Doing the Next Thang

Our New Year started off great with our family here to celebrate with us.  Charles making his famous crabcakes and dill sauce.  I quickly answered the call from the top of my stairs in the early morning.  "Mimi! I want pancakes and syrup!!  PEEEZ"  and can that child eat some pancakes!  We had a great time and Gregg enjoyed torturing the guys with the pictures of his coming procedures.  Leslie declared of those procedures, "Taint my cup of tea!"  and all the puns begin.  Our team was formed!

Notice ,Kati Beth wants to fight like a pirate.  She's saying "Arrrrggh!"

Could Gregg be any prouder?

Our mailbox full of pamphlets and everywhere we turn, we see cancer.  The unnoticed billboards that we've driven by a thousand times, advertise cancer treatments.  Every news report has at least one mention of cancer that we now hear in bold."  Noticing all the pregnant bellies when I was pregnant was wonderful.  This...not so much.

 

Knowledge is powerful, sometimes overwhelming and I'm still learning when to close the laptop.

Treatment options for PCa are:
1.  watchful waiting
2.  prostatectomy (robotic or through the abd)
3. radiation
     a.. permanent seeds Brachytherapy
     b.  temporary seeds HRP
     c.  daily IMRT
4.  Androgen Deprivation therapy


Dr Banks and Dr McCord both told us that watchful waiting is not an option for treatment for Gregg because it would surely lead to death.

1. watchful waiting

Dr Banks, the surgeon who has performed this surgery around 1500 times says he would not be able to get all the cancer because he would not be able to see it all.  Just going on statistics alone Gregg probably has other organ involvement. Bone and Ct scans are negative at this point but they reminded us, even at high levels these lifesavers only see tumors, not cells.

2.  prostatectomy

Dr McCord, the radiation-oncologist, steps in and shows us (for 2 hours) options for radiation.  I don't know if he normally does this or not but he copied several journal articles and gave them to me.  (Remember, I came with a briefcase full of questions, pamphlets, highlighters and pens)  No stone left unturned, no question left unanswered.

3.  IMRT and HRT radiation would be our plan.

Side effects would be bladder irritation, severe burning with urination, fatigue, diarrhea, smaller risk of damage to lower bowel and rectum including fissures or strictures but this would most likely kill the cancer=cure US.

It's Dr Banks turn again and he begins the talk on "hormone therapy".  and our talk became eerie like wolves crying in the night.

This therapy is rightfully known as androgen deprivation therapy.  Meaning it kills hormones dead!  PCa's meal of choice is testosterone.  T is needed for the Ca cells to survive and thrive and divide.  Testosterone has to be eliminated.  The process of this also eliminates estrogen.  Yes, men have estrogen too.  It gives them feelings, like compassion, nurturing and loving someone else.  We all know what testosterone's job is.  But physically, these hormones also work together balancing cardiac health and bone health and a million other physiological processes.  Doesn't that remind you of a marriage both balancing and holding each other up?  Oh to get a glimpse of the mind of our Creator God.

With the combination or IMRT and HRT and ADT Gregg has a 80% chance of survical!  We'll take it!

Side effects of ADT:  hot flashes, weight gain, forgetfulness, weakness, decreased in bone density, moody, and impotence.  Dr Banks said, "now you'll know what menopause feels like!

Gregg signed the informed consent agreeing to be "medically castrated".  Huge lumps form in my throat. Seeing it in print.  For the 1st time, I feel a little anger.  My dander's all puffed.

This cancer keeps cutting deeper and deeper. Is that the goal of cancer?

I then hear the voice of Beth Moore saying, "do the thang, you just do the thang, girlfriend". 

I also hear Elisabeth Elliott, in her elderly, velvet voice, "when you're feeling overwhelmed, dear one, do the next thing...just keep moving". 

Or remembering the note from my dear friend, Sandy,

 "In pastures green?

Not always. 

Sometimes He who knows best

 in kindness

 leads me in weary ways:

where shadows be. 

So whether on hilltops high

 fair I dwell

 or in the sunless valleys

 where the shadows lie. 

What matter?

He is there."

Cancer starved=cancer dead=Gregg alive!  We'll take it! We'll do the thang!

Gregg's serious response to all of this,  "Doc, how will this affect my driving?" 

Face. long. waiting.

Doc assures, "Son, your driving should be fine." 

Gregg "not if you're making me into a woman!"

 and we laughed!

He got those 2 crazy, awful, horrendous shots of Firmagon in his belly. (Really, whoever named that drug had a sick sense of humor)   Wincing he said, "that hurt like hell!"  Garage door opens and welcomes us home.  He took one look at me and then started clapping his hands and saying, "Let's watch HGTV!" 

and we laughed...

Our Sunday morning worship song

I know that I can make it

I know that I can stand

No matter what may come my way

My life is in your hands

Public service announcement:

1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.  (1 in 5 african american men)

30,000 men will die from PCa this year.

It is the number 1 cancer of men

2nd leading cancer caused death in men.

screening involves yearly blood test starting at the age of 40

Ask the men in your life what their PSA is.  They should know it!

Digging deep, reaching high!