Are We There Yet?

This week brought us fewer medical appointments, and interestingly enough, possibly more information!  The prostate biopsy was on Monday, the 24th.  The urologist has called to say he did not find a malignancy in the prostate.  He thinks it may be chronic inflammation which is causing his pain.  They will try him on a 6 week course of antibiotics to see if that makes a difference.  


This does make sense, because he didn't have problems with the prostate, and most men are diagnosed because they've started having problems.  There usually is no pain associated with it, as it more often presents itself as difficulty in urination, and that has not been an issue for Terry.  To be told pain is not generally associated with prostate cancer, but to know he was having a lot of pain that was increasing makes it a little less stressful knowing it's not cancer.  Inflammation could be a "good" diagnosis, as anything NOT cancer is the preference.  But as a cardiac patient, I'm wondering what unknown damage chronic inflammation might be playing into his heart condition. I know it can't be helping the cardiac side of things, but it was good news to find they don't think he has more than one type of cancer.


The oncologist also called this week to confirm the pheochromocytoma.  He spoke the words "you were right" and I know it about had to kill him!  Doctors  want to be right all of the time, and probably like it even less when it's a spouse who is telling them how things seem to be.  But since I'm the one with the vested interest to get Terry healthy, I'm going to keep speaking up.  He started on a med that cost $6 per pill, and he had to have 50 of them.  It's a small price to pay if this puts him on the road to recovery.


The next appointment is on June 3 with the oncologist, and we should be able to set the appointment for surgery at that time.  The medication he's taking is taken for two weeks, so hopefully it will be just another week after that appointment and then he gets rolling!!!  We're far, FAR from finality with all of this, but at least it's starting to feel like we've at least headed down the road.