I want to thank you for your help in moments so difficult that we happen, my husband and I. Full of doubts and sufferings. Without knowing which it is the best decision to be taken in front of a prostate cancer.

I was much sensitized by these problems, thanks to the conferences that he had assisted. I became aware that it had to do reviews to me and mamografías when I was corresponding.

When my husband was fifty years, I mentioned to him that also analysis of the PSA had to be done. To be preparing possible evil, since it had precedents.

His father in due time, it was produced of prostate. But we never find out about the real problem that he was enduring. Forty years ago, one was not speaking about cancer, it was a taboo, almost as if it was a crime, to endure this illness.

When I received so valued information about the breast cancer and prostate, I began thinking that my husband could be a candidate, for genetic heredity. When it was fifty years I mentioned to him that an analysis of the PSA should be done. To be preparing possible evil but he refused. Spent a time I said to him that a recognition was refusing to do me to me if the iba to do the above mentioned analysis to him. I received the same answer. Little cabezoncillo the child! There was strong young man, sportsman, without a problem of urine, which it never had, before occurring.

I worried much tapeworm fear that was happening as to his father. I went to the family doctor and asked him for an analysis of the PSA for my husband. The joke of the doctor was spent of thread. I go so far as to say: you also have prostate! I felt very ashamed, but wise I for what he was asking (I am speaking of twenty years behind) Today thanks to God, to the science and the medicine, this illness is already not the same.

Continuing with the topic, finally the analysis was done. It left very highly for his age. They it sent the urologist. East said to him that it had a very big prostate and sent it to a hospital of our city, of Barcelona.

This way, years happened, they were doing an annual review to him. He had neither any symptom, nor problems in the urine. But his prostate and his PSA were growing too much, until there came the moment to do a biopsy. It went out well. Past another year they did other one to him because the situation needed it. It was not going out not well, not badly, but the situation was not clear.

They allowed to happen six months to make one more extensive to him, sixteen pricks. It was clear that the bichejo gave the face! Two cancers, one in every side. Fortunately they were encapsulated. They commented to him, to do surgery to him, to extract the whole prostate and died the dog was finished, the anger. According to the opinion of Dr. En question.

But it was not like that. When they opened, saw that it had already left and had to make one radical to him. It was a hard blow for him, I the only thing that was worrying there was the conduit of the urine, which did not have to take bag.

Our process was the following one: First that is saved. The rest does not matter, when you already see that it has gone out and does not take bag. My god that well! When they happen six more months and everything is normalizing, you begin feeling that something is missing in our lives. That we feel a little mutilated, Hablo in plural, because until it happens to you, you do not realize that this operation reverberates in the couple. Since he was saying the two suffer.

Then you begin yourself to worry for seeing that they offer you to be able to relieve this absence of intimate life that gives certain color to the couple. We stop to think about if a surgery would be suitable... To take a decision and to have a calm life, and in the good psychic state.

To see! We have married forty three years. We have two beautiful daughters who love us very much. We enjoy the sight and the senses. We can go to the movies, take a coffee with a dash of milk and comment on the movie, listen musical, like that things quantity. Many. A walk along the beach, a good book. Ah, and to open the mail every day to see all the friends who have remembered us and to exchange post office beautiful post office. Modern skill, which using it without it dominating you, is wonderful.

Barcelona is full of museums, of parks. So many things to see together, that we lack time. And if someone is still in the better field, to give walks and to feel a birds concert to the evening.

The smell of wet ground, when it rains. To look at the trees in spring when they begin sprouting.

In autumn the sheets tanned in the soil, that you tread on them and they do music.

It is necessary to fight and to be happy in spite of the problems that us could arise.

For all, an affectionate hug.

R.

CANCER OF PROSTATE, MY EXPERIENCE

With 45 years on the verge of fulfilling the most important problem of health that it had it was the high cholesterol, I motivate for which my family doctor was controlling me every 6 or 12meses. Probably, in some analysis or visit it should have some indication and he asked me that for the test of the PSA, which I believe normally one asks from 50 years. This fact, on December 4, 2007, went out very highly (15,28 ug/L), they said to me that it was possible to treat about a laboratory error but that an Urologist had to visit; he visited me after approximately ten days and did an exploration to me and asked me for another analysis of the PSA again. I had turned out in approximately fifteen days and it gave again very highly. In the second visit I believe the urologist wanted to begin me to make aware of that it could have prostate cancer, but the truth is that I did not even want to think.

At my age, without important problems of health, a wonderful family, friends and a lot of work I was considered immortal; they asked me for a biopsy, which they did to me after approximately fifteen days. The truth is that it was a test slightly more annoying than I had thought and once done, obviously, I continued with my oppressed normal life. After one more week, traveling for work, they called me of the laboratory saying to me that he should to gather the results of the biopsy, I do not remember what the exact words were, but they transmitted to me that it was doing it with the biggest possible briefness. It was in that moment and, due to that impersonal call, when I began taking conscience of my illness. I warned my wife and we stay on the same evening, in which I was returning of trip, in the laboratory to gather the results. On the following day in the morning, February 7, 2008, it was to the urologist that he confirmed that they had to produce me and they began all the steps for the first visit to the Urologists of the Hospital.

My worry had already started and what he was wishing was that the steps for my operation were as rapid as possible, in addition to being sure that everything was following his normal course. After some call to the services of attention to the user and of a visit to the administrative services of the hospital they visited me in external Consultations, on February 21. They transmitted to me that they would study my case, in an experts' committee, but that everything was pointing at an entire prostate extraction. I was in his hands and worried if all the steps were following his course and that the illness was located, only in the prostate in addition to worried for as saying it to my children and to my parents. Together with my couple, I decided to try to do the life as normal as possible and comment on my illness first to my chiefs so that they were conscious of that in those moments it was precisely the illness what I had in the head in the first instance, further on we already would comment on it to the family and to some friends. The following week, in the second sight to external Consultations of the hospital, they confirmed to me that they would make laparoscópica a radical “prostatovesiculectomia to me ”. Also they explained to me the possible problems of incontinence, powerlessness and of extension of the illness, which they already would warn me for the pre-operative tests and the date of the intervention. Since then I commented on it with my parents, children and some of my friends and relatives. It was especially difficult to say it to my parents and children, but once done I was sorry about myself better and entirely supported for the family, the friends and the company where I work. The truth is that to my children (16 and 12 years) we do not mention the word cancer to them and leave to them the door opened for questions that almost they did not rise.

The days were happening and they did the pre-operative tests to me, but they were not warning of the date of the intervention With my children and couple we were a few days of holidays of Holy Week that us were very well to disconnect. It was on having returned of these days of holidays when, without losing hope, all this began me to worry more. My desire was that they were producing me to the biggest possible briefness and that the illness was located in the prostate. After a few weeks of certain anxiety for the absence of information. Finally, on April 9 they called me from the hospital to warn me that the date of my operation would be Monday, the 14th of April 2008. It was very good news, since it did not worry about the operation in itself but because the illness could exceed the limits of the prostate, I kept on doing normal professional life up to the working day previous to the intervention - I am sure that this normality helped me to take better also well my familiar and personal life

The operation was much a good, I was extracted by the whole prostate and the ganglions that surround it by means of the skill laparoscópica. I did not suffer, in the hospital I felt good bearing in mind the situation and perceived a high professionalism grade in all the persons who attended to me. I was four days deposited and they said to me that everything was making think that the ganglions seemed not affected by the cancer, but it was necessary to wait for the results of the analyses.

At home I was fifteen days with the probe, which although it gave me some problem, was much less annoying than I was looking alike. I was slightly weak, but well, from house I devoted myself to small things that I like. On April 24 they took the staples from me and on April 29 the urologist visited me that me produced, mentioning to me that in one of the analyzed ganglions the cancer had spread. He said to me that, for the time being what it was necessary to do was a normal life and an analysis of PSA and control panel every three months. While the PSA was staying low it was not necessary to do anything more and in case it was rising we were on time of doing the corresponding treatment, it was bad news. The same day, they extracted the probe to me and I began suffering the annoying problems of the incontinence, there attended to me also a physiotherapist who taught me to do a few exercises of reinforcement of the pelvic soil and gave to me hour for five control meetings. The first week without probe was fatal, but since then I noticed that it was improving. From house I began combining my recovery and familiar life, with small things of the work and on May 16 I asked high and rejoined to my work. During the first two weeks it was doing only office tasks and later I began working already with entire normality.

At the beginning of June they gave me the results of the PSA that went out invaluably, big news. From middle of June I had the completely overcome annoying topic of the incontinence. Now my new milestones, they were: to continue the control panel if the illness was reproduced and to recover certain normality in the sexual life, at present I am still in this phase evolving more slowly than he would like.

I want to show explicitly that at all times I felt much supported by the family, by friends, by partners and by my company, as well as good treated by most of professionals of the public health, I am grateful especially for the highest professionalism and dedication of my family doctor and of the urologist who operated on me. Also that communicating my feelings, in a natural way turned out to be very beneficial to me as well as trying to do a life as normal as possible, obviously without giving the back to the problem. The disinformation and feeling in some cases how records have been what has provoked more anxiety to me.

I had the big luck of which they were detecting to me the illness and the big bad luck of having it. I remain with the positive part. I remain also with that this fright I am sure that it has strengthened me and has made me value more the small happy moments of the life.

I hope that this history on my experience with the prostate cancer should serve to persons who are in similar situations. Allow me only one advice: share your feelings.

forward!!!

A strong hug.

January, 2009

It notices: I dedicate this history to my couple, to my children and to my parents.