Connor educates Rotarians about prostate cancer

As each guest does, Jason Connor thanked the Rotary Club of Abbeville for allowing him to speak to members recently.
More importantly, Connor thanked God for allowing him to be there at all to speak about an important topic.
“Lord, thank you for today,” he prayed. “Thank you for allowing me to share my personal experiences with prostate cancer. Enable my words to reach those who need to hear this message most.”
Connor, 60, who is a member of the Erath Board of Aldermen, has twice beaten prostate cancer, a disease that will affect one in eight men in their lifetime. Connor saw its effect on men close to him earlier in his life.
“I worked with my grandfather and father,” Connor said. “My grandfather would complain about his prostate. I was 18 years old. I had no clue. Then, as I got older, my dad had prostate cancer.
“That’s when I really started looking into it to find more information.”
Connor stressed that early detection is vitally important. That usually begins between 40 and 50 years old. While prostate cancer is rare before 40, Connor did not wait.
“I started getting tested for prostate cancer at 38 years old,” Connor said. “My dad’s prostate cancer probably saved my life.”
At 41, Connor had his diagnosis.
“I was diagnosed in October of 2003,” Connor said.
Connor, an avid runner at the time, put in between 15 to 30 miles a week.
“I was probably in the best shape of my life,” Connor said. “It was very, very confusing when I got the diagnosis of cancer.
“It was a tough time, but my wife (Tammy) always said everything would be all right.”
Connor went over treatment options with his doctor. That led to the removal of his prostate.
“That is called a radical prostatectomy,” Connor said.
Connor continued to visit his doctor for annual checkups. Without a prostate, the expectation would be that Connor’s Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels would not be detectable. PSA levels of 4.0 ng/mL and lower are considered normal for a man with a prostate.
“I went to my appointment after my eighth year,” Connor said. “My wife opened my test papers and said my PSA levels were 1.1. It should have been less than zero.
“It was a big shock.”
That test result meant Connor’s prostate cancer had returned. He readied himself for round two.
“I don’t have a prostate anymore,” Connor explained, “but some cells got stuck in scar tissue. It took eight years for those cells to get out of that scar tissue and get into my system again.”
Connor said his doctor teaches in Houston.
“He said he uses me as an example each semester,” Connor said. “Even though you remove your prostate, continue to get tested.”
Connor did proton therapy after his second diagnosis.
“It’s targeted X-rays that hit the spot,” Connor said. “The treatment itself took about 15 minutes. I did 50 rounds of it. No pain at all.
“It’s amazing what’s out there today and amazing what the human body can do and overcome.”
The most important thing is early detection.
“You get with the right doctor and start testing and catching everything early,” Connor said.
Connor did. He said it is part of a journey.
“There’s always things that happen for a reason,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that this prostate cancer throughout my life has helped me in many ways. It’s humbled me. It’s shown me what the human body can overcome. Everybody goes through things, and we all have our issues.
“This is what I deal with, and I live a completely normal life.”
Anyone with questions or going through a similar journey can contact Connor. His email address is jcc781962@gmail.com.
“Feel free to ask,” Connor said. “If someone has a prostate history or has prostate issues, contact me. I can walk them through what happened to me. I can try to ease their anxiety a little bit.”