October, 1998
Jerry Grey
Jerry, Oct 98
For the last couple of years, I have wanted to go on the Death Valley ride. Dave Gallegos has talked so highly of it, it has become a “must attend” for me. Unfortunately my motorcycle, a 1991 1200 Harley Sportster, is not set up for the “long” haul type of riding. I am 6’ 3”, and although I enjoy riding the Sportster in the mountains surrounding ClearLake, it doesn’t do well for me on long trips.
Last year, I took possession of my new Harley Davidson Road King Classic and began planning for the October 97 Death Valley ride with the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club. Riding with the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club group on several Sunday mornings made my desire to go on the Death Valley ride even greater as there are so many nice people that ride each Sunday.
The 1997 Death Valley ride was to be my first long ride. I was just a little apprehensive of the freeways, but excited about the mountain portion of the ride. Dave, Paul Esposito, and I planned our trip to pass through Yosemite, so there would be a minimal time on the freeway system. When we arrived at the park, we were informed that the pass to 395 was closed. We had checked with CalTrans at breakfast in Tracy, and there were no closures posted at that time. Extreme disappointment, as I still was not mentally ready for the long freeway ride down through Bakersfield, especially as we had traveled so far already. Getting back to 99 would be quite a ride in itself. Paul headed for 99, then south to Bakersfield, and over to Death Valley. Dave and I readjusted our plans and headed north on 49 and had a nice ride through rain, sleet, and I’m sure snow because I was so darn cold. We never made it over the mountains on this trip, but I began setting my schedule for the April ride to Death Valley. This ride would be even better than the fall ride as all the beautiful desert flowers would be in bloom. Needless to say, just a few weeks out from the ride, the date was changed and I was locked into another commitment on the rescheduled date. Another disappointment, but I knew that I would not miss the October 98 ride to Death Valley – no excuses!
Unfortunately for me, in July my doctor discovered cancer in my prostate. For many reasons, I wanted to get this cancer out of me as fast as possible. In the back of my mind I did not want to miss the October ride. Remember – no excuses! Maybe God had a different Death Valley ride in mind for me. Due to the various tests and scheduling of those tests, I was not able to have the surgery until September 25th. Needless to say, there was no way that I would be able to ride to Death Valley anytime in October, even if they rescheduled it later in the month.
What follows are some thoughts and events that occurred following my radical prostatectomy – surgery to remove the prostate.
The operation was done Friday morning (9/25) which involved removing my prostate and right side lymph nodes. The nodes were negative for cancer, but the results of the “encapsulation” of the cancer in the prostate was not available to me until Wednesday (9/30). I have been holding my breath along with some very swollen dark sensitive areas of my anatomy!
I left the hospital at 1200 on Monday (9/28), and have been recuperating in Redwood City since then. I only had two tubes coming out of my body as I left the hospital. I have not been taking much pain medicine, as there is minimal pain - and I think I don’t mind that (Kind of strange!).
I got the JD ball out on Wednesday (9/30). It’s a ball at the end of a tube coming from my abdomen that drains liquids. The ride to the doctor and subsequent removal of the tube from my abdomen was very demanding. I thought that the tube was inside me about an inch or two. Well that part was true, but attached to the tube was a piece of plastic approximately 9” long, 1/2” wide, and 1/4” thick with holes on each side to admit liquids. When he pulled it out, he had me cough as this is supposed to fool the brain. It worked, but I think the plastic piece was wrapped around both of the “boys” as they complained a lot! They were not fooled!
Thank heaven that my cousin Jack drove me and was there for support during this particular time and all these difficult times. He took the same medical journey last October, and he is doing just fine. That knowledge and support from my cousin and all of you that have called, e-mailed, sent cards or flowers have been my strength. Thank God for all of you!
Unfortunately the news on Wednesday (9/30) from the doctor was not what I had hoped for. The cancer had spread to the very apex of the prostate and he feels that radiation is necessary. This was, needless to say, a crushing blow to me. Upon return to Redwood City Wednesday afternoon, I slept for three hours and had more nightmares! I feel so vulnerable - what a pisser!
Now that this “Cancer” operation is behind me, I had hoped I would be able to be more normal - whatever that is! Unfortunately, with the thought of radiation treatment waiting for me, “normal” probably won’t occur as soon as I had hoped. My lower exterior anatomy that usually resides in my pants are beginning to shrink and look like something I remember rather than those of some black guy I don’t know. The pain is minimal, but the catheter and bag can be a bother at times. The catheter is to be removed on Tuesday (10/13). If I get the energy to go out beer drinking before it is removed, the catheter will be advantageous. If I can find a seat next to a spittoon or a plant, I will never have to leave the stool (barstool - that is). Well thank GOD that this part is over. Now all I have to have physically removed from me is the catheter! And to think, only two Saturdays ago I had tubes coming out of my back, both hands, abdomen, and the ever present catheter (we know what that is attached to!).
I have been slowly organizing my “stuff” in the Redwood City office. Throwing away lots of books that I barely read on things like PowerPoint 4, Dos for Windows, etc. I have also been finding related items and placing them in the same place. I then can go back and throw out the duplicates and those items that I haven’t looked at for a long time.
I miss work, and look forward to returning to what I consider my extended family at work. Who says I am crazy! Most of all, I miss riding my motorcycle and the people I ride with. Its always interesting to talk to Jessica and find out what has happened to her motorcycle since the ride. Did the seat fall off again? Did she crash during a race? Which motorcycle is she riding this week? Or the stories from Ted. He’s probably the most dedicated rider I have ever met next to Dave. I love hearing his latest tales. Where did the CHP catch him this time? How fast was he going?
I thought I would be feeling better by now (Oct 7), but so far that is not the case. I came down with a cold Monday morning. I needed a cold like I needed another operation on my abdomen! Luckily the coughing doesn’t hurt at this time, but I do feel under the weather. I still haven’t mentally recovered from the news about the radiation. I was so high until the doctor told me that. I need to move on, but I hate the thought of being radiated!
I will have the catheter removed next Tuesday (10/13), and I will be asking the doctor lots of questions about the radiation. I am fairly sure that I have to get a baseline PSA test at 8 weeks after the surgery before radiation can be begun. Normally radiation is administered 5 days a week for several weeks for prostate cancer. But, since I do not have a prostate, it would seem to me that the radiation would be of less duration - but who knows? I surely don’t.
I have been recovering more and more each day from my operation. I have been able to go out for limited periods of time to a couple of the local pubs, but I can not ride the motorcycle yet. I try to find a stool or seat close to a planter, and therefore never have to leave my seat until I want to leave the establishment. There are some advantages to having a catheter, but I’m sure that I won’t miss it for long once it is removed.
The swelling of my stomach has receded slightly, but not any smaller that it was before the operation - darn! The scar is not very noticeable compared to other scars on my body. Modern medicine is wonderful.
Well I am off to the Doctor’s office to have my catheter removed this morning, October 12, 1998. I should have been leaving Death Valley on my motorcycle this morning with the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club riders, not driving to San Francisco to have a piece of plastic pulled out of a very personal portion of my anatomy.
I have been in a lot of pain the last couple of days. The pain is reminiscent of when I had the double hernia 2 1/2 years ago. I hope there is no correlation! Although the pain got much worse on Saturday (10/10) and Sunday, it was so annoying on Friday that I called the doctor. He informed me that I could come in on Monday morning instead of Tuesday, but that it was just too soon now to remove the catheter. That was a little consolation for me, and I knew that I could make it until Monday. I had no idea that the pain and mental scenarios would escalate so during the weekend.
I am feeling “pot” bound. I can’t drive my car because of the clutch. Fortunately for me I have a great friend, Helmut Frank, who has loaned me his 98 Dodge AWD van. . It sure is nice. Helmut rides with us on the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club
Well I am back home after my unique experience with the catheter removal. My appointment was with my surgeon at 0900 on Monday morning. He is the head of the urology department at the University of California, San Francisco Medical facility. Unfortunately he had a rescheduling of some surgery, so he was unavailable personally to remove my catheter, answer my questions, and possibly explain the source of the pain the last few days which caused me to be unable to stand more than a few seconds without the feeling that someone or something was stepping on the “boys”.
Well, I just don’t know what to complain about since my new best friend “Nurse Dora” (alias Nurse Kratchet) removed my catheter! She had a hold of the tubing which was inserted into a small orifice in a very sensitive portion of my anatomy, attached a very large syringe, and slowly poured water into the syringe. She had the silliest grin on her face. I asked if she would prefer that I just drink some water, as it would most likely arrive at the same location, but take a more normal path and without all the paraphernalia. Additionally, I thought it might possibly be less embarrassing. I was politely told to just lay there, wait patiently, and tell her when I felt the need to urinate. Well, let me tell you - that feeling was fast in arriving. It was at this time that she inserted the plunger into the syringe and forced a lot of liquid down the tube and into my body!
I immediately informed her of my most strong desire to urinate, and she said she would now be removing the catheter. I asked her to stand clear, but she chose to ignore me. Don’t say I didn’t warn her! WOW, she had the last move in this most difficult of days. I must say, that for a short stocky strong (Russian?) accented nurse, she was certainly light and swift on her feet!
Needless to say, the pain that I have felt these last few days seems to have disappeared with the removal of that tube! Amazing!
What an exhilarating feeling! I am now enjoying the freedom to stand, walk, and enjoy the wonderful feeling of standing in front of a toilet again. It is amazing how some of the little pleasures in life are taken so for granted. Who knows what is next for me!
I am looking forward to my life getting back to “normal”. I still haven’t figured out what that is, but is has got to be better than these last few weeks. Riding my motorcycle will be a great part of the normality that I am searching for, and hopefully the rest will come with time.
I made the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club ride the last two Sundays. I probably shouldn’t have done the one just three weeks after the surgery, as I felt some new pains for several days following that ride.
The ride four weeks after my surgery was one of the best breakfast rides I have ever attended. There were over twenty bikes, and additionally several people came by car, including Ilene Gilbert and her and Golly Dave’s six month old son Michael. Golly Dave rode his Honda Valkerie. The weather was beautiful and most of the riders went up on Skyline for a nice ride following breakfast. I know a few of my limitations, so I headed back to the barn by the shortest route possible following breakfast.
I am already planning my schedule to allow me to attend the Spring Death Valley Ride. I have no intention of including anything to do with a hospital or doctors with the spring ride. It is only going to be motorcycles, friendship, food, and possibly some liquid refreshments. This time I am not going to book anything for two weeks on each side of the scheduled dates, so that if the date is changed, I will be ready.
I look forward to seeing all of you on the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club ride. For those of you in the San Francisco Peninsula area that have a motorcycle, but are not familiar with our group, meet us at the Royal Donut Shop on Broadway in Burlingame on Sunday morning. The main group leaves the Donut Shop at 0705 sharp. Don’t show up late, or you will be riding alone. The schedule for each Sunday is posted on this Web site. If you live along the way, do as I do and watch for the main group along the freeway and join up. Helmut and I wait in the parking lot at Woodside Road and 280. The group passes by at about 0723 and we just fall in behind. It’s always great to see and talk with the other riders. We come from a diverse background and welcome all people who like to ride. See you Sunday morning!!!