE TWO SURGERIES OPEN OR ROBOTIC I WILL WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS.

SO ITS BEEN A LONG WEEK TO SETTLE THINGS IN MY MIND, I DIDN'T MENTION ABOVE THAT THE BONE AND BLOOD AND CAT SCANS CAME BACK OK. NEITHER DR HAS MENTIONED A SURVIVAL TIME FRAME BUT BOTH SAID THEY THINK I GOT IT AT A GOOD TIME.

I WILL UPDATE AFTER WEDNESDAYS MEETING, TAKE CARE GUYS AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GREAT SUPPORT

STILL WORRIED YOUR FRIEND MIKE

The Nev said:

Another Member
Hi guys looks like I'm the newest member of the club. I've been lurking and reading for a few weeks now. I was 54 yrs and turned 55 on Sept 8th. I was diagnosed on Aug 18th with a Gleason of 6 with 7 of 18 samples positive. But the bad part was the right lobe is clean and the left lobe was 7 of 9 samples. So quite a bit on the left side. I have been to M.D. Anderson in Houston TX. and was upgraded to a Gleason of 7. Dr. Matin said the cancer was also in the nerves on the left side inside of the prostate and would likely be on the outside nerve just basing it on amount in the left lobe. I will get a cat-scan scheduled soon and he wants to do a bladder check too. He's not sure yet about the nerve sparing on the left side but believes the right shouldn't be a problem. My surgery DaVinci should get scheduled with-in a month so by mid October. Now just in the wait and see mode as you've all been through. This forum has helped me a lot and I'm sure will continue to help me. Hope you all do well keep, the updates coming, knowledge is power. Oh my name sounds like Kneeve. This sure is a pricey club!

wxman said:

I'll be praying for you Nev.
I'll be praying for you Nev. I had the robotic on September 3. Just got the catheter out today. Turned 48 last month. We wish you the best....one step at a time!