Diagnosis
After the initial shock of hearing that my husband had cancer, then the doctor's appointments started. On June 9th, we had to go and have a complete bone scan and ultrasound to see if the cancer had spread at all. Both of these tests were done on the same day. This was a very nerve wracking and long day. Once the tests were finished, we had to wait another week for the results.
During this week, my husband and I still went to work, but once we were home, all we did was lay on the couch and watch Headline news over and over. Besides working, we did nothing. We were in complete limbo until we knew if the cancer had spread. So many things went through our minds, had it spread? what is going to happen if it had spread? being newlyweds, how was this going to affect our lives? But how can he have cancer, he had no signs at all? Is he going to die? Question after question went through our heads.
Finally, the day had come to get our results. One week later, June 16th, it was time for us to go meet with the doctor. My husband always likes to be very early for his appointments. We arrived 45 minutes early, so we had to wait in the waiting room. Finally the nurse called us back and guided us passed the examining rooms to a small conference room with a large table. Another wait. My husband couldn't sit still, so he got up and was pacing. After 10 minutes of watching him pace, I finally put my forehead on the table because I felt like I was going to be sick. He finally sat down. Then the doctor came in and before he could sit down he told us that Jim's bone scan & ultrasound came back clean. My husband, who is a 6'3 long haired Harley rider got up and went to the doctor and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The doctor laughed and said that he had something funny to tell his daughters now!:) He had never been hugged and kissed by one of his patients, especially someone as big as my husband!
The biopsy came back as 8 out of the 10 done as 100% cancer. The other two were 12%. His Gleason score was 8-9, which is high. He had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The doctor gave us treatment options. Jim could have done the hormonal therapy with radiation. But because of the aggressiveness and my husband's age, the doctor recommended that he have the prostate taken out. He discussed the robotic surgery, the Da Vinci surgery with us, and right then we knew that we had no other option. So, we were sent to the urologist who performs the surgery.
During this week, my husband and I still went to work, but once we were home, all we did was lay on the couch and watch Headline news over and over. Besides working, we did nothing. We were in complete limbo until we knew if the cancer had spread. So many things went through our minds, had it spread? what is going to happen if it had spread? being newlyweds, how was this going to affect our lives? But how can he have cancer, he had no signs at all? Is he going to die? Question after question went through our heads.
Finally, the day had come to get our results. One week later, June 16th, it was time for us to go meet with the doctor. My husband always likes to be very early for his appointments. We arrived 45 minutes early, so we had to wait in the waiting room. Finally the nurse called us back and guided us passed the examining rooms to a small conference room with a large table. Another wait. My husband couldn't sit still, so he got up and was pacing. After 10 minutes of watching him pace, I finally put my forehead on the table because I felt like I was going to be sick. He finally sat down. Then the doctor came in and before he could sit down he told us that Jim's bone scan & ultrasound came back clean. My husband, who is a 6'3 long haired Harley rider got up and went to the doctor and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The doctor laughed and said that he had something funny to tell his daughters now!:) He had never been hugged and kissed by one of his patients, especially someone as big as my husband!
The biopsy came back as 8 out of the 10 done as 100% cancer. The other two were 12%. His Gleason score was 8-9, which is high. He had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The doctor gave us treatment options. Jim could have done the hormonal therapy with radiation. But because of the aggressiveness and my husband's age, the doctor recommended that he have the prostate taken out. He discussed the robotic surgery, the Da Vinci surgery with us, and right then we knew that we had no other option. So, we were sent to the urologist who performs the surgery.