To the editor:

This is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and in that light, we wish to acknowledge the superb top-flight Urology Department and nursing staff at Mid Coast Hospital.

My husband went to Mid Coast Urology for a prostate biopsy in June after his PSA test revealed elevated numbers. Ten days later, the results were in and he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

There are two superb urologists at Mid Coast Hospital, Dr. Jonathan Telsey and Dr. Michael Curtis. Dr. Telsey spent over an hour with my husband and me discussing the nature of the disease, the function of the prostate and all the options to treat the cancer.

After discussing all options, it was decided that a radical prostatectomy (complete removal of the prostate) would be the best option. Dr. Telsey said that the operation could be done there at Mid Coast Hospital, or he could set my husband up at a larger hospital like Portland or Boston.

Further discussions revealed that Dr. Telsey had performed hundreds of these operations. We decided on having the operation performed at Mid Coast due to the intimate doctor/patient relationship that could not be realized at a larger hospital.

On Sept. 4, my husband went in for surgery. His experience was one of dignity, attention and compassion. Dr. Telsey and Dr. Curtis followed up with him twice a day during his stay. The nursing staff was superb. All were exceedingly attentive, informative, caring and compassionate making his experience a most positive one.

Because the hospital fits the community and the staff is not overrun with patients, Mid Coast Hospital is a terrific community resource, one deserving of our support and pride. Mid Coast Urology rivals any of the larger institutions and we would recommend them to anyone facing prostate cancer.

Laurie Simpson

Woolwich