Volume 2, Issue 1

Page 2

It was September and the day had started out beautifully.  I watched the sunrise from my kitchen window.  In good spirits I headed for an early morning tennis match.  After the match I went to my gynecologist's office for my yearly check-up.  Dr. Renée Allan and I chatted, and I told her how great I had been feeling, having no problem with my hormone replacement program. She did a PAP smear and said everything looked good.

A week later instead of receiving the card with " negative" marked on it, I received a phone call from Dr. Allan stating that the test indicated malignancy.  Although 35% of the PAP smear results are inaccurate, she wanted to make sure and so she recommended scheduling a biopsy rather than another PAP.   Two days later I was back in the office and very nervous- both my parents had died from cancer.   Needless to say, the biopsy was positive.

I was referred to Dr. Kenneth Hatch and Dr. Alton Hallum, who head the Gynecology-Oncology department at the University of Arizona.  The details were explained to me and the surgery scheduled - a total hysterectomy with abdominal washings and biopsy.  When my husband and I got home from this appointment, I fell

apart, the tears just came and would not stop.  I was terrified, not so much of the surgery, but of what might come afterward.

Breaking the news to my family was another emotional hurdle.  I asked my husband to make the calls and break the news and then I talked to them as best I could. This was heart wrenching for us.  However, I found that once I got past to talking to my family I felt better; I was able to put things in perspective and face reality. 

sults confirmed that the cancer was contained in the uterus and the tumor had not broken through the uterine wall.  All abdominal biopsies and tests were clear.  I was given a 93% survival rate and no radiation or chemotherapy.  We were so excited! 

In February, after my physical therapy and follow-ups, I was still emotionally distraught.  I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle and I was tired most of the time.  The post surgery elation was gone and the new "wait and see" attitude was hard for me to handle.  The doctor suggested I go see Dr. Alice Chang for counseling.  After several months with Alice's help, I was able to deal with my fears and anger over the diagnosis and accept the presence of cancer as a part of my daily life.

The old fears still resurface when waiting for tests results.  To date, I have been cancer free for three and a half years.  The ordeal has made me a better person.  I treasure my family and friends and I no longer take life for granted.  I am truly blessed.  I am a survivor!

Just two weeks after my first PAP smear I found myself being wheeled into the O.R., my three daughters and my husband by my side.  My attitude was positive.  The only set back after my surgery was my left leg would not support my weight and my inner thigh and hip were painful.  I was told the injury resulted from the positioning of my legs in the stir ups during surgery and would heal in time.  The best news came when Dr. Hatch came to see me and told me that the lab re

Senator John McCain has undergone surgery for a non-cancerous prostate condition--benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH--that results in an enlargement of the prostate gland. The condition is fairly common in older men and can lead to urinary difficulties. McCain is 65 years old.
A Prostate Primer
The prostate is a gland in a man's reproductive system. It makes and stores seminal fluid, a milky fluid that nourishes sperm. This fluid is released to form part of semen. The prostate is about the size of a walnut. It is located

below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder.
  Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the abnormal growth of benign (non-cancerous) prostate cells. In BPH, the prostate grows larger and presses against

the urethra and bladder, interfering with the normal flow of urine. More than half of the men in the United States between the ages of 60 and 70, and as many as 90 percent between the ages of 70 and 90, have symptoms of BPH. For some men, the symptoms may be severe enough to require treatment, as was the case with Senator McCain.
  As men age, both BPH and another benign prostate condition called prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) are more com

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