As I write this, a friend, business partner, and mentor is undergoing prostate surgery in Phoenix. Kevin, of whom I have written in an earlier post, was diagnosed with nearly identical numbers to mine at about the same time. In our subsequent conversations, it was Kevin who made the first cogent argument for the surgical option as I was debating a treatment choice.
We have had a few conversations following my surgery/recovery during which I was pleased to be able to provide Kevin with experiences and impressions from my perspective (recognizing that my experience cannot be generalized to anyone else). Many of Kevin's questions were the same questions I had...catheter, discomfort, catheter, complications, catheter, and, of course, that pesky catheter.
Unlike my experience, Kevin's surgery is an open surgery as his surgeon favors the open technique much as the surgeon with whom I was comfortable favored robotic prostatectomy. Just as with the choice of treatment option, the choice of approach is a personal decision and not a matter for argument or comparison.
Prostate cancer, like any disease, is an intensely personal thing. No two patients will have the same experiences or reactions and it is not our place to advocate for any specific treatment choice. Rather, it is our call to be advocates for prostate health education, continued research, and to provide support for those who find themselves facing the decisions/events we have faced.
I wish you well Kevin. Just ten weeks ago today I was back in my room wondering what the next several weeks would hold (and how the hell I was going to put up with the catheter for ten days or so).
May your next ten weeks be as rewarding a period of personal growth and renewal as mine have been.
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