Gave Blood. Took The PSA Test. Saved My Life.

Regardless Of Their Score, It's Smart Men Who Take The Test!

Oklahoma City resident, John Hogan was an O-negative blood donor, "a very popular guy at the blood bank" as his wife Susan says. He had donated red blood cells at different OBI locations and his church for years." Originally, somebody probably coerced me into doing it," John added in a light-hearted tone.

In August 2001 he had a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test done while donating with OBI. His results came back elevated. It was September 11^th or 12^th he reflected. After consulting his family doctor, John was referred to an urologist who verified he had prostate cancer and recommended surgery. John had surgery to remove the prostate but because the cancer was found in time, while it was still encapsulated, he avoided chemotheraphy and radiation. Now nearly four years later, John still checks-in with his urologist every six months and continues to be cancer-free.

"Just like my doctor said, the fact that I took advantage of that PSA test when I gave blood saved my life," says John. "It was fortuitous. Like most guys I don't go to the doctor that often. I'm sure a subsequent visit to my doctor would have turned up a high reading, but it might have been a couple more years. My dad had prostate cancer. It killed him. He died in 1985." John added, "I would say if you're going to give blood, you might as well take advantage of the tests. It would be silly not to. The hardest part is the finger stick, so I just think it's a good deal."

The Hogan's both commend June Hovorka, the volunteer at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, who has organized blood drives, signed everybody up , and coordinated blood drives for their church for years. "I can't imagine how many lives she has impacted," says Susan, "both the people that have testing done and the people that receive the blood. That's a wonderful thing."

"We are so thankful that John had that test run at that time. It truly saved his life. It had not gotten out of the prostate but was not far from it," Susan says. "I never realized, even though I grew up as the daughter of a heart doctor, a cardiologist, how our blood supply is a living resource," she explains. "It has a life. It is just amazing and I am so impressed by the diligence and the meticulous care that the staff at OBI take to manage and monitor and care for this human resource. It is truly something we take so much for granted and yet it's lifesaving in more ways than one.

OBI is a great organization and a huge asset to Oklahoma. There's the human side, all the people that work to gather the blood and all the Oklahomans that give their blood. Then there are all the volunteers and churches and schools and organizations and businesses that have blood drives. Add on top of that the tremendous professional staff they have, the medical team that cares for this resource, that tests it and ensures its safety and its distribution in the right amount in the right place at the right time. The complexity is absolutely amazing. And blood is not necessarily one size fits all. When you're in need, only the "right size" will do. That's a tremendous task to keep that in ready access," Susan concluded. "We appreciate what OBI does for us all. John and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary this year, and it is so frightening to think he could have been gone. But he is alive and well and I cannot thank OBI enough for that!"