Treatment Begins

Good news: (1) the diagnostic tests alluded to earlier have been confirmed negative which means the cancer is limited to my prostate, and (2) my treatment has begun. The UFPTI program included a tour of the facility, consequently, I knew what to expect. The initial treatment proceeded flawlessly. My emotional reaction to the procedure, however, caught me by surprise. I experienced a mixture of gratitude, fear, concern and amazement. Underlying these emotions was the knowledge that cutting edge science, modern medical technology and a sophisticated team of highly trained physicians, nurses and support staff had been assembled, in part, to treat a 72 year old man's cancerous prostate in an effort to salvage what remains of his quality of life. A somewhat melancholy and extremely humbling experience for which I am deeply grateful.

The remainder of this journal will be devoted to the treatment process. I will address outcome expectations (prognosis) and side effects as they materialize.