So here we go again. Last week, I had my annual MRI scan at UCH following my ultrasound treatment in 2016. This morning, I had the follow up with my consultant. I last had a PSA test in October, and it had dropped slightly. On the basis of this, I was not really expecting anything other than good news. This is always a mistake, I have found that being as pessimistic as possible approaching the follow up is always sensible as then you never get bad news. Anyway, having been fine for seven years, it seems that we now have a small area of concern. Nothing to be overly concerned about at this stage, but a small area of concern. So the next step? A biopsy is being arranged. These are never fun. I'll also be doing a PSA follow up ASAP. I can't lie, I feel totally gutted. This is not because I'll be dropping dead any time soon, but I know that there will be a few months of anxiety and stress. For those of you familair with the Gleeson scale, I've gone from a 3+3 to 4+3.
Putting things in perspective, I am lucky. I have been under supervision, which means that this will be nipped in the bud, before it becomes anything too nasty. Being lucky enough to be a citizen of the United Kingdom, I am also not going to be bankrupted by the costs of treating this. There is not a lot of point speculating on what will happen prior to the biopsy, but there are three main scenarios. The first is that we simply carry on montoring it and do nothing. The second is that I receive another bout of Hifu or similar treatment to address the immediate problem. The third is that I have my prostate removed and that is the end of the matter. Each of these has upsides and downsides. Not all of them may be realistic options, I'll have to wait and see. It depends how nasty the 'change' is. At some point, around this time next year, I'll be writing a similar installment to this, where all of these questions are answered.
In some ways, I am lucky with the timing. I'm meeting up for a drink with some old schoolmates tonight, which will take my mind off the matter. The False Dots are doing a gig on Friday at The Dublin Castle, which should be a blast and again will take my mind off it all (Please come along if you are not doing anything - Full details here https://www.wegottickets.com/event/573818)
For me, the worst thing about all of this is the uncertainty. I've been through this a few times now and it isn't much fun. It means that things like plans forsummer holidays etc may well have to be rearranged. The consultant informed me that there is a backlog for biopsies, so it may be a while. She was not overly concerned about the delay as the area of concern is small.
I daresay that there will be a few people who dislike me and my blog who will be popping open the champagne today when they read this. I'd suggest that it's rather premature, unless a bus hits me, I'll be around for a while, maybe more miserable and angry, but here none the less.
This may all sound a bit doom and gloom. I can only be honest about how I feel. Don't let this put you off getting checked for cancer. I was first diagnosed in 2011. I had Hifu treatment in 2016. Apart from a couple of weeks of discomfort on a few occasions, I've had a completely normal life. If I hadn't been checked, I'd have found out when I had few options. Who knows where I'd be now? Please get yourself checked.
I wrote this number to try and encourage blokes to keep an eye on these issues and to talk about it. Please have a listen. God bless you all and stay healthy.
And here's the full story, if you've not read this series before.
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For those of you who are regular readers and have read the previous posts on Cancer, there's what this is all about. I write this blog because knowledge is power and if you know what you are dealing with, you have more weapons in the locker to fight it. It is a personal view, I'm not medically qualified. This is for the sole purpose of information for those who are interested.This is the latest installment in my occasional series about how I'm adjusting to living with a big C in my life. For those of you who aren't, here's a quick summary. I'm 59 years old and in October 2011 I had a prostate biopsy following two "slightly high" PSA tests - 2.8 & 4.1. The biopsy took ten tissue samples and one of these showed a "low grade cancer" which gave me a 3+3 on the Gleason scale. I was put on a program of active monitoring. In early February, I got the results of the a PSA test - down to 3.5 and an MRI scan which found absolutely nothing, two more tests in 2012 were at 3.5 and 3.9, in 2013 my test was 4.0, Jan 2014 was 3.8, August 2014 was 4.0, February 2015 it was up to 5.5 and my latest in August 2015 was down again at 4.6. In October 2015 I had a transperinial Prostate biopsy, that revealed higher grade cancer and my Gleason score was raised to 3+4 (Small mass + more aggressive cancer). On 22nd Jan 2016 I had HIFU (Hi Intensity Focused Ultrasound) treatment at UCHL). My post procedure PSA in May was 4.0 which was down, followed by 3.7 in August, and 3.5 in October which means that the direction is positive . However in January the follow up MRI revealed "something unusual which requires investigation" After a follow up biopsy, it appeared this was nothing to worry about. My two most recent PSA tests were Ok (3.7 and 4.6) and an MRI scan in March was very positive. A PSA in October 2019 was 4.6, so stable and good news, the last in May 2020 was 5.45 a small rise, so worrying, however after a review against the most recent MRI, it was decided that this was fine. My two latest ones in February 2022 was 6.7 and October 2022 was 6.6 was stable. My MRI in March 2022 showed 'a change' so I am now awaiting a biopsy.
I've no symptoms apart from needing to wee quite regularly and sadly for a few people, if I'm gonna die soon, it won't be from Prostate cancer. Got the picture?
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