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Barry Whip and Debbie live in Arizona, USA. He was 64 when he was diagnosed in January, 2010. His initial PSA was 4.90 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 7, and he was staged T1c. His initial treatment choice was External Beam Radiation (Proton Beam) and his current treatment choice is Other (Other). Here is his story.

THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2018 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.

I went to my General Practitioner for my annual exam. As part of my lab panel she ran a PSA. Her office called me a few days later and said my PSA was elevated, and she thought I should go see my Urologist for an exam. I did that, and my Urologist thought my prostate seemed a little enlarged, and he scheduled a biopsy. A few days later I had the biopsy done in his office, and although a little uncomfortable, he got it done. He called me two days after that to tell me I had prostate cancer.

I remember feeling dejected, alone, lost, this couldn't be happening to me. I was just numb and it almost felt surreal. I called my wife who was at work, and told her my biopsy came back positive. She couldn't believe it either, it just wasn't on our radar. We didn't see this around the next corner at all! We spent that first night doing hours of research on the Internet. We watched FOUR Da Vinci robotic prostatectomies, we watched brachytherapy, cryotherapy, you name it ...we looked it up.

The next few weeks were a blur. I couldn't decide which route to take. My urologist was ready to remove my prostate using the Da Vinci, but I wasn't convinced that was what I wanted to do. My wife wasn't on board for that either, she was worried about the post surgical complications and wanted to look at other options. A friend that worked with my wife told her that he had recently been through Proton Beam Therapy in Loma Linda, CA and he felt it was the best option for prostate cancer. She came home and told me about his experience, and we started doing research on that option. There was a good amount of information out there on Proton Beam, but it was this Yana website that really convinced us to move forward in this direction! Many of the guys on this site that had Proton Beam were reporting great post treatment experiences with zero complications! We started thinking "why would we do anything else, this is really a pretty easy decision". The problem was there was no Proton Beam being offered in our area of Scottsdale, AZ. So our research revealed five cities where Proton is available, and one of them was Oklahoma City. Our daughter lived in Oklahoma City, and we had lived there in the past, so it was a good option.

My wife called Procure and started the ball in motion. The staff at Procure was above reproach. They helped us every single step of the way. They helped us get the insurance approval, all the pre-work done, and ultimately helped us find a corporate apartment for me to live in during the 9 weeks of treatment.

I completed therapy just 6 days ago. No problems at all during the 44 proton beam treatments at Procure, about mid way through I felt a little fatigue. An afternoon quick nap would usually solve that. After only 6 days out of treatment though I already feel my energy level getting back to normal. The treatment actually only took 60 seconds, but I had to be there 44 times. The staff at Procure Oklahoma City were amazing. They made the whole process almost pleasant!

My original urologist wanted to do a prostatectomy using Da Vinci, but after doing some research I decided on Proton Beam therapy. I've been very satisfied with my decision, and look forward to my PSA going down. The first test will be in three months from now.

UPDATED

February 2011

Had a great experience in OKC at the Procure Proton Beam Therapy treatment facility. They were such a knowledgeable, kind, committed group of professionals. Really top notch in every single regard, beautiful facility. They went overboard to keep us on track and involved with others going through treatment at the same time. Had zero side effects, illness, or discomfort throughout treatment. About half way through I had a little fatigue, but nothing really worth talking about!

First test was three months out, and my PSA had dropped to 1.6, was very glad to hear it! Second check at six months was a few days ago. My PSA had inched up to 3.6. Doctor is having me take a two week round of antibiotics, then we'll retest PSA. I'll post those results as I receive them.

UPDATED

April 2011

Well I finished a 30 day round of antibiotics to ward off prostatitis. The doctor was thinking that may be the cause of the rising PSA that I experienced seven months after completing treatment. I was at 3.6 when he put me on antibiotics, and 30 days later I was at 7.5. Went back in for bone scan, MRI, and CT and all came back negative. They couldn't see if cancer was on the move, but he suspected that it was due to the fast rise of my PSA.

I was sick to hear the news, and he seemed to hate having to tell me. I had all my records transferred to Mayo in Scottsdale AZ which is near my home. I'll see a doctor there this week to hear his recommendations.

Not sure which way I'll go...don't really like the sound of the options that I'm aware of at this point. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd sure like to hear 'em!

UPDATED

May 2013

I'm just about due for annual exam. All is well, feeling great. It's been 3 years and I'm still glad I chose Proton beam therapy. No side effects, all systems are normal.

UPDATED

May 2015

It's been five years since my proton treatment and I've had continually declining PSA, feel great and fortunate. I have had some arterial blockage in my heart, but all things prostate wise are good.

UPDATED

September 2016

Still doing great! Had proton therapy treatment in 2010 and have had no side effects at all. PSA continues to remain less than 1 and I feel good!

Barry's e-mail address is: deblwhipple AT aol.com (replace "AT" with "@")

NOTE: Barry has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.


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