New patient

Welcome
Landors,

We welcome you to the site, but truly are sorry you have to be here. This is a very experienced and supportive site. I myself found this site in June of this year after being diagnosed.

The next few weeks can be really tough as you dive into a research mode that can be overwhelming at times. There are so many resources available that they in themselves can be a bit taxing.

To begin, just take a deep breath and know that while a month may seem long it is a time to get over the shock and become educated. There are many alternatives at your disposal and the successes of each far outnumber the failures. No matter the research, you will find repeatedly the advice that each decision is an individual matter. There is no one method that is right for everyone.

Each of us can only give you the information from personal experience and based upon the decision for treatment that we selected that was right for us. You will find that in every support group that you may visit.

To begin let me recommend the following;

Dr. Patrick Walsh's book "Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" - this is almost thought of as the bible on Prostate Cancer

Try this website -http://poptop.hypermart.net/proscancer.html -of all of the sites on the basics of understanding prostate cancer I think this is one of the more complete and easily understandable.

Lastly, add to your research list the website at healingwell.com - click on the forums/chats and scroll down to Prostate Cancer. This is one of the more active forums and is also extremely knowledgeable. You can easily look through all of the different topics and their following discussions. A word of caution though, these guys a very straightforward, open and honest. No punches are pulled and all things are discussed. If you decide to participate there I suggested that you just copy your entry here and post it there. You will find that in less than a day many of the members will post greetings and offer information. They will also ask a lot of questions. This is to allow the more experienced of them to provide specific information relative to your husband's situation.

Personally, I received tremendous support and information from both of these sites. My decision was to go with surgery. I elected robotic surgery via "da Vinci". That is a term that you will hear a lot. My surgery was done on September 17th, so you can see that I am not yet 3 weeks post surgery.

As you look at alternatives and discussions on PCa (abbreviation for Prostate Cancer) you will find many side bars about the 3 primary concerns that all men consider when selecting how they will deal with it. 1- Take care of the cancer; 2-The incontinence issues that accompany to greater and lessor degrees the alternatives; and 3 - The Erectional Dysfunction (ED) that will be addressed with each alternative.

Your husband already is starting from a very strong basis. He has a very loving and supportive wife. We all recognize that we could not travel this path alone and our partners are affected by this cancer just as much as we are. Faith, hope and positive attitudes go a long way in battling PCa.

You and your husband will be added to the daily prayers of our family.

Blessings to you and your husband,

Sonny

WHW said:

Welcome
Landors,

We welcome you to the site, but truly are sorry you have to be here. This is a very experienced and supportive site. I myself found this site in June of this year after being diagnosed.

The next few weeks can be really tough as you dive into a research mode that can be overwhelming at times. There are so many resources available that they in themselves can be a bit taxing.

To begin, just take a deep breath and know that while a month may seem long it is a time to get over the shock and become educated. There are many alternatives at your disposal and the successes of each far outnumber the failures. No matter the research, you will find repeatedly the advice that each decision is an individual matter. There is no one method that is right for everyone.

Each of us can only give you the information from personal experience and based upon the decision for treatment that we selected that was right for us. You will find that in every support group that you may visit.

To begin let me recommend the following;

Dr. Patrick Walsh's book "Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" - this is almost thought of as the bible on Prostate Cancer

Try this website -http://poptop.hypermart.net/proscancer.html -of all of the sites on the basics of understanding prostate cancer I think this is one of the more complete and easily understandable.

Lastly, add to your research list the website at healingwell.com - click on the forums/chats and scroll down to Prostate Cancer. This is one of the more active forums and is also extremely knowledgeable. You can easily look through all of the different topics and their following discussions. A word of caution though, these guys a very straightforward, open and honest. No punches are pulled and all things are discussed. If you decide to participate there I suggested that you just copy your entry here and post it there. You will find that in less than a day many of the members will post greetings and offer information. They will also ask a lot of questions. This is to allow the more experienced of them to provide specific information relative to your husband's situation.

Personally, I received tremendous support and information from both of these sites. My decision was to go with surgery. I elected robotic surgery via "da Vinci". That is a term that you will hear a lot. My surgery was done on September 17th, so you can see that I am not yet 3 weeks post surgery.

As you look at alternatives and discussions on PCa (abbreviation for Prostate Cancer) you will find many side bars about the 3 primary concerns that all men consider when selecting how they will deal with it. 1- Take care of the cancer; 2-The incontinence issues that accompany to greater and lessor degrees the alternatives; and 3 - The Erectional Dysfunction (ED) that will be addressed with each alternative.

Your husband already is starting from a very strong basis. He has a very loving and supportive wife. We all recognize that we could not travel this path alone and our partners are affected by this cancer just as much as we are. Faith, hope and positive attitudes go a long way in battling PCa.

You and your husband will be added to the daily prayers of our family.

Blessings to you and your husband,

Sonny

You're not alone in this journey
You're not alone in this journey. You will find so many prostate cancer survivors walking with you and giving you and your husband the support you need. I was diagnosed in March 2007 with a Gleeson score of 6 (3+3)... that went to a score of 7 within eight months by the time I had a radical prostatectomy via laparoscopy surgery in November 2007.

Here's the odd thing about the timing: I live in Canada under a socialized medical system where the waiting time can be months or years before getting an appointment. However, I was able to see my surgeon within one day of my phone call... why? Because I had cancer. I (with my surgeon's blessing) decided to wait until late autumn to have the surgery, because quite frankly, I was confused and undecided with how much information was out there. In the end, I chose the surgery route because it was the right thing for me. The cancer would be gone... out of my body forever.

The one-month wait before seeing the doctor can be used to gather information and most of all, to adapt your mind set and to accept where you are right now. I said to my wife when I was diagnosed, "I will not die from cancer... instead, my objective is to be killed by a jealous husband when I am 99 years old!" (Keep a good sense of humour, because it helps when you are at your lowest point.)

Remember: It's a journey and it is to be taken one step at a time and at your pace.

landors said:

New patient
Thank you so much for the great feedback, I had paper & pen last night taking notes from everyone. I agree that this site is the best, I used this site 9 years ago when my Mother had colon cancer and I do not know what I would have done without it!! I will make sure that I go the sites recommended and begin our research. God Bless each and everyone one of you, I am sorry that we are traveling the same journey but thankful for your support.

Newly Diagnosed PCa
New patients wife, I was diagnosed in June and had the DaVinci Robotic surgery last Thursday, Oct. 1st. I am 56 and as with ya'll it was really a shock.I am almost 5 days post op DaVinci and getting better each day. My wife found this site after I was diagnosed. It sure is a comfort when a man knows his wife loves him so much. As everyone has said, you will be well informed and be ready with your "written down questions" when you meet the doctor. Writing them down helped us or we would probably have forgotten half of them. We will all be praying for a full recovery. John

Hi Landor, five years ago
Hi Landor, five years ago when I was 46 pc hit me.I did not find any support group,it was just
GOD and myself.it is been five years after my laproscopy surgery and my psa is 0.04.
I had help many people including my brother to deal with pc.listen carefully.the doctor will
recomend many tests to find out if cancer has gone anywhere.all the test will come back negative.If your husban decide to go for surgery the patology results will be as fallow.
cancer stage PT2aNxMx,
gleason score3+3=6/10
Tummor volume 5%to8% of the prostatete involved by tumor.
LYMPHOVASCULAR=NEGETIVE
PERINEURAL INVATION=POSITIVE--THIS DOES NOT MEAN SPREAD OF CANCER.
EXTRAPROTATIC INVATION=NEGATIVE MEAN THE CANCER IS CONFINED TO THE PROSTATE.
SEMINAL VESICLE:BOTH ARE NEGATIVE FOR CARCINOMA.
SURGICAL MARGING ALL(INCLUDING APICAL AND BLDDER NECK)WILL BE NEGATIVE FOR CARCINOMA.
you can save this post.I will almost garanty this result.Please you and your husban take it ease it will be ok.