Hi guys and girls.
I'm relatively new to this forum, the folks here are all really nice.
I thought I'd share my story with you all, in hopes it can help someone out there.
I'm a 53 year old guitar picker who loves Albert Lee (how I got to this forum). Back in early May, I saw my primary care doctor, for my usual bloodwork/checkup. I always ask about my PSA number, and he told me it was 1.8, which was fine. About a year ago I saw a urologist for another urinary tract issue which turned out to be apnea related (she figured that out when several other doctors couldn't). On a whim I thought I'd schedule an appointment with her as my PCP doesn't seem to wild about doing a digital exam, and she has small hands and is an experienced urologist, so one performed by her is not uncomfortable at all. I had no symptoms, and even almost cancelled the appointment, figuring I had no problems. But, I went ahead with it.
She saw my recent PSA of 1.8, and also said it was fine, then she looked at my PSA from a year ago, which was .8, and her alarm went off. She was concerned that my PSA had increased over 100 percent in a year. My digital exam was normal, but she recommended a biopsy.
A few weeks later, I had my biopsy, (unpleasant, but not terrible), and a week later I got the results. ONE of the 12 biopsy cores had a very small amount of cancer, Gleason Score 6 (relatively non-aggressive). I was told that my numbers where good, but I needed a CT scan of my abdomen and bone scan to be sure it had not spread. I had those done, and everything was clean. I basically had two choices, radiation or DiVinci robotic surgery for removal of the prostate. Both my doctor and oncologist I consulted with were very certain that either choice would cure be because it was caught so early, but each option has pros and cons, so it would be a personal choice. After much research and a couple of more consultations with my urologist, I decided on surgery. To make a long story less long, I had the surgery on August 4, and got a good pathology report (my prostate contained pre-cancer cells but it appeared that the only cancer found was the cancer found in the biopsy, this was confirmed by four different pathologists). I've had a small complication in that I had some clotting in my catheter while in the hospital, resulting in me having the catheter a little longer, but I'm going to be fine. I've still got some hurdles to clear, but the important thing is that all the cancer is gone.
So....guys and girls who have guys they love, here's my advice. Get regular PSAs AND digital exams. Neither test is perfect, but together they work. See a urologist. They see and understand nuances in PSA scores that primary care doctors might not, I also recommend you write down your PSA somewhere and keep track of it yourself....I had no idea that mine had increased so much so quickly (referred to as velocity), so it's always a good idea to self advocate. Finally, don't be afraid or squeamish about a digital exam. It's not as bad as it sounds, and is over with in a flash. Going to a qualified urologist may have saved my life, I know that.
Now back to talking about Balls.....no, not the kind related to this post!!!!
I'm relatively new to this forum, the folks here are all really nice.
I thought I'd share my story with you all, in hopes it can help someone out there.
I'm a 53 year old guitar picker who loves Albert Lee (how I got to this forum). Back in early May, I saw my primary care doctor, for my usual bloodwork/checkup. I always ask about my PSA number, and he told me it was 1.8, which was fine. About a year ago I saw a urologist for another urinary tract issue which turned out to be apnea related (she figured that out when several other doctors couldn't). On a whim I thought I'd schedule an appointment with her as my PCP doesn't seem to wild about doing a digital exam, and she has small hands and is an experienced urologist, so one performed by her is not uncomfortable at all. I had no symptoms, and even almost cancelled the appointment, figuring I had no problems. But, I went ahead with it.
She saw my recent PSA of 1.8, and also said it was fine, then she looked at my PSA from a year ago, which was .8, and her alarm went off. She was concerned that my PSA had increased over 100 percent in a year. My digital exam was normal, but she recommended a biopsy.
A few weeks later, I had my biopsy, (unpleasant, but not terrible), and a week later I got the results. ONE of the 12 biopsy cores had a very small amount of cancer, Gleason Score 6 (relatively non-aggressive). I was told that my numbers where good, but I needed a CT scan of my abdomen and bone scan to be sure it had not spread. I had those done, and everything was clean. I basically had two choices, radiation or DiVinci robotic surgery for removal of the prostate. Both my doctor and oncologist I consulted with were very certain that either choice would cure be because it was caught so early, but each option has pros and cons, so it would be a personal choice. After much research and a couple of more consultations with my urologist, I decided on surgery. To make a long story less long, I had the surgery on August 4, and got a good pathology report (my prostate contained pre-cancer cells but it appeared that the only cancer found was the cancer found in the biopsy, this was confirmed by four different pathologists). I've had a small complication in that I had some clotting in my catheter while in the hospital, resulting in me having the catheter a little longer, but I'm going to be fine. I've still got some hurdles to clear, but the important thing is that all the cancer is gone.
So....guys and girls who have guys they love, here's my advice. Get regular PSAs AND digital exams. Neither test is perfect, but together they work. See a urologist. They see and understand nuances in PSA scores that primary care doctors might not, I also recommend you write down your PSA somewhere and keep track of it yourself....I had no idea that mine had increased so much so quickly (referred to as velocity), so it's always a good idea to self advocate. Finally, don't be afraid or squeamish about a digital exam. It's not as bad as it sounds, and is over with in a flash. Going to a qualified urologist may have saved my life, I know that.
Now back to talking about Balls.....no, not the kind related to this post!!!!
