In November 2020 (that’s right November) I had been a regular Movember participant for as many years as I can remember. This year I “took a break” and decided to sponsor as many friends as I could.
I was looking to get 2 prescription renewals. A call to my GP resulted in him deciding to have me come in for a physical. At 58 years old I had been having a regular annual physical since I had turned 50. This one was going to be a few months ahead of schedule, but I didn’t give it a second thought. The only thing different this time was that I had a PSA test. It should be noted, as is quite often the case, I was COMPLETELY symptom free. My previous physicals had included a DRE as did this one. My GP advised that his DRE findings suggested that my prostate was “slightly enlarged, but NORMAL for my age” A week later I received my follow-up call with the results of my entire blood work up. The student that made the call stated that all findings were good with the exception of my PSA. They believed there was a lab error, possibly a “type-o” as my PSA was 58. An immediate referral was made to a Urologist and a second PSA was scheduled for the next day. That result came back at 57.6, which clearly validated the initial test. Within 10 days I was in the Urologists office, bent over, with pants around my ankles. He asked when my last DRE was, and what my physician told me. I explained it was 10 days earlier, and my doctor said “slightly enlarged, but NORMAL for my age”. His response was that my GP was “dead wrong, and that it was not a normal prostate for a man of any age” Within 5 days of that visit I underwent a biopsy, and waited anxiously over Christmas for those results. By the end of December, I received the news that my Gleason score was a “9”. My discussion with my Urologist was guarded, we discussed future imaging, Bone Scan, CT scan and MRI and given my numbers, statistically, my treatment option may be limited. Clear results as surprising as they were on the subsequent test, allowed for my preferred treatment option of Radical Prostatectomy. I was advised that my treatment plan would not be a “one and done” and that many steps would follow the surgery in order to manage my cancer. The term CURE is not currently part of our discussions. My post-surgery PSA tests were 3.3 and 3.6. Although a drastic drop from 58… three point anything in someone without a prostate creates a concern. I am 1 month into a 3 year hormone treatment plan. The hope is to have a PSA low enough by mid-October to start my radiation treatment which would hopefully be completed by mid-Movember !
I realise that this story will ring very familiar to many who are on this journey. For some it may be new. For either, I hope you find some sense of collective empowerment to continue fighting.

No One Fights Alone