SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015
3 B
Last day to enroll in Us TOO Flor ence
health plan is Feb. 15 My Prostate Cancer Journey — Part 2
Oregonians have just two
more weeks to enroll in health
coverage for 2015.
The open enrollment period
for health insurance ends Feb.
15. This is the only opportuni-
ty for Oregonians to get health
coverage for 2015 or change
their health plans.
Oregonians can go to
HealthCare.gov to access
financial help, compare plans
from multiple insurers, and
enroll. They also can enroll
with the help of an insurance
agent or community partner.
More than 92,000 Oregonians
have already enrolled in a plan
through HealthCare.gov.
Oregonians have to pay
their first month’s premium in
order for their coverage to be
effective.
The membership packets
enrollees receive from their
insurance companies will pro-
vide instructions on making
these monthly payments.
Oregonians can continue to
get help enrolling over the
next two weeks.
Visit CoverOregon.com to
find an insurance agent or
community partner. Cover
Oregon also is holding 11
enrollment open houses in 8
cities before the deadline. Find
the schedule at bit.ly/CO-
enroll.
Learn more about the
Federal Title V program
A Federal Title V training
program will be in Florence on
Feb. 17, at the Siuslaw Public
Library in the Bromley Room.
The program will take place
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will
answer questions and hopeful-
ly find a few people wanting to
become participants, earn
some extra money and become
employed again.
Participants must be age 55
or older, unemployed and meet
✔
the Federal Poverty Guidelines
of the Federal Government.
That means a single person
can earn $14,713 and still be a
participant.
Training is 20 hours a week
at $9.25 an hour.
Come to learn more about
the Tile V program.
For more information, con-
tact Bonnie Payne ETC at 541-
687-7305.
Remember When....
✔ You were treated with respect?
✔ You received personal treatment?
✔ Salespeople were interested in helping you?
✔ Your project was given the attention it deserves, whether it was a
quart of paint to match your dog’s fur or a brand new kitchen?
✔ People were nice and maybe even fun?
✔ Salespeople were knowledgeable?
✔ They took the time to explain things to you?
Orygon Home Center
Ken, Dorrit, Dan and James
will remind you what it was like!
You don’t have to sacrifi ce good service (or good manners) for good prices
B Y T OM W ILSON
CANCER PATIENT
Following is part of a series
of true personal stories about
men’s experience with prostate
cancer. These men tell their
stories with the hope that they
will help someone else travel-
ing the same road.
O
n Oct. 16, 2014, Karen
and I met with Dr.
Walker from OUI to
discuss my CT and bone scan
results. In his opinion my can-
cer was probably clinical stage
T2c, which meant it was in
both lobes (sides) of my
prostate, but still contained
within it.
We then discussed my treat-
ment options based on the clin-
ical stage and the seven posi-
tive biopsy cores which
showed Gleason Scores of
3+4=7 and two cores of a more
aggressive 4+3=7. After some
discussion we felt that my
options were surgery or exter-
nal beam radiation (IGRT).
Dr. Walker recommended a
second opinion with Dr.
Mehlhaff at OUI in Springfield
and with Dr. Forsythe,
Radiation Oncologist at the
OUI Radiation Center.
On Oct. 21, 2014, we attend-
ed the Us TOO lunch meeting
with Dr. Hoff in attendance. I
was able to ask some educated
questions based on the infor-
mation provided to me by Dr.
Walker.
The comments from Dr.
Hoff and other attendees were
very helpful in narrowing
down the decision that we had
to make.
On Oct. 22, 2014, we met
with Dr. Mehlhaff at OUI. He
spent over an hour with us
going over my results and dis-
cussing my preferred options
of surgery or external beam
radiation. He agreed with Dr.
Walker that my clinical stage
was probably T2c, but that it
could be T3a since one side of
the prostate was so full of can-
cer.
The T3a clinical stage would
mean that the cancer had
spread beyond the outer layer
of the prostate on that one side.
Dr. Mehlhaff felt that surgery
or radiation would be appropri-
ate for me and concurred with
Dr. Walker's referral to Dr.
Forsythe.
On Oct. 28, 2014 we met
with Dr. Forsythe at the OUI
Radiation Center. Dr. Forsythe
gave me a complete exam and
spent over an hour discussing
my options, both surgical and
radiation. In his opinion there
is a high likelihood that my
clinical stage is T3a. He feels
that even though the cancer
may have escaped the prostate,
it is probably just outside the
wall of the prostate and not in
the seminal vesicles or the
lymph nodes.
The advantage of radiation
in this situation is that the treat-
ment area can be expanded to
include the area just outside the
prostate which could not be
done with surgery. It would
preclude having surgery and
then coming back for radiation,
thus possibly doubling the side
effects that I would have to
deal with.
He recommended radiation
therapy and a clinical study for
a new hormone deprivation
treatment that would involve
pills instead of an injection.
Hormone therapy is used rou-
tinely prior to radiation treat-
ment to shrink the prostate and
lower testosterone levels.
Testosterone feeds prostate
cancer, so lower levels would
slow the spread of the disease.
The pills would allow for more
precise dosage of medication
and adjustment of the dosage if
necessary.It also would pre-
clude returning to the doctor
for a hormone injection every
28 days.
I have elected to proceed
with radiation therapy and,
having qualified for participa-
tion, I have been randomized
into the hormone treatment
clinical study. I will take the
medication for nine months
and will begin nine weeks of
radiation treatments after my
PSA and testosterone levels
have dropped to acceptable
levels.
The study requires frequent
blood tests, EKGs and general
physical exams to ensure that
my health is not deteriorating
and that the drug is doing what
is expected.
I started taking the medica-
tion on Dec. 16, 2014, and at
that time my PSA had risen to
13.4 and my testosterone level
was over 500.
As of Dec. 22, 2014, my
PSA was down to 8.5 and
testosterone 36. The medica-
tion will continue to lower my
PSA and testosterone levels
before the radiation treatments
start.
Before Valentine’s Day, ‘Share Your Heart’ with CROW
CROW
(Children’s
Repertory
of
Oregon
Workshops) presents an oppor-
tunity for the Florence commu-
nity to become personally
involved in building the
dreams of local kids.
On Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.,
CROW invites the public to
“Share Your Heart.”
Held at the Florence Events
Center (FEC), this fundraising
party is like nothing you’ve
ever attended.
The evening will feature the
vocal talents of local perform-
ers Marty Adams, Mary Beers,
Michael Jacobson, Sheena
FRESH CRAB
1130 Quince Street • Florence, Oregon 97439 • 541-997-1745
Open 8:00 - 4:00 weekdays, weekends or aft er hours by appointment.
CCB# 38032
COURTESY PHOTO
Members of Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops
(CROW) invite the public to join them on Friday, Feb. 13,
for a night of catered hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and
musical and theatrical entertainment.
Ask Dr. Rincker, the Podiatrist
Q:
A:
What is a Neuroma?
A painful condition that affects the ball of
your foot as if you are standing on a
pebble. This can cause sharp, burning pain
in the ball of your foot & into your toes.
Eugene Foot & Ankle
541-997-2319 • 340 9th St., Florence, OR
Denture Services, Inc.
COMPLETE DENTURE SERVICE
William A. Foster, L.D
Denture wearer
ESCALLOPED OYSTERS
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 quarter oysters
1/4 cup cracker crumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter; add flour and cook for 5
minutes, or until light brown. Add salt,
pepper, praprika; cook for 3 minutes.
Add minced onion and green pepper.
Cook slowly for 5 minutes. Remove
from heat; add lemon juice,
Worcestershire sauce, and oysters
which have been heated in their own
liquid. Pour in baking dish and sprinkle
with crumbs. Bake at 400º for 30
minutes. Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Recipe from:Southern
Living Fish and
Shellfish Cookbook
THE KRAB KETTLE
In The Case
This Week:
Crab, Oysters,
Shrimp,
Clams
280 Hwy. 101 (2 Blocks N. of Bridge) Florence Check fresh
fish availability
MONDAY-SUNDAY 10-6 • 541-997-8996
Moore, Erin Reinke, Jacob
Steinberger and Jason Wood.
There also will be a silent
auction filled with unique
products and services from
local businesses.
Perhaps the most heart-
warming portion of the evening
will be when several of
CROW’s talented, hard-work-
ing performers entertain the
audience.
“These kids are amazing,
and they are the reason that we
are doing any of this,” said
CROW director and founder
Melanie Heard.
The evening will culminate
Sherry
Offi ce Manager
• Dentures
• Relines
• Partials
• Repairs
• Implant Retained Dentures
William A. Foster, L.D.
“Locally Owned and Operated”
Serving the Central Oregon Coast
Emergency Appointments Available
Denture Services, Inc.
524 Laurel Street, Florence
541-997-6054
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Call the Siuslaw News to Join Our Senior Directory
541-997-3441
BRADLEY
BERG
ATTORNEY
Wills - Trusts
Probate
733 Hwy. 101
Florence, OR
997-8114
Best For
Hearing
2285 Hwy. 101, Florence
997-8866
777 Hwy. 101, Florence
997-3486
with a “Raise Your Paddle”
donation opportunity.
Reservations are required for
this event.
Single tickets are $39 for
adults and $25 for youth, ages
12 and under. A full table of 8
can also be purchased for $285.
Tickets include wine (adults
only) and hot hors d’oeuvres,
as well as a chance to bid on
the amazing baskets, prizes,
and desserts up for grabs.
For tickets, call the FEC at
541-997-1994,
or
visit
www.eventcenter.org.
CROW is currently in pro-
duction for “Once Upon A
Mattress,” which will take the
stage April 10-12 at the FEC
and will feature more than 50
onstage and behind the scenes
roles for young people ages 5-
22.
“Share Your Heart” is
designed to raise funds for the
501 (c)3’s biggest and most
important dream to date.
CROW is planning to pur-
chase and renovate a building
in Florence to create a perma-
nent performing arts facility
for youth.
The facility will house ongo-
ing education with classes in
dance, theatre, voice, and other
fine and performing arts gen-
res, as well as provide desper-
ately needed space for
rehearsals, small performanc-
es, set construction, artistry
and proper costume and prop
storage.
This facility will allow
CROW to grow its already
thriving youth arts program,
which has a four year success-
ful track record.
For more information about
the CROW program, including
photos, videos, and testimoni-
als, visit www.crowkids.com
or contact Melanie Heard at
541-999-8641.
