Health Issues - the downside of getting Olde

[Deleted]

Earlier this year I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and now I have been diagnosed with "Very Severe" Sleep Apnea and now Prostate Cancer. The first two I am being treated for and the last I am currently looking at the treatment options, the prognosis I am told is good and it has been caught early. I am not telling you all this because I want or need an outpouring of sympathy, I have a great support network, between family, friends and my church family. I have friends who have previously dealt with this or other forms of cancer.

No I am telling you this because one I want you all to know where I am coming from and two because I want to encourage all you guys, especially those with a family history like I have to get your physical each year and to get all recommended things for your age checked, but on top of that if you have symptoms, don't wait a year, make an appointment and get checked out now.

When I started with a new family doctor back in March, I had a more complete family history taken than by any three previous doctors and a way more through physical done than by any three previous doctors. If you are not sure your doctor is doing you right, shop around.

[oakesspalding]

Yeah, I hear you, man.

A lot of guys are in great shape in their forties (I was one of them), so you assume you can keep it going. And you CAN keep it going, in a sense. You can still work out and look good and all the rest. EXCEPT, your fifties are where your genes catch up to you. No matter how in shape you are, if your grandfather had an early heart attack, chances are you might. And prostate and other cancers can come for us all whether you're a couch potato or run marathons. So I think regular checkups are crucial.

Sounds like your on it, Perilous. But if it's okay, I'll ask my family to say a prayer for you in the morning. Don't knock it. My wife has a pretty high Wisdom score.

[krusader74]

Thank you for sharing this. This month, a close family member was diagnosed with terminal/inoperable prostate cancer. So early diagnosis and treatment are imperative.

You mentioned issues with sleep apnea. A recent study showed that sleep disruptions double the risk of prostate cancer. Another study showed that sleep apnea is also associated with higher rates of colo-rectal cancer. I've also seen recent research in cancer journals that correlate low vitamin D to prostate cancer, and that also links low testosterone to prostate cancer.

I bring all this up because when someone develops a new or unusual health condition, they ought to be taken seriously, no matter how minor the condition might seem---Insomnia, a vitamin deficiency, a slight hormone imbalance might appear trivial, but it could just be the first symptom of a serious affliction. The statistics say that 1-in-7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. So if someone develops a health issue, even something seemingly minor and unrelated to cancer, he shouldn't use that as an excuse to put off going to a doctor.

[Deleted]

I keep up with my exams.

Which is a challenge, because my health "insurance" won't cover, for instance, blood drawing or lipid tests, despite being an overweight 59 year old man whose father died of a heart attack in his early 50s.

[makofan]

A friend of mine wrote a book about prostate cancer and his battle with it, but he sums it up in one sentence - "DRE if 50!"

[thorswulf]

Well I'm only 44, but I take medications for High BP, and use a C-PAP for my sleep apnea. Having had a recent prostate scare and getting scoped has made me much more sympathetic. In my case it was nothing serious, but it certainly opens up your eyes to the problems of others.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the support and yes, prayers are welcome. I'm 58 and I didn't really think of myself as "older" until this past 15 months when I lost my grandmother (99), my uncle and my dad over that time period.

[Vanquishing Leviathan]

Regular exams is important, and to that I'd add taking care of yourself, too. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keeping the weight down and staying active with some form of regular exercise is key. My dad never took care of himself, so all of those doctor visits could only do so much.

I hadn't realized how old, fat, and stiff I'd become until I started taking martial arts a year ago. It is even worse because my instructors are young guys in their prime who've studied martial arts since their second trimester in the womb! It is hard starting martial arts so late, but I have no doubt that it has added years to my life, or at least has added quality of life to whatever years I have left. Plus, it is a ton of fun.

One of my favorite moments was when some kid saw my uniform and low-level belt, and then asked me, "WHOA! Are you a STUDENT?!" I guess he'd never seen anyone my age suited up that wasn't a 4th-6th degree black belt master, lol.

[sulldawga]

Jul 23, 2014 21:55:31 GMT -6 @theperilousdreamer said:

No I am telling you this because one I want you all to know where I am coming from and two because I want to encourage all you guys, especially those with a family history like I have to get your physical each year and to get all recommended things for your age checked, but on top of that if you have symptoms, don't wait a year, make an appointment and get checked out now.

Thanks for the gentle reminder, excellent advice. Best of luck with your treatment.

Unfortunately, I have a similar story to share as a wake up call. My uncle spent the whole winter with swelling in his throat and trouble swallowing. His doctor did not do a thorough job of checking out all the options and my uncle wasn't as good of an advocate for himself as he should have been.

Long story short, he just went through some long and very painful treatments for Stage 3 throat cancer. Looks like he's in remission, for now, but it would have been an easier road if he had started last fall instead of this spring.

[xerxez]

My prayers and well wishes are with you Perilous Dreamer. You sound strong and you have family and friends who will walk with you through it. Peace sir.

[machfront]

Sometimes you just have to give the angrily extended middle finger to the emotionless face of Father Time.
I turned 40 back in May. I haven't had a physical since I was 18. I sometimes think I'm invincible but I know better deep down (what I mean is, that age-old thought process of: that bad stuff happens to "other people"). Both of my folks are 83 and in great health.
I quit smoking back in Sept. of 2011 (and switched to 'vaping'/e-cigs).
(Right now I'm watching "Fathom" (1967) with Raquel Welch so I may very well have a heart attack at any moment.)
While in a fight in high school I received a broken nose ("You should see the other guy.") and thus had a deviated septum which in turn essentially caused (I understand, though it may not be related...I simply don't know...) sleep apnea a handful of years later.
I know it's close to insane but I don't want to go to a doctor because I'm afraid of what might be discovered. I'd rather live in blissful ignorance but I know that's incredibly irresponsible (especially having a fiance and a little girl of hers that considers me "daddy").
My little family recently had a harsh dose of mortality when my fiance's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (which has a high fatality rate) but his surgeries and chemo were successful and he's still got the 'all clear'.
I spent so much of my life tramping and crawling through the woods and shooting and very little could wind me. It came as a shock when it seemed overnight that I wasn't in my mid-20s anymore, that marathon sessions of ...ahem...intimacy weren't realistically attainable...when going out to dinner and shopping made me tired, etc.,etc. They say it quickly creeps up on you and they aren't kidding.
And that, gentlemen, is babbling....but I'm sure you know what I mean... I guess.

[sepulchre]

Perilous, thanks for sharing, you are in my prayers, please let us know the shape of things as you are willing.

[Deleted]

I had a complete physical two years ago with no problems identified then except it would be a good idea to lose weight and I did not pursue anything about the sleep apnea then since I had really bad insurance at the time.

As one of you mentioned your physical condition can deteriorate seemingly overnight. I went from being able to lift 120# over my head with either hand and hold it there to getting winded carrying a load of laundry up two flights of stairs. There was point in my life where I could walk any distance and could run a 4:30 mile. That was several knee and back injuries ago. You wake up one day and feel all your aches and pains and wonder when did this happen.


The funny thing is on my good days, I still feel 18 up until I try to do something I would've been able to do 10 years ago!

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2014 2:46:27 GMT -6 @gronanofsimmerya said:

I keep up with my exams.

Which is a challenge, because my health "insurance" won't cover, for instance, blood drawing or lipid tests, despite being an overweight 59 year old man whose father died of a heart attack in his early 50s.

Yeah, it is tough these days to get decent insurance.

[oldkat]

oh my gosh, PD, will be sending our thoughts your way.
You guys are younger than me, some by a long shot. But, I can
tell you that, after entering my 60s, I just ain't the stallion I used to be.
So take care of yourself, while you have a self!

[Deleted]

Take care, PD. I am sure things will go well for you.

[inkmeister]

I wish you luck PD!

I have read or heard that most older men (say by the 70's or 80's) have prostate cancer, and that in most cases it's not related to the cause of death. I guess the body usually "deals" with the cancer by isolating it somehow. I don't know how much stock you put in natural therapy, but you might consider lowering your consumption of meat, simple carbs, and sweets, and upping your consumption of vegetables, especially leafy greens. There are also those who believe increasing the alkalinity of the body can help with cancer. Things like raw apple cider vinegar, kombucha tea, and all that raw leafy green stuff can help with this. I've no idea if it works, but a lot of people swear by it. I know I'd be willing to give it a try, if nothing else the sense of being active in one's own treatment is worth it. And who cares if it's a placebo effect as long as you are getting the effect!? For my part, I start every day with a green smoothy - raw spinach, lambsquarter, alfalfa, bananas, raspberries, flax seed, etc. It's very good (the ripe bananas make it very sweet, the berries make it deliciously sour), and a way to get tons more greens than you would in a typical salad.

[Deleted]

I got a lot of nutritional advice from my urologist who is also a surgeon. Odd but walnuts have compounds that can make my cancer grow, but brazil nuts are good for me,corn oil, canola oil and a few others are bad, but olive oil is really good, green leafy vegetable good and so on. So somethings I need to stop eating, some eat less of, some eat more of and some learn to like.

[inkmeister]

Good - I'm glad to hear you are getting some nutrition advice from your doctor. I think one of the biggies is to be careful about sugar - I understand it suppresses the immune system and encourages cancer. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. I appreciate that you've shared your situation with us. It's good to have a dose of reality. None of us should take our health for granted.

[tetramorph]

Thanks for the OP, Perilous. I just had my annual general and eye. Last month dental. Next is an appt with a dermatologist! Turning 40 this coming Thu. Here we go!

(The upside is that I am exactly as old (in terms of year) as OD&D. That is a nice addition to the fun of my own hobby!)

[machfront]

I, too, am as old as OD&D and RUSH. Here we all are, finally old enough to know better and too old to do anything about it.

[Otto Harkaman]

Thanks for sharing The Perilous Dreamer made me resolve to make an appointment for a checkup tomorrow, haven't done so in a while. Best of luck to you!

[Deleted]

Just letting you all know that I chose the surgery option, seems to make the most sense for me. September is the busiest month of the year where I work so I told my physician I would like to schedule for early October. My overtime in Sept should pay for the out of pocket which will be a good thing and I will have accumulated a bit more paid time off by then which will also be a good thing.

[tkdco2]

Best wishes and prayers headed your way.

[machfront]

My families prayers to you and yours, PD.

[Deleted]

My best wishes to you, pal.
Take good care of yourself, and remember that fear is the mindkiller.
I am sure everything will go well for you!

[Deleted]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your support!

[Deleted]

Surgery date October 3rd. A friend of mine has had the same surgery and he knows other guys with the same surgery and all speak highly of my surgeon which is always a good thing.

[tetramorph]

Thanks for keeping us appraised. You'll be in our prayers.

[tkdco2]

My continued best wishes and prayers for you.