By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist (and CANCER SURVIVOR!!) for the Tillamook County Pioneer
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Warning, this will be a little long…
First, I cannot thank everyone enough for your thoughts and prayers. I have the absolute best followers and friends in the world, and I will say, the prayers worked – BIG TIME! I am on the mend and all the reports are in, and I am cancer free. The following will show how I got to this point and show that, I believe anyway, the divine actions that got me here. There were just way to many coincidences to be anything else.
First, whenever you move it is hard to get established with new medical providers, it takes time. Well, because of an office closing and then the business got bought out by another provided, my “Annual” physical was a little late, toward the end of last year. As part of the physical they always check your PSA, AKA Prostrate-Specific Antigen. Mine was still within the “normal” levels but had increased from the last test over a year ago. With an abundance of caution, he referred me to a Urologist. He took another PSA which was now just outside “normal” so off for an MRI. He wanted me to go to this one place in Portland, I opted for one in Corvallis. The Corvallis one decided my big shoulders were too big for their machine, so I had to go to Hillsboro, same group the Urologist preferred. Hummmm????
It came back with I was likely to have cancer, so a biopsy came next. This was a quick O.R. visit and while I was out, they took what they needed. The results came back that I had adenocarcinoma, a long word for the most common type of prostate cancer. Bummer! After discussion, we narrowed down the possibilities for two types of treatments — radiation or removal. Radiation presents its own problems down the road and required daily visits over a period of time for treatment. After a quick discussion with my wife, we opted for the surgery. He referred me to a coworker, and Urologist that does these surgeries all the time.
Another crazy divine moment, while speaking to the new Urologist Office to find a date, it usually takes time to get in with him, she said, “Wait, he just had someone cancel for tomorrow, can you make it?” Needless to say, I went. He talked about the surgery, Robotic Prostatectomy. So, he looks at his schedule while saying they like to wait for 8 weeks after the biopsy to let you heal before doing the surgery, and DING, oh wait, I had someone cancel, I have an opening, and it is right at your 8-week mark so it would work, well of course, I said ok.
So basically, they make incisions and insert these robotic arms with tools on their ends, and the doctor is on the other side of the room looking at the camera and controlling the arms that are very precise and delicate. He is able to tie small sutures with these things, its crazy. That was this past Thursday morning, I went home at lunchtime this past Friday. Another thing I learned, the hospital in Newport, where he did the surgery, has the newest machine in Oregon, if not the Pacific northwest, yet another ahhh moment and lucky break!
The pain is minimal, I have not needed pain meds, I did occasionally take some Tylenol. This new science is great. The worst part of it was 6 days of a catheter and looking like I ran into a pitchfork with the 6 small incisions.
I reviewed all the results today April 10th at the doctor’s office, and I lost the catheter. The cancer was bigger than they thought, but had not spread outside the prostrate, they do take tissue samples while in there, and a couple of nearby lymph nodes to send to the lab, they all came back negative, CANCER FREE.
So, that’s the big picture. Why am I sharing all this with you? Well, I used to be the County Emergency Manager and I always used to say, if I encouraged one person into action, then it was worth it.
So, here are the facts guys, there are nearly 300,000 new prostrate cancer cases in 2024 already, and about 35,250 deaths. One in 8 men will be diagnosed with the cancer in their lifetime and about 6 in 10 are in men 65 and older, the average age is 67. Prostrate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men. The key is…early detection guys. If you are over 60s, get that darn annual physical. Until this, I have been very healthy with NO signs of a problem. Don’t be like me…I used to call it my three year annual physical. Again, I had a lot of luck, and I am sure, some divine intervention.
As far as the weather goes, give me until May, then I will be back, maybe not every day, but often enough to keep you informed. I may pop in a little sooner but…depends on the old body.
So, I hope you guys heed my warning, or your partner or friends hear it and badger you into action. Next time, the story could be yours.
Again, thanks everyone for the thoughts and prayers, and know that they worked! See yall later folks, this is meteorologist Gordon McCraw saying, enjoy the day and have a great rest of the week! Bye yall!
