OK, to start with I'm not posting this with a view to get a sympathy vote, or anything that comes close to that. Sadly I don't know any of you personally, I did come close once to meeting Wessa, and very close to meeting Sandi. I might not know you all, but as David Copper once said in a post a few years ago, I consider you all to be my internet friends, and this is why I've decided to post this. On Friday the 13th of June ( Just had to be that date didn't it ) I was officially diagnosed with prostate cancer, my reaction to when the doctor told me was a bit unconventional I think, I just came out and said, " Oh Bollox ". So in April I had my over 65 health check. So off I trundled to the doctors and had the check up, they said everything was fine, and come back in 2 years. Then 2 days later I got a text saying my PSA levels were high and they wanted me to have an MRI scan, which I had the day before I went to Switzerland. The results came back as a shaded area on the inside of the prostate, and that they wanted me to go to Lincoln hospital for a biopsy. Well off I go to Lincoln, and there I am on a bench with my legs in the air, with my bits swinging in the wind, with some bloke inserting something up my backside, taking chunks out of my prostate. Tremendous fun. About 2 weeks later off to Boston I go for the results. Fortunately for me, they said that they'd got it really early, and the cancer was still inside the prostate, ( 18 samples taken, 14 negative & 4 positive ) and that I had time on my side to decide what I wanted to do, either active surveillance to monitor it, or whip it out. Well I wasn't going to wait for this cancer to jump ship and go on a touring holiday around my body, so I said get rid of the prostate. So on September the 24th I was in hospital for one night and I'm now one prostate lighter. My last blood test went from a PSA reading of 13, down to 0.03, I'm told that's OK, the surgeon called today, and said that they were very happy with the outcome ( Not as happy as me I might add ) I feel fine, and if I'm honest I've not been worried about it at all, heavens knows why not, but hey that's just me. Just goes to show that you never know what's round the corner. And to top it all I did not have 1 symptom, or any indication in any way shape or form, to tell me I had a problem in that area, nothing at all. I now know why they call it the silent killer. I can't stress enough that I HAD NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL So if any of you know anyone else who is 50 or over, get them to get tested, even if they have to go private. Other than that everything is just fine and dandy.
Umm, a very thought provoking post indeed! I got sent the " on a stick" test for bowel cancer as a matter of routine which so far has been ok. Having seen close to home how cancer eats away at you (1st wife, joint kids) it's not a great way to go, do the tests as they pop up
Glad you got the good news @Bikerman My Dad was diagnosed years ago and I asked my doctor if I should have a PSA test, he completely dismissed the idea, saying I didn't need one until 65! After Chris Hoy went public I tried again and finally had a test June 2024. Thankfully ok. Us gents must get checked!
@Bikerman So very glad you are on the mend. Strangely i was just talking to my Tracy about getting tested. Now i am defiantly certain i must get it done as lately i have had tummy troubles. Yes like you i class all the members here as friends and family. Yes do get strong again and maybe that's our trouble we shrug things of to quickly. Do take care and have a great Christmas and do keep talking to us all.
My brother in law, Kenny, ignored all the classic symptoms. When he eventually went to see his doctor and subsequent hospital visits it was found that the cancer had spread the length of his spine into the base of his skull. He died within a few months. Guys please get yourself checked out.
My god that's terrible. So sorry to read about that. I can only echo what your last paragraph said. Don't put it off.
Good for you Joe, it costs nothing to get it done. It's the old saying, better to be safe than sorry. If my post helps someone to go and have the test done, then I've achieved what I wanted to achieve, by my post. Hope when you get tested, that everything comes back normal. And that goes for anybody else who might now go for the test.
A lot of the tests now involve just a simple blood test so it isn't always necessary to have a lubed finger up the jacksy unless that's your thing
@Bikerman Glad to hear how things turned out for you, and of course you couldn’t be more right with regard to testing. In fact, my ulcerative colitis was only found because I thought I had bowel cancer (and therefore got tested).
Lost my dad earlier this year to it, after he ignored symptoms for too long, as blokes tend to do. I would not wish what he went through, or his last 12 months, on anyone. Don't let your doctor fob you off chaps and insist on a test, more so if a close male relative has been diagnosed. Even if you have no symptoms get a test done.
I asked my GP about getting tested for prostrate cancer after my mate ignored backache thinking it was sciatica which left it too late and by the time he got diagnosed it had spread to his pelvis. He suffered a long painful death, ending up bed bound in a care home which wasn't nice to watch. The initial test for prostrate cancer is 3 fold 1 A lifestyle questionnaire 2 The dreaded DRE ( It's not that bad tbh, just a few moments discomfort and that's it) 3 A PSA test The problem is there's no reliable test available, the PSA test is just an indicator, but anyone over 50 can ask for one so if the GP says you'd don't need it tell them to fork orrff and show them this PSA test - NHS https://share.google/pFopeHs7y9cRjpdnK I've had 3 PSA tests so far, last one was 0.58 so well within the limits for my age. My GP said the PSA results were just an indicator and he had many men with high PSA levels who didn't have cancer and the important thing was to monitor for a change in the results, rather than the results themselves. If in doubt get checked out
I'll see your on a stick and raise you a camera up the arse I've done a fair number of the routine stick tests as I'm nearly 70 now and they'rewell worth it as if detected early the prognosis for successful treatment for the bowel cancer is good, but I had blood in my a couple of years ago so went to see my GP. The worst bit was drinking the stuff they'd given me to clear me out the night before, then spending hours on the loo as it did it's work. My arse was EXCEPTIONALLY sore by the end of it and next morning before they started their Jaques Cousteau expedition the bloke shoved some form of funnel up my arse without any pain relief after I'd opted for gas and air rather than sedation. That did smart I can tell you and I told him so in no uncertain terms as I didn't get the gas and air until after the camera was launched, but it was well worth it as he found a couple of polyps which he removed that turned out to be benign and knowing I didn't have the big C was a huge if somewhat painful relief.
My Dad ignored the fact that he was up during the night about 20 times for a pee. It was only my wife and I nagging him that got him to s doctor. Stubborn git!
Sorry to read about your dad. I hope that this thread will make some who maybe think, I'm OK, to think again and get a test done. And to be truthful, anything the the doctor says there's a test for this or that, just take up the offer. yes we might all be shitting ourselves worrying about the outcome of said test, but just think of the relief when the results come back negative, and that you're OK. Then you can stop worrying about it.
Up 2 ~ 3 times a night. Consistent back pain. I (nearly 76) have had the PSA test, colonoscopy, CT scan X2 & the MRI scan. All clear, (bowel & prostrate) thank God. Just (???) an enlarged prostrate & spine not as good as it was years ago. DON’T put off seeing your GP if you have any symptoms or like me getting just a little bit older. So grateful that my GP was all over the case.
I had a well man check in 2019 - no symptoms or anything, just routine - which showed a raised PSA. Ultrasound inconclusive, MRI showed lesions on prostate and coincidentally spotted one in my bladder. 2 biopsies, prostate was clear, bladder...wasn't. Little bit of surgery right in the middle of Covid and that was sorted with no ill effects other than a biannual camera into the bladder (and yes, there's only one way in. Unpleasant but the drugs are fabulous). But, and this is important, I had no symptoms whatsoever. Nothing. Fast forward to October last year, regular check up, PSA is a bit high again and it looks off on the MRI. Another biopsy showed cancer at Stage 2. Bugger. Treatment was something called MR-LINAC, which is basically radioactive sorcery. 5 treatments of an hour each over 10 days and that's it. Done. Had hormone therapy for 3 months before and after, which was way worse than the actual treatment. Now I have a PSA check every 3 months and a followup review with the oncologist. But it's all sorted at the moment... Like everyone else has said, get checked, even if you don't have symptoms. A raised PSA might mean a finger up your arse (and some people pay good money for that) and nothing else. It might also mean the difference between a bit of inconvenience and a bit of death.
