When Tom Keating of Dunwoody was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he didn’t simply accept the diagnosis — he began a “search” to discover what was true. Below is his chronology of that search.
March 1, 2022
Original biopsy and elevated PSA. My urologist, Dr. Daniel Canter of Georgia Urology, and I decided on watchful waiting.
March 2022-February 2023
During active surveillance, many family members spoke about a friend who skipped his regular PSA and died early.
I read Ezekiel J. Emanuel’s October 2014 article in The Atlantic titled “Why I Hope to Die at 75.”
Many people advised me to live in the moment or to tell my cancer story. I chose to search for what was true, while my manhood ventured to combat prostate cancer.
My search became one of discovery, not simply a story of a journey.
Feb. 9, 2023
I had an MRI fusion biopsy.
Feb. 24, 2023
Dr. Canter confirmed I had “C” (cancer).
March 8, 2023
My wife and I met with radiation oncologist Dr. Hamilton Williams. He performed a digital exam. In a flurry, I signed a two-page treatment plan filled with notes and drawings. The therapy called for hormone treatment, a permanent prostate seed implant (brachytherapy) and 35 sessions of external radiation.
March 20, 2023
I began taking a daily hormone pill, Orgovyx. Life continued.
June 18-July 3, 2023
We took a family trip to Israel to visit my granddaughter, Rose, who was serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a police officer in the Old City of Jerusalem.
July 24, 2023
I underwent the brachytherapy procedure. My catheter was removed the next day.
Aug. 7, 2023
I had my final CT scan before beginning seven weeks of daily radiation.
Aug. 12, 2023
I attended my first Northside Hospital Cancer Institute annual Patient and Caregiver Conference on navigating the cancer journey and beyond.
Aug. 12-Oct. 11, 2023
I completed my 35 days of radiation treatment and coined a motto to mark the milestone: “Rang the bell; cancer can go to hell.”
Oct. 7, 2023
Hamas massacred and kidnapped Israelis at a music concert. Rose defended Kibbutz Sa’ad in the GAZA Envelope.
Nov. 6, 2023
We learned Rose had been murdered while protecting her base near the Old City.
Nov. 27, 2023
Dr. Williams, the nurses and the technicians at Northside gave me outstanding medical support.
Dec. 2, 2023
Dr. Canter continued to provide excellent care.
Jan. 1, 2024
As predicted, my high-risk prostate adenocarcinoma, treated with hormone therapy and radiation, turned out to be “very treatable and curable.”
I joined a men’s prostate cancer support group through Cancer Support Community Atlanta. I also worked with a nutritionist and nurse navigator at Northside. I leaned on friends, family and spiritual support — especially Lynne, my wife of 55 years.
During my search for a cure, I realized I was emotionally and psychologically enclosed in an equilateral triangle. Each side represented a different challenge:
- The medical axis of doctors, nurses and technicians
- The financial axis of insurance and treatment costs
- The administrative axis of forms and acronyms
A stick figure trapped in a three-sided enclosure became my metaphor for the experience.
Aug. 17, 2024
I participated in another Northside Patient and Caregiver Conference.
Nov. 8-10, 2024
I attended Northside’s cancer survivor retreat at the Elohee Retreat Center and shared my fable, The Tortoise, the Hare, and the Penguin, at the Saturday night bonfire.
Nov. 21-30, 2024
To mark the one-year anniversary of Rose’s death — her Yahrzeit — my family and I returned to Israel to place a headstone on her grave at Mount Herzl.
June 15, 2025
I joined other survivors at Northside’s Cancer Survivor Celebration with the Atlanta Braves.
Later this year, Tom plans to attend his third Northside patient and caregiver conference. He also plans to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, his birthday and his wedding anniversary in Berlin.
Now 83, Tom enjoys traveling, swimming, reading history and talking about penguins. During his search while battling prostate cancer, he discovered insights, understanding, personal loss and gratitude.
Learn more about prostate cancer care at Northside.
