I visited a friend in the hospital a week or 2 back. This man is a member of the Sunday school class I have taught for years, the oldest group of men in the church. Many WW2 vets- 20-25+ years older than me(85-95 yrs old) with fascinating and historical stories to tell. For example, one guy was the platoon commander of the group the Russians first came into contact with in Germany in spring of 1945, a historical meeting. His little platoon took untold thousands of surrenders from heavily armed German soldiers who were anxious to surrender to the Americans rather than the Russians just across the river. Another worked on Tinian Island loading up the Enola Gay with the first atomic bomb on 6 Aug 45, and then again on 9 Aug 45. But I have had to watch as this greatest generation just gets smaller and smaller every year. My class is down from
way over 10 some years ago to just 3 or 4 regulars. And none of them are looking any too spry. But just 3 or so years ago, we were all still meeting once a month for a Thursday night supper, in town or sometimes a group of 10-15 driving all over north MS in 3 different cars/trucks to go to some highly recommended restaurant.
So my friend was in the hospital, and I wasn't really sure what for other than some problem with his lungs, which was keeping him from getting the rehab he needed for his knees so he could get back to serving in church. On my visit I was told that the problem he had with his lungs was the tumors from his PC were all around his lungs. And they were trying to get his breathing in better shape so he could go on to his rehab as well as some sort of further treatment for his PC. That was their story, mostly from his wife, naturally many details about
the PC were missing. All they knew was: it was PC.
But Henry did remind me that he had surgery for PC just a few months after I did, almost 5 years ago now. I had forgotten that as he has dealt with so many other health problems since then, and I have heard no more about
his PC. And as so many of our other friends had died of many other things, some suddenly, at least one in his sleep. Another had started treatment for failed RT, with a BCR 6 years later. Immediately after starting the new(drug) treatment, he had various problems including a fall, ended up in the hospital for that. A few weeks later, back home, he got up one morning (to get ready for work at 90+ years old, could not stand retirement! ) and fell dead.
Just a week or back Henry actually did get out of the hospital and into a rehab facility, but that didn't last long. Today I got word he was back in ICU, but the plan was to get him into hospice. So, no good news there. And if this doesn't miraculously turn around, it appears he will be one of the group who dies of, rather than with, PC. But either way he has had a good life and done much good for others. I still hate to see another one go.
PSA 10.9 ~112013
Bx on 112013 at age ~65yrs, with 5 of 12 pos, G9(5+4), T2B.
RALP with lymph nodes at Vanderbilt 021914. (nodes clear, SV+, G9 down graded to 4+5, 1 focal margin )
only rare pad use after 1 year
PSA <.01 on 6/14 and all until 9/15 = .01, still .01 9/16, .02 on 3/17,6/17,10/17, .06 1/18, .06 4/18, <.05 7/18, .06 10/1
Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 12/20/2018 12:31:30 PM (GMT-7)