Pros and Cons

During the election season, I got some news nobody wants to hear from a loved one as I heard my little brother telling me he had prostate cancer. They had caught it early, but it was the virulent kind; so he was facing chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. It had not spread to his bones which was encouraging. The chemo and radiation were to make sure it didn't when they operate which will be in January. He had a very positive attitude toward it all, but I was shaking at the idea that my baby brother would suffer or maybe worse. I am the oldest. I am supposed to die first and I reminded him of that!

I didn't write about this at the time because I was still processing it, plus I don't write much about my family as a general rule. I knew when he had surgery I would mention it and ask for those who would be willing to send energy because I believe in that.

This week I talked to him, and he sounds good after two weeks of chemo and radiation. I guess they do a lighter dose of that when it's prostate. When they complete the chem/radiation part, they will give him a few weeks to build back up before they do the surgery. It will then require taking two months off from his work.

When I decided to write about this for the blog was when I thought about how many men, over the age of 50, might skip that PSA blood test. It has some controversy attached to it: PSA pros and cons; but if my brother had not been regularly having the blood work, he would have died from the type of prostate cancer he has. Some kinds can sit there and you live out your life with them, but others will kill you. He had the second kind.

When he and I talked this week, we also talked about how fortunate he was to be a veteran. It's why he had that test. It's why he can afford the treatment. Even if he'd had regular health care insurance, it might not have covered all he is facing. My brother is a self-employed mechanic with his own garage. He works all the time. there is no vacation pay. He makes a living wage, but it's not enough to put much aside.

With medical costs as they are today, the terrible part would have been maybe we couldn't have afforded it all for him either. The idea that someone would have a treatable problem but either have to lose their home to pay for it or maybe die because the treatment was too costly, it's just not right. There have to be solutions. I don't know the answers, but I do know that people all across the country have faced or will face something that could take everything they have if they are not very well insured.

My brother asked the doctor why he had gotten prostate cancer. Could it be something he had done? The answer was one in three men will get it in their lifetime. It might have been hereditary and our father may have died before it evidenced itself. Once you have symptoms, your chances of survival are reduced.

So I am writing this to encourage men over the age of 50 to research for themselves the PSA test (link above); and if they see it as good, don't put off having it yearly. It could make the difference between life and death. Women know about the mammograms and most of us do them and they aren't fun either. Both strike at fears we all have about losing our sexual life, but fear isn't a good reason to put things off.

My brother has a good chance to beat this. He has a good attitude toward it. He is fortunate to be a veteran and where he has received excellent care. It is a powerful reminder to be regularly taking care of the tests that can make the difference between life and a sooner death than expected.

Also the US health care system only seems okay if you think you have a good job and excellent coverage. That can all change in an instant especially in this economy. I don't know the answers to it as I realize how expensive it will be to fix, how much howling there will be if anybody tries to put a brake on the costs, but something has to change. I have heard of too many people who were bankrupted by a treatable problem, but they were either under insured, lost their insurance, or never could afford it to begin.

Health care isn't a partisan problem. It's a humanitarian one.