Treated 2002 • Posted 2003
"I wholeheartedly recommend this treatment for everyone."
In July of 1999 I was examined in the Urology Department in the Veterans Hospital in Salt Lake City, A digital exam was done and the surgeon told me that I probably had prostate cancer. He did not suggest a biopsy or any treatment. He just gave me an appointment to come again in one year. Accordingly I was again checked in the VA Hospital and got the same report with no treatment suggested. I had several acquaintances who had been down the road of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. They generally were so miserable - two of them having to wear diapers - that I decided that I would live and die with the cancer rather than have treatment. Following are the PSA'S I have in my records.
9/3/96 7.4
10/1/97 11.6
3/24/99 10.6
3/27/2000 18.34
9/29/2000 17.7
12/18/2001 27.5 Gleeson - 5 This was done at Loma Linda
I was immediately scheduled for a biopsy and 15 tissue samples were taken and cancer was confirmed. I was started on hormone therapy immediately. I had a compete bone scan which was negative for bone involvement. I was scheduled for treatment with Dr. Rossi looking after me. I was scheduled for 16 Proton treatments and 28 Photon treatments for a total of 44.
How I got to Loma Linda is interesting. A patient there, Don Hook lived in Redding California and he went home one weekend during his treatment and happened to meet my daughter and her husband at Church. He told them of the treatment he was having and my daughter immediately got excited and asked if he would talk to me. He said yes. She called me and gave me his name and phone number. I then called Don and he told me about the program and I had never heard of it. He gave me the phone number to call at Loma Linda. I called immediately and got an appointment for biopsy and exam. I am so happy about this chance meeting of Don through my daughter. My first treatment was on 19 December 2001 and my final treatment was 21 February 2002. I got along very well with the treatment. I did have some diarrhea and maybe some loss of energy; but, nothing major Dr. Rossi told me to wait for four months for my next blood check up. I will go back to Loma Linda for this follow-up treatment. As of now I am satisfied that I am cured and I am so grateful that I found out about this treatment and about Loma Linda. Everyone there is so nice - the doctors, the technicians, the nurses, the desk people - just everyone.
I wholeheartedly recommend this treatment for everyone.
Charles B. Bingham