Five years . . . . a milestone worth celebrating.

Today, October 14th marks the 5th anniversary of my prostate cancer surgery. I'm happy to say that I remain cancer free (or in remission).

My PSA has been consistently at or near a non-existent level of less than 0.05 nl/ml since my surgery and radiation in 2010.

My never ending gratitude to my family & friends - near and far - the amazing medical and radiation staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and foremost to my Lord and Savior Jesus by whom all of this would not have been possible.

Here's to another five . . . . .   better yet 30 cancer free years.

Milestones, fundraisers, awareness, follow-ups . . .

As we barrel headlong into the holiday season, I just want to pass a brief update.

My prognosis and remission continue as it has since my radiation treatments were completed.  There's been no increase in my PSA, and so far no indications of my cancer returning.  YEAH!

As always, thanks to all my family and friends for their support and caring over the last four years. As well as for the fundraising efforts made on my behalf through "Movember" and "No Shave November".

I went the No Shave route as I still sport my goatee after all these years.  The nearly four weeks of not shaving has produced a very white beard this time out, making look about 10 years older.

Note to self, don't grow a full beard again without using "Just for Men".  This photo was taken about a week ago, so there's much more filled in at this point.  If I can find a barbershop in the area that does shaves with a straight razor, it's coming off by Thursday.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday, and have a joyous and safe Christmas, as well as a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Cheers!

I actually FORGOT!!!!

For the first time in four years, I neglected to remember that yesterday, August 28th, marked the 4th anniversary of my cancer diagnosis at age 47.  I believe it's the first time I had forgotten about that day without some sort of blog entry or Facebook posting.

I suppose it means I've finally moved on - to a point anyway.


I was re-reading a recent email from one of my peer-to-peer counseling patients ( I offer counseling to recently diagnosed patients through Imerman Angels in Chicago), and was reviewing the staging of his diagnosis. In order to refresh my memory on the staging classifications I was doing a little research and was a bit surprised at what I found.

What I found today was quite surprising.

In my own case, once the biopsy was completed and the pathology report came back, my cancer was stated as being stage 3Tb. At that time I read a number of descriptions regarding the staging to better understand what it meant, but I guess I only looked at the specific staging information and not anything else.

What I found today - by way of staging info on the ACS web site - is that I was actually early stage 4 by virtue of all the positive results of the surrounding tissue, seminal vesicles and localized lymph node and tissue involvement.

I have to say it certainly gave me pause, and I realized just how fortunate I am to still be alive some four years later.

September is Prostate Cancer month.  Men do yourselves - and more importantly your familes - a favor and get yourself to your primary doctor or urologist and ask them to have a PSA blood test done.

I've already lost two decades long friends to this cancer, and I certainly don't want to have any more experience this in their lives.


Prostate Cancer is no joke.   Get yourself tested.

Time does fly . . . .

Greetings and salutations . . . .

It's been far too long since my last update . . .  but you can consider that to be good news for my recovery.

In just about two months I will be hitting my FOUR YEAR mark of cancer survivorship, or at least the 4th anniversary of my surgery.  I'm still confused as to when the clock starts running (date of surgery or last treatment?).  No matter what . . . I am extremely fortunate and blessed.

I continue to meet with my medical oncologist every six months for follow ups and blood work, and the occasional MRI or bone scan to just be sure that there is no hidden re-occurance of my cancer. 

So that's pretty much it on the cancer side of things -  not nearly as interesting or information ladened as my other posts.

A sign that time, and life, has really moved along . . . . 

• Janet and I celebrated our 29th anniversary last weekend (Aug. 4th) with a nice ocean side lunch.  Love you honey!

• Our oldest son Jason graduated from college in May of this year (2013), and like many recent graduates is still looking for his first real full time job (not unlike so many others).

• Evan graduated from high school in 2012, has already completed his first year in college (four year scholarship - yeah!) and will be off for his sophomore year in just a few weeks.

• Ryan will be starting his junior year in high school this fall (yikes). He a great student and works hard keeping his grades up - headmaster's list every quarter since middle school.



As always . . .   thanks to all of you for your support and prayers through out my treatment and recovery.  I couldn't have gotten through it with out your support.


Cheers!

Two and a half years out of surgery . . .

Greeting friends and followers of this blog . . . 


I wanted to finally get around to updating everyone.  I finally hit a small milestone in that my follow-up appointment schedule is now every six months instead of three months.


My last PSA, taken in March, remained at near non-detectable levels; <0.05 .


Though my medical and radiation oncologists are very pleased with this, the fact that my cancer was as aggressive and advanced as it was at the time of my surgery, they are still concerned about and watching closely for any signs of recurrence.


I will probably have another bone scan and MRI series done this fall to see if there are any sign of growth regardless of what the PSA level may be at that time.


Once again, I thank you all for your support and prayers through out these couple of years.

Personally, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing the word CANCER!

OK . . this one's not about by recovery. Everything is status quo at this point and I've really got nothing to up date you on - at least not from my own battle. This one is is support of family and friends that are facing their own cancer battles.


First, my father-in-law Walter. For the better part of the last four years he has been getting treatments for and fighting lung cancer. Unfortunately in the last two months this have taken a turn for the worse.


Walter's status went from stage 1B to stage 4 in a matter of about two months.  He is currently under the care of doctors at Boston Medical Center.  He's been on oxygen and in some pain these last two weeks.


Faith, my mother in law, my wife Janet and her siblings David and Pam would greatly appreciate your prays for peace and comfort during this difficult time.  It would be great to get a few prayers for David as well as he really needs to come up to see his Dad, but finances are preventing him from being able to afford the trip up from Tampa, FL.


I also have an old friend and colleague from my days at the former Target Productions who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  She is scheduled for surgery this week in California, And though she's a very independent woman, I'm sure that she would appreciate the support and prayers for a successful surgery and recovery.


I don't think I've ever some across someone whose life hasn't been touch directly or indirectly by cancer.  They need our support, caring and supportive word - but ever more so just being there to help out with even the littlest of things.


Don't wait to be asked - because to probably won't come.  Just show up and drop off an easy meal, call & offer to run some errands for them, or maybe even a little bit of house keeping for them. It may not seem like much and a bit mundane, but a little bit can go along way for someone dealing with.


*********   UPDATE   *********

My father in law, Dr. Walter Hicks, passed away on November 10, 2011

after his long battle with lung cancer.  Rest in Peace Walter.

HICKS, Walter J. Of Acton, Nov. 10, 2011. Walter leaves his wife Faith of 52 years. Daughters, Janet Palazini of CT, Pamela Dole of Acton, and son W. David Hicks of Tampa. He also leaves 5 grandchildren, Jacqueline Dole of Acton, Jason, Evan, and Ryan Palazini of CT, and Joseph Hicks of Tampa. Walter leaves his sister Carol DeMatos of Methuen. Walter was involved with the Stephen Ministries and Unemployment Network Programs at Grace Chapel. Professionally, Walter had forty years of experience with a major Defense Contractor. He had multiple patents and inventions. Designer of first transistor circuits used in full scale production missile by major Defense Contractor. One of the most experienced people in the United States with respect to acquisition, tracking, and engagement of real targets in complex natural and countermeasure environments. Expert in ECM and ECCM techniques. Walter has his BSEE and MSEE from MIT (1957), Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from NMSU (1969). Member of Sigma Xi, Sigma Pi Sigma, Menza, Biography published in Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering and Who's Who in America - Member of IEEE and SPIE. From 1998 to present he has been CEO of Paradox Scientific of Acton - Consulting Services and Physics Research. There will be a Celebration of Walter's Life on Monday November 14 at Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd., Lexington at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Reception to follow in the Courtyard from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Interment to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Acton. 

Getting a little blue with all the "pink".

Am I blue? YES!

Thanks to the mixed messages of the medical community and the governmental overseers, and the seemingly increasing number of prostate cancer organizations, the message about prostate cancer screening and men's health issues is just becoming noise in the background.

Thanks to the strong marketing efforts of those that run the Susan B. Komen Foundation, breast cancer awareness surrounds us on nearly daily basis - no matter what month it is. My hat's off to all involved for making the campaign so successful for so long. The question is, how can there be as strong of a unified campaign toward men's health issues in regard to prostate cancer? It's a tough fight.

Let's face it . . . the discussion of medical issues "below the waist" for men OR women, are never a good topic for cocktail parties. At least not for an extended discussion that may actually have an impact on the issue at hand. But facts are facts - prostate cancer in men has a higher annual diagnosis rate than breast cancer in women, and has a higher mortality rate than that of breast cancer patients. But this isn't about comparing numbers - it's about trying to save lives and the quality of life for men who face prostate cancer surgery and treatments.

We have The Prostate Cancer Foundation, ZERO, Blue Cure Foundation, Us TOO International, Pints for Prostates, Prostate.Net, Men's Health Network, The Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI) . . . . just to name a few. Generally, the message that gets out to men from each of these organizations is the same. GET TESTED! However, just from the fact that it the message is coming from so many different organizations it has become fragmented and diluted. There isn't a single voice, brand or name that one can hear or see and know that the issue is prostate cancer. This is just one thing that needs to change - a single organization/face to speak for all of the hard working and dedicated prostate cancer groups so that the message can be strong and unified.


Now, making things even more difficult in this arena, we have the government and medical community, like the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), urging men to avoid using the PSA blood test for prostate cancer screening. Sure, we all know the PSA test can be flawed and does present numerous false positives. But does the medical community rely TOTALLY on this test for diagnosis? No, they don't. It is only the FIRST STEP in the investigation of a diagnosis. Perhaps instead of getting rid of the PSA test, better guidelines in providing information to men in preparation for the test are needed - or better yet a more accurate test.

The PSA test can show an elevation of the prostate specific antigen if the patient has recently dealt with an illness that resulted in an infection, or if he has had intercourse or masterbated in the previous 48 to 72 hours. Heck, even simply having BPH elevates the PSA. Does every doctor ask these questions of their patient? I would hope so. Do the doctors or their staff inform the patient to abstain from sex for a few days before the blood test to assure that these factors are taken out of the picture in an effort to better increase the accuracy of the blood work? I would guess the answer is an overwhelming "no".

How many of you reading this had your cancer initially found by means of the PSA test? I can imagine the percentage is nearly 100%. Now why is that? Generally it's the only test that is being used for early detection, but it's not the only means by which a diagnosis is made - it's just the first step.

My diagnosis at age 47 came after a PSA blood test came back at a "somewhat elevated" - 62.7 ng/ml. You could call that a bit over what would be considered "normal" for someone at that age. It was only though additional visits with a urologist, then a biopsy, that the word cancer was ever presented to my wife and I. Following RLP surgery at Sloan-Kettering, the pathology report stated that I had an aggressive and advanced stage 3Tb cancer - bordering on stage 4 with the finding of cancer in one of the lymph nodes removed during my procedure. (you've heard this before . . . a "few" times)

Is the PSA test flawed? Yes. Does the PSA blood test save lives? My wife and three sons say "Yes", as do my parents, in-laws and countless friends.

What do you say? Better yet, who are you going to tell?