Caledonia Argus

Men find support in dealing with prostate cancer

Posted: 4/15/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

A support group in La Crosse has allowed men coping with cancer to talk about a touchy medical topic.

Facilitated by Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, the Prostate Cancer Support Group lets men whoíve been diagnosed with the disease openly discuss problems, questions, and concerns they have. Berdell Meiners of Eitzen, who learned he had prostate cancer in January 1996 and joined the support group a year later, has become an outspoken advocate of the groupís potential for quelling the anxiety that accompanies the disease.

ìIt really is helpful,î Meiners said. ìThe big thing is, having prostate cancer gets to be kind of a personal thing. But the sad part is, thereís a lot of guys around here with the disease and they just donít want to go. I donít know if they feel itís too private to talk about, but in the group we just sit around and talk about ëhow you been doingí the last month.

ìAnd you might think youíre the only one that has a particular problem, but then you find out that your problem is common with everybody in the group, or with anybody thatís had prostate cancer. Itís very reassuring.î

What topics does the group address? ìEverything and anything,î Meiners said, ìand we find out thereís nothing to be ashamed about, because itís just one of those things, you know? Up until now there had been no place to talk to anybody about prostate cancer.î

Meiners recommended the group to friend Bob Waters, whoíd recently had prostate surgery, and after attending he became convinced that the group was a powerful way of dealing with the disease.

ìBob and I have been friends for many years,î Meiners said, ìand Bob would always call me up and Iíd say, ëGet yourself a PSA test.í Finally one time he called me up and said, ëI had my PSA done and itís kind of high.î

In subsequent phone calls Waters relayed that his PSA had kept climbing, so he underwent further testing, which revealed he had cancer. ìSince his surgery,î Meiners noted, ìBob has been a very regular person to go along with me.î

ìItís a very active group, and we help a lot of new people who are a bit leery,î Waters said. ìYou get an outlook on what could be in the future and how to handle it, and you can just save yourself a lot of worrying because thereís people there to talk to about it.î

Wives of men battling prostate cancer are also urged to attend the group sessions. ìFor the wife, itís basically to know whatís going on,î said Meiners, whose wife attended his first few group sessions with him. ìYou donít know what the future holds, and we encourage the wives to come along because they are probably more upset about the whole thing than the husband.î

The Prostate Cancer Support Group is held the third Monday of every month at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. The next meeting is April 21, and those interested can contact group facilitator Gale Kreibich at (608) 775-6863, or (800) 362-9567, ext. 56863.

Top of Page