Rick's Story: Now What?

By Rick Salomone
Patient Advisor, Patient and Family Advisory Program

I vividly remember walking through the parking lot on the 9th of February 2023 wagering with my wife whether or not I had prostate cancer. I lost that bet and from that day forward my life was forever changed.

As soon as I got home, I allowed myself time alone to process my thoughts. I was angry, scared and for the first time, I thought about my own mortality. The FaceTime call telling my children was difficult to get through. Luckily, my wallowing only lasted a few hours because I believed in God's plan and needed to accept the diagnosis and start planning.

My first step was to research. I needed to understand my test results, treatment options and which cancer center I would choose to deal with my new diagnosis. Moffitt was my number one choice due to the great care and treatment my wife experienced for her breast cancer journey a decade ago.

I was assigned Dr. Julio Pow-Sang and his radiation oncologist Dr. Kosj Yamoah, both heads of their respective departments. Expectations were high going into my first meeting with these esteemed doctors but both men surpassed my expectations with their active listening and friendly ways. Dr. Pow Sang spent about 45 minutes detailing the surgery, aftereffects and rehabilitation. I was pleasantly surprised when, after I informed him that at 68, I was not choosing this route, he nodded, accepted my decision and said it was the patient's call.

Next, I met with Dr. Yamoah who outlined my diagnosis and explained that he would develop a personal radiation plan once my genomic test results came back. He also suggested adding hormone therapy to improve the chances of preventing cancer recurrence. My wife and I felt empowered to voice our concerns about my quality of life. When I chose not to pursue hormone therapy, Dr. Yamoah understood, accepted my decision, and never held it against me.

I was going to have five passes of radiation 26 times over the next six weeks. To prepare, I got my body in the best shape possible, ensuring I had the strength and energy for treatment. However, after three days, I felt overwhelmed and told my wife, “I don’t think I can do this.” That night, I decided to just focus on one treatment at a time. Each morning, I prepared my mind, body and spirit before leaving for Moffitt. In the radiation waiting room, I calmed my breathing, listened to soothing music and read my prayer book. My anxiety subsided and the great care from the Moffitt team did the rest. After a few weeks, I started looking forward to my treatments because I got to see my new friends who truly cared about giving me the best possible outcome.

I wish I could tell you the side effects of the radiation treatments were a breeze, but they were not. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I used all the motivational and spiritual techniques that I learned to get through it. I have always believed that events by themselves are neither positive or negative—it is our response that makes them so. I was determined to stay positive.

Thanks to the support of my three children, the love and caring of my wife, Carol and the amazing team of health care professionals at Moffitt, I got to the finish line and rang the bell.

This story was originally published in the PARTNERS newsletter. Visit Moffitt.org/PARTNERS for more stories and to learn more.