Originally Posted by
bobh
...of us men will get prostate cancer sometime in our lives.
Well, if that stat is correct, 7 of you lucky bastards are in the clear!
My PSA* was tested over a few months, and was fluctuating in the "slightly over normal" range. Though not dangerously high, my GP referred me for further tests.
So I had a flow rate test (You pee into a machine) and internal examination. Again, I was told there's nothing obvious, and was asked if I wanted to have my PSA monitored by regular blood tests by my GP, or I could opt for a biopsy.
I asked for the biopsy - after all, the earlier anything wrong is detected, the easier it is to treat.
Well, they routinely take 8 - 12 samples, in my case they took eleven. Uncomfortable, but not painful, and my pee was tinted pink with blood for about 10 days (this is normal).
A couple of weeks later, I went for my results.
Who do you think I saw there?
None other than my GP - as a patient! No wonder he had "lowered his threshhold" for referring patients.
My results?
Of the eleven samples, ten were clear.
The eleventh showed signs of cancer.
I've since had MRI and bone scans, results in about 2-3 weeks.
But, going by the marginality (is that a real word?) of my tests, I'm hopeful (and hoping) that this potentially horrible condition has been caught early enough, not just to treat, but to cure.
Telling my wife and kids(all adults) has been the hardest part, and they've taken the news harder than I have done.
I still have to tell my mother and sisters, but I'll wait until I know more before giving them the news.
So, any of you approaching a 'certain age' - get your PSA tested, it could save your life.
I'll keep you posted.
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