My back surgery...

[lexvil]

Funny you should say that.

I have prostate cancer. The cure for the next 10 years is to remove the prostate, resulting in near total ED, incontinence, hot flashes, heart problems and leading to death.

I have chosen not to treat my cancer, resulting in 10 years of no ED, no incontinence, no heart problems, and leading to death.

Because I want to live and not merely exist.

Hopefully you’ll be some sort of suppression treatment, the usual next phase for that cancer is for it to attack the bones, not a good way to go.

 

[The Chairman]

Hopefully you’ll be some sort of suppression treatment, the usual next phase for that cancer is for it to attack the bones, not a good way to go.

Prostate cancer sucks more than normal cancers. I can't tell you how sad I am to hear that my friend is having to deal with it. It took my father-in-law, and yes it was about ten years.

 

[lexvil]

it got my Dad but it took 25 or so years.

 

[Tom Winters]

Hey, on this prostate stuff, I was in Scotland a couple of years ago and having some plumbing problems so I went to see a urologist when I got back.
Before that, I had been getting care from the VA, and that had turned to shi#e during Covid, but nothing had bothered me so life was good.
So right at the end of 2021/start of 2022, my guy told me not to make plans for the end of the year. Things were pretty bad downstairs, and my prostate cancer was just itching to kill me.
South Florida has no end of esteemed treatment centers - U of Miami, the Cleveland Clinic, Boca Raton MC, so I contacted the Mayo Clinic for an appointment. I didn’t know they had a branch in Jacksonville….I was preparing to fly to Rochester, MN, but Jax was only 300 miles away right up I95.
They took me right in and determined that the prostate cancer had not metastasized.
I never had chemo or surgery - just 20 hours of radiation and a bunch of meds.
The only side effects were hot flashes which REALLY SUCK and a massive weight gain from steroids which I am now trimming off.
If it had metastasized, the doctors had a treatment plan for that as well.
At some point, we just moved up here to Jax and sold the Boca house.
The Mayo also installed a new titanium right knee since that had been bothering me for years.
So something’s going to kill me, but it’s pretty likely that it’s not going to be prostate cancer. I actually went to a funeral this morning for my 61yo neighbor who took six months to die from complications of a spider bite last February.
I just was not tough enough to not fight this damn thing with everything at my disposal.
Wookie, good luck with your journey.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

<snip>

But you didn't bring me any! I did find some Gin, but that ain't rum. Not even a close second. I'll wait patiently until you arrive. I do have extra rooms up here and you're always welcome.

Awwwhhhh thanks.. that's mighty kind of ye. I'll be sure to bring the rum..

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I'll be sure to bring the rum..

Gosling's Black Seal?

 

[The Chairman]

Gosling's Black Seal?

Most have never had Edward Teach Rum from the Caimans. It be the smoothest of the smooth and is no longer made. What a loss to humanity.

 

[tbone1004]

Today started out well with another trip to Itche. A bit earlier and it was definitely an improvement over yesterday. A full lap of the crawl, until my shorts came down. I pulled them back up and soldiered on, finishing the lap despite the ignomy. I was the only one in the spring, so no eye-balls were injured.

But then I had a pulmonologist appointment this afternoon, and that took the wind right out of my sails, so to speak.

He asked me if I was still on Eliquis, and I said I had a few days left. No, no, no. You need to be on that for six months minimum and not just three. Crap. He then showed me the CT scan of my pulmonary embolism, aka clots in the lungs. He also showed me the follow up right after the procedure and it was much better, but there were still clots. Are mine gone now? We don't know. We need more testing. Sure. When? Soon! I asked about diving and he said "Sure, but no deep-sea diving". My next question was "What does that even mean? Are you a diver?" He didn't know and "no" were the answers to those queries. Sigh. "How about an extra atmosphere, like 33 ft?" "Sure." How about 2 extra atmospheres, like 66 ft?" "Is that considered deep to you?" "Not really." "Then sure." "Is there a diving pulmonologist that we can talk to about this? I mean, it sounds a bit like you're guessing." "Just no deep-sea diving!" Incredibly frustrating for someone whose life is in his hands. Sigh times a billion. Yes, he's open to talking to DAN after the scan. I'm open to talking to them tomorrow. I was hoping to dive this weekend. ARRRRGH!!!

Where's the effing rum???

@Duke Dive Medicine do you guys have any recommended docs to discuss this with?

 

[dmaziuk]

Most have never had Edward Teach Rum from the Caimans. It be the smoothest of the smooth and is no longer made. What a loss to humanity.

Like the original Costco rum, back when it was made on St.Croix. It may not have been the smoothest of the smooth, but at ~$30 per gallon it was bloody bootifull... so of course they found themselves a "better" supplier.

 

[The Chairman]

Sigh. I talked with DAN today. They're meddlers, doncha know? MEDDLERS!

Meh. The best part about DAN, is that they only have your best interests at heart. They aren't trying to sell you anything, they only have one agenda and that's your health. So, I won't be diving anytime soon. The good doctor patiently and with great detail described the issues I was facing as a diver with possibly compromised lungs. They need to test my ability to breathe. IE efficiency. Just before I had talked with him, UF Health had called and had set up a pulmonary test. I couldn't remember what it was, so I went to "MyChart", and looked it up. Holy cow! It's a breathing perfusion and efficiency test! "Yes!" exclaimed DAN! That's what you need. All diving is "deep sea diving". So, no diving for you! Well, at least until we do this efficiency test. That will be December 9th, so maybe I'll get to dive before the end of the year. Perhaps not. Like all things, it depends on the results of the test. Sigh.

Did I mention that they were meddlers??? Yah. He's not so sure about me swimming, either. Again, it's an issue that might see me pass out in the middle of a lap and drown. He wants me to talk to my pulmonologist and hematologist before I continue. I reached out to both via MyChart. He thinks sitting on the steps and kicking, like I did today should be fine. Just be careful of any lightheadedness.

Some of you know that I've been bradycardic my entire life. Well for as long as I can remember. I haven't seen my pulse below 70 since the surgery. The DAN doctor says this could be indicative of deeper issues. My BP yesterday at my pulmonologist was 125/75, so that's not too bad. I wore my smart watch for the first time today in the spring and saw that my pulse went up to 109. For how hard I was breathing it seemed appropriate. I didn't feel lightheaded either, but discretion is the better part of valor and needed to continue living. In any event, I have given DAN's phone number and my DAN case number to both my pulmonologist and hematologist.

Thank God for DAN and their meddling ways.