HOW A GAY MAN WITH PROSTATE CANCER DEALT WITH PERSONAL ISSUES
BEFORE AND AFTER HIS PROSTATECTOMY
by
Milton Sonday
date of diagnosis: 07 March 2006
date of surgery: 11 April 2006
treatment: radical prostatectomy
prognosis: good
date of this essay: January 2007
date of birth: 18 December 1939
place of birth: Berks County, Pennsylvania
residence: Brooklyn, New York
education: Masters in Fine Arts, Carnegie-Mellon University
occupation: retired: Curator of Textiles, Cooper-Hewitt Museum
current activity: freelance textile historian and artist
Preface
The aim of this essay is to recount my own experiences in dealing with prostate cancer from diagnosis through a prostatectomy and recovery, and to share what I experienced with other men. (I will not be discussing treatment options because I did not research them prior to surgery.) Most of the medical aspects were adequately explained, but some non-technical issues were not mentioned or explained in detail. I should say at the start that at no point in the medical process was I overly alarmed or frightened by the prospect of surgery.
Following the Preface and the section titled Prior to Surgery, my essay is divided into two sections: Phase I: While in the Hospital; and Phase II: At Home Alone: The First Few Days, The Process of Recovery, and Getting on With Your Sex Life. These se