Dealing with Prostate Cancer

Three words nobody wants to ever hear: “you have cancer.” I heard these words from my family doctor in August of 2018 and my life changed in an instant. Prostate Cancer. I have always had a yearly PSA test done, as prostate cancer is in my family. My father was diagnosed and treated quite a few years ago so I have always been diligent with my own testing, as it is more prevalent if a family member has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

My PSA jumped from 4.5 to 6.8 in about a 4-month period, so I was advised by my Urologist to have a biopsy. Luckily for me my cancer was very low grade, with a Gleason score of 6, which is very low, so I had a few options to choose for treatment. The treatment I chose was external radiation therapy. This consisted of 28 visits to the Cancer Clinic, every day Monday through Friday. The procedure was fast, and painless. My oncologist warned me of all the possible side effects with the radiation treatment, fortunately I have not experienced any of the side effects that I was warned about, other than sometimes feeling tired in the late afternoon. At the completion of my treatments I was advised to have a PSA test and follow up visit after about 7 weeks with my oncologist.

My PSA level dropped to 1.9 after treatment and I am now following up about every 6 months with my Urologist.
 
It is imperative that men are diligent with having a yearly PSA test done, as Prostate Cancer is diagnosed in 1 in every 7 men. There is a wealth of excellent information available for men diagnosed with Prostate Cancer from Movember, among many local support groups. You are not alone in dealing with this disease and it can be overcome with good family and friends support with whatever treatment option chosen. Early detection is the key.
 
Do you have prostate cancer? Or care about someone who does? Check out Movember’s initiative TrueNTH.