Working for the man

Today we go to see Jeremy for a follow-up session. I won't have seen him since the operation (apart from him dropping in briefly at the hospital a couple of times).

Wanting to be a more informed consumer of medical services, I have gone through the notes I took from the information session at the Peter Mac last week and written out some questions to ask. In so doing I also looked at the PCFA Research Blog and found a recent paper that looks relevant. (The link to the blog page won't resolve unless you are logged into the PCFA, but the abstract is on PubMed .) This seems positive in that ADT (androgen deprivation therapy, AKA hormone therapy) + EBRT (external beam radiation therapy) were found to give the best overall survival rate. Subject to my next PSA test, this is the therapy that Jeremy mentioned.

I am uncomfortably aware of a desire to impress or otherwise gain his approval. I suppose this is not unexpected, given that the treatment he suggests will have a material effect on how long I am around for. Of course he would suggest that treatment regardless of what questions I ask, his feelings toward me personally, etc. (I know all this rationally.) In person I have alway found him calm, approachable and pleasant, just what you want a surgeon to be. Oh well, I will just try to stay positive and take notes! (Sounds like one of those British WWII slogans.) I will share the findings of this session and those from the next PSA test, due mid-December.

I added an entry in the External Links in the sidebar for Harvard Prostate Knowledge, a site mantained by that university's medical school and Harvard Health Publications.