Betting on a cancer cure

Many surgeons believe the da Vinci robot is crossing the threshold to become the “gold standard” for prostate surgery. My doctor already performs three-fourths of his prostatectomies with the machine and believes he will do them all this way within two years. Men who have “gone under the robot” generally enjoy smoother recoveries from the surgery itself. And if the “nerve-sparing” part goes well, the long-term side effects could be as minimal as they are in any other treatment.

My decision has not only brought me relief, it has made me realize that I have great confidence in the best that Western medicine has to offer.

Since beginning this series, I have been bombarded with suggestions that I try everything from chiropractic work to Tahitian Noni juice to cure my cancer. Like everyone else, I would like to believe that something really easy will fix me up, that I can think enough positive thoughts or find the right jungle root to make the cancer fade away.

But I have no experience by myself or others to verify those wishes. On the contrary, first-rate medical skill and technology have already fixed a number of issues with my aging bod.

After 30 years of needing glasses to do everything, Lasik eye surgery gave me 20/20 vision. An intricate operation on my nose eliminated a decade of annoying facial pain. Five years ago, back surgery lifted me from complete immobility to mountaintops. The biggest lesson on the back surgery was that, in trying to find the easier way, I waited too long: Today, while I am delighted with the outcome, I have constant pain and numbness in my left leg that I am sure would not be there if I had only acted sooner.

Another journey
Like many cancer patients, I have come to view my disease as a journey.

INTERACTIVE Prostate cancer: What you need to know

The way we travel probably says a lot about the way we fight our cancer. When I take a trip, I spend a fair amount of time making plans, but I don’t obsess. Most of the decisions are obvious. If I want to go to Hawaii, I need to get on a plane, regardless of the fact that flying doesn’t thrill me. The point is to get there and have a good time.

I could spend many more months agonizing over just the right way to treat my cancer, but I am now confident that, for me, that would not make the journey any more successful. So those motors have spun and those gears have meshed and I have bought my ticket for the high-tech ride of a lifetime.

I’ll see you when I get back.

MSNBC.com writer Mike Stuckey was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April. He will chronicle his battle in "Low Blow," a series appearing every other Wednesday. In the next installment, he writes about the big day.

MORE FROM HEALTH

Health Section Front

It's down to the final four on 'Biggest Loser' Being thankful ... you’re not like mom and dad Woman meets the stranger who saved her life 6 tips for overcoming holiday diet fears   One girl’s wish for an organ transplant   Supporting St. Jude’s Children Hospital   Getting out of a workout rut Holiday gatherings could spread swine flu   Women bare all for prostate cancer Gasp! Babies’ fat rolls being airbrushed away? Health Section Front   Add Health headlines to your news reader: