Welcome


Welcome.

When I wrote that banner above, I was just days into this adventure. I'm a pretty analytical guy, and the simple act of writing every day helped me wrap my head around the fact that I had just introduced the word "cancer" into my vocabulary, and it helped me rationalize my treatment options. It also helped keep friends and family informed on my status.

Those daily updates tapered off to weekly updates and eventually to monthly updates (which I continue to do on the 11th of every month, the anniversary date of being told I have cancer).

I've kept this blog going because I remember how helpful it was for me to hear first-hand experiences of other prostate cancer patients. I wanted to return the favor by sharing my own journey in order to educate others and increase prostate cancer awareness.

But I wanted it to be a truthful sharing of details, so you will quickly see that I didn't sugar-coat much of anything. That means that you'll find some pretty graphic descriptions of the male anatomy and biological functions in this blog.

Finally, if you're reading this as a fellow prostate cancer patient, please understand that I am not a medical professional, and you should not construe any of the content of this blog as medical advice. Each case is unique, so please solicit the advice of your own medical team.

I wish you all the best as you go through your own journey.

-- Dan

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Day 27 - Routine

Today was a pretty routine day without much to report.  There were no lasting side effects from yesterday’s fun event, which was good.
I’m not overly anxious about meeting the surgeon in 48 hours.  I feel well-prepared and ready.  Of course, that will likely change on Thursday.
You may recall that I spoke with a coworker who’s been through the surgery, and I asked him in an email last week how long he was off work after the operation.  Three weeks.  When I’ll be able to drive depends on how quickly I recover and when the catheter comes out.  Of course, my sister will be here for the surgery and the days immediately after the surgery, and I’m guessing there will be some limit as to how long she can be away from her job.
That’s got me thinking ahead to the logistics of being stuck in the house for 2-3 weeks.  I’ll have to stock the pantry and freezer much better than I do now, and I may have to take you up on your kind offers to run errands for me. 
And that’s got me thinking about how to coordinate it all.  I’d hate to have six people bring dinner over one night, and no one show up for the next seven nights.  Do I post an online calendar for scheduling?  Do I leave a sign up list at work?  Is it any wonder that my doctor asked me if I’m slightly OCD after showing her my list of 37 questions for the surgeons?  Probably not.
Don’t worry.  I’m not losing sleep over the logistics.  But if the doctor says on Thursday or Monday, “Let’s operate Tuesday,” I may go into full panic mode at that point.  That’s pretty unlikely, I suspect.
Still, I’ll want to get as much of this organized before the surgery so I don’t have to worry about it after.  Plus, it distributes the load amongst everyone who’s offered to help and allows them to plan their own schedules.  The only unknown is what I’ll be able to do for myself—or when I’ll run out of bread—and when. 
I’m sure you’ll see more on this topic as we get closer.  And, no, I’m not OCD.  Just my Boy Scout training coming through—Be prepared!

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