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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2019)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 | 9A Us TOO Florence — My Prostate Cancer Journey (Part I) By Henry Azevedo Prostate Cancer Survivor Special to Siuslaw News M This is the first “Behind the Headlines” story of the multiple-part journey of Henry Azevedo and his children. As readers will find out, Henry had aggres- sive prostate cancer and tested positive for BRCA2 gene mutation. His daughters also tested positive for the same mutation, which led to preventive surgeries due to the very high risk for breast and ovarian cancers. His son is just now undergoing genetic testing to see if he has the same mutation. y elevated risk for a journey with prostate cancer was likely present at birth. I will get to that later. At age 61, I went in for a routine physical in early 2012. My lab work indicated that my PSA was 3.9, barely below the 4.0 that is top of the “normal” range. I didn’t have a clue what that meant and appar- ently neither did my primary care doctor. My next physical was about 18 months later (9/24/2013) with a new doctor in Eugene. A few days later, I got a call from the doctor in- dicating my PSA was 12.34. Because of that nearly 8.5 jump in my PSA in 18 months, he felt that I definitely had prostate cancer. He referred me to urologists at Oregon Urology In- stitute (OUI) who would be able to make a definite diagnosis. I met Dr. Kollmorgen, who im- mediately began a series of prelimi- nary tests including the dreaded fin- ger maneuver — digital rectal exam — and urine samples. The urine sample found traces of blood. On 10/25/2013, Kollmorgen biop- sied my prostate, which involved taking eight needle samples of tissue. The result was a Gleason Score of 8 (4+4), which basically meant that I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Based on these results and in consultation with Kollmorgen, he immediately scheduled surgery on 11/20/2013 to have my prostate re- moved. Following surgery, the bad news from the pathologist was that I had positive margins, meaning the cancer had moved outside the prostate gland and attached itself to adjoining tissue. The good news was that no cancer was found in my lymph nodes. On 2/14/2014, two small gold pins (fiducials) were placed in the area of my prostate bed. These pins provided markers for the radiation technicians to guide the radiation to the specific area needing it, sparing nearby tissue from damage. For the radiation, I rode the “Friends of Florence” bus from Ma- pleton to Eugene for six weeks Mon- day through Friday. The bus was a great help. I met a few men who rode with me and we became good friends. Sharing our com- mon experience was very helpful. In addition to the radiation, I received a Lupron shot to lower my testosterone and an Xgeva shot to maintain bone health. This Lupron shot is repeated in six-month intervals, the Xgeva in two-month intervals. After a few months my PSA began to rise. This was not good news following both surgery and ra- diation. On 6/14/2015, I noticed some blood in my urine. By the next morning I found that although I had a strong urge to urinate nothing would come out. I was to- tally blocked. And then the pain be- came unbearable. I called the OUI and they suggested I go to the hos- pital in Eugene. By the time my wife drove me to the hospital in Eugene the pain was excruciating. The hospital staff tried inserting five different catheters during the course of about six hours to no avail. I had earlier been given an intravenous drip with pain medi- cine. The pain persisted and I asked for morphine. They said the medi- cation I was receiving was stronger than morphine. Finally, a member of the OUI staff arrived and she managed to insert a reaming device and a catheter. The relief was immediate, and I went home with the catheter for about a week. Shortly thereafter, Kollmorgen performed a cystourethroscopy w/ dilation to determine what was go- ing on with my bladder. I told him I was curious why this was happen- ing now, months after my surgery. He explained that during the heal- ing process scar tissue is formed. As veins do much better with soft tissue, they are more susceptible to rupture when they grow over the scar tissue. He cleaned the area up and told me if this continued, I would need to spend time in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber to oxy- genate the area and provide a better environment for the veins to grow. No recurrence after 4 years. Now, back to that rising PSA! SVFR – Mutual benefits from having firefighters work for you Cpt. Pete “Boa” Warren Special to Siuslaw News ome all without, come all within, you’ll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn,” was blaring over my car speakers as Manfred Mann’s “The Mighty Quinn” played on the radio the other day. I had just left Fred Mey- er when those lyrics caught my fancy, while attempting to sing along. I couldn’t help but think of some of our fire- fighters who’ve worked or “C who are still working where’d I just left. A pair of them are the mighty Quinn brothers. While not identical — you’d have a difficult time seeing any resemblance — both took the Firefighter Acad- emy together and became active volunteers a few years back. Younger brother David re- sides up north and responds out of Station 4. He’s recently completed most of the train- ing for his Engineer/Pumper Operator certification. This year, he was finally able to outdo his brother on the agility testing. This was no easy task either, as Don is fast through the course. Not to be outdone, Fire- fighter/EMT Don is a resi- dent at the Main Station. He’s been residing in-house for over two years. Due to being at the station, he’s one of our top responders. Recently, he upgraded his certification to Firefighter 2. Utilizing the skills he has learned allowed him to change professions and he’s now working at PeaceHealth. Both brothers worked or are still working at Fred Meyer here in Florence. By giving time off and allowing many of their con- stituents to volunteer with the department, we are a stronger and healthier com- munity for both the business and/or customer who may directly benefit from having trained individuals on hand. How has that helped a store like Fred Meyer? One patron owes their re- newed quality of life to an on-hand employee. In a re- cent incident, EMT Firefighter Sky Cedar-Leaf quick- ly responded to a person in distress. Sky recognized the problem and rami- fications. With his early treatment, there was a very successful out- come. Another em- ployee is newly certified EMT Fire- fighter Tommy Van Winkle, who you’ll usually find in the In September, Siuslaw Valley Firefighters participated in the Portland Climb for the Electronics section Cure. Among them was Don Quinn, Kyle Orozco, Conway Pebley, Riley Hayes and Colton of the store. So, if Griswold. that new 65-inch OLAN Mega pixel televi- The cavalry of both Western emy starts in March. Call 541-997-3212 or visit sion’s price stops you in your Lane and Siuslaw Valley tracks, either Tommy or one Firefighters will be right be- svfr.org now to get informa- tion about it. of our other trained person- hind. The next Firefighter Acad- Check it out! nel will be helping with CPR. THERE IS NO “FREE LUNCH” Advice from a Funeral Director… It’s always good to listen, but before you sign up for cremation or burial arrange- ments with an out of town advertiser representing themselves as your “local experts”, always do your research. Ask these important questions: • Are they really “local” with staff and facilities in your community? • Are they really saving you money by signing up with them? • Are they going to refund 100% of your money if you change your mind? Our conveniently located office is locally owned and staffed by our neighbors, people right here in your community. We care about our community and offer simple and economical pre-arranged cremation and burial plans for over 32 years. Do your homework, support local and save money. 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Regence complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-541-8981 (TTY: 711).ͩNj졿ƧưǷ̹ůɄġNJ뼷ǷĻŗы͘ȦīДҶՎ˖Ө뼶ɐٍǖ 1-800-541-8981 (TTY: 711). Y0062_AGFLR20_M DENTURE SERVICES INC. LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED Open 4 days a week! Here to serve your denture needs: Call to schedule an appointment or for more information Call to schedule an appointment or for more information LIVE FEARLESS 375 9th St, Florence, OR 97439 • (541) 997-6111 Dentures Partial Dentures Immediate Dentures Implant Dentures Relines & Repairs Same Day Monday-Thursday 10am - 2 pm 524 Laurel St. 541-997-6054 William Foster LD Sherry, Offi ce Manager “As a denture wearer myself, I can answer your questions and address your denture concerns.” ~ William Foster, LD Financing: Citi Health Card 12 Month no Interest
