There are so many nuances and particulars about prostate cancer and the treatments and the aftermath… that very few people ” get.” So….. let me let you into the ” informed and enlightened” circle.
In order: Concepts that the newly diagnosed male makes a decision based on upon the “wrong premise.”
- If I have surgery, it will be cured, because it is out.
- If I have radiation I can cure the cancer without all the hassle and complications of surgery.
- If I do the surgery by the “robot” I won’t have the complications of doing it the open or “old-fashioned way.”
- I won’t have any sexual issues if I treat my cancer with radiation.
- Whatever treatment I choose, I feel I will be “Cured.”
- All prostate cancers are the same….a patient with an aggressive prostate cancer choosing surveillance and a low risk patient choosing surgery.
- If I do radioactive seeds I won’t be impotent.
- If I do radiation and my PSA begins to go up, I can always just have it removed. Wrong!
- All prostate cancers are slow-growing. It’s a disease of old men.
- I don’t have any voiding or prostate symptoms so my prostate cancer can’t be all that bad.
- I could do fifty more, but I am going to watch a movie now and have a bit of a “toddy.”
What I see is what my mother called ” A little knowledge.” Patients hear or read something, (Like acid makes a hydrangea blue and lime makes it red…..whatever…..don’t even begin to talk to me about a plant that I propagate and absolutely love because my grandmother loved and my mother thought was so southern…). Patients learn a little something related to prostate cancer and then latch on to it. They begin to paint ” broad strokes” and make decisions on the wrong premise. Be careful out there.
Prostate Diaries 
Agood one. I like PRIMISE better than premise sounds better.
You were kind. Hit harder.
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