The Diagnosis and more tests...

August 6th, 2009: My urologist called me at work to tell me that the biopsy showed "fairly aggressive" cancer in a significant number of samples taken (7 of 12). He set up a time that afternoon for me to come in to discuss the next steps.  At that point, I learned some new words, "Gleason score" being one.  I recall being numb... and somehow not surprised, but I don't know why I felt unsurprised. The doctor said we'd need to run a couple of other scans before going any further, and we didn't need to take any more steps until we did those - a CT scan of the pelvic area, and a full-body bone scan.  Once we had the results of those, we'd set up a consult appointment and talk about next steps.

On the way out I talked to someone who helped get the scan appointments set up.  We got a slot the following day for the CT scan (amazing!) and on August 15th for the bone scan.




August 15th, 2009: Bone scan done.  This was the most amazing (and boring) test.  The isotope for the scan was put in with an amazing tinker-toy assembly of syringes and a two way valve. I should have written down the dye name, the US is the largest consumer of the dye, and it is not produced here.
Anyway, it took an hour to do, not counting on going in to get the isotope put in, and then leaving for 2 hours while it got into my bones.  "I want you to drink as much as possible because this needs to flush through your system to get a good scan," said the technician.  And he helped by having me drink two large glasses of water.

So, I completed the scan... and now the waiting for results fun began.

And the reading fun.  I began researching prostate cancer, treatments, web sites, blogs, and anything that might help me make informed choices.  Could I find information. OMG! It was overwhelming!  And I found out how much I didn't know (always fun). 

Was I scared?  Yes... but not of what you might imagine.  I was more scared of what function I might lose or what complications might come up, than I was of the cancer.  Some of my family (and friends I expect)
thought I was a bit nuts.

Also, initially, I told everyone.  It was silly, because I didn't have enough information to answer questions, but I talked my head off.


August 24th - Results back from bone scan. I set up return consult with my urologist for later that week... and asked my wife and sister come with me to take notes.  I suck at taking notes.

August 27th - Consult with urologist.  Here is the gist of it:

• PSA = 11.5 (my previous one, 5 years earlier, was 3... yes, I know I should have had it checked more frequently!)
  
• Gleason score = 7  (two samples were 4+3, 5 samples were 3+4)
• CT scan of pelvis + lymph nodes = negative (a good thing)
• Bone scan = negative (also a good thing)
• His advice, given my young age (HA! ... I'm 57) was surgery.  But he thought I should also see a radiation oncologist to get another opinion.

On the way out we get the radiation oncologist's name... and I go home and make the next appointment.  I can't get in to see him for two weeks.  That's the best they can do.