夫妻携手战胜前列腺癌
http://www.100md.com
2000年9月19日
Joe Torre and Wife Team Up Against Prostate Cancer
NEW YORK — When New York Yankees manager Joe Torre was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, winning the World Series suddenly took a back seat to beating the disease.
"All of a sudden your baseball is not important," Torre told FOXNews.com. "It changes your perspective on things."
Instead of mapping out a game plan with his bullpen, he found himself mired in strategy discussions with his wife, Ali, his doctors and a few select friends. The process of deciding on treatment — radiation or surgery — was fraught with ambiguity, and the Torres found themselves negotiating this treatment maze together.
, 百拇医药
Today, over a year after Torre's stunning comeback, he and Ali have launched a campaign called "Two Against One: Couples Battling Prostate Cancer" to give other couples a hand in working through the confusing and frightening treatment process. The effort includes a free information booklet for couples, a Web site as well as a public information campaign.
FOX: Joe and Ali, why did you launch "Two Against One"?
Ali: When Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer, there really was not a lot of information about what a spouse will go through. And it's really a couple's disease — you battle it together. So when we were approached by an oncologist friend [about it] I thought it was a great idea. The [Two Against One] booklet distills a lot of information that the spouse will need in going through this journey of fighting against prostate cancer.
, 百拇医药
FOX: When a man gets diagnosed with prostate cancer, how can a couple best work together to handle this often overwhelming news and the decisions that go with it?
Ali: The most important thing is being able to communicate with each other. You're dealing with a lot of emotions, you both go through similar emotions and I think you tend to be protective of each other. [But] it's very important to communicate how you're feeling so that you can sort out and pick the best treatment option for yourself.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: When her husband is going through this maze of treatment decisions, what role can a wife play in this process?
Ali: The spouse really acts as kind of an advocate for her husband because he's dealing with some serious emotions. When you go to see a physician, it's just better to have two of you listening to the answers to the question. It's really nice to have a partnership in attacking it.
Joe: To me it's something you can't go through alone. You're the one that's been diagnosed with cancer. You're not thinking right. You need someone that's there with you to support you during these tough times. And especially if you do get the diagnosis that you have [cancer], it's difficult to think rationally. Plus, this is the type of disease that a man holds very close because the side effects deal with male ego. Having your spouse alongside [you] sort of allays those fears. And you need to share this because it affects both of you intimately.
, 百拇医药
FOX: Joe, you've got a few years of experience managing teams. How did you manage the situation when you found out you had prostate cancer?
Joe: First of all, it scares you to death. You think of cancer as this dark hole where, you know, you're gonna die. It's the fear of the word "cancer." Then once you get your information, you ask your questions, you meet with doctors, you decide on surgery or radiation. You make that decision yourself. There's [nobody who] says 'this is what you're gonna do and you'll be fine.' That's what makes it tough. [But] getting the information is important, as is getting your spouse there to make the decision with you on which form of treatment you want. We decided on surgery.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: There's currently a debate on whether surgery or radiation is better for earlier-stage prostate cancer, the form you had. About half of the doctors vie for radiation, while others recommend surgery. Then still others say it's your choice. What do you think?
Joe: I think everybody has to take their case and decide on which form of treatment they want. As long as you know that you're doing something to enhance your health, I think you feel like you're fighting this disease.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: Joe and Ali, you're also the parents of a young child. How did being somewhat new parents affect the whole prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Joe: Part of my recovery is being able to hang out with my 3-year-old. Because it really takes your mind off of [the cancer]. One of the villains in this [disease] is that you get to thinking, and sometimes those mood swings really throw you for a loop.
FOX: Was part of the difficulty that one day, you were busy being the manager of the Yankees, and suddenly, you were not working? That must have been quite an adjustment.
, 百拇医药
Joe: It was. Baseball's been my whole life, but until I was ready to go back to it, it was very unimportant. I was fighting for my life as opposed to what I did with it.
FOX: Surgery seems like a really tough part of the whole process. Joe and Ali, what was it like going through that particular juncture together?
Ali: Actually, once we made the decision on what we had to do, it was OK. [Torre's surgeon] Dr. Catalona and his staff explained everything. That brings you to a certain comfort level. We also have friends who had been through the same experience, and I think that was very valuable because there weren't any surprises. As difficult as it is going through the surgery, we felt like 'OK now here's the problem, here's what you have to do with it.'
, 百拇医药
FOX: Joe, this very intimate detail of your life, your prostate cancer, became public knowledge soon after you were diagnosed with it. How did you deal with this publicity while trying to retain some measure of privacy around it?
Joe: I felt that if I tried to not come out with this, [and] suddenly had to leave the team, the media wouldn't have gotten it right, because they wouldn't have had the information. I felt it was important to let them know what I was going through, ask them to respect my privacy and go on about it. [But] it's probably the best thing we ever did, knowing all the mail we got — the people who have reached out for us. You don't realize how many people you impact until this has happened.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: Ali, as a spouse, what was it like for you having this intimate knowledge about your husband out in the public?
Ali: It was a major issue. I was like "I can't believe we have to go through this publicly." But we actually discussed how we would approach it. [And] with all the letters and the support we received, we gained information we needed to go forward and choose a treatment decision. All of the wonderful cards and letters of support people wrote us gave us the encouragement and the strength that we needed. You can always use the extra prayers that people have for you.
, 百拇医药
FOX: While most couples going through prostate cancer aren't as much in the public eye as the Torres, everyone has a certain amount of public exposure, whether it's with friends, family or coworkers. Do you think it's better to just come out with it all?
Ali: That would be a very personal decision. I think the most important thing is to have someone you can communicate with and to have some support system in place. It doesn't have to be family or friends. If you're more comfortable discussing your emotions and your feelings with strangers, there are support groups you can go to and still have that privacy that you need.
, http://www.100md.com
Joe: The most important thing is to do something about it. Get the information. In a man's case, where his ego is really involved here, because it affects intimacy with his wife, it's something you want to shy away from. That obviously is not healthy because something can be done about prostate cancer. It is controllable if caught early. I've had friends that have had PSA [blood tests] that indicate something may be going on. They have called me, and I have talked to them and they see me and how I've gone back to work and live a normal life. The way to catch it early is to get tested, and if you do find out something's going on, you deal with it., 百拇医药
NEW YORK — When New York Yankees manager Joe Torre was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, winning the World Series suddenly took a back seat to beating the disease.
"All of a sudden your baseball is not important," Torre told FOXNews.com. "It changes your perspective on things."
Instead of mapping out a game plan with his bullpen, he found himself mired in strategy discussions with his wife, Ali, his doctors and a few select friends. The process of deciding on treatment — radiation or surgery — was fraught with ambiguity, and the Torres found themselves negotiating this treatment maze together.
, 百拇医药
Today, over a year after Torre's stunning comeback, he and Ali have launched a campaign called "Two Against One: Couples Battling Prostate Cancer" to give other couples a hand in working through the confusing and frightening treatment process. The effort includes a free information booklet for couples, a Web site as well as a public information campaign.
FOX: Joe and Ali, why did you launch "Two Against One"?
Ali: When Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer, there really was not a lot of information about what a spouse will go through. And it's really a couple's disease — you battle it together. So when we were approached by an oncologist friend [about it] I thought it was a great idea. The [Two Against One] booklet distills a lot of information that the spouse will need in going through this journey of fighting against prostate cancer.
, 百拇医药
FOX: When a man gets diagnosed with prostate cancer, how can a couple best work together to handle this often overwhelming news and the decisions that go with it?
Ali: The most important thing is being able to communicate with each other. You're dealing with a lot of emotions, you both go through similar emotions and I think you tend to be protective of each other. [But] it's very important to communicate how you're feeling so that you can sort out and pick the best treatment option for yourself.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: When her husband is going through this maze of treatment decisions, what role can a wife play in this process?
Ali: The spouse really acts as kind of an advocate for her husband because he's dealing with some serious emotions. When you go to see a physician, it's just better to have two of you listening to the answers to the question. It's really nice to have a partnership in attacking it.
Joe: To me it's something you can't go through alone. You're the one that's been diagnosed with cancer. You're not thinking right. You need someone that's there with you to support you during these tough times. And especially if you do get the diagnosis that you have [cancer], it's difficult to think rationally. Plus, this is the type of disease that a man holds very close because the side effects deal with male ego. Having your spouse alongside [you] sort of allays those fears. And you need to share this because it affects both of you intimately.
, 百拇医药
FOX: Joe, you've got a few years of experience managing teams. How did you manage the situation when you found out you had prostate cancer?
Joe: First of all, it scares you to death. You think of cancer as this dark hole where, you know, you're gonna die. It's the fear of the word "cancer." Then once you get your information, you ask your questions, you meet with doctors, you decide on surgery or radiation. You make that decision yourself. There's [nobody who] says 'this is what you're gonna do and you'll be fine.' That's what makes it tough. [But] getting the information is important, as is getting your spouse there to make the decision with you on which form of treatment you want. We decided on surgery.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: There's currently a debate on whether surgery or radiation is better for earlier-stage prostate cancer, the form you had. About half of the doctors vie for radiation, while others recommend surgery. Then still others say it's your choice. What do you think?
Joe: I think everybody has to take their case and decide on which form of treatment they want. As long as you know that you're doing something to enhance your health, I think you feel like you're fighting this disease.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: Joe and Ali, you're also the parents of a young child. How did being somewhat new parents affect the whole prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Joe: Part of my recovery is being able to hang out with my 3-year-old. Because it really takes your mind off of [the cancer]. One of the villains in this [disease] is that you get to thinking, and sometimes those mood swings really throw you for a loop.
FOX: Was part of the difficulty that one day, you were busy being the manager of the Yankees, and suddenly, you were not working? That must have been quite an adjustment.
, 百拇医药
Joe: It was. Baseball's been my whole life, but until I was ready to go back to it, it was very unimportant. I was fighting for my life as opposed to what I did with it.
FOX: Surgery seems like a really tough part of the whole process. Joe and Ali, what was it like going through that particular juncture together?
Ali: Actually, once we made the decision on what we had to do, it was OK. [Torre's surgeon] Dr. Catalona and his staff explained everything. That brings you to a certain comfort level. We also have friends who had been through the same experience, and I think that was very valuable because there weren't any surprises. As difficult as it is going through the surgery, we felt like 'OK now here's the problem, here's what you have to do with it.'
, 百拇医药
FOX: Joe, this very intimate detail of your life, your prostate cancer, became public knowledge soon after you were diagnosed with it. How did you deal with this publicity while trying to retain some measure of privacy around it?
Joe: I felt that if I tried to not come out with this, [and] suddenly had to leave the team, the media wouldn't have gotten it right, because they wouldn't have had the information. I felt it was important to let them know what I was going through, ask them to respect my privacy and go on about it. [But] it's probably the best thing we ever did, knowing all the mail we got — the people who have reached out for us. You don't realize how many people you impact until this has happened.
, http://www.100md.com
FOX: Ali, as a spouse, what was it like for you having this intimate knowledge about your husband out in the public?
Ali: It was a major issue. I was like "I can't believe we have to go through this publicly." But we actually discussed how we would approach it. [And] with all the letters and the support we received, we gained information we needed to go forward and choose a treatment decision. All of the wonderful cards and letters of support people wrote us gave us the encouragement and the strength that we needed. You can always use the extra prayers that people have for you.
, 百拇医药
FOX: While most couples going through prostate cancer aren't as much in the public eye as the Torres, everyone has a certain amount of public exposure, whether it's with friends, family or coworkers. Do you think it's better to just come out with it all?
Ali: That would be a very personal decision. I think the most important thing is to have someone you can communicate with and to have some support system in place. It doesn't have to be family or friends. If you're more comfortable discussing your emotions and your feelings with strangers, there are support groups you can go to and still have that privacy that you need.
, http://www.100md.com
Joe: The most important thing is to do something about it. Get the information. In a man's case, where his ego is really involved here, because it affects intimacy with his wife, it's something you want to shy away from. That obviously is not healthy because something can be done about prostate cancer. It is controllable if caught early. I've had friends that have had PSA [blood tests] that indicate something may be going on. They have called me, and I have talked to them and they see me and how I've gone back to work and live a normal life. The way to catch it early is to get tested, and if you do find out something's going on, you deal with it., 百拇医药