This week is the one-year anniversary of my husband being diagnosed with prostate cancer. We have much to celebrate, and that is why you need to pay attention to this story for the benefit of the men in your life, your husband, brother, son, father, any man you care about.
My husband Jim was only 54 last March when he went in for his annual checkup with the Urologist. His father had prostate cancer 12 years ago, so Jim was considered high-risk, and had begun regular checkups when he was 45. His blood work showed his PSA (the standard test for prostate cancer) to be 1 (on a scale of 1-20+), which is generally considered too low for any possible risk. But his doctor found something that was a bit unusual, and suggested they “watch it” for six months to see what happened. Jim asked him ” what will we do in six months if it is still there?” to which the doctor replied “we’ll biopsy it.” So Jim said “well, let’s just do it now.” So they did, and the biopsy came back positive for cancer.
By May, we had done a ton of research and interviewed several doctors. We chose robotic microsurgery, in part due to the quick recovery time, and in part because one of the nation’s best at that particular procedure is right here in Austin. So one day, Jim went to the hospital to have his cancerous prostate removed, and the next day he was released from the hospital cancer free. Final tests showed he’d had Stage 3 cancer, and now it is completely gone. Amazing ending to a very big roller coaster ride of emotions.
The man in your life probably doesn’t want to talk about prostate cancer, and certainly doesn’t want to go in for the physical exams. But tell him he absolutely must, no questions asked. And if his blood work comes back with a low PSA, tell him that doesn’t matter until he has the physical exam. Half the men with prostate cancer have low PSAs, and by the time they finally address the issue, it is often too late.
Breast cancer gets all the press. Prostate cancer is seldom talked about. Men view it as an attack on their masculinity, and certainly don’t want to talk about it. But once you tell someone you’re experiencing it, everyone either has had or knows someone who has had prostate cancer.
Be proactive, be pushy, be insistent. If the man in your life is at least 50 years old (even younger if there is a family history) then don’t let him rest until he begins regular physical exams. Be persistent with the doctor, and don’t just waste time “observing.” Early detection and aggressive action make all the difference in full recovery.
Here’s to long lives in good health with the men we love!
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Great reminder, thanks….I just cut and pasted your article into an e-mail to him….
It must be nice to have a hubby who cares about his health. Mine has never been to a doctor during our entire 16 year marriage and flat out refuses to go, no matter how many times I’ve bugged him. He even has a male friend who sends him info on prostate cancer and other health related concerns for men over 60, and it still doesn’t motivate him to get a checkup….His mother and I are both worried but his response to our requests is always–”Good, maybe I’ll die.” I always respond, that if that’s the case at least make sure I end up with a decent life insurance plan!
well, to that you can say… “dieing is easy, living miserably with an illness and for a long time is the hard part”. My husband is the same way. I gave up.
dieing is easy, being in
DITTO!! Ticks me right off that not only does he think so little of himself, that he also thinks so little of me being without him!!!!!!!! And this is from a man who saw his Mom suffer through bowel cancer. I know he is terrified to know if there IS anything wrong, but be proactive & taking charge of one’s health IS the most powerful thing a person can do for themselves…. I dont know how to get across to him how much I love him & do NOT want to lose him!! sigh
Mine is the same way, except he doesn’t say that… he says “I have too much to do in this life to die yet.” – Now, does THAT make any sense? In my hubby’s case I think it’s fear. He thinks that once you go to the doctor you open up a ‘can of worms’ and they ALWAYS find something wrong with you. So… I just pray?
I guess we were “lucky” to have cancer in my husband’s family, so he was more proactive than normal. But he claims he is the “Poster Child” for early detection. One day he had it, the next it was gone! The new treatment procedures are SO much better than they were even 10 years ago, and the recovery period is much shorter. Unlike the old radical surgeries, you can “live again” with the new technology. We just can’t stress enough how important it is to have those exams, and to be aggressive with action.
You might try forwarding my original post to your husband. And please tell him that, one year later, my husband is healthy and cancer free, which might not have been the case had he not been insistent on the biopsy. Ask around for the best specialist in your area, and if tests come back positive, get a second opinion.
At least my husband won’t have to worry about prostate cancer in the future! Cancer free, stress free!
Even young men need to be aware of what is going on in their bodies. Our SIL seems perfectly healthy, however at the end of summer 2009 he developed a swollen testicle which was diagnosed one brief week later as testicular cancer. Apparently while considered among the rarer of cancers testicular cancer is on the rise and is relatively symptom free in the early stages. Fortunately his presented itself in a manner that was more difficult to overlook. Even with that he is still facing chemotherapy beginning next week. Men need to be encouraged to perform self-checks every bit as much as women do.