Hospital

Today I had to go to hospital to have a chat with one of the Urology Consultants. I first had a PSA blood test done about seven years ago and was told, at the time, that the result of something like 10.5 was high. But at that time, trying to get to grips with what PSA test result numbers mean seems to be like knitting fog. I asked the consultant at the time what the 10.5 related to, what was the maximum and the minimum, but I was told that they really had no idea.

I've heard of cases where somebody with a PSA of 5 has had Prostate Cancer, and I know of somebody who had a PSA over 30 and didn't. But I guess I'm like most people, the very talk of Cancer scares me witless.

I had two TRUS biopsies seven years ago and was told then that I needed two because one biopsy was 98% accurate, but two were 99%. So I had two at the time, and both proved negative, which is good news. By the way, I'm not going to write about the biopsies, but they really are quite unpleasant.

Since then I've had PSA tests every six months and the results have continued to go up, little by little. There have been ups and downs, but on the whole more up than downs. Sprinkled in between have been a number of "digital" exams, and in this case digital has nothing to do with computers or sound recording. By last April the number had gone up to 13 and my Doctor decided it was time to see the specialists again. So I had yet another TRUS biopsy in May and another worrying wait for the results, which again turned out to be negative. But this time they didn't discharge me back to the Doctor. This time it was "Wait for four months and then come back for a chat." Today was the chat!

Now I've got to have an MRI scan at some point in the near future. I asked the Consultant why, and basically it is because they want to try to find out why my PSA results are still too high. Another PSA test last week came out at 12, which is down, but not far enough down. Then there was talk of a new procedure called a template biopsy, though I'm far from clear what that is, but anyway that would depend on the results of the MRI, so it may never happen. The thing is, I seems that I am too young at 61 to be left alone with mY PSA results, I guess it's nice to be too young again,at least for something.

I know, I know, it's better to know if there is something wrong, so it can be treated. And anyway, having a test done does not mean that the test will find anything. No test can find something if there is nothing to find. But I'm a man for heaven's sake, and I'd really rather not have to have the test done.

And there you are. I'm very sorry to have bored you with this, but I guess I needed to talk it through for myself, and since I'm convinced that nobody reads this blog, it's like talking to myself. I'll see you tomorrow, assuming that we are spared! God bless.

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