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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017 3 B Us TOO Flor ence Our Prostate Cancer Journey — Update B Y G ARY S ANDERS CANCER SURVIVOR AND J OANNA T ROLINGER The following is part of a series of true personal sto- ries about men’s experience with prostate cancer. These men tell their stories with the hope that they will help some- one else traveling the same road. T his is an update of my prostate cancer journey, which was first published July 14, 2010, in the Siuslaw News. First a review: In July 2009, I was unable to urinate. In the local emergency room I was treated for a urinary tract infection, catheterized and set up with an appointment to see Urologist Dr. Tom Kollmorgen at Oregon Urology Institute (OUI). Dr. Kollmorgen’s internal- camera examination revealed that my urethra was blocked by an enlarged prostate and I needed a transurethral resec- tion of the prostate (TURP), a.k.a. roto-rooter, to open the urethra. Dr. Kollmorgen reached the prostate by putting an instru- ment into the end of my penis and through the urethra. Upon reaching the prostate, he removed the tissue that was blocking the urethra to restore normal urination. Prostate tissue removed by the TURP was analyzed and revealed Gleason 6 prostate cancer. My oversized bladder was impossible to empty com- pletely, so I was given instruc- tions on self-catheterization which I have been doing twice daily since that time. A Gleason 6 is considered non-aggressive, so Dr. Kollmorgen and I decided to follow a program of Active Surveillance (AS), meaning no immediate treatment. We decided I would have a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test every six months with a biopsy taken every two years to see if either my Gleason Score had changed or my cancer had spread. My first biopsy was taken a year later. Out of 12 samples taken, only one was found to have cancer (still Gleason 6). This result suggested more AS. Shortly after the initial can- cer diagnosis, I began attend- ing meetings of the Us TOO Florence Prostate Cancer Support Group. Doctors Mehlhaff, Hoff and McKimmy have all attended those meetings, sharing their expertise and providing answers to our personal ques- tions. They all reassured me that Dr. Kollmorgen and I were “right on.” A Chinese Proverb that Us TOO International highlights is: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” Having prostate cancer sur- vivors at the meetings to talk with was very helpful. There is nothing like talking with someone who has “been there and done that.” My next biopsy revealed cancer in 3 of the 12 samples. The Gleason Score was still 6. Two years later, my biopsy showed 9 cancerous samples at Gleason 6. With the cancer growing at a slow but steady rate, Dr. Kollmorgen and I concluded it was time to take action. This is exactly what AS is all about — being very diligent in regular use of the DRE and PSA testing, so if any change occurs in the cancer, there is still time to have curative treatment. Unfortunately, my prostate cancer continued to spread until treatment was necessary. Radiation appeared to be the best option in my case. Even though we were find- ing more cancer, we were relieved that it was still Gleason 6. Had Dr. Kollmorgen found Gleason with a higher number (7 to 10), that would have indicated a more aggressive cancer and called for more immediate treatment. At the OUI radiation center in Springfield, I met with Dr. Forsythe and received a Lupron shot (to shrink the prostate and stop the cancer). I started radiation therapy on Jan. 4, 2016, and used the Friends of Florence Van to get to my 45 treatments; that serv- ice is a great gift to all patients from Florence who need can- cer treatment in Eugene or Springfield. Throughout the whole process, the Us TOO Florence meetings have taught me that prostate cancer doesn’t have to be frightening if it is caught at an early stage. I’ve been told that people with a cancer diagnosis often think of nothing else, but with the support of Joanna, the men and women who attend Us TOO Florence meetings and OUI urologists (namely Drs. Kollmorgen, Mehlhaff, Hoff and McKimmy), I have been allowed to barely think about cancer and just live my life. And, with regards to that prostate cancer, I am doing great! M ILITARY H ERITAGE C HRONICLES — United States Merchant Marines B Y C AL A PPLEBEE Special to the Siuslaw News hen we first started planning the Oregon Coast Military Museum, we made a commit- ment to honor all eras of mili- tary heritage and all disci- plines of military service. Even though we’re located adjacent to an airport, we’re not just an Air Force or avia- tion museum. And just W because Florence enjoys a U.S. Coast Guard Station (and hopefully will soon be a “Coast Guard City”), we’re not just a Coast Guard or naval museum. Despite that commitment, as we began designing and creating our initial displays, we found we had very little to honor the Merchant Marine Veterans. Fortunately, there is a fairly large contingent of USMM Veterans in Oregon, including a chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans Organization, and in the vein of their World War II com- rades, came to our rescue pro- viding some artifacts and dis- play items, but just as impor- tantly, information about the contributions and sacrifices the members of the Merchant Marines made in WWII. Armed with a better under- Buying or Selling? I can help. Chets Trail #2100 – Rare 5 acre secluded parcel in the woods. Septic approved, well in place, power to the lot. Fantastic lake frontage with two potential building sites and Woahink Creek run- ning though the lot. Bring your home plans! $200,000. #2371-14010831 Richard Beaudro Principal Broker 541 991-6677 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 standing, I started out to enhance our original nominal display, at the request of fami- ly of a recently deceased Merchant Marine Veteran, in the hopes of doing more to honor that heritage. Still wait- ing for some display items to arrive, we now have that dis- play enhanced to present a more accurate portrayal of the contributions of these unsung heroes. But it wasn’t easy getting to the real story. I simply couldn’t grasp out of the vast research material the year the USMM was actually estab- lished, like we had been able to do for the other five branches displayed in the museum. So, I reached out to a real authority, Dr. Josh Smith of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and he was able to confirm that I wasn’t hallucinating when I couldn’t determine that date — because it doesn’t exist. What I learned was amaz- ing but, at the same time, was also somewhat alarming. Last Resort Players (LRP) will present Ken Ludwig’s “Moon Over Buffalo” on March 17 through 19 and 24 to 26 at Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St. In the madcap comedy tradi- tion, the hilarious “Moon Over Buffalo” centers on George and Call the Siuslaw News to Join Our Senior Directory 541-997-3441 ATTORNEY Wills - Trusts Probate 1932 Pine St. Suite B-3 Florence, OR 997-8114 SPRUCE POINT Spruce Point ASSISTED LIVING Assisted Living 375 9th Street • Florence 997-6111 541-997-6111 Best For Hearing 2285 Hwy. 101, Florence 997-8866 States Merchant Marine have served in both peace time as well as times of war since the American Civil War. In WWII, they received no paid leave, vacation or other bene- fits. And unlike Navy sailors, when their ships went down, their pay stopped. Mariners who served in WWII only received actual “veteran” sta- tus in 1988, and then only with limited benefits. It is often stated they were the first to go, and the last to return. And, they received the highest casualty rate of all serving veterans during WWII — 1 in 26 were killed. Although the veterans of the United States Merchant Marine don’t enjoy the status of an officially recognized branch like their brethren, they do enjoy the distinction of having served a vital role in the defense of our nation for a long period of time, and through a diverse assortment of challenges and sacrifices. The veterans of the Merchant Marine are as much a part of the fabric of our mil- itary heritage as all veterans. Of their contribution to the war effort, General Dwight D. Eisenhower commented, “The officers and men of the Merchant Marine, by their devotion to duty in the face of enemy action, as well as natu- ral dangers of the sea, have brought us the tools to finish the job. Their contribution to final victory will be long remembered.” When the final component of our new display is in place, I hope you’ll visit and pay your respects to this worthy “non-branch.” To learn more about the United States Merchant Marine, visit www.usmm.org or www.usmma.edu. You can learn more about military heritage in general by visiting Oregon Coast Military Museum on Kingwood Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, or visiting our web- site at www.oregoncoast militarymuseum.com. Fly over the moon with LRP’s ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ re here esses a in s u b munity ese com rvice needs. h t g in now ur se relax, k with all of yo o t y s It’s ea to help BRADLEY BERG While the concept of the American Merchant Marine dates back to 1775 similar to other disciplines of military service, it never evolved into an official military branch of the United States. Leading up to WWII, mariners were trained by the U.S. Maritime Service, (USMS) established in 1938. They were employed as civil servants for either U.S. Coast Guard, Army Transportation Corps, U.S. Army Transportation Service or U.S. Navy, on commercial, non-naval merchant ships, even some of foreign registry. Over time, the USMS has been largely dissolved and its duties absorbed into other Federal entities. During WWII, the civilian crewmen and officers of the Merchant Marine manned the collective of commercial, non-naval merchant ships that transport- ed the military might of the United States as the “fourth arm of defense” alongside the Army, Navy and Marines. Mariners of the United Charlotte Hay, played by John Bachman and Judy Adams, fad- ing stars of the 1950s. At the moment, the Hays are playing two shows in rep in Buffalo, New York, with five actors. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s dalliance with a young ingenue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, abetted by a visit from their daughter’s clueless fiancé and hilarious uncertain- ty about which play they are actually performing, caused by Charlotte’s deaf old stage-man- ager mother who hates every bone The cast and crew of Last Resort Players’ “Moon Over Buffalo” in George’s body. Directed by Paula Lindekugel-Willis with Leah Goodwin as assistant director, LRP’s strong ensemble cast fea- tures eight actors in comedic roles. Daphne John plays Ethel, Karylynn Keppol plays Rosalind “Roz” Hay, Victoria Seitzinger plays Eileen, Grant Hammond plays Howard, Jim Wellington plays Paul and Chuck Knorr plays Richard. For more information, go to lastresortplayers.org. To purchase tickets, visit the FEC Box Office, call 541-997- 1994 or go to eventcenter.org.
