"Happy"?  No.  Anniversary?  Yes, tomorrow.  RRP August 1, 2003.  In
the O/R about three and a half hours.  A "bloody case" they told my
wife.  Used all three units of autologous blood (am I blackballed for
life for giving blood to the Red Cross because of being a cancer
patient?).  It was a Friday.  Saturday morning my wife left about eight
to go home and shower.  About 9:30 a big male nurse came in and told me
it was time to get up.  This is where I thought the serious pain would
start.  Much to my surprise it did not.  I was able to get up more or
less unassisted without serious discomfort.  The nurse adjusted the bed
to make it easier for me to maneuver.  He manned the IV pole and tubes
for the most part.  I made it to the door and outside the room about
five steps and turned around and went back to bed for about two hours.
On the second try I made it to the end of the hall.  By that evening I
was walking around the entire floor with my wife, who is an R.N.,
manning the IV pole and tubes.  Went home Sunday morning at ten.  I
guess the worse part was that back then some doc's still kept the Foley
catheter in for three full weeks.  Was plenty glad to see that sucker
go!

Still < 0.1 on the PSA's, so "mission accomplished".  But at what
price?  Well, what is impotence and incontinece among friends.  But
would I do it again?  Yes.  Willie may be limp and drooling all the
time, but even that beats cancer.  As my one neighbor says, a 15 year
veteran of the procedure, "it may be limp but my tongue still can get
hard".  Now that's the spirit!

Here is wishing for an effective cure soon so the next generation does
not have to worry about fighting this beast.   And THANK YOU to all who
have befriended me here.

David S.