Here are the stories of prostate cancer survivors in their own words. Every story is
different, each story is personal, all are inspirational.
Dick Drisko
When Dick Drisko's father died from prostate cancer at age 85, Dick was not
aware that his chances of developing the disease were double that of a man
who does not have prostate cancer in his family.
Dick is a five-term member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from
Hollis and the former vice president of the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer
Coalition. He had started seeing a urologist on a regular basis before he was 35 years
old, but that was because he worked as a truck driver and traveling salesman and
often had urinary problems due to the prolonged sitting required by his jobs.
"My minor
urinary tract infections were cleared up with antibiotics," he
remembers. At no time was I screened for prostate cancer. I was deemed to be 'too
young' to contract the disease.
After his urologist retired, Dick was referred to a younger urologist who
reviewed his family history and said Dick needed annual screening with a Prostate
Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam.
When Dick was 65, his annual screening revealed an elevation in his PSA from
under 5 to 9. Biopsies showed nothing, but his urologist was convinced that there
was something "atypical going on and referred him to a colleague at the
Lahey Clinic.
In December of 1994, Dick had another biopsy, this time at Lahey. Once
again, the results were inconclusive, but he was put on an every four-month
examination schedule. In May of 1995, a biopsy confirmed the presence of prostate
cancer.
Dick's new physician outlined all the treatment options available at that
time, the percentages of success, and their effect on a man's quality of life.
Dick opted for radical prostatectomy and was operated on in June of 1995.
Within two months, he was back on the tennis court.
Dick made it a point to have regular check-ups, and, in 2000, his PSA count was
slightly elevated, indicating a trace of cancer was still present. He underwent
radiation treatment and has been cancer-free for 10 years.
"When I went to the tennis court, I'd carry two bags," says Dick, "one with my
racquets and one with my medical report to intimidate my opponents. In addition
to being a prostate cancer survivor, I have a matched set of false hips, a
reconstructed rotator cuff, and various and sundry other repairs. My concern is that
I have more spare parts than original equipment. My wife continues to remind
me that when people of my age get together it always ends up as an organ
recital."
Although
Dick likes to make people laugh, he also likes to make them think about
how to maintain their health. He is a strong proponent of regular screening
for prostate cancer. "I am an example that early detection through early
screening saves lives," he says.
That's a message he passed on to his sons who, because of their family history,
have an elevated risk for developing prostate cancer. They have undergone
annual screenings since age 40.
Dick carries
his message to a larger audience through his public advocacy and his
work with
the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition.
- Edited by Pat Ladew
Don Davidson
As a US
Air Force pilot who flew missions in Vietnam, a Captain with Eastern Airlines
for 30 years, and an embattled Mayor of Nashua in the late 1990s, Don Davidson
has faced many formidable challenges in his time. When he was diagnosed with
prostate cancer in 2000 at the age of 61, his fighting spirit served him well.
As is
often the case, Don had no indication that anything was wrong when he went for his
annual physical in 1999. But after the results of his blood test came in, Don’s
physician recommended he see a urologist because his PSA was elevated. An
initial biopsy turned out negative. Three months later, his PSA was still
climbing, but a second biopsy was also negative.
In 2000,
when the blood samples taken during that year's physical indicated that
his PSA
was still elevated, Don's urologist tried a new biopsy technique:
taking six
samples from each of the two lobes of the prostate. This time, one
sample
tested positive and Don was referred to a physician at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. It was there that he received his
diagnosis of
prostate cancer.
His fighting spirit kicked in right away.
"My
response was 'no way!'" remembers Don. "I thought, 'I gotta get this thing out
of me. I' m not going to let this get me down."
Don got
busy learning about the prostate gland and researching treatment options.
"Before this happened, I knew about as much about the prostate as I knew about nuclear
physics," he says. "I think most men are remarkably ignorant about the prostate
and what it does. But you learn fast when you get that diagnosis."
Don and
his wife Pauline - whom everyone calls Chip - talked with his physician about
the various treatment choices available to him including brachytherapy
(radioactive seed implant); radiation therapy; hormone therapy; and radical
prostatectomy, or surgical removal of the prostate gland. Don also talked to a
friend who had opted for the seed implantation.
Together, Don and Chip decided that radical prostatectomy was the best choice for him.
Although
he says that making the decision was fairly easy, he, like most men facing this
surgery, was concerned about the possible side effects of incontinence and
impotence.
He had
his surgery in July of 2000 at Beth Israel. The operation was a success, but he
did have some initial discomfort, challenges with incontinence, and later
suffered some ill effects of a radiation treatment. But today he considers
himself cured, and he has an excellent prognosis for the future.
"Having
prostate cancer has really made me far more aware of my body," Don says. "I
wish I had had this awareness in my 40s. Having prostate cancer became a very
educational experience for me."
The
experience has also turned him into an advocate who promotes screening and
recommends that men take action before it's too late. It's a message he's
shared with his sons, his two brothers, and with others through his affiliation
with the New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition.*
"When I
talk to other men, I tell them not to take this lightly. It's insidious. I had
ZERO indication that I had a problem. I had NO symptoms. If I hadn't been
screened, found out about my cancer, and had my prostate gland removed, I would
not be here today to tell all of you about this most serious issue."
* Don is
a former member of the NHPCC's Board of Directors and was the first chairman of
the speakers committee.
- Edited by
Pat Ladew
As
always - talk to your doctor about prostate cancer!
