Anniversaries

I'm coming up (1st week of December) on 4 years since biopsy and diagnosis. It's fading far enough into the rear-view mirror that I forget what year it was sometimes. A lot has happened since then as well.

To summarize my story in brief....Sometime around my 40th birthday, my father suggested I start getting annual PSA tests. At the time, he was about 5 years post diagnosis for his own case, and also about 5 years away from losing his battle with the beast. When I had my annual physical, I asked my GP about it, and he agreed to order the test as part of my regular blood work, even though he also doubted we'd find anything.

I had a long stretch of zeros, and then a gradual rise started in 2009, with my first reading in detectable range (on the standard test). Starting then, I had two things happen with my prostate: I started seeing annual doubling of my PSA reading, and I started having minor BPH symptoms. For the BPH, my GP suggested I start supplementing with saw palmetto, just to see if it helped. In fact, it did. It also probably cut my PSA about 50%--at least that's what the urologist thought in 2014.

In September of 2014, I had my annual physical, and my PSA came back at 3.0, the year before it had been 1.5, and the year before THAT it had been 0.5. With that trend, my GP suggested I visit the local urologist. My GP also said he felt a little firmness on one side with the DRE.

The Urologist looked at my years long PSA history, discussed the family history, and told me I needed to double my PSA reading because of the saw palmetto...so instead of it being 3.0, I should assume it was 6.0 or higher. And he scheduled a biopsy. I had a 12 core TRUS biopsy Dec 1, 2014. And came home on Friday, December 5, 2014, to a message on the answering machine to call a particular nurse at the urologist office, and she gave me the news.

That was the week I joined this forum. You guys told me to get a second opinion (check), study the options, including AS, and to get to a big center. My local uro set up the consults I needed, and I made the decision for RALP, to schedule sometime in late January/early February. (My oldest daughter was expecting our first grandchild, and there was no way that I was going to do the surgery before he checked in).

I had the surgery on Feb 17, 2015, and have had excellent results. My post-surgery pathology showed an upgrade--to G3+4 in all 4 quadrants of the gland--which suggests to me that treatment was, in fact, needed. Since then, I have been in the zero club, and have no significant side effects.

Thanks for the recap, Halbert. I am almost exactly 1 year ahead of you, so our anniversaries come almost the same day. I'm glad you continue to do so well!

Halbert,
That's a very great anniversary update. Hoping for many more years of zero PSA for you, and many more grandchildren to enjoy.
Wings-with 6 wing-lette grandchildren my own!

Congratulations Halbert! My 1 year anniversary is coming up in December.

Halbert - results like yours couldn't go to a better man! Congratulations on not only the numbers but also on being able to go on with life to its fullest. You have been a great help to many of us who started our journeys after you.

You welcomed me in here Halbert. (as you continue to do every new guy that walks through here). Couldn't happen to a better fella. Thanks for all your postings. And congratulations Halbert, on your results. May you continue in good health. Congratulations.

(and I can't leave Prat out of this post. if it were not for your help Pratoman….I really don't know what I would have done. Your demeanor during that time …. lol.....it's the best thing that could have happened to me)

All of you men (and women as well).....you all help me more than you can know. Take it to the bank. Thank you all.

Kool.............I really enjoy some of the posts from the guys that started it rolling for me................what just 16 months ago??

Seems like I am seeing fewer and fewer of the "old" guys on the posts.

Hope everyone had a nice gobble gobble day. I made lasagna.

Roger

Who me???? I'm never getting old. Well maybe just a little.

That's great, Hal. Thanks for the update! Most encouraging. Your diligence watching your PSA, in light of your father's experience, sounds like it has paid off well. I'll add my thanks for your support to those on this forum!

Congrats Halbert! And I echo what the others have said; particularly in relation to being so supportive of new arrivals. You were very kind to us too, when we first arrived on the board 2 years ago, and that meant so much. I'm so very glad your treatment has been, and continues to be, so succesful. We don't have Thanksgiving here in Aus, but I hope you are enjoying that wonderful celebratory time with your family and friends!

started the winter with 23 cord cut, split and stacked under cover.

roger