Okay……I do want people to know that I am a urologist who has been through the whole process of prostate cancer and have written a book which I hope will help others. I however mistakenly used the American Cancer Society discussion board on prostate cancer survivors (of which I am one) to promote my book through answering questions using my blog and book to help other survivors. For those of you who have never visited a discussion board, I never had prior to last P.M., they are very helpful.You are not supposed to mention,however, anything commercial. By mentioning my book and information on the website, my privileges were taken away. Despite this and now feeling hurt by it, I was particularly moved by the outpouring of honesty and passion of the questions and the subsequent responses by the other participants on these sites. I have written the main email address and have apologized. I have asked for forgiveness in the hope that I can continue to view and respond to questions.In my twenty four years of practicing urology and I had never visited one of these sites; I did not know they existed. I told my wife tonight that I thought that having been through the surgery , the erection issues and the incontinence for three months made me a better doctor. The things I am now reading at the Cancer Survivors Network and the HealthWell.com/prostatecancer have been equally revealing and helpful to me as a physician. There is a lot of pain , misconceptions, and anxiety out there that I , as a prostate cancer treating physician and patient, had not appreciated. I plan to give the web addresses now to each of my prostate cancer patients. I am going to implore the moderators to allow me to participate because I do feel I can add perspective and insight to this disease , the frustration of the decision of what to do, and aftermath of the treatment. I just need to do it the right way. And I will.
Learn something everyday.
HealthWell.com Go the the forum on prostate cancer
Cancer.org Go to the Cancer Survivor Network and then prostate cancer
Prostate Diaries 
As I would tell anybody that came to me about their disease, no one doctor knows everything there is to know about prostate cancer. No patients are alike. Nobody should go it alone with this disease, you need to find your peers. These forums you have wrote about, fill a great void that the medical profession is very poorly equipped to deal with. I respect my doctors at the highest levels, and I have been able to earn their respect as well by being available 24/7 for anybody newly diagnosed. It’s not so that I can push any one treatment, someone’s book, or to even to compare battle scars…
It’s to listen. It’s to show them how to get up in the morning, put their pants on, and get on with their lives. To let them know they can be OK ~ by being visible proof of that.
Patient to patient forums are extremely valuable in the process of understanding cancer. I am not sure if I am explaining this well, but HealingWell was a Godsend for me when I was scared and new to my diagnosis. And for the thousands of new patients I have met over the last three years, it isn’t hard for me to see when their nerves settle down, they settle in knowing they received something they did not get at the doctors office. A little peace in their lives to move forward with…
Peace you Dr. McHugh. Thanks for the post.
Tony Crispino
A volunteer at HealingWell.com
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You and the others do a beautiful thing. You fill a void that I did not fully appreciate. The last 48 hours have been quite the learning experience for me. My wife and I talked last night quite a bit about me getting in trouble with your site. She took the perspective of the patient and the difference between a doctor and a peer. I think I get it now. The sad thing is that I read alot about, and my wife mentioned it as well, doctors not addressing key issues surrounding the aftermath of prostate cancer treatment with their patients. That is where you come in. I can not tell you how emotional it was to me to read all of the issues that come up on your site. I am glad you got back, you were pretty rough on me in your thread. It is my hope and I feel in time you will agree, that I maybe able to complement your wonderful services, and that I might be a resource for you from time to time. Thank you for what you and the others do. I will try to behave-I got a little carried away with “interneting.”
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