Group’s Support Invaluable
‘Doctor, you have prostate cancer.”
Those were the words I heard from my physician 13 years ago.
Am I dying? Why me? Is this a mistake? Is this the end of my sex life? These and many other concerns immediately surfaced. As a physician, I had a general knowledge of prostate cancer. However, since I was not a urologist, my fears paralleled those of someone without medical training.
With the help of excellent physicians, I underwent successful treatment. But even then, the fear remained that the cancer had spread without being detected. Many thoughts continued to bother me.
I was able to come up with answers because I had access to medical literature. My urologist was always there to answer my questions, and my family was always there for support.
After it looked like I might be cured, I had the strong desire to share my experiences with other victims of prostate cancer. But there was no way for me to do this until two years ago when the Man to Man prostate cancer support group was formed.
Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, a coalition of physicians and prostate cancer survivors was formed. This became the first support group in the Spokane community directed solely toward a disease confined to men. Here was my opportunity to share my story and profit from others’ experiences as well.
This group has exceeded my expectations. Presentations by numerous well-informed medical professionals have greatly increased my knowledge of prostate cancer and its treatment. I have learned of many new developments that allow one to compensate for the aftereffects of the disease and its treatment. Knowing how others have coped with their problems has been very helpful.
Hearing the stories of these other survivors has given me a strong appreciation of what such a diagnosis can mean to patients and to their families. The fact that our female partners regularly attend the meetings has added greatly to the strength of the group. Now that prostate cancer has become a “core” issue for the American Cancer Society, I predict that Man to Man will become much stronger. A similar group is being formed in Coeur d’ Alene.
My experience with this group leads me to urge all other prostate cancer patients and survivors to join Man to Man.
MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.