The "Your Dad Really Has A Great Doctor!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Actually, its been an ordinary week, really!  For the past several weeks Carol has been visiting the Anne Barshinger Cancer Institute in Lancaster for daily radiation treatments for breast cancer.  More than once someone, either friend or relative, has called to ask if she is glowing yet.  Usually is a way to begin their conversation with her to ask her how she feels while going through radiation therapy.  The treatments seem to create a rather itchy red rash which is helped with a special cream she was given to use.  She is finally finished with the treatments and will now begin a 5 year round of a daily pill to help keep the cancer from returning.  The chances of staying cancer free are 95% when she takes the pill while only 85% without it.  It's been a long road to gain freedom from the cancer, but she has finally seen the end of the struggle.  As for me, Carol and I visited my Urologist to find if I am free of my prostate cancer.  I had a blood test done to see what my PSA may be and when the doctor entered the room he had a big smile on his face as well as a greeting telling me that he will end his day with his news that my PSA is now 0.01.  

We spent some time talking with him about the gene testing that I had done before being treated for my prostate cancer.  After finding out I had prostate cancer, he recommended I have the blood test done to see what my gene structure may be.  Found out I have the BRACA2 gene mutation which makes me more susceptible for breast, prostate and melanoma cancers.  My treatment for my prostate cancer changed after finding out I had the mutated gene.  I had Cryotherapy rather than radiation done.  The gene that I now know I carry can possibly transfer to my three children so Carol and I have suggested that our children be tested as soon as possible so they can find if they might also have the gene and make a plan for treatment.  Our daughter had blood drawn for the test and was told that if test results come back positive, she should consider having both breasts removed as well as having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.  Pretty drastic, but that is the recommendation that doctors give.  Her doctor told her that I have a fantastic doctor who realizes the ramifications of having a child who could inherit my gene mutation that can be deadly.  Even though I am in my 70s, he still strongly suggested I have the test done for the sake of my immediate family.  Our sons have yet to be tested, but we hope they take our advice and have the gene test also done.  We did get good news a few days ago that our daughter does not carry the gene and thus our two granddaughters cannot have it ... unless our son-in-law carries the gene.  He has never been tested.  So, does any of this matter?  Well, I wrote a story over a year ago about one of our daughters friends whose father had stomach cancer and carried a specific gene.  She was tested and found she too had the gene and chose to have both breasts removed and her stomach removed.  She found she had pre-cancerous cells in her stomach.  Could they have turned into cancer?  No one knows, but she can now be at ease knowing she will not be effected by the gene.  These are radical responses to cancer scares that may in the near future be realized if they are not done.  So, for those who have been tested, they can now live without the threat of cancer from any of the cells they carry that have been proven to be deadly.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.