Dr. Wassersug, a professor of anatomy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and a prostate cancer survivor often gives lectures about advanced prostate cancer. He opens his lectures by asking a provocative question: “Who in our modern society is castrated?
The answer invariably comes back loud and clear: sex offenders. Someone may venture another guess: transsexuals? Or maybe men with testicular cancer?
Wrong, wrong and wrong.”
In reality, castration is almost exclusively the lot of men with advanced prostate cancer.
In the middle ages castration was often performed on the defeated soldiers who were captured on the battle field, happily this barbaric practice has passed out of vogue. However, most of us who have advanced prostate cancer are subjected to this treatment.
Many men are ashamed of their condition and feel that their manhood has been removed. “Right now, it’s such a humiliation to be androgen-deprived that patients barely even talk to other patients,” said Dr. Wassersug, “to admit that you’ve been castrated is shameful.”
We need to change this mind set, castrated men are not only complete, but actually we are stronger because we have weathered this treatment, survived it and the cancer. We must change our mindset and begin to talk openly and honestly about our situation.
This is the only way we can possibly feel better about ourselves and help our brothers who are also chemically and surgically castrated.
CASTRATED IS BEAUTIFUL !!!
Joel T. Nowak MA, MSW
I seek a clarification. This posting looks like I said “Castration is beautiful !!” and I did not say that. Could you please clarify the posting/wording?
Thanks otherwise for the generally kind words on my research and writing.
Dr. Wassersug never said, nor did he intimate that being castrated is beautiful. That was soley my personal editorial comment.
Joel
While I agree with Dr. Wassersug’s point that we need to be able to talk about the implications of the impotence side effect of prostate cancer treatments, I think the above-comments regarding the phrase “Castration is beautiful !!” is the most compelling part of this post.
My own viewpoint is perhaps colored by my experience. On the day my urologist delivered the outcome of my biopsy, a complete reversal of the previously expressed opinions that I was most likely suffering from BPH, the probable loss of potency came up in our discussion of treatment options. “Well,” he mumbled, “none of us are in our twenties anymore.” Fortunately, I was sufficiently numbed by the reversal in diagnosis that I did not comment at the time. Ten days later I saw a second opinion urologist. By that time I had read Dr. Alan Partin’s book and he seemed to advocate the “nerve sparing” procedure. Naturally, I inquired about it, to which the emminent physician replied, “Surely your other urologists did not indicate that you were a candidate for a nerve-sparing procedure?” Actually, the first time around I hadn’t known enough to ask the question but the notion that the question was ridiculous left me dumbfounded.
To make a long story short, the surgery left me continent but impotent. Although the subsequent biopsy was promising, clear lymph nodes and good surgical margins, my PSA nadir was two and started rising immediately. Three months later I added chemical castration to the list of recent improvements in my life. I do not feel whole and I most certainly do not feel stronger.
The day I started ADT I purchased the first handgun I have ever owned, though I have some experience with them since I am retired from the navy. I did so in part because we had endured a recent break in and I no longer felt physically competent to protect us, but more so because I needed to take a measure over control of what remained of my life.
In my perception-the problem is one of identity. I don’t mean to diminish the loss of sexual pleasure but I think the change to identity is more difficult to cope with. I am a lot of things, but one of the fundemental pieces of me is that I am a man. Changing from man into drone struck at the core of who I perceive myself to be. For now, I have concluded that one to two years of additional survival are worth the price, but I cannot get past the the notion that the price was to become somethng irretrievably less than before. I submit that it is not so much ‘shame’ as the magnitude of the impact of treatment on our identities that makes the topic a difficult one for any man to discuss.
Kevin
Fantastic posy dude! I loved to read it and I promise I will bookmark your blog , well done!
I have been on chemical castration for 2 years and the agony of bone pain from metastases is unbelievable…particularly when I get the injection and the week following it. I am then in pain, and I am weak; I get frequent sweats, up to 15 a day but less since I take Paxetine daily. I can no longer run or even walk at a normal pace becausse it tires me so. I cannot have a glass of wine without suffering the tortures of bone pain for the next 2 days.
They tell me that the bone pain diminishes after surgical castration and that I will no longer need the narcotics to reduce my pain. I have yet to ask my wife about the surgical procedure…we have a very loving relationship and I am as active as I can be without an erection…it is still a beautiful experience for both of us. Love has much to do with it and I am fortunate to have found this wonderful person.
I have yet to decide.