I was still a newlywed when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but with treatment at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, I will be able to spend many years with my bride.
I first began having prostate problems in 1992, just a year after marrying my wife, Billie. My doctor did a prostate specific antigen or PSA test, which indicated a possibility of cancer. A biopsy found no cancer, but as the years went by, my PSA numbers continued to climb. Year after year, I had new biopsies taken, but they never found the cancer. During this process we moved to San Antonio, opened a restaurant and ran it for two years, and eventually moved back to Houston.
Finally, several years after my initial tests, a biopsy came back that was positive for cancer. My first concern was telling my wife about the diagnosis, but she has proven to be my biggest supporter.
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My doctor referred me to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands where I underwent a treatment method called radioactive seed implantation. With this treatment, tiny radioactive “seeds” were implanted in my prostate to decrease the size of the cancer. I also received traditional radiation therapy.
The staff at Memorial Hermann was great. Everyone was pleasant – they could not have been nicer. I just knew I was going to get well. I also received a lot of support from my former coworkers at Exxon and one of their partners, Johnson Oil. I worked there for 37 years and we were a very close-knit group. Their prayers really got me through that difficult time.
Today, I am free of cancer and enjoy traveling with Billie. I’m also an avid outdoorsman and spend my free time fishing. It took years for me to know for certain that I had cancer, so I’d advise other men to try any and all methods of diagnosis. Then, they should go to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands.
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