YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Kevin Salter and Shirley live in Gloucestershire, U.K.. He was 53 when he was diagnosed on September 3, 2008. His initial PSA was 9.5 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 8 and although he does not state his staging it seems likely that he was staged T1c. His choice of treatment was Radical Prostatectomy. Here is his story.

Diagnosed on the 3rd September 08.

My GP was less concerned about my results and felt that I had an enlarged prostate that was almost certainly benign. However I elected to see a consultant who was both clear, certain and very frank, I had cancer. the options laid out for me was that surgery was the best bet, my tumour was aggressive and may have spread to the local area.

I had my surgery two weeks ago, I will find out tomorrow (11th. Dec. 08) if I need to undergo radiotherapy or if I am clear. The effects of the surgery are a trade off for life and living and I am now recuperating.

 

UPDATED

December 2008

 

 

I had my RP on the 25th. November, one gap in my initial contact was my tumour scale, which was T3A [Kevin is referring here to his histological staging after the pathologist had examined the gland following its removal]. My surgeon tells me that the operation was successful in that his positive margin is greater than the degree of spread. The histology was encouraging. So now I wait for further PSA tests to confirm that my spread was entirely local.

I should feel encouraged and even happy by all this, I certainly put on a brave and cheerful front for my kids and my wife, truth is I am close to tears at worst and completely flat emotionally at best. This disease has taken a high price from me, I am currently leaking like a drain and having to wear pads and my surgeon was clear from the start, because of the aggressive nature of my tumour he would not worry about any nerves, everything would go, so at just 53 I am sexually dysfunctional as well as incontinent. Its a complete bastard!

Other than this I'm fine and recovering from the surgery. I anticipate that over the next few months I will get back to riding my motorbike, riding a horse and all of my other outdoor activities that provide a real quality of life. Oh and I'm learning new culinary skills having always been a meat and two veg man with lashings of cheese to follow, I am learning that life without dairy and red meat is possible if not entirely cheerful. But heh, I'm still here.. this is my motto for the new year.

Thanks for listening.

Kev

Later:

Had my first post op blood result yesterday, reading is 0.01, so is very encouraging, I think the best Christmas present that I could have given my wife.

That's it for now, here's to every one involved in YANA and to all those touched by this disease, please have a good Christmas and a safe and improving 2009.

Kindest Regards

Kevin

 

UPDATED

June 2010

 

 

Following my open RP in November 2008, I had regular 3 monthly blood tests all showing a PSA of 0.1, until December 09 when my PSA was recorded at 0.2. Assuming that this was a glitch i arranged a follow up reading for January 10, this also recorded 0.2, I arranged a test for February which recorded 0.3, followed this up with my GP and by April I was showing 0.4, met with consultant urologist in April who referred me straight to Oncology.

Discussed treatment options and offered one option, which seemed appropriate, the assumption being that any re-growth of the cancer would be in the bed of the prostate and if correct I was told that I had a 60% chance of a cure. I am currently undergoing 32 RT sessions which started on the 6th May and conclude on the 22nd June.

So far not too bad, fatigue hits me and there is some soreness when urinating(often) and passing motions, strongly suspect that my wife is using powdered glass to make the gravy.

Kevin's e-mail address is: kevnshirl@kevnshirl.f9.co.uk