You check your oil, have you checked your PSA lately?

[Seevee]

Just picked up on this thread... don't know why I missed it. Well, I do, I was also fighting prostate cancer at the same time Mike was.



However, the greatest part of this thread is Mike's recover and that he's feeling good. Hope you continue to feel great, Mike!


The message which Mike started out with should be CLEAR! Be proactive about your health. Get the check ups, tests, physicals, and blood work to be sure you know what's going on with your body.


I was lucky (actually pro active), and get blood work at least 2x a year including a PSA test. So my cancer issues showed up quickly. By the time my "annual" physical came up, I had already had my second blood test a biopsy, scans, etc., and was in the process of having a few more tests and considering options for treatment.


But, like any major health issue, I was scared to death and anxiety had set in. It was my first major issue.... ever. I got three separate opinions from oncologists and Drs. Did the radiation and the results were great. PSA dropped to .5, and felt great. The minor side effects of the radiation wore off in a few months. That was several months ago.


I was lucky as my day job provided for superb medical attention, and with my family Dr. I stayed on top of things.



The lesson is clear: Be proactive.


(Now I need to make an appointment with Ms. B for my DRE)

 

[menzies]

Way,way behind!! My bad, I then finished reading ALL the post and read my original. Guess I am too damn excited to spread the word on prostate cancer applications that may be of assistance in decision making.

Menzies, beg your forgiveness

Regards,
Al

No forgiveness required! I often respond to the original post on a thread, then read to her other 100 pages and realized what I just posted was worthless (what, one of my posts worthless? Nah!!!).

Read your latest and glad to hear things are looking on the up. I had a catheter after my back surgery four months ago, going in wasn't an issue as I'd had an epidural, but coming out wasn't the best experience!!

No wonder they remove it like ripping off a band aid

 

[Stickman]

Seevee,

Glad all went well early on. Since you reference completion several months ago, recall that the psa of 0.5 could be related to any hormone therapy they used also. The 30 month psa also needs to be <0.5; if not go see the urologist.
In my 37 years of managing post radiation prostate cancer patients, the most significant issue I see is the rad oncs not discussing the late tissue effects on bladder-bowel-urethra ( even when you’re cancer free). By the 7-10+ year mark, seek evaluation for any blood seen in urine or stools.

My own auto mechanic ( true story) died of an in field secondary cancer with a psa of 0.0, about 15 yrs post radiation. He didn’t seek care because he was busy; and assumed he must be fine since psa undetectable. Not trying to scare; but many are unaware of the delayed issues.

 

[Seevee]

Seevee,

Glad all went well early on. Since you reference completion several months ago, recall that the psa of 0.5 could be related to any hormone therapy they used also. The 30 month psa also needs to be <0.5; if not go see the urologist.
In my 37 years of managing post radiation prostate cancer patients, the most significant issue I see is the rad oncs not discussing the late tissue effects on bladder-bowel-urethra ( even when you’re cancer free). By the 7-10+ year mark, seek evaluation for any blood seen in urine or stools.

My own auto mechanic ( true story) died of an in field secondary cancer with a psa of 0.0, about 15 yrs post radiation. He didn’t seek care because he was busy; and assumed he must be fine since psa undetectable. Not trying to scare; but many are unaware of the delayed issues.

Stickman,


Thx for the info. FWIW, I had no hormone therapy, just the radiation. I understand that hormone therapy will skew the PSA numbers, and assume that's what you're referring to.


But good followup info. Thx!

 

[Group9]

On another note. If anyone with prostrate problems cares to share here or PM, I am interested to know if there is any telltale signs at the time you did not know what it was. Is there clues to look out for?

My prostate cancer was detected solely with my PSA score. It was only 6.12, but, due to an earlier testicular cancer, the cancer hospital (Sloan Kettering in New York) had been monitoring my PSA for ten years. It had been very level and then spiked from very low to 6.12 in less than a year.

Sixteen biopsy needle retractions with two containing cancer cells. I was only 49 so I just had the whole thing taken out. It couldn't be done with robotic surgery due to scar tissue from my testicular cancer surgery, so it was done the traditional way. Best decision I ever made.

At 62 now, I still have full sexual function, no Viagra or anything, but recently, I do experience incontinence (leaking pee) if I pick something heavy up, when I need to go. You learn to take a leak before you do stuff like that (when I'm lifting weights at the gym, I'm hitting the bathroom about every fifteen minutes, to prevent that, LOL)

Whatever you do, find the best doctor you can, no matter where you have to go (I was living in Mississippi when I went to Sloan Kettering for this surgery). This is not the time or place to try and save money.

 

[BandB]

Whatever you do, find the best doctor you can, no matter where you have to go (I was living in Mississippi when I went to Sloan Kettering for this surgery). This is not the time or place to try and save money.

Wifey B: Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Find somewhere the specializes and has expertise in your area of need. Find doctors you have confidence in, and if you don't, change doctors. Get second opinions. Understand your choices, don't let doctors play God.

Remember, nearly 50% of the doctors practicing finished in the bottom half of their class. They are not all equally good.

And (and I know some will say this is easy for me to say) don't delay, go at the first sign. One contributing factor to our life expectancy in the US being so far below many countries is people hesitating to get medical care because of finances, both uninsured and insured people. Certainly other factors like lifestyles and work requirements contribute. But Canada has life expectancy 4 years more than the US. Japan is 6 years greater than the US. Just remember that it's a lot easier to recover from the financial impact than from death.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Wifey B: Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Find somewhere the specializes and has expertise in your area of need. Find doctors you have confidence in, and if you don't, change doctors. Get second opinions. Understand your choices, don't let doctors play God.

Remember, nearly 50% of the doctors practicing finished in the bottom half of their class. They are not all equally good.

And (and I know some will say this is easy for me to say) don't delay, go at the first sign. One contributing factor to our life expectancy in the US being so far below many countries is people hesitating to get medical care because of finances, both uninsured and insured people. Certainly other factors like lifestyles and work requirements contribute. But Canada has life expectancy 4 years more than the US. Japan is 6 years greater than the US. Just remember that it's a lot easier to recover from the financial impact than from death.

https://floridaproton.org/

 

[BandB]

https://floridaproton.org/

Wifey B: The University of Florida and Shands are excellent on many conditions, one of the finest hospitals around.

 

[Group9]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Consider it a job interview for the most important employee you will ever hire.

The first doctor I talked to, back when I was about to have the lymph node removal surgery, due to the testicular cancer, told me he had done the surgery twice in the last year, and then proceeded to tell me abut all of the likely side effects from the surgery.

I politely told him, thanks, but no thanks, and got an appointment at Sloan Kettering, where my doctor told me he had done the surgery about 90 times that year already.

When I asked him about all of the likely side effects the first doctor had warned me about, he just looked at me and said, "That doesn't happen when I do the surgery." He wasn't just blowing smoke.

The doctor he hooked me up with for my prostate surgery later, was just as good.

 

[ScottC]

Good thread. This reminded me that it's been a couple of years. Just made an appointment!

 

[GFC]

Good on ya Scott. That's what I started this thread for. At this time I know of at least 15 people who have gotten a PSA test done as a result of this post

 

[BandB]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Consider it a job interview for the most important employee you will ever hire.

The first doctor I talked to, back when I was about to have the lymph node removal surgery, due to the testicular cancer, told me he had done the surgery twice in the last year, and then proceeded to tell me abut all of the likely side effects from the surgery.

I politely told him, thanks, but no thanks, and got an appointment at Sloan Kettering, where my doctor told me he had done the surgery about 90 times that year already.

When I asked him about all of the likely side effects the first doctor had warned me about, he just looked at me and said, "That doesn't happen when I do the surgery." He wasn't just blowing smoke.

The doctor he hooked me up with for my prostate surgery later, was just as good.

Yes, don't tell me about your overall surgical record. Tell me about your experience with this exact situation.

 

[Okydowky]

On a side note for men! I really don’t like to preach, but here is an example other than prostate. Many of us have funky belly buttons if we are packing some extra pounds.
Which I did and for years kinda looked herniated, which my doctor a greed. Well after probing around in my belly one day found a lumpish kind of thing. Doctor again agreed we need to address this lump so let’s go for ultra sound.
Within hours after Ultra Sound, in hospital with CT. To find out 100% cancer. Within 4 weeks Tumor grew to 20cm removing 30 trying to get the margins, 7’ of small intestine and 1’ of colon.
Sorry for the grim description, but man or women don’t ignor the signs of anything different.
Cancer is real.
Take Care Everyone of you...

 

[BandB]

On a side note for men! I really don’t like to preach, but here is an example other than prostate. Many of us have funky belly buttons if we are packing some extra pounds.
Which I did and for years kinda looked herniated, which my doctor a greed. Well after probing around in my belly one day found a lumpish kind of thing. Doctor again agreed we need to address this lump so let’s go for ultra sound.
Within hours after Ultra Sound, in hospital with CT. To find out 100% cancer. Within 4 weeks Tumor grew to 20cm removing 30 trying to get the margins, 7’ of small intestine and 1’ of colon.
Sorry for the grim description, but man or women don’t ignor the signs of anything different.
Cancer is real.
Take Care Everyone of you...

And colon cancer caught very early is generally quite treatable through a resection like you had. As it progresses, it's very difficult to remove and in further progression it spreads throughout the body. Now, from the time the polyp first appears until the time of full spread cancer is a process that takes about 7 years. That's why they say colonoscopies every five years. That's also what makes the number of deaths from colon cancer as well as other cancers in the area so alarming. Unlike some cancers which sneak up and spread quickly before you even know it, colon cancer gives you time if you're only getting examinations and colonoscopies. If you have a colonoscopy and the last one was five years ago, you may have colon cancer. Likely a polyp or a few polyps. Often removable during the colonoscopy and, if not, by surgery which now can be done laparoscopically.

Oh, for some reason too, some women are under the impression colon cancer is a men's thing. No, it hits both sexes. Perhaps not at she same rate but it hits both.

GFC may merit being a lifetime most valuable poster from this thread as he's forced us all to think of health. While some here are older than others, all of us are getting older and need to recognize that. Getting older isn't the end of the world, not getting older is and it often happens from neglect.

 

[Peter B]

Originally Posted by Soo-Valley

'On another note. If anyone with prostrate problems cares to share here or PM, I am interested to know if there is any telltale signs at the time you did not know what it was. Is there clues to look out for?"

Short answer is no - usually not - not until it is probably too late to cure. Many older men suffer some urinary symptoms, such as reduced stream, getting up at night, etc, just due to normal gland enlargement. Which is why getting the test routinely at least every two years - yearly or even 6 monthly if there is a rising trend - is the only way to beat the beggar. However, fortunately now, there is another step that can be taken before punching holes in it - the MRI. This allows the biopsy to be much more accurate and less hit and miss - always good. Also, my advice is if you get to the biopsy stage, insist if possible it be done by the trans-perineal route, not the rectum. Infection more likely with the trans-rectal route. The trans-perineal approach does require an anaesthetic, but hey, folk have died from septicaemia following TRUS (trans-rectal U?S guided) biopsies, just sayin'...

My PSA went to 20 before I had it treated, with apparently complete cure by highly focused radiotherapy. The level is not so much the concern, but the rise. In fact the thing that appears to limit its ability to spread is if it has become abnormal enough to live outside its natural tissue. This is why those who die of it, such as one example quoted above with a PSA of 0.0 after failed radiotherapy, (? detected and treated too late), often have a lowish total PSA. The one patient I had who died of it had a PSA which never went above 5.0, and was diagnosed at transurethral resection of the prostate for urinary outflow obstruction. The tissue is so abnormal, (anaplastic) it cannot make much PSA, but that is what allows it to get out and spread.

 

[Hawkshaw1]

GFC,
Seems like I've known you a long time. We used to chat on the boatingABC site. I'll be praying for you.

Hawk

 

[GFC]

Thanks Hawk, I'll take all the prayers I can get. I'm still on BABC, usually checking in once a day. It's not as busy as it used to be. There are about a dozen or so of us old timers who still post on there.

By way of an update, I'm still feeling good. Probably better than I deserve to be. Still walking the dog for a half hour or so every morning and a shorter walk in the evening. He and I are both getting up in years and two long walks in a day are too tiring for him. I'll leave it at that.

I go in tomorrow for eye surgery to remove the cataracts on my left eye, then on the following Monday to do my right eye. I'll be glad to have those done so I can see clearly again.

So all things considered I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in!