Posted 11/16/2018 4:55 PM (GMT -5)
After seeing a spike in my PSA I decided to have a biopsy. Instead of a standard truss biopsy that my initial urologist offered, I went down to the University of Texas medical school and had an in bore MRI guided biopsy. All nine cores were positive and were graded 4+3 and 3+4. I just knew that I wanted proton beam therapy so I went to the one in Irving Texas headed by Dr. Andrew Lee. He is a well-known Harvard trained radiation oncologist who agreed to treat me but wanted to put me on hormone therapy for two years. I then went to the assistant professor of urological surgery at UT Southwest and he gave me a 99% chance that I'll be alive in 15 years w/ removal. No hormone therapy just potential radiation depending upon final biopsy result of the prostate gland.Even the standard radiation protocol would require me to be on hormone therapy. I'm a very young 67 years old with a fiancé who is 53 years old. My sex life is very important. about five years ago, I had a penile implant installed and it has been amazing. Since I already have the implant I don't have to worry about impotence post surgery.
This has been a frightening journey and on January 15 I get to have my prostate removed. It seems that when you get prostate cancer you discover how many other club members there are! If anyone needs to talk about my experience with proton therapy or the penile implant, be glad to discuss.