A-Warning---I am trying to help those who have not been checked. First, I just hit 49 this summer and the wife talked me into a physical, "why do I need a physical"? I ride my bike each day 15-25 miles each day, I raced bicycles completive for 12 years---"I don't need a physical" I have no problems at all I feel good, eat the right things, sleep is good---no problems for me, I am going to live forever!!
Well I decide to get the wife off my back and submit to the annual physical with my doctor, first he wants to take blood for some tests, then comes the prostrate check, then off to the treadmill to do a stress test----I really did a good job on the stress test, the doctor was impressed with the level I reached. It's all good right-------well not so fast------when the blood work comes back my PSA( Prostrate Specific Antigen) level was a little high. It was 2.51, my doctor says this is a "little high" normal is anything under 2.5.
The doctor says he would like me to visit a urologist and get checked out, I Reluctantly agree but believe it to be a waste of time. So I set up a visit to this new doctor, when I get there he comes in the exam room introduces himself and asked what my problem is? I tell him I have no problems, "why are you here then?" he says----I tell him my PSA was a little high. They take some more blood to do another PSA check and then he did another finger test----god I hate that test----the doctor says everything feels fine to him if the blood work comes back OK we are good to go.
The blood work comes back the PSA is now 2.62 and my free PSA level was 12. A normal free PSA is above 25 and anything under that is an automatic biopsy----Damn a biopsy----I am a picture of heath this can't be right. The nurse set up another appointment for the biopsy. I go in on July-2nd, to take a biopsy they stick prod up your ass and take a ultrasound of the prostrate, I am laying on my left side and there is a little table next to me and it has 12 small plastic containers with my name on them----this cannot be good!!---first they take the pictures then he tells me they are about to give me the lidocane block and it will feel like a "bee sting"---bee sting my ass I just about jumped off the table---damn that hurt. Doctor says we are going to take 12 needle biopsies of my prostrate, he tells me I should not feel much with the block----WRONG---damn he takes the first one, the next , the next, when he got to number 5 my toes were curled back touching my heel----both eyes were watering and snot running down my nose----he finishes all 12----I am sweating like crazy but is over. That was painful and I planned to give my doctor a good chewing out once the negative results come back for putting me through this.
The nurse calls me at the office yesterday----5 of the 12 samples tested positive for cancer-----on the Gleeson Scale from 1-10 I am a 6. The doctor wants to see me again next week to talk about treatment.....I still cannot believe it I had no signs at all that my prostrate had cancer in it.
I share this only because you guys need to get checked out----prostrate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in men----If you have not been checked out---go in and get this done.
Walt
Well I decide to get the wife off my back and submit to the annual physical with my doctor, first he wants to take blood for some tests, then comes the prostrate check, then off to the treadmill to do a stress test----I really did a good job on the stress test, the doctor was impressed with the level I reached. It's all good right-------well not so fast------when the blood work comes back my PSA( Prostrate Specific Antigen) level was a little high. It was 2.51, my doctor says this is a "little high" normal is anything under 2.5.
The doctor says he would like me to visit a urologist and get checked out, I Reluctantly agree but believe it to be a waste of time. So I set up a visit to this new doctor, when I get there he comes in the exam room introduces himself and asked what my problem is? I tell him I have no problems, "why are you here then?" he says----I tell him my PSA was a little high. They take some more blood to do another PSA check and then he did another finger test----god I hate that test----the doctor says everything feels fine to him if the blood work comes back OK we are good to go.
The blood work comes back the PSA is now 2.62 and my free PSA level was 12. A normal free PSA is above 25 and anything under that is an automatic biopsy----Damn a biopsy----I am a picture of heath this can't be right. The nurse set up another appointment for the biopsy. I go in on July-2nd, to take a biopsy they stick prod up your ass and take a ultrasound of the prostrate, I am laying on my left side and there is a little table next to me and it has 12 small plastic containers with my name on them----this cannot be good!!---first they take the pictures then he tells me they are about to give me the lidocane block and it will feel like a "bee sting"---bee sting my ass I just about jumped off the table---damn that hurt. Doctor says we are going to take 12 needle biopsies of my prostrate, he tells me I should not feel much with the block----WRONG---damn he takes the first one, the next , the next, when he got to number 5 my toes were curled back touching my heel----both eyes were watering and snot running down my nose----he finishes all 12----I am sweating like crazy but is over. That was painful and I planned to give my doctor a good chewing out once the negative results come back for putting me through this.
The nurse calls me at the office yesterday----5 of the 12 samples tested positive for cancer-----on the Gleeson Scale from 1-10 I am a 6. The doctor wants to see me again next week to talk about treatment.....I still cannot believe it I had no signs at all that my prostrate had cancer in it.
I share this only because you guys need to get checked out----prostrate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in men----If you have not been checked out---go in and get this done.
Walt
Last edited:
