It is what it is, and will become what it will become.
In the movie Braveheart Robert the Bruce makes an off-hand comment to William Wallace, saying that "You make friends on both sides you'll end up dead."
Wallace responds with a simply statement. "We all end up dead."
I don't know that I'm getting closer to that step, at least not beyond the every day is one less day left concept that started when I first came kicking and screaming into the world. Actually, in truth, I have no idea what I thought at that time. Whatever memory I had was lost long long ago.
So, today was the day to find out what the options might be. Some of them aren't too bad, and others are not quite as nice.
The doctor agreed that an elevated PSA suggests we didn't quite "get it all" back 5 years ago. However, that may or may not be significant problem. There are several different things that could cause the readings, so we're going to take them on one at a time.
First, it IS likely we didn't get it all. That much seems certain. How much we missed is anybody's guess right now. It could be growing. It likely is cancerous, mainly because the whole damn thing was back then.
Second, given some low level "ache" or "pain" it's entirely possible that what is there is simply inflamed. A classic case of "itis." That apparently is known to elevate readings. So...step one is some sulfa drug to see if we can knock that out. I'll be on that for 6 weeks and then we'll see what we see.
Next possibility. It's growing and it's not inflamed. Generally prostate cancer is a slow growing critter, and in men over 70 they usually don't even treat it. You'll die with it, but not because of it. Assuming it is growing, there are a couple of possible options, however, surgery is much trickier simply because the rest of the prostate is basically scar tissue now. My doctor says he would farm that surgery out to someone else because he's not have very good luck with it. Hey, at least he's honest.
The worst case is that it's growing and it's spread. That's pretty much a "you've got about this long left" situation. Beyond the obvious, this option also portends something else. When this cancer spreads it apparently really like to go to the bones, and that is, from what I've read, perhaps the most painful disease known to man. I'm not looking forward to that one, but I am glad to say the Oregon's Death with Dignity law just might be an option. Right now I'm not worried about that...but it is nice to know it's out there should I desire to leave on my own terms.
Well, that's about my day, so I'm going to try to write for a while and then go to sleep. We shall see what the morrow brings.
Wallace responds with a simply statement. "We all end up dead."
I don't know that I'm getting closer to that step, at least not beyond the every day is one less day left concept that started when I first came kicking and screaming into the world. Actually, in truth, I have no idea what I thought at that time. Whatever memory I had was lost long long ago.
So, today was the day to find out what the options might be. Some of them aren't too bad, and others are not quite as nice.
The doctor agreed that an elevated PSA suggests we didn't quite "get it all" back 5 years ago. However, that may or may not be significant problem. There are several different things that could cause the readings, so we're going to take them on one at a time.
First, it IS likely we didn't get it all. That much seems certain. How much we missed is anybody's guess right now. It could be growing. It likely is cancerous, mainly because the whole damn thing was back then.
Second, given some low level "ache" or "pain" it's entirely possible that what is there is simply inflamed. A classic case of "itis." That apparently is known to elevate readings. So...step one is some sulfa drug to see if we can knock that out. I'll be on that for 6 weeks and then we'll see what we see.
Next possibility. It's growing and it's not inflamed. Generally prostate cancer is a slow growing critter, and in men over 70 they usually don't even treat it. You'll die with it, but not because of it. Assuming it is growing, there are a couple of possible options, however, surgery is much trickier simply because the rest of the prostate is basically scar tissue now. My doctor says he would farm that surgery out to someone else because he's not have very good luck with it. Hey, at least he's honest.
The worst case is that it's growing and it's spread. That's pretty much a "you've got about this long left" situation. Beyond the obvious, this option also portends something else. When this cancer spreads it apparently really like to go to the bones, and that is, from what I've read, perhaps the most painful disease known to man. I'm not looking forward to that one, but I am glad to say the Oregon's Death with Dignity law just might be an option. Right now I'm not worried about that...but it is nice to know it's out there should I desire to leave on my own terms.
Well, that's about my day, so I'm going to try to write for a while and then go to sleep. We shall see what the morrow brings.