12vMan
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2008
- Messages
- 1,536
After he had some back pain, he was diagnosed 4 years ago and was given a guess by the doctors of 5-10 years to live.
He was a heating and A/C contractor, so back pain came with the territory. Nothing a couple of Advil can't fix. But this time the doctor suggested he go in for a complete physical, including a prostate examination. He thought 'prostate examination? What does that have to do with a sore back?' This turned into a bone scan after cancer was discovered. The prostate cancer had spread into his bones - back (spine), skull, and femur. He underwent years of chemo and radiation to try and fight it off. I have never known anyone with bone cancer so I had no idea what to expect in the progression. Cancer is ruthless in it's progression. My brother's eventually got into his bloodstream and metastasized again in his liver and eventually shut down all his vital organs.
Thanks to the attending ICU physicians and staff he passed peacefully under medication Saturday at age 50 with friends and family surrounding him with love and support.
Prostate cancer, in most cased, is a very slow progressing cancer which is why it can go unnoticed for so long and most men don't die because of it, but with it.
I would like to remind all of us over 45 to get examined annually. It's worth a few minutes of discomfort to stay healthy and not take the unnecessary chance of putting yourself through something like this that could possibly be averted.
I miss my little brother.
He was a heating and A/C contractor, so back pain came with the territory. Nothing a couple of Advil can't fix. But this time the doctor suggested he go in for a complete physical, including a prostate examination. He thought 'prostate examination? What does that have to do with a sore back?' This turned into a bone scan after cancer was discovered. The prostate cancer had spread into his bones - back (spine), skull, and femur. He underwent years of chemo and radiation to try and fight it off. I have never known anyone with bone cancer so I had no idea what to expect in the progression. Cancer is ruthless in it's progression. My brother's eventually got into his bloodstream and metastasized again in his liver and eventually shut down all his vital organs.
Thanks to the attending ICU physicians and staff he passed peacefully under medication Saturday at age 50 with friends and family surrounding him with love and support.
Prostate cancer, in most cased, is a very slow progressing cancer which is why it can go unnoticed for so long and most men don't die because of it, but with it.
I would like to remind all of us over 45 to get examined annually. It's worth a few minutes of discomfort to stay healthy and not take the unnecessary chance of putting yourself through something like this that could possibly be averted.
I miss my little brother.
