The "RX: Part I - We're Gonna Need Some More Band-Aides!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Crossing off my latest doctor's visit on my calendar.  I used to tell my wife that all my mom and dad did was go to the doctors.  Good they didn't have to go to work anymore since it would interfere with their doctor's visits.  Well, it's time to laugh at myself a bit, since I have reached that plateau in my life.  Last week I had an appointment at my urologist, an appointment at my orthopedist and an appointment at my dermatologist.  Before I walked out the door to go to my final appointment my wife yelled to me to get another box of Band-Aides before I came home.  She just knew I was going to look like I had just come home from the war.  

Bandaides cover a few of the basil cell spots.

Yep, Dr. Lucking cut out two basil cell spots on my face and froze numerous pre-cancerous spots on my face, neck and upper body.  I have a standing appointment every six months since I am rather prone to skin cancer.  Often wondered why that was so until my urologist, Dr. Paul Seiber, had me take a genetic test a few years ago.  The reason for his concern was the treatment I was about to have for my prostate cancer.  My gene test came back with the notice that I had the BRCA2 Gene Mutation and therefore am a carrier of the gene which makes me more likely to get breast cancer, prostate cancer, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma as well as other skin cancers.  

The BRACA2 Gene configuration.

Truly a life sentence!  I naturally passed the information on to my children and grand- children and began to fill my calendar with future dates for testing and treatments where necessary.  Also scheduled more vacations to exotic locations, just in case. Well, Dr. Lucking does a very thorough search and treatment for me knowing I am a BRACA2 patient.  She digs out anything that remotely looks suspicious and freezes those spots that perhaps she wouldn't take a second glance at on another person.   My orthopedist isn't as concerned as my other specialists, since he is treating me for my back problems.  

A recent X-ray showing my latest hardware
I have in my L-4 and L-5 spine region.  My spine
is somewhat curved at this point.

I recently had my fourth back surgery on my lower spine.  I had noticed my left foot becoming numb a few years ago and it continued to grow more numb, even up to my knee.  I had many scans done and he thought he could do some more repairs in my spine and free any nerves that may be pinched in my back due to a slight curvature of my spine which I inherited from my mother.  My last trip to the hospital this past August had him put more rods and a few screws in place to help with the leg problems.  My trip this week to visit with him caused some concern and some hope.  

Side view showing the titanium screws.

I told him my right foot is now experiencing some numbness.  He told me that it will take at least two years from my latest surgery until the nerves can regenerate and help my numbness.   I told him I hope I get a chance to feel that before something else gets me.  My urologist now has me taking an antibiotic pill to control the bladder infections I have begun to experience.  He at first thought my prostate cancer was returning, but every visit found I had a bladder infection so I am on the antibiotics until I can have a cystogram which he will do soon.  That test is a radiogram of the urinary tract and bladder and he told me I could watch it on his monitor if I care to do so.  I had watched with one of my other doctors when he did a sigmascope to make sure he had removed all of the cancerous polyp he had found during a colonoscopy.  Well, my calendar is filled until vacation time in a few months.  And, I'm sure my children are laughing at me and my wife since it seems all we do anymore is make visits to our doctors with a few side trips to the hospital from month to month.  Hey, hope you can stay healthy!  But...don't stay away from your doctor if you know something just doesn't feel right in your body.  Only you can know that and a visit may help save your life.  It has mine...many times over!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.