YEP, Sounds to me as though your are a card carrying member.  Please keep us
posted.

AW

hi dave - i agree also - here's your card and welcome to the club.  if
the results are such that you don't need the card, then you can turn it
back in for a full refund.

the waiting game is the part that sucks.  let's see what the tests show
up and maybe it's nothing more than a big scare.  
and they thought horror movies are breath taking............

~ curtis

p.s. i hope you do get to turn the card back in.

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional

No, no other reason.  Sorry, but your membership is approved.

....and my prayers must be getting weak.

The "staging" studies are to tell how far the disease has progressed.
The bone scan will tell if there is evidence of cancer in the bones - which
is the first place it usually spreads to, if it does spread beyond the
pelvic
region.

What we're hoping for here is that all the scans will be clear.  That means
the cancer is probably confined to the prostate and possibly a few
millimeters of tissue around it.  That makes it possible to get treatment
with,
as they say, "curative intent".

I assume your Uro is a surgeon.  Most of them are.  After meeting with him,
I'd also recommend seeing a radiation oncologist to find out what treatment
he would propose.  If your Uro recommends radiation, you might also ask
to meet with a surgeon.

It turns out that there are different highly effective treatments using
radiation
or surgery.  As near as I can tell, the science doesn't yet say which is
best,
if any.  They are all basically different ways to do the same thing -
destroy
the cancer cells.  If they succeed, they will all cure the cancer.

You've got a lot of research to do to pick a treatment plan based on the
risks
and sacrifices that you are most comfortable with.

Best of luck.

  Alan

Sorry to welcome you to the club, Dave!
Keep us posted on how the tests go.
Lots of guys here to help you along the way when you have questions!
Best of luck to you!

MikeH

Dave,

I would have found that wait so annoying that I think I told the uro
clinic in advance just to call me with the results.  And they did.  No
suspense, just the straightforward news that I had cancer and needed
to see the urologist again.  All very professional.

Now, in your case, keep in mind that you might just be getting good
service with that CAT and bone scan, even though it wasn't offered to
me and many others here.  You might get the all clear from those
tests.  Then you will have the good/bad news that you're a candidate
for surgery.  So hang in there for the next go around on the roller
coaster.

jimhoney