It has been three hours since my prostate biopsy....

Hello all,

I went in believing that all I was going to have done today was an ultrasound of the prostate.  The doctor said if the lump was outside the prostate I would not need a biopsy.  Here is what happened...

I had asked for a drug because I was feeling a bit anxious so they got me there a little early to get the medication.  I went into a back room and the nurse made me sign a waiver giving my permission for the urologist to do the biopsy.

I said that I thought only if the lump was inside the prostate would I need a biopsy, she agreed and said this was, "just in case", and needed me to sign form without being under the influence of the drug.  So, I signed it.  I got my pill and she left the room.  I then saw a tray on the table, that had 15 sample boxes with my name tapped to each one.  When she came back, I said that it looks like the Doctor already decided to go ahead with the biopsy, no matter what he found.  She said no they only wanted to be prepared just in case.

The urologist came in finally, drug effect only so so.  He had me lie on my side and proceeded the ultrasound.  What he found was that the lump in question was 5/8 inch long, and there were some smaller ones like it around.

He said they were cysts.  He also said cysts were usually not cancerous.  He also said he wanted to do a biopsy to find out if they were or not.  I then relented.  He ended up giving me a shot that numbed the prostate.  Similar to a dentist shooting the first Novocain drug in the mouth.  He then waited for several minutes and began the biopsy.

The first needle slightly stung, not too bad.  On a scale of 1-10, and 10 being extremely painful, it was about a 2.5.  Two hurt more than the other 15 and they were the samples from around the penis.  Overall, not too bad, a lot less painful then what I thought it would be.

What it felt like was a slight burn coming from the area, I was able to go get breakfast afterwards.  I am able to urinate and have not tried any bowel movement yet.  NO blood when I urinated, but took a long time.

Where I am at now is waiting for the labs.  The urologist said he did not think the cysts were cancerous but it is possible that cancer can be in the prostate, and that the labs should help determine where we go next.

Thanks guys for everything so far, this is update.  It has been several hours and I just woke up from a nice nap.

Dave

Are you not happy with the process and their transparency?

Trudat ! Purgatory

It is over and from your experience, the pain and side effects were not too bad. Some times doctors know our personalities and try to keep us from worrying excessively. So they don't give us their full game plan. In your case, he did you a favor in doing it immediately. Results will take several days and try not to worry. I kept myself busy by forcing myself to do the various house and yard chores that I had been putting off. In my case, I found 2 weeks later, that I indeed had prostate cancer. Now, 21 months after surgery, I am cancer free with all systems working! Look at it this way, even IF your results come back positive, prostate cancer is very curable.

If you like, you could post your PSA numbers, age, family history of PCa, etc. so that we may know you better. Good luck.

Bill K. from NJ

Dave,

No blood in your pee. That's great. Wait until you see your next ejaculation! Mine looked like something from "Aliens". Yikes!
Brace yourself!

May all your cysts be benign.
Jeff

i never had blood in urine or in semen. Kept looking for it but wasn't there.

My urologist said he expected to find nothing. After my biopsy, while I was still out he told my dad that i looked fine and that he doubted I had cancer. My dad told me that as he drove me home.

I'm not a big drinker at all but the first words out of my mouth as I woke up from that wonderful drug was "i want a beer" as I really had the urge to drink one. The nurse didn't respond to that in any way. She must have thought I was a drunk.

Mine looked like something from "Aliens". Yikes! !

mine looked like....apple butter .

https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1422&bih=749&q=apple+butter&oq=apple+butter&gs_l=img.12..0l10.7826.11928.0.14424.12.9.0.3.3.0.97.687.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.img.JOIlBp7kbF0#imgrc=zt10do0_PpcIAM%3A%3Bf_-UMnvL_-5u6M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.circle-b-kitchen.com%252Fstorage%252Fapplebutter2.JPG%253F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%253D1287799164437%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcircle-b-kitchen.squarespace.com%252Ffood-and-recipes%252F2010%252F10%252F22%252Fhow-to-make-apple-butter.html%3B500%3B335

ed

 

Here is update:

Three years ago Psa 1.4

Today, as of three weeks ago psa 1.7.


Now a waiting game, when I first sat up my ass felt like it was on fire down there....now much better. Still a bit sore, seven hours later.

F8

Thanks for that apple butter image. I'll never look at a jar of the stuff the same way.
Thanks a lot, Pal!

Jeff

My concern is about the business of (not) taking antibiotics when you have a biopsy.
My uro was not prepared to give me a biopsy the first time he saw me as he said it was necessary for me to start taking antibiotics the day before the biopsy,
So my question is have you also had to take antibiotics?
Alf

Uro prepared me for blood in the urine and semen...said he didn't want me calling him in the middle of the night. Apparently that happened to him. And sure enough he was right. Kind of a strange siight

It doesn't usually hurt to pee. The holes they poked in your prostate bleed a bit and your prostate drains into your urethra and that come out in your urine and your semin. The doctor avoids the urethra itself when he takes sample so the part you pee through doesn't get perforated.

HOW DOES EVERYONE COPE WITH THE PHONE CALL....The one that tells you, you have entered the cancer zone?

This must be the worst thing in life to wait for, compared to anything else...it means the most.

I remember we waited to hear if my wife breast biopsy was cancer, and the call came in and it was positive, it was life changing call, it was the start of a long difficult road, that included surgery, radiation, and three types of chemotherapy.  There were times that I knew it was so hard on her, sometimes finding her curled up in bed crying because of radiation burns.  And I could do nothing for her except hold her.  Now, something like this could be in my future, and it scares the hell out of me.

Candles lit in church, family praying for the best news, and I am trying to not think about what if it is bad news...

Several things in my favor I believe:

1. PSA is 1.7 up from 1.4 three years ago, but still low.

2. Cysts are usually NOT cancerous, but still don't like it being in prostate, why not on face where I could poke a needle through it...

The doctor does not think it is cancerous, but he also believed that there was a 2/3 possibility that I WOULD NOT NEED a biopsy.

How do you cope till the phone call??  I'm going crazy.

DAve