Prostate Cancer Guide, The Things Your Doctor Probably Won't Tell You, & How To Deal With Them.

By Merlin Sprague

In Prostate Cancer Guide, Merlin Sprague -- himself a prostate cancer survivor -- tells his first-hand story of dealing with cancer and its effects on all aspects of his life. Merlin’s cancer was virulent and advanced but twelve years later, he’s still here. In this book, Merlin gives men many recommendations on things they can do, what they should watch for, and tips on getting through the experience. And, finally, there is candid information on dealing with life afterwards. This book is not a dry medical tome where the disease and its victims are spoken of in the abstract. This book puts flesh on the bones. Prostate Cancer Guide is a war story told by a veteran who fought the battle.
In Merlin’s own words:

“In writing this book, I wanted to let all men with prostate cancer know they are not alone. And there a lot of us too: One man in six, so they tell me.

“After I got my Digital Rectal Examination and test for Prostate Specific Antigen, I got the news. Oh, I got some information from my doctor alright, but not anywhere close to enough. On my own, I had to learn about many things -- things such as:

** Gut-wrenching fear.
** The many indignities one suffers.
** The practice of medicine.
** Coping with a life so changed it’s almost alien . . . No, wait; it is alien.
** Finding out it’s not as bad as you imagined.
** Finding out there are tons of workarounds.

“When I make recommendations, it’s because I tried the things I recommend and they worked. At least they did for me, and I sincerely hope they work for you too.

“As I well know, prostate cancer is a heavy, heavy subject. To keep the book from being a mental, psychological and spiritual drain on your skookum, I tried to keep it light.

Prostate Cancer Guide is only 25,000 words. It can be read over a weekend, and it won’t put you to sleep, I guarantee. By the way, it’s pronounced pros-tate, not pras-tate; there is no ‘a’ in prostate.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Merlin Sprague
• Release date: Apr 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476395838

Merlin Sprague

Back in the day I, by turns, sold pay telephones, large telephone systems, consulting services and software (of my own creation, I must note).I also drove a semi.There are also two kids and four grandkids, but they live light years away in Minnesota, California and Florida.And of course there's Jo, the wife. She and I got happily married back in 1974. We live in Washington State in a little wide-spot in the road called Clearview. It's nice out here and we've been in the same home for over twenty years.

Book preview

Prostate Cancer Guide

The Things Your Doctor Probably Won’t Tell You & How to Deal with Them

by: Merlin Sprague

Copyright 2012 by Merlin Sprague

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

AUTHOR’S NOTES

This book is for men. I wrote this book as though a bunch of old, close friends were gathered up at the hunting lodge on a chill and starry night. It’s late and a thin wind is whistling through the cracks and crannies. The air is redolent of grilled steaks, fine tobacco and Hoppe’s NO 9, all accompanied by ice clinking on glass. The mood is like that in an Indian sweat lodge where the soul is bared and one’s deepest thoughts rise to the surface.

The old boys are sitting, staring into the low fire when one begins to speak. It’s time, he feels, to let down his hair and talk to his friends of a life-changing experience. He wants to share with them the things he’s learnt about a feared cancer. He wants to help prepare them for a trial they too may undergo. He pulls no punches.

As with men in such circumstances, the language in this book is direct and often abrupt – a hallmark of red-blooded, hairy-chested bravado and masculine camaraderie. It’s the kind of language that puts men at ease. Women wouldn’t appreciate it. But then, this book isn’t written for women.

This book is short. With a fresh cancer diagnosis, you know that time is of the essence. Consequently, you don’t have time to plow through some ponderous 700-page book; you should be able to polish this one off in an evening.

The field of medicine is filled with jargon. When I use an obscure medical term for the first time, I’ll put the definition in either a footnote or an endnote, depending on your reading device. After that, I’ll use the term or its acronym.

Of course I’m not a doctor so I cannot speak to the efficacy of one treatment vs. another. I only know what treatments my doctors discussed with me, and the treatments I chose to undergo. If you want or need a medical opinion, go see an MD.

The jacket photo. I can’t recall from whence it came so I cannot give proper credit to the pathologist who took it, nor the publisher who put it on the web. But I thank them deeply.

This is the Smashwords edition of Prostate Cancer Guide. Smashwords has converted the Prostate Cancer Guide in numerous ebook formats. Go to smashwords.com and find out which is the right one for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE PROBLEM, HENCE THIS BOOK

PSA TEST AND DIGITAL RECTAL EXAMINATION

BIOPSY

GETTING THE RESULTS

GRACE

YOGA AND OTHER SUCH STUFF

THE CONSULTATION

ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS

THE CONVERSATION

PAYING FOR IT

SOME ADVICE ABOUT WORK

THE HOSPITAL

AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

THE ANESTHETIC

OUTLOOK, OMENS AND AUGURIES

THE OPERATION

WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DISCOVER ON WAKING

RECUPERATION

GOING HOME

SEX

YOUR LIBIDO

SOME COMPLICATIONS

WHAT IF THE GODDAMNED CANCER COMES BACK

DEATH

CONCLUSIONS

THE PROBLEM, HENCE THIS BOOK

Women worry about breast cancer. And rightly so; it’s almost epidemic in their gender. We men worry about prostate cancer. And rightly so, for it is almost epidemic in our gender. One woman in six will develop breast cancer and one man in eight will develop prostate cancer. In my family, not counting cousins, there are nineteen males of all ages. As I already had prostate cancer, that means at least one of these fellows, and possibly two, will get it also.

While women have taken the bull by the horns and brought the subject of breast cancer out into the open, the subject of prostate cancer is still taboo – especially its aftereffects. After all, if a woman gets breast cancer, she can still do the down and dirty; her post-cancer life changes but little.

Thanks to the new openness, breast cancer has become something like a badge of courage to women – an honor, a distinction for a deed of daring-do. You read of women who get out of the hospital bed, stand in front of a mirror and drop their gowns. They behold the bright, glistening scar with its hair-like stitches, and bawl their heads off. Ah, but a few months later when the reconstruction has been completed, she and the old man are back in the sack, screwing like minks.

The same can be said for all of what I call the other Noble Cancers: Brain, Blood and Bowel. You can bring any of these up in polite company and no one will blanch. In fact, the sufferer will often be regarded as a hero, lionized by the entire community.

But what man, rendered impotent by a radical prostatectomy, or other harrowing treatment for prostate cancer, wants to go around, announcing to the world, Hey, guess what, guys? I can’t get a hard-on anymore! All my dick does is hang there and watch me shine my shoes. Or catch that oh damn look on the little woman’s face when she plays with his johnson and nothing happens.

Even mentioning this shameful and humiliating affliction to men outside the immediate family is simply out of the question. While a man can proudly regale his friends and acquaintances with stories about how he lost an eye in a fight, got stabbed in a mugging, got shot in a war, there is no macho in having prostate cancer. Indeed, the cancer’s stroke to male identity is so severe that men regard mentioning it the same way a leopard might regard displaying a wound – an invitation to the jackals and hyenas to move in for the kill. Derided by men, sneered at by women, your manhood is gone.

The subject of prostate cancer is so horrid that doctors cannot be honest with their patients for fear the poor bastards will run screaming from the office, go home and blow out their brains. Sadly, some do. More, though, go away to