Episode 3: Three Brothers, One Battle: Prostate Cancer Journeys- George Leonce; Arthur Leonce; Grantley Martelly

In our latest episode, my two brothers and I share our heart-wrenching and yet inspiring journeys through prostate cancer. From early diagnosis to treatment pathways, our discussions delve into the emotional and mental health implications of navigating this battle. You’ll hear firsthand the importance of regular check-ups and community support in managing prostate health, especially for Black men who are at a higher risk.

We've come together not just as siblings but as advocates for better health awareness. Our stories reflect resilience and hope, reminding every listener that facing health challenges can be a journey filled with support, love, and strength. With insights on handling diagnosis, managing the emotional impact, and the power of family support, this episode serves as a powerful call to action for men everywhere to prioritize their health. 

Whether you’re currently on your own health journey or know someone who is, our message is clear: you’re not alone. Let’s break the silence and encourage each other to seek the care we need. Tune in and take the essential steps to empower yourself or someone you care about. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and experiences with us after listening!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Our Health Journey
• 1:45 Arthur's Prostate Journey
• 6:25 George's Prostate Journey
• 15:36 How do you exercise
• 17:38 How did this news affect your family?
• 20:47 Mental and emotional aspects
• 25:39 Importance of regular checkups
• 29:41 Grantley's Prostate journey
• 36:15 Grantley's mental and emotional challenges

Transcript

Grantley Martelly: 0:11

This is the Real Health Black Men Podcast, where we empower men to take control of their health. We provide vital information and build community support. Join us as we discuss everything from major health challenges to mental wellness to physical fitness. So if you're ready to level up your health and your life, you're in the right place. Let's get started.

Grantley Martelly: 0:43

In this episode, I am happy and privileged to sit down with my two older brothers and share our prostate cancer journey with you. We live in three different countries and we've all three been challenged with facing prostate cancer, and we want, as we share today, we hope that what you hear will be an encouragement to you, regardless of where you are in your journey or whatever you may be going through at this time. This is a part of our podcast where we talk to men who are experiences or have experiences with health crises, and this time we're talking about prostate cancer. And this time we're talking about prostate cancer. And these also happen to be my two older brothers, george and Arthur or Albert. So today I'm going to talk to them about their experiences about prostate cancer and where they are right now. We're going to begin with you, arthur or Albert, tell us a little bit about yourself and then give us your experience with prostate cancer or other health issues that you want to talk about.

Arthur Leonce: 1:58

Good evening. I serve as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene for about nearly 40 years. I retired in 2017. I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 57 by my doctor when he told me that my post PSA count was 5.8. That was in 2010, November, when I went for my regular checkup. He then sent me to a specialist on prostate cancer. The doctor's name was Dr Emtig. In 2011, I went to Dr Emtig and at that time he took a biopsy where he examined and recognized that there were 12 cells, but only one was affected Thereby. He said that we can wait and watch and see what happens. We decided to wait.

Arthur Leonce: 3:21

Dr Empton then called me in 2012 and informed me that there's a program which will come online in 2012, in March, if I would be interested, but the cost would have been there about $54,000, which I did not have at the time. And he proceeded and I went back home and I forgot about it. But then he called me back for my examination and told me that he's going to do the operation. I said I have no money, doctor. He said don't you worry, I will take care of it. So he said that my insurance will cover a percentage and he will cover the rest. And so we proceeded with the arrangement to have the prostate done, and so we proceeded with the arrangement to have the posture done.

Arthur Leonce: 4:12

I had that done in 2012, March 2012, thereabouts, and it was a procedure that was done at a private hospital. It didn't take that long. It was a procedure called Barkie therapy, where some 25 radiation tablets were inserted into my rectum and burned in. In counseling me, he did tell me that if I did go ahead with this procedure, that at a later date, if the cancer should return, there would be no cure or procedure to be able to stop it. I told him that's okay, doc, I have no problem with that.

Arthur Leonce: 4:49

Yes, I had my prostate done, the operation done, in 2012. From then on, all I had some light challenges, such as going to the bathroom to urinate. Procedure was pretty difficult. Anytime I go to any place that is too cold, I find I have to run to the bathroom very regularly. Apart from that, I have not had any other effect from the operation. I've been living a good life, healthy, and my last examination by my doctor last year, my count was prostate count was 0.1. And so I believe that I am still, and that would be about 12 years, I think, since I had that procedure done. So I think I am doing quite well at the moment. Thank you.

Grantley Martelly: 5:46

So, Arthur, how old are you now?

Arthur Leonce: 5:50

I am 74.

Grantley Martelly: 5:52

74, and you were diagnosed at 57?, 57. 57. Okay, I had another question just for our viewers and listeners what country are you in? I'm living?

Arthur Leonce: 6:04

right now in Barbados.

Grantley Martelly: 6:06

In Barbados. The procedure was diagnosed in Barbados and it was also treated in Barbados.

Arthur Leonce: 6:14

Yes, treated in Barbados.

Grantley Martelly: 6:16

Okay, we'll come back. Let's go over to George and your story and then we'll come back and have some discussion. So again, tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is George.

George Leonce: 6:37

Ann Williams. I am 74 years of age. I am a Sanctification by birth, Asian by adoption, Trinidadian by marriage.

Grantley Martelly: 6:53

And you live in Trinidad, right now, presently, I live in Trinidad.

George Leonce: 6:58

As to my health, I was diagnosed with cancer about 2010 after consultation with my doctors, not 2010,. I started consultation with the doctor in 2010. But during that time I may have missed out a year or two for the intestine, a year or two before they get tested. And in 2014, when I did return to him, he explained to me there seemed to be a small enlargement and he gave me some medication to take and also that of drinking a lot of water. When I did return to him about a month later, two months later, he said definitely, there is a enhancement and he did a biopsy and it shows that my PSC was 8.37 and that it was cancerous and it was aggressive, cancerous and it was aggressive. Thereby I started to. He suggested what I would want to do. I said, definitely, we want to do surgery. He did go into detail, explaining to me the difference between the two systems, the two methods that there would be in order to do a biotic culture. That I let him know. There was no anxiety in me and no anxiousness with the surgery, and then I proceeded to seek means by which to address that problem of removing or having the cancer. It was suggested that I would go to Martinique to do the surgery and seeking means by which to raise the finance that would be needed because it would be quite expensive. I came to Trinidad to get a second opinion as to the cost and I was told in Trinidad dollars, that I would at least have to pay $45,000 for that procedure.

George Leonce: 9:01

I returned home to St Lucia praying that God would open a way for me. During that time, one of my fellow ministers called me quite unexpectedly and asked me what are you doing about your situation? How are you addressing it? I said presently we are trying to have a fundraiser. He said I have someone that can help you get this surgery done at the minimal cost. And he put me in contact with a sister from his church who had just returned from New York and explained to me that she has been encouraged by a doctor in one of the Queens Hospital. If she has anyone or a friend who is in a situation like mine so she can refer them to me to them. So in October 2016, I did go to New York to seek medical assistance and she wanted. Doctors in New York would tell me, and they did confirm that there was cancer, but the cancer had not processed to the bone state. After I did my MRI and everything else. I had therefore my what do you call it?

Grantley Martelly: 10:18

my Gleason scores.

George Leonce: 10:21

The Gleason scores was far below what I was told, and the biopsy shows that there were 12 samples that were taken, four shows of cancerous and three negative, and the total of the Gleason score is seven and not eight as I was told when I was in St Lucia, and it's not as aggressive as 8 to 10. 8 to 10 is more aggressive. So with that, they suggested that they would do surgery on the 10th of July 2017. Again, they went through the process of explaining to me that the two procedures that were available at that time and still is by which you can address this problem it's like a cancer surgery.

Grantley Martelly: 11:09

They see radiation.

George Leonce: 11:12

I went for surgery with the knowledge of all the side effects. I had my surgery on the 10th of July 2017. I overnight in the hospital Next morning I was at home Next day at least. I overnight in the hospital Next morning I was at home. Next day at least I went home. Difficulties of recovery I think the most difficult part of recovering after surgery is your urination. After that, everything has become fine. There are the after surgery. You have problems. You have to wear your pads for a couple of days so that you're not embarrassed yourself, and that I did for a couple of months. But as 2017, up to this moment, I have had no side effects from the surgery. My score last time I checked my PSA it was about 0.4 there.

George Leonce: 12:09

I haven't done any nausea so I cannot give an update 0.4 or 0.04?

Arthur Leonce: 12:17

0.04, sorry.

George Leonce: 12:20

I can say the procedure was very simple. There was nothing, no complication. I have had no anxieties before or since my surgery.

Grantley Martelly: 12:30

Do you remember what your PSA was before the surgery?

George Leonce: 12:34

8.37.

Grantley Martelly: 12:36

Oh, it was 8.37. Prior to surgery yes. And now it's at 0.04. Yeah, what major adjustments did you have to make after prostate surgery, prostate cancer, or have you made any major life adjustments?

Arthur Leonce: 12:56

For me. I can't remember how to make any major adjustment apart from the fact that I'm in the bathroom very regularly, regular, apart from like I adjust my oxygen, make sure that I am when I go to my bathroom, make sure that I empty my bladder as much as I can, but apart from that I can't remember having to make any major adjustments in my life. I eat what I've got. I work, I work hard, still work, do my work as usual, but not after effect. I continue my life as usual. No, after effect. I continue my life as usual.

Grantley Martelly: 13:31

What about you, George?

George Leonce: 13:33

I was several of the same things After my surgery.

George Leonce: 13:37

I think the most challenging aspect was the facul, the urinary agent. As I said, that was a major factor. After about two to three months of having to even there was no concern or judges wearing pampers. I was quite comfortable with it and I think being comfortable in making those changes will not affect you as much as if you are hesitant and seeing it as a negative as far as you being a man, having to wear such a piece of underwear. I wear it quite comfortably and that was the only adjustment that had to be made and I was willing to accept it as part of the process, part of recovery and part of what you would have to go through. Besides that, I haven't had to make. I haven't had to make any major adjustments in my lifestyle.

George Leonce: 14:37

I continue to eat as I used to. I am not on any special diet. I still eat my meat, I still drink my. I would say I stopped using sugar a long time before that. I don't use sugar Milk. I don't use. Lately I started eating some contracted milk, but I stopped that altogether even before. So, as far as JRR Cardozo is concerned, I didn't use any Even before and even when I was diagnosed with the cancer. I'm reading on the information because I had a book that was explaining those things to me. Those are things that I should avoid. So dairy products I avoided, but I did avoid them as much as possible, except lately I have gone back eating cheese. This is the main thing you can eat at home. If you have egg, it's usually great.

Grantley Martelly: 15:34

So let me ask you guys, I mean, what do you do for exercise?

George Leonce: 15:40

You have to say, for exercise I work from 6 o'clock I do landscaping and therefore I have from 6 in the morning to 10 or 10.30, I am in a yard, cutting grass, raking grass and bending down. That's just the exercise. Go back home after that, like 1 o'clock 12 o'clock, I take a two-hour's rest and that goes at least four days a week.

Arthur Leonce: 16:20

Four days a week. What about you, arthur? Don't work on rents. Dave, before I started doing landscaping, I used to do a lot of walking. I live in a place called Haleby, so every morning I go and walk in the morning six o'clock, about one hour the hills, and then when I moved to Bel Air I used to go down to Gown Beach. I used to walk from the end of Holiday Inn right down to the end of the helicopter, if you know where it is helicopter base.

AI Announcer: 16:46

Probably about two miles.

Arthur Leonce: 16:49

I used to walk that three times length of that three times. Not every day, but I used to go Saturday morning and maybe some afternoons. I used to do that regular and then I started working doing landscaping and then six o'clock in the morning until 12 o'clock. Then I go home, rest for about an hour or so. Sleep Still does that. I'm still doing that.

Grantley Martelly: 17:19

That's your exercise. The landscaping is now your exercise.

Arthur Leonce: 17:24

That's my exercise right now, hoping to go back to work at the beach next year or so, if God give me life.

Grantley Martelly: 17:30

Yeah, the original exercise, right, hard work. Yeah, I was saying so. Let me ask you, gentlemen too, about two questions. And how did this affect your families? How did you tell your family about what was going on and what was their reactions, and how did you make that journey together with your families? How did you tell your family about what was going on and what was their reactions, and how did you make that journey together with your families?

Arthur Leonce: 17:54

My family. We were able to because when I was diagnosed, when we were going to the doctor, they call in myself and my wife together. We sat down and we talked about it. She was told by the doctor what was going to happen when he was involved. I was quite comfortable, my children were quite comfortable and understood what was going through. So there was no anxiety among my children or my wife at the time. We were able to handle it very well at the time. It did not affect our activities or what we had to do. So we were quite comfortable going to church, going to whatever we had to do, as regular, as normal, as we were accustomed to doing. So there was no hindrance or any cutback in anything. We kept our lives as usual, no hindrance.

Grantley Martelly: 18:47

George, what about you?

George Leonce: 18:50

Let me say that from a Christian perspective, I really face life, really see our relationship with God. People know a lot of things differently and when I told my wife about in fact she wasn't even in St Lucia at the time that I had been diagnosed with cancer, I didn't see her first expression but there was no sense of anxiety with her. When I told the children and, by the way again, all the children were out of the house at the time I was alone at home with Vincent Lucia, realizing, if I did not say so at the time, I served as district superintendent of the Redwood Island District for the Church of the Nazarene and so my children were all adult. My wife had gone to Trinidad for some medication Check up.

George Leonce: 19:52

In giving them the news from what I would say they took it quite okay. There was no sense of being anxious, daddy, what are you going to do? I believe, from the fact of a Christian perspective, I believe they took it quite comfortably, before any sense of being anxious about anything, the mere fact of telling them about the surgery. Again, there was a sense of encouragement and a sense of relaxation. I believe I was quite relaxed and therefore, since I was relaxed, they were relaxed also. I think the very rigid news of being in that condition can affect not us only, but also the people around us.

Grantley Martelly: 20:46

On that note, let's talk about the mental and emotional aspects of it. How have you dealt with this process, this news, from the very beginning until now, the mental, emotional, any psychological challenges in hearing the word cancer?

Arthur Leonce: 21:08

As I told my doctor when he described to me the after effect of my procedure. I told him, doc, I believe that Whether if it comes it comes, I'm going to live my life as I'm supposed to live. I'm not going to allow it to stop me from living. Right now is where I am right now. So I told him we'll go through a procedure and if it does come back, we're going to deal with it when it comes back. But presently I'm not going to allow it to affect how I feel, and that's how I talked to the doctor and that's how I still feel. I still feel the fact that this illness come back on me. I'm not going to let it affect me how I'm supposed to live. I'm going to live until it ends. So that's it.

Arthur Leonce: 21:58

As I was telling the lady today, I gave her a ride as I was driving with her, I should even go there. I tried to express and tell her it is the day that has made her rejoice and be glad in it. Today we live for others, but I'm looking for a better place to live for myself. Presently you are alive, give God's life, but you are living for others, but I'm looking for somewhere better where I will live for Christ. So, yes, many people are worried about death and I remind people, thanking God, I'm alive. Yeah, you thank God, you're alive, but why are you alive? You're alive for other people. People enjoy you, but what about tomorrow? Are you living for tomorrow? And that's the way I live. I'm not allowed to affect my way of living.

George Leonce: 22:45

I would say that mentally Isaiah 26, verse 5,. It says the Lord will keep him in perfect peace. Whose mind is still on him, and I think that is important. The Lord has kept my mind perfectly. I have this piece of thing In the midst of the news. At the moment of the news, the doctor said how are you feeling about it? I said okay.

George Leonce: 23:16

You cannot change it, so don't be anxious about it. I go each day. Each day the Lord has brought me the knowledge of the cancer. People would see me on the street and they would say Pastor Leon, I hear that you're sick, how are you going? They give me the impression that they got an impression that I was sick in bed and died. So I used to say to them I am not sick, I only have a couple of cells in my body that is misbehaving and God will handle that.

George Leonce: 23:49

So that's how I have taken it and that's how God has helped me and my family go through this process. I think it's all a matter of your mindset, right, how you view your situation at that time and how you handle it. If you handle it alone, by yourself, then it could affect you, but if you know that you have a God who assists, he will keep you in perfect peace. Not to say that there isn't some concern I don't want to give the impression that there is never concern. In the back of your mind, you might be wondering some things, but you don't allow them to possess you or take control of you. Going into a seven-hour surgery, you may find that you don't know if you're going to reign. Even when they did the biopsy, I mean, they say I take a look. The doctors ask me when I went after the biopsy get the samples, do you want anesthesia? I said no. I consciously listened to their conversation as they were doing that minor surgery on me.

Grantley Martelly: 24:57

You mean biopsy, biopsy, the biopsy. Yeah, they usually use the local anesthetic.

George Leonce: 25:04

I have done three. My first two surgeries, hernia surgeries. They were all local. I was conscious of both surgeries. Of hernia surgery For the seven-hour surgery. You could say, but you were in the handsome court. You could say, but you're in the hands of God. So mentally and I'm still sound I have not become over-anxious over any situation in my life. I think I'll be like this otherwise.

Grantley Martelly: 25:36

One more question here for you is both of you said you started out your conversation with having your checkups regularly. Right, having your checkups regularly. You didn't feel sick, you weren't in pain, you weren't bent over and somebody taking you to the doctor. You were going through your annual physical checkups. How important would you say it is for men, especially black men, to be cognizant of attending and getting those regular checkups?

George Leonce: 26:17

I would say it's very important. I did my checkup. I started doing my checkup in 2005 after I did my first surgery hernia surgery. After I went to the doctor for my usual after-surgery examination, I said to the doctor I need you to check my prostate and from that time to 2005, I was doing a self-help every year. I was supported Every year. As I said, between 2009, 2010, 2011,. I missed out maybe two years and then when I did go back, he said there's a swelling. I became negligent, I became careless for the two years for low-brow enteritis and what brought me to that place of check-up is that I attended. It just happened that they were having a medical show on the boulevard in Kastri and that same doctor, dr Daniel. He was the speaker and he said the importance of men over 50 years should start taking on their checkup. And from that moment I heard that speech, I went to him as my surgeon and also my oncologist. It's very important, go ahead.

Arthur Leonce: 27:52

I went to my doctor from, I believe, at the age of 50. Every year and I've been joining for that every year my birthday full name from November. I make an appointment to see my doctor in November every year, so from 50, I think it's very important that we have our physical checkup to know how we are doing. As I said, people the doctor cannot make me well, I just want to know what is happening in my body. In fact, I believe at 40, you should start checking your health and see where you are. Especially today, a lot of young men died suddenly from all kinds of illness. I think even now it is more important even instead of 40, that young men begin to check their health and see where they are, because it's very important. Some people are afraid, but there's nothing. Who are you afraid of? You're going to die anyway. Find out why you're dying. How are you going to die? What are going to kill you? Find out we can live your life fully and for full of purpose.

Grantley Martelly: 28:57

Okay, that's very good advice.

Grantley Martelly: 28:59

Thank you for helping reinforce that and the consistency of getting our checkups, knowing the procedures, talking to your doctor. Like you said, it's not to their health to get to know what's going on in them. Talk to their doctors, get their checkups. Many times you go to the doctor for your checkup and everything is fine. It's not like every year they're going to find something. But to be consistent and to know what's going on is quite important. My cancer journey began when I was 59 years old, but prior to that I had been attending the doctor regularly for checkups and I have been doing checkups ever since I was, for probably nearly 30 years. My checkups Part of it was not because I am that conscientious. Part of it was at that time I had jobs that required me to have a medical check every year. I was in the environmental field. I also possessed a commercial driver's license and between the two of those, either the commercial driver's license requirement or the hazmat requirements required that you have a physical.

Grantley Martelly: 30:27

So because I was, in a career that required that then, in order to keep my job, I had to go get those. And the other thing about that's important is that you guys talked about how much it costs sometimes to go to the doctor, and even here in the United States I had the privilege of having a job that paid for my annual physicals. So I was doing fine, pretty healthy, and the only thing that was really started to bother me in my fifties was something called spinal stenosis, which is basically calcification of some of your bones, your spine, and pinches your nerves. So a lot of physical therapy, a lot of exercise and stuff to release those pinches. So that started to happen to me in my 50s, which resulted in having to have two back surgeries to try to relieve the pressure. But in that process of learning about spinal stenosis I also came back to realizing exercise was really important, because a lot of the things that I was feeling was because I was not exercising as much. I had a very sedentary job. I had gone out to the environmental field, now I was in transportation and had office work, and once I started to exercise I started to feel better. All of a sudden, a lot of aches and pains that was happening with the spinal stenosis went away. All of a sudden a lot of aches and pains that was happening with the spinal stenosis went away. And the doctor said, yeah, that does happen when you exercise. Because you're moving your bones, you're exercising, you're causing your spinal fluid in your spine to flow. All of the things that are causing your nerves to get pinched get dealt with when you're exercising. So I started to learn to exercise pretty regularly.

Grantley Martelly: 32:26

But as I got older, because I knew of my two brothers' experience with cancer prostate cancer I started to ask my doctor at the physicals can he check my PSA? And at first he really wasn't too enthused about it because he said you're looking healthy, you're feeling healthy, you're not complaining. But what he wasn't aware of was that prostate cancer occurs pretty early in Black men of African descent and it can be pretty aggressive. So he finally conceded and we started checking my PSA and over the course of just a few years my PSA went from in the safe range, which was between zero and four, and then it went from four to 4.5 and then it went to five point something. Then it went to 7.1. And all of that happened within the space of a year. Thing that it went to 7.1 and all of that happened within the space of a year.

Grantley Martelly: 33:29

And he said you need to see a urologist. Because what I learned was that they not only look at your PSA but they look at how fast it is changing. And even though mine was not high, some people with prostate cancer have PSAs in the 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s and higher than that the rate at which mine was increasing was a concern. So I went to the urologist. She did a whole bunch of tests. They did a whole bunch of tests. Everything came back negative. Then she said the only other test left is the biopsy. And I said let's do the biopsy. And when they did it, they found out that the entire right side of my prostate was infected.

Grantley Martelly: 34:19

So they did the 12 tests. All the ones on the left were negative and all the ones on the right had cancer, and my Gleason score was 7 and 8. And so I had 4 plus 3 and 4 plus 4. And because the number in front 4 four was higher than the three, it means that the cancer was a little bit more aggressive. And I was at the eighth number, which is that triggered number, like you said earlier, that did look for to say is this aggressive cancer? So I started to get the second opinions. So I went from the urologist and then they said we want to check a bone scan to make sure that it's contained in your prostate and it hasn't migrated to your lymph nodes or your bones. Then I saw a radiation oncologist who reviewed everything and agreed with the doctor, the urologist, that surgery was probably the best option. Then I had a third opinion from a doctor at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland who reviewed all of my data and he agreed with the procedure. So we agreed with the procedure to do the robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and that took place on July, the 5th, I think around there two years ago, so that'd be 2022.

Grantley Martelly: 35:52

My surgery went very, pretty well From everything that I was told and how I felt, came home in about a couple of days, had a bag for a few days, went back and have it removed, went through all the symptoms of urinary dysfunction and having to wear pads. There's two things that happened to me that I think are significant. At least One of them was when I first came home from the hospital and I was recovering for that month to two months. The first few months afterwards I would get really tired in the afternoons. I don't know if you guys experienced that. I mean literally like 2.30, 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I would just be wiped out. And the other thing that happened to me was the mental and emotional. You both said that you didn't have much mental and emotional issues, but I found the physical part of my healing was a lot easier than the mental and emotional aspects that I was going through was a lot easier than the mental, emotional aspects that I was going through. And it's hard to explain, just hard to focus, hard to stay on. Focus on one thing, thinking about did I do the right thing? Did I not do the right thing? How is this going to affect me going forward? So I actually ended up talking to my doctor, and a friend of my wife sent us a flyer for a symposium on prostate cancer that was going to take place in Seattle. We went, we met some doctors, met some new people there and as a result of that I was able to join a black men's prostate cancer support group. That's been pretty helpful effective finding out that this is uncommon for the mental and emotional aspects of dealing with having had cancer, having to deal with that.

Grantley Martelly: 37:59

The question am I going to live or am I not going to live? What's going to happen afterwards? This is actually pretty common, so it helped me to feel that I was not going crazy thinking about that. As far as my family is concerned, my wife took it in stride. I think she accepted it. In fact, I told her before the doctor even told me I have prostate. I told her I think the diagnosis is going to be positive. So she journeyed with me through the whole thing. The only time I saw her really have serious concern was two days before surgery when we had the final consultation with the surgeon and they went through all the potential side effects and I could see a look on her face. But she journeyed with me. She's been a good trooper. My children have been pretty good. They supported me along the whole way.

Grantley Martelly: 39:00

One thing that I would say in ending this is that when I was diagnosed I never felt any anxiety or I don't know what a word is but like depression or why me kind of stuff. I went into the surgery. I went into the treatment pretty positive that everything be okay and pretty positive. God was going to take care of me. Our church surrounded me the Sunday before the surgery and prayed for me. The surgery and prayed for me, had my surgery to go well. So on the other side, when I had these mental and emotional struggles, I was surprised because I thought that would have happened on the front side, not the back side. I'm back in the gym exercising regularly. My gym family was very supportive. They made sure that I got all of my exercise in everything the doctor was asking me to do, that I was doing. I would go to the gym. I needed to walk on the treadmill. They made sure that I was following the prescription and getting back to health. So it's good to have some people to encourage me there.

Arthur Leonce: 40:19

Thanks for sharing. That's very important to know that you have been victorious. The fact that you were at that stage and be able to come out victorious, that's very good. The fact that you are maintaining your health and doing the things that are right and I think that's important Doing the right thing. Do what you know is best to keep you healthy. Too many times we don't do the thing you're supposed to do. Too many times we take our life and we just live it. But to know that you're alive and recognize that you have a responsibility to take care of the body that God has blessed us with. So I thank you for sharing and continue to take care of the body that God has blessed you with and realize that each day is the day that you've got that responsibility.

Grantley Martelly: 41:11

The challenge with not going to the doctor because you're afraid of bad news is that if your body is sick, it's still going to be sick. Whether you go to the doctor because you're afraid of bad news is that if your body is sick, it's still going to be sick, ready to go to the doctor or not.

Arthur Leonce: 41:23

That's right, that's right.

Grantley Martelly: 41:25

So not going is not going to change the fact that there's something happening in you that needs to be diagnosed and needs to be taken care of. So some people are like, if I don't go to the doctor, just leave well enough alone. No, it's not leave well enough alone, because if something is happening inside of you you need to know or it's going to tell you. Eventually, it's going to tell you when the pain kicks in. A lot of people ask me about did you have any pain or did you feel any discomfort? And I told them, with prostate cancer, if you feel pain and discomfort, it's already a serious issue and a lot of things in life like that, like high blood pressure or diabetes, any one of those things.

Grantley Martelly: 42:15

If you wait till you're passing out and your eyes are cloudy and all the symptoms of diabetes and you don't start going to the doctor, it's still progressing.

George Leonce: 42:27

Yeah, there's yeah.

Grantley Martelly: 42:30

So you could as well go and hear the news and figure out how to deal with it, because you're going to have to deal with it anyhow, because you're going to have to deal with it anyhow you talk about.

George Leonce: 42:42

one of the anxieties that you had was whether you did it. Did I do the right? Thing, or I didn't do the right thing, and I think that, if I could look at it from my perspective, look at your aspect of your sexuality, settle that with your partner and she's comfortable with that, you are comfortable with that After surgery.

George Leonce: 43:10

There should be no question that I do that right, right, and I think the whole aspect of some people and maybe not you, but maybe you is that we begin to doubt ourselves after we already made the decision which we cannot change. But we have already made the decision, it means that we are in it. We don't have to commit to ourselves and say we are going to go with it, and I think that would bring some comfort to individuals, Men, who are contemplating should I do this surgery, Should I not do this surgery? Should I do the other method? And you want daily option.

George Leonce: 43:52

But you have decided to do an option. Abrakanath said I'm afraid that cancer will come back, but he had decided in his mind that if cancer comes back, I will live with it, if it doesn't come back, I will still live. So after he said whatever the procedure, you're questioning yourself. But when you begin to question yourself, your healing takes longer to take place because your mind is not at peace, resting. The Bible says to think on this thing. That are good. But if I begin to think on the negative aspect, then the healing of my poor state is going to take longer because I'm not allowing my mind to say yes, george Leon still did the right thing. Your family are with you, they're standing beside you. Okay, put anybody else's name, but you did the right thing, go with it. And I think that is important, that we realize that we settled our mind. I have done the right thing.

George Leonce: 44:58

The other thing is that I appreciate the fact we talk about the habit group intervention. This is something that I actually managed at that time to talk about. That now I'm not aware of any men's group for cancer recovery. You had to be solo. I was solo all the time, went through it from day one I was in New York. I had my sisters, my nieces. They were with me. My wife came up later on but to say that you can't say, okay, let us have this group of people who can now consider they were asking people, encouraging you or bringing you up making you aware of what it is, and even afterwards, something that we laughed at or something.

George Leonce: 45:50

I didn't have. But again I say my history is on God.

AI Announcer: 45:56

Yeah.

George Leonce: 45:56

Yeah.

AI Announcer: 45:59

That group is sponsored by Zero Prostate Cancer and is called the Black Men's Prostate Cancer Virtual Support Group and meets every other Monday evening at 8 o'clock Eastern Time Zone. To sign up, go to zerocancerorg and look for the Black Men's Prostate Cancer Initiative support groups, or email us at realhealthblackmen at gmailcom and we will send you the link to Zero Cancer.

Grantley Martelly: 46:27

Write us at realhealthblackmen at gmailcom. Realhealthblackmen at gmailcom. To support this podcast, go to buymeacoffeecom forward, slash RealHealthBlackMen, buymeacoffeecom. Realhealthblackmen. And to become a corporate sponsor, send us an email.