A Few Random Thoughts Before Surgery

No real significance - just a boat 😉.

So, this is the big week. Can't say I'm not ready. After all, I've had over 6 months to prepare for this moment. My research is done. I've read countless books and articles and spoken to and chatted with some incredibly supportive fellow prostate cancer warriors who have been super helpful in giving me a sense of what I can expect. 

On Monday June 21, 2021, I had a pre-surgery MRI. Typically, another MRI wouldn't be part of the protocol for the 12-month ADT/Test Drug + Surgery clinical trial that I'm on. However, my surgeon is a true pro, and insisted on it in order to have the most accurate mapping heading into the procedure.

The results were made available to me a few days before I had my final pre-surgery appointment with my surgeon. To my untrained eye, the MRI results looked very encouraging: 

• Overall prostate size reduced in size by 50%, from 37.0ml to 17.0ml

• Previously visualized focal mass has decreased in size and conspicuity

I took all of this as very good indications that some combination of ADT, Apalutamide (test drug), plant-based diet, cardio+strength exercise routing, meditation and visualization were all working to reduce the size of the tumors.

But my surgeon was less impressed. "Looks like the ADT is doing what is expected". Further, his recommended surgical approach didn't change as I deep down had hoped it would. He recommended "going wide" prioritizing removing all the cancer and reducing the probability of follow-on radiation. This, at the expense of likely side-effects. Makes perfect sense. Still hard to swallow.

Going from euphoria over what seemed like a really encouraging 2nd MRI to the realities that this didn't really change much on the surgical approach, I felt a little bit like George Bailey trying to express his joy that his kid brother Harry had won the congressional Medal of Honor to the less-than-receptive bank examiner, Mr. Carter (clip). 

George Bailey: Mr. Carter, Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. We're all excited around here. My brother just got the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

Mr. Carter: Well, I guess they do those things. 

I expect to write a post or two on the other side of surgery with some highlights and then I hope and pray that this part of my story becomes boring, and routine and I can move on to writing fun posts about running, biking and the latest super cool gadgets - with photos and videos of beautiful Cape Cod added to the mix.

Thank you everyone for your support on my journey!

Spike