Prostate Cancer

This book takes a unique and uncensored look at living with prostate cancer, telling the stories of ten men from a wide array of backgrounds, geographic locations, and occupations. Each of the men was diagnosed at a different stage of the disease, and each has taken a different approach to his individual treatment. Here, these courageous survivors (and some of their wives) tell, in their own unique styles, what they experienced, from diagnosis, to treatment, to dealing with doctors. They discuss their personal experiences and treatments in detail, including the physical and psychological side effects of the disease—and the impact those side effects have had on them and their wives.Prostate Cancer: Portraits of Empowerment—A Celebration of Life! is more than a survivors' story—it explains the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of different treatment options. The book provides strategies on choosing and communicating with a healthcare team, deals with insurance and financial issues, defines terms, tests, and procedures, and gives information on support groups and organizations. Contributors explain the process of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, discuss advocacy and education, examine issues of sex, love, and intimacy, and consider the possibility of recurrence and survival.Prostate cancer is expected to strike approximately 210,000 men in 1998 alone. Thanks to the breadth of experiences presented here, this book is intended for everyone from the newly diagnosed to the those who have been living with the disease for years; for the loved ones in their lives; and for the healthcare providers who aid in their recovery. Every patient deserves dignity, respect, and compassion. The empowered patient demands to be treated as an equal partner in all of the healthcare decisions that affect him. This book serves as an important first step toward realizing that sense of empowerment.