The Most Powerful Tragic Light
[This post is from diary entries from last summer, when Frank was first diagnosed. It serves as context for the rest of this blog] June 20, 2024 Frank has been in pain for six months now. He says it's from splitting wood all winter-long. I am worried, naturally. He saw his doctor a few weeks ago and blood tests are in the works. We receive a phone call this morning from Dr. F, a locum at the clinic. She is shaken by Frank's results, especially his prostate specific androgen (PSA) levels. We can hear it in her voice. She says she's never seen anything quite like it before. A PSA test result above 4 is concerning. Frank's is over 1700. He has excruciating bone pain; so much that he cries when he rises from his chair. "I'm confident to name what will eventually kill you," she says. A strange and abrasive way to phrase, "You are dying." He has prostate cancer. And, more than likely, it's metastic prostate cancer. We are both numb, speechless. ...