From State Senator Don DeWitte:
After a particularly blessed Christmas holiday, I’d like to share some personal health news.
In late September, following an uptick of my PSA through annual blood testing, and an MRI followed by a biopsy procedure, I was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma, a common form of prostate cancer. While biopsies showed mostly non-aggressive cells, some were diagnosed as more aggressive. For that reason, after several consultations and opinions, we chose a surgical resolution.
I had surgery on December 23rd at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, with an uneventful robotic-assisted surgical procedure and a one-night stay. I am currently recuperating out of state with family, and intend to be back in Springfield in mid-February.
The good news is that because of early detection, and the fact that the cancer never had a chance to spread, my prognosis is excellent. The surgical resolution puts me at 99% cured. The remaining 1% will be continued blood monitoring of PSA and other normal maintenance, with no chemo or radiation follow-up therapy anticipated.
We are truly blessed here in Illinois to have access to some of the finest healthcare in the world. I am immensely thankful to Northwestern Medicine, for the care I have received from my doctors and their hospital system.
More importantly, I encourage all of you to aggressively monitor your health, and if you are male, I would urge you to take your prostate health seriously. It is only through early detection from attentive medical experts that my condition was diagnosed so early, and resolved so quickly and effectively. A rising PSA, available through normal annual blood tests, is the earliest indicator that something might not be quite right. The survival rate for those with prostate cancer is very high if caught early. Survival rates drop significantly with later detection and if cancer spreads to other organs. Early detection makes the difference. Get your PSA checked.
To those with whom I have spoken, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes. Thanks to everyone’s positive energy, I will look forward to seeing you in February.
Sincerely,
Senator Don DeWitt
