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My brother is in that river in Egypt

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Posted 11/28/2011 1:13 PM (GMT -5)
D'Nile.

53 years old, never goes to the doctor, except when he breaks a bone from skiing or rock climbing, or something like that.  Never had his PSA tested, nor had a DRE.

Both Dad (an 11 year PCa survivor) and I smacked him in the head over the Thanksgiving table.  "Just get tested to get a baseline", a blood test, and 20 seconds of a finger where you don't want it is a lot less painful than breaking your colarbone when skiing (which he did last year). 

Tried to tell him how much harder and dangerous it would be to wait for symptoms first.

Stubborn fool, with his head in the sand.

(that's all, rant off)

 

Posted 11/28/2011 1:56 PM (GMT -5)
tenpin -
- good for you and dad to try to have him set up a baseline -

- maybe you could just wait a bit longer until he breaks something again during skiing season and while he is in traction - you could have a nurse borrow some blood and have an urologist intern at the hospital do the gloved "thank you ma'am"- a captive audience.
(only kidding)

-at 53 years old, he sounds like he never got past the "I am invincible 20's" - or maybe trying to feel like he is invincible (when he feels he is not)....

-all I can recommend - give him a PCa pamphlet (noting the 15% increased risk factor due to family PCa) - give him a hug or shove or smack on the shoulder - tell 'im you love him and then walk away - he is old enough to want to take care of himself - but never too old for family concern and love.

Bronson
Posted 11/28/2011 2:11 PM (GMT -5)
Denial is never a good thing in matters of health...

The data shows that a family history of a brother or father with prostate cancer increases the risk of prostate cancer. Furthermore, the risk is inversely related to the age of the affected relative...so your young age increases the risk of your brother, higher than it would have been if you were 20 years older (for example).

His relative risk of being diagnosed with PC, having had two first-degree relatives (FDRs) diagnosed at any age, is 5.1...so he is 5.1 times as likely to be diagnosed with PC than someone else who does NOT have two FDRs with PC.

That being said, I would suggest that you stress to him the importance of separating diagnosis from treatment. Not all those diagnosed with PC need treatment.

 

Post Edited (Casey59) : 11/28/2011 12:21:34 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/28/2011 8:55 PM (GMT -5)
my brother said:  "but we don't have a history of PC in our family!"

i said:  "we do now."

ed

Posted 11/28/2011 11:26 PM (GMT -5)
I am having the same trouble with my 41 year old son, maybe if I keep nagging long enuf, he will take the test.

Mal.
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