Chris Williams' Journal

This entry is a copy of the text I put in a OT forum post concerning my prostate surgery.

"OK. First the symptoms.

I like an egg for breakfast on odd days and I often cook it in the Microwave - small bowl sprayed with Canola oil, egg cracked into it and whipped to stop it exploding. 1 min on high. Works every time, comes out a bit like overdone scrambled. Great to put on a piece of toast.

So I'm standing at the bench with the dish , just sprayed and a newly poured cup of coffee waiting to cool.

Cracked the egg and dropped it into the coffee instead of the dish. WTF! Stood there for a few seconds contemplating how my brain allowed me to do that then fished out the yolk added another egg to it, threw out the coffee and started again.

That's how things have been going lately for me.

Now, what I think is the cause.

Tomorrow I go into hospital for an operation on Friday to remove my prostate. I've been waiting for this for a few months now and you might remember I mentioned that I had Prostate cancer diagnosed in March this year and had a pre-op. check which found a heart issue which meant quad. bypass surgery in May and having recovered successfully from that it's now back to the main game and that time has finally come around.

Logic and everyone I talk to tells me that this op. will be a 'cake-walk' compared to what I've been through. BUT my emotional side doesn't see it that way and I'm quietly shitting myself.

Look, I know I'll be fine but I've had too long to think about this and it has finally dawned on me that - oh shit I've got cancer. I think previously I thought what I had was not proper cancer. I went down to Sydney last Wednesday for the pre admission and it wasn't 'till I was on the train coming home when I started going though some of the brochures and info sheets that it dawned on me and the last few days have been filled with incidents like the above.

I'm having a "Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy" which from all accounts is the cutting edge in this type of procedure. I have full confidence in the team who is doing it and it is being done at the same hospital that did my heart and I have nothing but praise for the way I was treated then.

I just want the next fortnight over with and at the end of the year I'm going to pretend 2011 didn't happen."

After the surgery, still in the ward.

"OK. It's me again and the deed has been done. I will get the pathology from the removed prostate on Tues but the Dr has said all the right things about how the op. went and how he expects the results to turn out.
Still in post op. will be going home tomorrow.
Thanks for all you good wishes and hopefully I'll be recovered soon.
Still got a catheter in but that should come out on Thurs.

Chris

Ps if you are interested this is the Dr that performed the op.
Link to Robotic operation here

And home a couple of days later.

Well I'm home. Sharon picked me up this morning at about 11:30 and was home at about 1:30.
Not a pleasant trip but manageable.
Not that long after getting home got a phone call from Stricker - "Cancer contained to the prostate with the outside clear!" The best possible result!

Will go back down on Thursday and have the catheter removed and that should be it. Just a slow-ish recovery and hopefully it will be all over with.

Will see Stricker on that day as well but will not see him again until early December. At that time subject to a clear PSA test he will declare it gone.
As long as I continue to get zero PSA results the prostate cancer phase of my life should be closed.

It's not quite over yet - but close enough. Hell of a ride!