On Wednesday of this week, 9 days after surgery, I had my catheter removed, so I'm no longer hooked up to a bag like the one pictured. That did a lot to make me feel more human. I don't have to carry the bag around anymore, and I can now take showers without that thing at my feet. It also means that I can now drive my car again, and I'm glad of that.
On Monday evening I got a call from my surgeon with the results of the pathology report on my excised tissue. Although the news was all good right after surgery, it's clear that my detour is not yet over. The report shows extracapsular extension, one positive margin, and one positive lymph node of 12 that were examined. Together, these findings indicate that I need further treatment to eliminate the cancer.
The way forward, subject to second opinions and further research, appears to be four months of hormone therapy to deprive any remaining prostate cells of the androgen they require to grow and reproduce. The hormone therapy should start at the end of January. After two months I'll be halfway through the hormone treatment, at which point I'll start radiation treatments for five days each week for six to seven weeks. The calendar tells me that this radiation treatment will be during April and May of 2016. Fortunately, I'm young and healthy; I remain hopeful that side effects during this period will be manageable.
I have my 1-month follow-up appointment with my surgeon on Friday 29 January, at which point I'll learn more about my future treatment. I'll keep you posted.
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