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| My Urologist's Office |
This past Friday I had my semi-annual visit to my urologist. I have these twice a year visits to get a head start should any of my developing kidney stones decided to drop and cause me to make an excruciating visit to the emergency room again. The good news is that I have two small kidney stones that are behaving themselves. They're there but behaving themselves, for now anyway.
The potential bad news is that my prostate cancer may be trying to make a comeback.
My PSA score is steadily inching upwards every time I get my labs. Even though it is still well under the 0 to 3.9 range considered normal, it is now .23 up from .17 six months ago. After I had my seed implant radiation treatment for prostate cancer in 2013 (my PSA was 8.4 then) my PSA score always hovered around .12.
I asked my urologist what should I do. He said we'll just monitor it for now but maybe in the future I might get another biopsy of my prostate. Oh no, I don't want to go through that worse than water boarding torture again to get twelve pieces of specimens from my walnut sized prostate gland. He said eventual removal of the prostate is also a consideration. I don't know if I want to do that either considering the side effects of which I won't go into now but they are not pleasant.
I called my friend Rich tonight and asked him what he did. He had his prostate removed thirteen years ago but his PSA came back. He said he underwent radiation treatment and now his PSA score is down. He said his doctor said "that cancer is looking for a place to land." So there is my friend who had his prostate removed and his PSA still came back.
You know what folks? I'm just going to monitor this. Not happy about it but I know something will eventually get me in the end. No one gets out of this life alive but I hope is that I would ease out of it with minimal pain and dependence on others. I have my backup plan. But for now I'm looking forward to week after next when I land in Philadelphia and spend a Christmas week with my good friends Pat and Don. And believe me folks, I cherish every moment.
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10 comments:
I have a huge kidney stone lodged well into my kidney that has been there for at least 30 years. It just stays there. The doctor said it has been there for so long and never moved that I may never have a problem.
You do not have to have your prostrate removed, but you would not like the alternative.
All best wishes and hope for healing, Ron, for both of us.
Thank you Geo. Taking one day at a time.
Ron
Practical Parsimony,
Thirty years with a kidney stone lodged? Wow. That's a time bomb. I hope it never tries to pass. As far as having my prostate removed. I'm not inclined unless I find it is cancer ridden. Even then it's not a guarantee that the cancer wouldn't return as it has with my friend Rich who had his prostate removed.
Ron
Ron, I figured it out and it has been there for almost forty years. It is so far into the kidney that it would be major surgery to remove it. I was questioning how it would feel to come out when I am ancient. The pain would be so extreme, it would probably kill an old woman to try to pass it.
I had my prostate removed a couple of years ago and, of course, I also suffer the anxiety of these PSA tests.
If I remember right, the definition of a biochemical recurrence for those who chose radiation as first treatment like you is two consecutive rises above the 1.5-2 level. You have shown a snail climbing after some years within digits 10 times smaller. Therefore, you do not have any reason to worry about this problem right now. But, I know, we always worry ...
Anyway, the option of removing a prostate after radiation and a recurrence is not usually recommended. Other forms of radiation and/or hormone deprivation treatment are the standard care options. And, in any case, this disease admits second, third and even more lines of treatment, generally with good results to contain it for a good number of years at the very least. But, again, you do not need to even think about more treatment with your current PSA levels.
Ron
I will hope for a better visit next time for you... and the PSA will be down... !
Practical Parsimony,
You're right, passing a kidney stone at your age the pain would be so extreme that God forbid, it would be fatal. My neighbor Barbara, who is a year younger than me, has a large kidney stone lodged. She can't have it removed though because of her age and her medical condition (end stage COPD.) Remember when we were young and we didn't even think of things like this? That is when we assumed we would live forever. And here we are now, trying to stay one step ahead of the Last Step and hopefully avoiding a messy and painful exit.
Ron
Anonymous,
Thank your for your very helpful informative comment. There is so much conflicting information about how to treat or not treat prostate cancer. I am very reluctant to have my prostate removed, especially at this time of my life. I would rather keep a "watch" on my prostate levels. I don't want to go the route of my friend Rich who had his prostate removed and saw his PSA levels inch up and decided to get radiation treatments. I think he got over treatment that wasn't necessary. Each case is different. I certainly don't want to risk being incontinent nor do I want to risk a slow and painful death if my prostate cancer spreads to my bones like my cousin's husband who died that way after beating off his prostate cancer for many years then it returned. Thank you again for your helpful and comforting comments.
Ron
"Tommy",
Thank you for your comment. Always appreciated.
Ron
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