A pair of prostate most cancers survivors from the Atlanta space, who’ve discovered friendship and group collectively, are sharing insights for fellow sufferers and survivors.
Ernie Strauss and Ronald Wakefield, who met via the affected person navigation program of Northside Hospital, have constructed a assist community to assist different males navigate the prostate most cancers panorama.
CURE: For newly identified sufferers with prostate most cancers, what is a few key recommendation that you’ve got for them as they face this prognosis?
Strauss: For me, after I got here house with my prognosis, I handed my spouse a thick pad of paper with directions as to what my prognosis was, what my numbers have been, however the final web page, it talked about a nurse navigator program that was provided via Northside, however I feel quite a lot of different hospitals do it. And my spouse got here downstairs and mentioned, “It’s essential to name this quantity.” And I had no concept who I used to be going to be talking to, or what the idea was. However I talked to this nurse, and she or he principally advised me her job was to reply any questions that I had, to assist me get all my appointments scheduled, maintain issues shifting, and simply to be there for me. And that was large for me, simply completely large.
Wakefield: The identical nurse navigator that earlier reached out to Ernie is identical one which reached out to me, too. Now Northside, that is an incredible program, however for someone newly identified, for me, from the very get-go, you want assist. So, in case you have a partner or a major different or someone you are snug with and is aware of you properly, it makes a distinction. So, my spouse went with me to all of the appointments, to all of the procedures, all of that. And simply having her there for me was very, very useful. In order that’s the very first thing, ensuring you’ve a fairly good assist system.
The second a part of that’s the docs would inform you one factor, but when you will get linked with others who’ve in all probability gone via it or going via it, it actually helps too, as a result of the docs will inform you in black and white what to anticipate. However a typical instance is that this gentleman, I had a catheter inserted after the surgical procedure, as a result of he had surgical procedure too, and he was capable of inform me, “Yeah, it is going to come out however [it will be] actually uncomfortable.” The docs aren’t going to inform you that, however I used to be ready in my thoughts for that, and it nonetheless occurs I did not have an issue in any respect. In order that was a bonus for me. So the 2 issues could be simply ensuring you’ve a assist system, and do not attempt to stroll that journey alone and reaching out to others which have been via it. It’s very, very useful.
What are some frequent misconceptions relating to prostate most cancers that you’ve got encountered?
Wakefield: I’ve spoken to numerous totally different males. And, sometimes, males do not need to discuss it. That is one factor. The second factor is, some males do not actually need to do something about it both, as a result of they’re centered on, “It’ll affect my sexual perform.” And from the very get-go, speaking to my private doctor, what he mentioned to me was, “If all else fails, you will get a penile implant.” And he talked to me about this man who was in his 80s who obtained it carried out, and man’s as blissful as ever, he is by no means been that blissful in his life. So getting in, I knew that. So my factor to males is, actually, do not let that cease you from looking for therapy. Go search therapy, care for your self. After which there are different issues, methods you’ll be able to take care of no matter you are confronted with, after that. So, to me, that is what’s essential.
Strauss: I am going to echo the whole lot that Ron simply mentioned. My father went via prostate most cancers on the similar time that I used to be going via radiation. And so many medical doctors have mentioned prostate most cancers will not be what is going on to kill you — it is going to be a coronary heart assault or a stroke or one thing later in life, as a result of it is predominantly identified for males who’re of their late 60s, 70s and 80s, and because it’s such a gradual rising most cancers, there’s nothing to fret about.
However my encouragement could be, having been identified at age 46, I did not know my main care doctor was truly testing for this, however they thank goodness they did, as a result of in any other case I nonetheless would have simply in all probability ignored the whole lot. So, I might encourage males to not solely discuss it, but in addition ask their medical doctors what sort of blood assessments are they doing, and to go forward and begin getting examined at age 45 or no matter. And the identical factor with the colonoscopies. Get your colonoscopy carried out, as a result of that is the place all of the stigma resides.
One is the digital examination. Once you go to the urologist, there is a large stigma round that, and I used to be panicking about that. I believed it was far more than it was. It lasted two seconds, if that, and the urologist was like, I do not really feel something. And when it was carried out, I used to be like, that is it. And so, to all of my buddies, I am like, go have the digital examination and get your PSA examined, simply in case.
But in addition, the colonoscopy. Folks complain about that on a regular basis. That is not a giant deal. Sure, the prep is tough, nevertheless it’s one night, after which you can presumably have 5 to 10 years of peace of thoughts understanding that the whole lot’s superb, and if it is not, you get it addressed earlier than it aggressively grows. So it is quite a lot of simply males discussing issues, as a result of, once more, we’re at an age the place we have to begin relying extra upon science and never simply take into consideration, “OK, I do not need something, you already know, going up, to presumably diagnose one thing up in that space,” nevertheless it actually is important, as a result of there’s a lot preventative stuff that would that may actually save your life.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
For extra information on most cancers updates, analysis and schooling,
