The Power of Love

I know my twin brother Walt doesn’t want to discuss his prostate condition much, but I will shout it from the roof top, “His PSA dropped from 240 to 7.4.” Now that is something to shout about!

His chemo is working and he will be trying more new and exciting experimental drugs soon. His doctors are trying to get a grant to pay for all the medications. I guess you could call him a guinea pig, but who cares. Prolonged breathing is a good thing, and everything he is doing will help science someday find a cure for prostate cancer.




I have sent e-mails thanking everyone who prayed and worked for Walt’s recovery. Many people have kept the faith and because of that, he has a fighting chance to live a longer and more meaningful life. I am sure he will crusade for early detection and be a part of the final cure.




Walt has also made the decision not to make our annual motorcycle trip to Durango, Colorado. His doctors have advised him not to go and brother is listening. His body is trying to fight off the cancer and the trip would only aggravate the situation. I am actually much relieved, to say the least. I plan to bring him back pictures of the Colorado high country and a neat T-shirt to boot. If I could, I would bring him back Colorado – but the locals may resist.




For you guys who think you are too tough for prostate exams, think again. You don’t want to go through the alternative. Butch up and get the exam and blood test that can save your life. If you can’t or won’t do it for yourself, do it for a loved one who will have a broken heart watching you succumb to this horrible cancer. Early detection means a long and fruitful life.




I know, something is going to get us in any case – just don’t let it be cancer.

Write on,

Mittster

$93,000 Extended Warrantee

Yes, that’s what it costs for adding a mean average of four months to the life of a man with stage four prostate cancer. The drug is Provenge and the company that sells it is Dendreon. According to my research, Dendreon has over a billion dollars invested in R & D for this drug. Maybe true, maybe not – the good news is that the treatment is approved by Medicare, and according to the attached link, Medicare picks up the total tab.

The treatment (unlike chemotherapy) has few, if any, side effects and may pave the way for a future cure of the cancer that is terminal the minute symptoms appear. This is a chilling statement – but true nonetheless. Only early detection bestows continued life. I am one of the fortunate ones; my prostate was removed before any symptoms could raise their ugly heads. My twin brother is not so lucky, and now he is fighting for his life.

It seems so unfair that we all work our butts off during our adulthood to beat the high cost of living, and then we must also work our butts off to beat the high cost of dying. But, no one ever said that life is fair, and all you have to do is look around planet Earth to know that it certainly isn’t.

Being a huge science buff, I have been fortunate enough to witness fantastic leaps in our human technologies. Being scientific and spiritual has enabled me to reconcile our existence when sometimes the concept of God is challenged by the horrible things that go on around us on a daily basis. I believe in technology, and in fact so much so, that I am sure it means human kind will continue to survive the monumental problems our planet faces in the future. I also know that prostate cancer will be cured someday by our technology. I can only pray that it comes soon enough to cure my brother. I know deep down in my heart that it won’t, but faith can move mountains.

So here I am yet again, guys, pleading and begging for you go to the doctor and get the blood test that can save your life. It may be too late for by bro, but it’s not too late for you. Get off your ass, put your macho bullshit in the closet, and get a blood test! There are people out there who love and depend on you. You don’t want this cancer and your loved ones don’t want to experience your death from a disease that can be treated when detected early.

I am saying,

Mittster

Men sometimes = Morons

Ok, guys, here we go again. Have you had your PSA checked recently? Have you had a rectal exam recently? Have you done anything to make sure you don’t die a horrible death from prostate cancer lately?

I know a few men personally who haven’t been tested at all. You know who you are! For God’s sake, what does it take for you to be responsible? Google “responsibility” – you will find that one meaning is, “The ability to control your response.” You can control your life and not have to deal with prostate cancer. What a concept…you can control what happens to your body!

Remember, when you start having systems like my twin brother, it is already too late. Prostate cancer is a slow process with no symptoms until the prostate swells like a balloon and the cancer escapes from the prostate sack. It then starts its diabolical journey to bones and lung tissue. Catch it early and the prostate can be removed and the space left behind can be zapped with radiation. That’s what I did in 2000 and I have been cancer free ever since. I might add that the last ten years have been glorious. I know, something is going to kill me eventually, but it damn sure won’t be prostate cancer!

So, there you have it. For the fifteen or so people who read my blogs, please pass this one on to any man you know. Chances are he hasn’t been to a doctor in a coon’s age. That’s how we men operate; I’m a man, I’m tough, I’m macho, I don’t need no stinking doctor sticking his or her finger up my butt. I am also an idiot if I don’t! You know what I said in my last blog concerning this subject. Get a female doctor with small fingers and sweet perfume; the experience could be fun, and just a simple blood test will give you your PSA level!

I’m just saying,

Mittster

It can happen to you!

A good friend of mine has a PSA count of 180. Normal is one through four; anything higher is cause for concern. 180 is cause for great concern. Let’s back track a little. What is a PSA count? PSA or Prostate-Specific Antigen is the measurement of a prostate protein that can indicate (along with a rectal examination) whether a prostate gland has the possibility of being cancerous. Only a biopsy can confirm or deny the cancer’s existence.

There is raging controversy over the accuracy of PSA testing and which treatment program is the most effective if cancer cells are detected. One thing is certain; prostate cancer can kill you in a horrible way, which is also true of most cancers human beings suffer. Remember the movie Don’t Mess with the Zohan, starring Adam Sandler? Well, there should be a movie called, Don’t Mess with the Prostate Cancer, starring all men over fifty!

I don’t mean to make light of this subject, but, honestly, I need to find humor in the situation concerning my friend because I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000 and elected to have it removed after a PSA number of 7.5 was detected and the gland was swollen. After the operation, my PSA was .01, but unfortunately it started to rise and I elected to submit to radiation therapy. After two weeks of intense therapy, my PSA had dropped to .001 and has stayed there ever since. I know I must die of something, but it won’t be from prostate cancer!

The secret of my success was early detection and that is the key. The rule of thumb is have your prostate checked yearly when you reach the age of fifty. If your family has a prostate cancer history, have it checked much earlier. Please don’t procrastinate; get a physical and make sure you are cancer free. Live to have fun yet another day!

I’m just saying,

Mittster