>> For 42 years, I've done a consistent pattern of exercising every day for my health both
physical and mental.
>> This is Stephen Graham's morning routine.
>> Right now, I'm doing 7 ½ miles a day, which is, that's a little over 52 miles a
week and pretty much every day.
>> He is so consistent. There's not a day goes by that he doesn't get out there and
run.
>> What also became consistent in Stephen's life was making several trips to the bathroom
at night.
>> I am getting up 2 and 3 times a night and so that's interrupting your sleep. It's almost
a hard topic to talk about but it's annoying. It's annoying and also you sit back and think
it's not normal, it's not natural, something's wrong.
>> So I probably prodded him a bit to go get something done or checked out.
>> So Stephen made an appointment with the Urology Department at Penn State Health.
>> He actually really came and saw our urology practice because of urinary tract symptoms.
At that point, had a discussion with us regarding all the elements of what could be causing
his symptoms, the importance of prostate health, the importance of obtaining a PSA to determine
is this just an enlarged prostate or is it potentially an enlarged prostate associated
with prostate cancer as well.
>> At the time, Stephen's PSA was slightly higher than normal. He was scheduled for a
re-check in 6 months and that's when doctors became concerned.
>> My PSA was in the 6-7 range in June of '19 and went up to, I think, 11 by January
of '20. So it had gone up dramatically and that's when they did a biopsy and an MRI.
>> So his biopsy showed several areas of intermediate risk of prostate cancer.
>> My wife Susie and I sat down and met with Dr. Raman and he gave us the 2 different options
which basically boiled down to radiation or extraction.
>> I knew what I wanted him to do but it's not something that I could tell him what to
do.
>> In my particular case and based on his recommendation, there really wasn't much of
an option other than removing the prostate.
>> His personality was very much of a "Hey, if there's a problem, I'd like to address
this now and not find out there's a bigger problem down the line."
>> Surgery was scheduled this past May during the height of COVID-19.
>> The surgical procedure's about 2-2 ½ hours and then certainly there's a lot of prep time
into and out of anesthesia. And I always say "You know it's about 35 steps and the why
is it 2 ½ hours?" Because each one of these 35 steps is critical and important and if
you don't do it properly, then the patient could have not only short-term issues but
long-term consequences.
>> Dr. Raman then called me and let me know that everything went well.
>> Pathology reports indicated Stephen's cancer was more aggressive than anticipated.
>> Although it was an aggressive cancer, it hadn't perforated the capsule of the prostate.
It was contained in what I removed. The lymph nodes adjacent to the prostate were all negative.
>> Stephen spent a night in the hospital and he was running 36 hours after surgery.
>> I literally had no painkillers, no opioids, nothing. And the only medications were just
to make sure there wasn't any you know infection in my system and that was it.
>> It's hardly a blip on the screen, I mean it was, you know, it's amazing to think back,
you know, what could have been but all is well and thank the Lord for that.
>> I feel great. I'm a living, walking advertisement for get your test. If the test tells you to
get it removed, get it removed. Don't fiddle around with it.