By WAYNE JOSEPH
By WAYNE JOSEPH
Tribune-Herald columnist
Whoever thought that scoring high on a test would indicate failing?
For Harry Samelson, taking a test in his early 50s and scoring in the low 2s was passing, but when he took the same test last May and scored a 5.8 it was troubling.
Samelson took a PSA test as part of his regular blood test; the PSA test is based on a 1 to 10 scale.
“The reason doctors do this test as a matter of routine is because literally 70 percent of all males in the U.S. will, before they die, contract some form of prostate cancer,” Samelson said.
Since prostate cancer is often slow growing, people in their 70s and older often will outlive the growth of the cancer, according to Samelson.
But in Samelson’s case, he was immediately referred to Queen’s Medical Center for a biopsy.
“The biopsy showed that I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer and I needed to do something about it immediately,” Samelson said.
It was a scary time for Samelson and his reaction was twofold.
“First of all, I was overcome by a feeling that I was going to be fine, that it was not my time yet,” he said. “I cannot explain this except to say that my belief in God brought me a sense of peace and being taken care of.
“The other thing I did was to seek out support even though I was embarrassed to do so. I emailed all my friends and family and told them what was going on, and that I had cancer.”
Samelson decided to have surgery to cut the cancer out of his body at NYU Hospital.
“The surgery went beautifully and it was a robotic surgery, where the doctors don’t actually perform the surgery, but robot arms do, and it was very non-invasive,” he said.
They removed the prostate and Samelson was out of the hospital the next day.
The night of his surgery there was a hurricane and the hospital needed to be evacuated.
“It was a zoo,” Samelson said. “The nurses were screaming at the doctors and vice versa. I had come 7,000 miles to have surgery in a hurricane!”
Samelson was one of 15 patients that stayed at the hospital overnight, but they got him out of the hospital the next morning.
“Two days later the surgeon called me and said the post op biopsy of the prostate came back and it was much worse than the original biopsy showed,” Samelson said. “I am sure I would have died if I hadn’t had the PSA test in May and that is the message that I would like to pass on to your readers.”
Samelson had always been an avid golfer throughout high school and college.
He was the No. 2 golfer on his high school team but didn’t blossom in the sport until he turned 18 when he won the club championship at Muttontown Golf Club on Long Island.
He attended Bates College and played four years of varsity golf while becoming the No. 1 player on the collegiate team.
“During my sophomore and senior seasons I was the No. 1 golfer for Bates and during my senior season I won the state individual championship and our team won the state championship which became two of the biggest highlights of my golfing career,” Samelson said.
Golf is clearly Samelson’s true love and he continues to play at least twice a week at Volcano Country Club.
“My buddy Jack Christenson and I go up at the crack of dawn and are the first ones out and the first ones done,” Samelson said. “We’re back home (Kapoho) at 10 a.m. and the workers at the club don’t know my real name, they just call me ‘Speedy.’”
A month ago, Samelson got a hole-in-one with a 6 iron on the 170-yard 6th hole.
“I was blessed to get my second hole-in-one with my first coming on the third hole at Volcano,” Samelson said.
As for changes in lifestyle, Samelson admits to being sober and not a big sweets eater.
“I did cut out caffeine which the doctors told me to go off for three months after surgery,” he said. Samelson was asked to cut caffeine because it becomes a bladder control issue that prostate surgery patients have.
“Once I quit caffeine I never started up again,” Samelson said. “I watch my weight and I jog everyday for about three miles.”
Samelson message here is to get the PSA test from age 50 and on.
“Being a cancer survivor changed my life, it changes my sense of invulnerability as your desire to live for today is heightened,” he said. “My belief that God is there for me through everything is stronger than ever. So I live more for a love of today, with a sense that I could go at any time, but that will be okay no matter what.”
Samelson turns 55 in two days, July 18. Happy birthday, Harry, and may you have many more!
And on Saturday should you happen to see many other cancer survivors along with the Big Dog doing laps around Francis Wong Stadium as part of Relay for Life, remember to smile, say “woof” and never shy away from “Running with the Big Dog.”
Email the Big Dog at waiakeabigdog@aol.com.