I'm going to wrap this blog project up now. Long story very short: at a relatively young age, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I had surgery, but it failed to cure me. I underwent salvage radiation just over a year later, and it--apparently--cured me. It has now been 10 years since my PSA became undetectable.
That's a major personal milestone, and even though there is a chance of recurrence, after 10 years it is pretty low. And after 15 years it will be practically zero.
So, good enough. I'll keep getting an annual PSA for the foreseeable future, but there's no longer any anxiety about the tests. And at some point I will be done with them. (My dad, who was successfully treated in his early 60's, has stopped testing after 20 years of undetectable results).
This blog got some attention in its early days (it used to be pretty high on the Google results list for "salvage radiation") but no longer. Technology and treatments have progressed, and my story isn't nearly as compelling as it once was. If you're stopping by after I hit the "publish" button on this post, you are basically seeing an archive. I won't be updating it.
Here is the message I want to send you: if surgery didn't cure your prostate cancer, don't despair. There may still be a good chance of a cure. If you are in that situation, don't sit back and wait. Explore your options now. Time is of the essence.
If you're in the battle at any stage, I send you greetings, best wishes, and with a bow and flourish, adieu.
