A year ago, last March, local resident Bill Ellenberger went in for his annual physical. At this time, he also had a blood test and PSA tests, which came back high. Ellenberger scheduled an appointment to meet with a urologist and had a biopsy done. Six tissue samples all came back negative for prostate cancer.
This past March, Ellenberger again had his annual physical and PSA tests, which came back higher than the previous year’s tests. Again he visited the urologist. This time 15 tissue samples were taken, which came back positive for cancer. The cells were present, but the prostate cancer was caught in the early stages.
“For me, I already knew if this came back positive, I already knew a doctor in San Diego who did seed implants for prostate cancer,” said Ellenberger. “What I’ve found is you don’t wait around. You have to take action on your own.”
He was proactive in finding a treatment for the cancer as fast as possible. He got together with his urologist, and they discussed the options.
Ellenberger also put out a prayer request by email. From this email, he learned from a friend about Loma Linda University Medical Center located in California. The medical center currently provides proton treatment for prostate cancer.
Protons are designed in such a way so they target the area exactly where cancer is in the body, which is unlike radiation treatment. The protons stop at the treatment area and travel into the cancer cell. The electrons are repelled from the cell and leave the cell. Therefore, the cell cannot divide, so the cancer cell dies.
Ellenberger pursued this kind of treatment because it was less evasive than other forms of cancer treatment. He also talked to individuals who had the proton treatments before.
Soon after, the medical center contacted him, and his urologist faxed his medical records to California. Next, Ellenberger and his wife, Anita, traveled to California and sent an email to friends. He asked in this email if anyone would allow him to house sit while he was in California so that he wouldn’t have the expense of a hotel, and he also asked if anyone had the use of a car while he was there.
From this email, somebody lent Ellenberger their car for the entire time he was in California and someone else lent him their winter home in Palm Springs. Because of this, he only had to pay for food and gas while he was in treatment.
During his consultation at the medical center, he was diagnosed as a low-risk patient for prostate cancer. The average number of proton treatments is 44, and the doctors decided that he should have 40 treatments.
Each treatment lasts for 1-1 1/2 minutes at a time. Treatments are scheduled for one each day, Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and holidays.
Ellenberger finished his treatments on September 10.
“I will have another PSA test done in four months after the last treatment and have one every three months for the next year,” said Ellenberger.
“I’ve learned that if you’re a believer and you know you’re going to heaven, it’s not the same until you get a wake-up call. Death seems very real. It reminds us about how precious life is and the people around us.”
He said through this process the people praying and encouraging really helped him. Also, other patients were a support system as well.
“It was a tremendous experience with a medical facility,” he added about Loma Linda University Medical Center, which treats people from all over the world.
While Ellenberger was in California for his treatment of prostate cancer, he was still able to complete work through his ministry of Faithful Path. He did this through communication on the computer and phone. His ministry focuses on churches that don’t have pastors.
He is now back in the area and currently working with a church in Pennsylvania.
Ellenberger said the main reason he wanted to share his experiences with prostate cancer is so that men from this area will get tested annually, and so that individuals also know that there are more than the traditional treatments available.
