YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Pat Kelly and Rita live in Oregon, USA. He was 65 when he was diagnosed on June 15, 2007. His initial PSA was 5.03 ng/ml ; his Gleason Score was 6 and he was staged T1b. He is undecided as to treatment choice but is leaning to Proton Beam Radiation. Here is his story:

I have a one-person consulting engineering practice in the Portland, Oregon area where I have practiced for most of my 42 years as an engineer. I have been married to a very understanding and wonderful lady for 45 years. We have three super children and six precious grand kids. Life is good, although a bit more difficult since receiving the news of my prostate cancer.

As an engineer I am often "required" to collect lots and lots of data so that I can provide the best possible decision on some rather costly issues. Now I need to render an opinion to my self on a very important (and potentially costly) issue - deciding what treatment to go with. Just learning the terms and lingo is a real chore but dealing with a medical profession that cannot see beyond their area of expertise (surgery/radiation/robotic surgery/ hormonal/etc.) is a real disappointment. Actually, they can see beyond but it is mostly negative. Have you heard the phrase "you are a poster child for _________ therapy"? Understandable I suppose, but disappointing. Then you add the insurance dimension to the mix, and it is a daunting task.

I will write more later but for right now I am interested in any opinions and experiences with respect to ROBOTIC SURGERY and PROTON BEAM THERAPY. For me I am convinced that these two are the best way to go. Most of the treatment options seem to have similar success rates with respect to removing the cancer but I see significant differences in quality of life issues such as incontinence and potency.

In advance, thanks for your input/suggestions/advice. I have always used the internet to collect data but this is the first time I have used it to solicit advice and counsel. And maybe that is its ultimate and best use.

Pat Kelly

UPDATED

September 2007

 

 

When I mailed Pat to ask him if he had decided on a treatment yet he said in part:

It is a very busy and stressful time for me right now in my engineering practice and dealing with my insurance company on the prostate treatment.

UPDATED

October 2007

 

 

I have spent the last 3 months or so researching treatment options (the blessing of catching the cancer early). And, what I have concluded is that: while many of the available treatments have similar success rates with respect to getting rid of the cancer there are differences in the "quality of life issues" after treatment -- most importantly potency and incontinence. For me proton beam radiation treatment seems like the best way to go for removing the cancer and providing the best chance of staying potent and not "leaking."

After 2.5 months of "working with" my insurance company I have been "cleared" to have proton beam treatment at Loma Linda Hospital in Loma Linda CA (east of LA proper). The people at Loma Linda are very positive and supportive; and the men who have been treated there are super positive about their experience and long-term outcome. (See the Proton Bob site on the internet.

I will send in another updates during and after the treatment process.

Pat's e-mail address is: pkellygeo@psipdx.com