David’s Blog

Is it just me?

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What the heck is wrong these people?!

I have this long sorted story about the inefficiencies and blundering of medical care.
This has nothing to due with the current ‘crisis’ as described by our elected officials,
but it does say a lot about health care.

This morning I find myself furious to say the least. I was supposed go in for a CAT scan and bone scan today, along with having numerous vials of blood drawn. Late yesterday afternoon Mary talked with the radiology lab to confirm the appointment for this morning. They needed to review the usual list of preparatory questions; “Is the patient experiencing any medical issues, etc. When they asked about allergies for the first time she had to inform them that I had an allergic reaction to the iodine the last time I had the scans. One would think that since the scans were taken at the same facility just 3 months ago, the reaction would be notated in my file, but apparently not. It was at that point and for the first time that we were told I needed to be on Prednisone the night before and morning of the scans. Yes, we had been told I needed to take Benedryl in preparation, but a prescription for Prednisone was never issued, nor mentioned for that matter.

This led to a flurry of phone calls from Mary to the nurse, the pharmacy, and back to radiology to make sure the prescription was written and issued to the pharmacy and the appointment was maintained. After Mary facilitated the situation, I took the Prednisone at 11:00 last night and we went to sleep believing that the crisis was solved. Oh no…not so fast!

Mary followed up this morning first thing by calling the Radiology department at 7:15 again this morning to confirm that I was still scheduled and on track. She was questioned about what dosage the doctor had prescribed. Apparently, it was half the dose that I ultimately needed. Consequently, I took the medication for nothing as the radiologist will not allow the scan until I have the proper dosage, as my allergic reaction can be dangerous. While I appreciate and respect this, I am infuriated that A. the prescription was not issued to begin with and B. It was the wrong dosage.

I repeat, I am furious but thankful I have this outlet.

I am not in the medical field. However, looking at this situation from a patient’s perspective, along with other expereiences I’ve had in the last few years, I cannot believe the way patients get treated. The blatent disregard for my my time, my schedule and ultimately, my health and my life is totally unacceptable. Is it that far fetched to expect that someone could have either
sat us down when we scheduled these tests and gone over this in detail or issued the prescription when we scheduled the scans so that we would be prepared.

So now we will spend most of the day getting my bone scan and then we have to be back at the cancer center tomorrow morning at 7:00 for the CAT scan.

Maybe I’m over reacting. Perhaps whining, a little and feeling sorry for myself. In the end, the results will be there next week when we meet with Dr. V, but that’s not the point, is it?

It fell upon us….

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After having a fantastically mild summer, Fall fell with immediacy!
The leaves are changing, the morning temperatures are in the low 40’s and
thoughts of turning on the heat are dancing in my head. It’s too early though!

Saturday was BUSY! A quick round of disc golf and then I attacked the fence replacement
project I had been putting off for weeks. OK, before I bore you to death with my fence project
bringing it up has a purpose.

I have said here on numerous occasions that I am constantly amazed by the kindness of friends and strangers. Yesterday as I began the deconstruction part of the project my neighbor stepped through the newly created opening between our yards and announced “Since we share the fence, what can I do to help!” You’ll notice the punctuation, is not a questions mark, he did not pose it as a question. So, six hours later, after removing the old and installing most of the new, I couldn’t thank him enough. I once again thank God for the people in my life, whether they be family, close friends, neighbors or strangers.

This week includes a flurry of tests. Tuesday I will spend most of the day at the KU Cancer Center being poked, injected, scanned and x-rayed. I’m not sure what to expect when we review the results on the 12th with Dr. V. Once again, I feel great, after all I was able to spend 6 hours in the yard and the only part of me that hurts is my wrist from the reciprocating saw.
So what will these tests bring? Where will they lead us on this crazy journey? The uncertainty at this point can be a bit distracting. Mary and I are doing our best to not dwell on it at this point in time. No decision will be made on the 12th, since we hope to reach back out to Dr. L in Houston before our next decision. So it will be a few weeks and I’m just not sure what options
we will embrace….Stay tuned.

I promised pictures from the golf tournament and though I am waiting for more to come in I’ve decided just to post what I have for now.
I’ll try to post these tonight.

Today’s number is the number 5

David Emerson, FLHW, golf tournament -

Friday was the 5th Annual FLHW Golf Tournament. After a complete day of relaxation on Saturday, yesterday it was time to further relax, reflect and enjoy time with Mary and Brad.

Mary and I spent a few hours at the Plaza Art Fair. We walked out a little lighter in the wallet after finding a photographer that had beautiful shots of Anna Maria Island. The Rod & Reel and The City Pier are two of our favorite places to eat when visiting, I can’t wait to return.

Back to Friday. I knew it was going to be a good day when Mary and I woke up well rested after sleeping through the night. As you can imagine, the night before is usually filled with last minute tasks and stress. This year things were different, easier. It’s like we had done this before! When I let Buck out at 6:30 the sky was an absolute remarkable shade of blue. The best way to describe it is the shade of the Prostate Cancer ribbon. The temperature was crisp and in the high 50’s. I stood on the back porch looking at this:



The day went off without a hitch. We once again had a full field of 144 golfers. I started the round with comments but this year it was a little different, quite a bit more emotional. I got choked up a few times but made it through my little speech without blubbering. Talking about my case in front of crowds has always been hard and the mere mention of Mary’s name almost brought me to tears. After that though we had a fantastic time. We had a number of people come up and tell us that this was by far the best golf tournament that they had ever played in! Quite a compliment that touches me deeply.

I’ll follow this post tomorrow with a link to all the pictures I have so far, For now, I thank God for the weather and the blessings of our generous and compassionate family, friends and supporters that continue to give us strength and hope. Without them, it would have been just another golf tournament, with them, it was far, far more!

What? Me … Worry?

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In just over 24 hours we will kick off the 5th Annual FLHW Charity Golf Tournament.

You’d think after five years I wouldn’t be worried, but I am. It always comes together, but as the big day approaches, there is always that apprehension and concern to make sure everything goes smoothly, no matter how much we plan and organize. We have such a great team, starting with the FLHW Board, and then the wonderful group of volunteers who make it all happen!
Except for a few singles, we one again have a full field of 36 teams.In this economy, I thought we would have a hard time attracting sponsors, but we are in line with last year’s sponsorships. We are blessed in so many ways!

The weather, which is always a reason for worry, was looking rather bleak on Tuesday’s forecast, however, by yesterday, it all changed. The forecast is now calling for a high of 74 degrees and partly sunny, the rain is supposed to hold off until late Friday night or early Saturday morning. We’ll take it!!!!!!
Pictures will follow over the weekend, maybe even a little video.
Thanks to everyone, especially Mary.

Unwanted, but hardly unexpected

Advanced Prostate Cancer, alkaline phosphate, CT scan, David Emerson, PSA, t -

If the past 55 months have been nothing else, they have been tumultuous. Today was just another example of the uncertainty that is my life.

My PSA number was back up, this time to 99.43

I was pretty bummed out, for about an hour. Seriously, by the time Mary and I got home I was pretty much over it. It’s a good time, if there ever was one, because I’m busy…between the preparation for the upcoming golf tournament, the reorganization going on in the office, and a few other irons I have in the fire, I have little time to slow down or dwell on my PSA number.

We did leave the doctor with this plan; on October 6th I will have follow up bone and CT scans. Aside from taking up most of a day, these don’t bother me too much. I am slightly concerned however about the total number of these I have had over the years. I should probably know this off the top of my head but I would estimate that this makes a dozen. That much radioactive dye can’t be that good for me. On the 6th I will also have a PSA, CTC and alkaline phosphate test. The combined results of these tests are what we are hoping will lead us to a new plan.

The choices for my next treatment are limited; DES (estrogen), another round of chemo (3 weeks on, 1 week off versus last time when I did 1 on 3 off) or a yet to be determined clinical trial.

So that’s the update, pretty crummy overall but we’ll get through this like we have before. Many, many thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers!

For the cause….and another month in the books.

David Emerson, Great Prostate Cancer Challenge, Skip Lockwood, ZERO -


This morning Mary and I walked in the first annual Great Prostate Challenge 5k/fun walk. It’s the third year for the event but the first year in Kansas City. According to Skip Lockwood (pictured above), CEO of ZERO, this year there will be seven events throughout the country. Perhaps this year the event may even break the $1 million mark? That would be phenomenal! Next year we hope to get FLHW more involved to help with volunteers, recruit runners and walkers, and provide support any other way we can. While FLHW is focused on research for advanced PCa, this is such a great cause and a great way to increase awareness we really need to help out.

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On another topic, once again, a month has passed by and on Tuesday I have a follow up with Dr. V on Tuesday. Time is flying by lately. I hope and pray that the current regime of pharmaceuticals is working, time will tell.
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Finally, the 5th annual FLHW Golf Tournament is less than two weeks away. We have been sold out for about a week now and that makes four our of five years! We really might have to consider having an option for a morning tee off next year. That will require a lot more coordination and volunteers but I think we can do it. Donations and sponsorships are down a little this year but I am certain the amount we donate to the Prostate Cancer Foundation will once again be significant and certainly appreciated.

Laboring Day

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, disc golf -

If there remains any doubt as to how well I have recovered, I have played disc golf each of the last three mornings. On top of that I just mowed the lawn in addition to a number of things around the house yesterday. I would say things have returned to some sense of normalcy.

The week ahead however is bound to be chaotic, at best. Last October the company I work for announced they were selling out to a much smaller competitor. After all the legal and governmental wrangling, the merger was approved on July 1st. Many of the other departments have announced who was leading, staying and going. Many, many very experienced, professional
and sincerely wonderful people have lost their jobs.
Rumor has it that this week my department is going to finally announce our reorganization. My gut tells me I have about a 50/50 chance of being offered a position. I have been through this before, as I’m sure many of you have. It’s a horrible experience and in this economy I am sure it’s going to be even more stressful.
Regardless of what happens to me, there are a number of people I work with that are sure to be impacted. What this will do to them mentally and their family financially will in some cases be devastating. For others it will become a breath of fresh air, a new start. For the former, I send a silent prayer your way and hope that God grants you the strength required to get through this ordeal.

Slap!! That’s the sound of reality smacking me in the face!

Advanced Prostate Cancer, David Emerson, PCa -

I’ll try not to bore you with too many details, but this requires a little background…

Last Saturday, August 22nd, I played disc golf as usual. No big deal.
Sunday, I went to Emporia, KS to play in a disc golf tournament. On the way to Emporia
my right thigh/hip started to hurt a little bit. The best way to describe this is it that it is reminiscent of the original pain from five years ago.
I brushed it off to the 90 minutes in the car, but knew deep down it must have been more. I popped a couple Advil and really thought nothing more of it. Just as the second round started, I took a few more Advil and that I thought was the end of it.
Monday I got up to catch a plane to Orlando for work. I worked out, maybe too hard, and headed for the airport. Again, three hours of sitting and my leg wasn’t feeling real good by the time I arrived in Florida, popped a few more Advil. I was able to catch a decent night sleep but Tuesday was 9 more hours of sitting in a meeting room. Not so good , my leg was reminding me who is in charge, more Advil.
This continued off and on all week, Advil about every 12 hours, but sleeping was not an issue. I took the weekend off from disc golf, which as you regulars know, was possibly the most painful part of my week!
The good news is it has now been over 48 hours since my last dose of Advil. The pain isn’t gone 100% but I am feeling way better than I was on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
I have felt this way at different times over the last four years but it has been a while. I had forgotten the paranoia, the dread, the deep feelings of doubt. You start to question the past decisions, the lack of future choices, the what if’s, the what’s next, etc.
I’m feeling better, much better now. We had an FLHW Board meeting tonight and just being able to sit with my close friends and sharing in conversation with them always helps.
Just a little speed bump? I guess we’ll find out in two weeks when we meet with the doc!

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