The moment the doctor said he wanted to do a biopsy, in my heart I thought I'd probably got it. But I also know a lot of people who have also had prostate cancer, so I had a reasonably good idea what to expect.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I have got prostate cancer, and I have to keep monitoring that. It's no problem, it's under control and I'm very cool about it, but other people are dying from it.
When the doctor told me I had cancer, I was scared.
I had a prostatectomy in the fall and fortunately it was encapsulated and I didn't have to go through chemotherapy.
The diagnosis was immediate: Masses matting the lungs and deforming the spine. Cancer. In my neurosurgical training, I had reviewed hundreds of scans for fellow doctors to see if surgery offered any hope. I'd scribble in the chart 'Widely metastatic disease - no role for surgery,' and move on. But this scan was different: It was my own.
My friend's granddad died of prostate cancer and it had a profound effect on me. So when I was presented with the opportunity to speak out, I had to take it. This is a life threatening issue for men; it happens every day. The more you know, the better your chances are of dealing with it if the worst were to happen.
That was just kind of a surprise when the doctor said, 'We did a biopsy on your appendix, and you have cancer.'
I recently formed a foundation to raise awareness for prostate cancer. I feel it's very necessary that men be more aware about prostate cancer and their health in general.
I have heard of people dying from prostate cancer, and they are the unlucky ones, the people who didn't know they had got it, and it went on the rampage.
Granted, prostate exams aren't the most enjoyable things in the world, but they only last about 10 seconds. It's well worth it. Just think of the possible consequences if you don't get it done.
My doctor found a spot on my lung. He told me it looked like adenocarcinoma, a cancer he attributes to smoking. He didn't need to biopsy it.