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To test or not

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User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 15:56
It's 6 months since my last PSA test when it hit the lowest it's been at 0.01 since the ART. The oncol is happy for a yearly test but has given me a spare blood form should I feel the need for a 6 month test.

I'm in two minds what to do. Part of my brain is saying be safe and get tested but of course there is the twitchy bum anxiety that goes with that. The other part of my brain is trying to forget all about it which is quite hard.

I was dx as high risk but question why they'd put me on annual tests if the risk is high.

I'm not really asking for advice as its my decision but thought writing it down in here may some how help me decide

Bri

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:16

Bri
As we've said before it's very hard to relax , whatever the outcome of your surgery or RT or HT or Bracchy or whatever. It's always with all of us who are afflicted by this blight , cured or not. You've been through the mill in more ways than one , but you know enough about PCa to realise you are now in a very good position indeed. Six months , one year ?? Would it make a great deal of difference ?? I guess it depends on your personality. I'd love to say just relax and have an entire year cancer free , but I know you're a worrier - like us all.
Do what you feel is best and it's good you got it off your chest. I know my GP really well. If I asked for a test he would prob give it. If he thought I didn't need it , he would tell me and I'd respect that.
Take care , relax :-)

If life gives you lemons , then make lemonade

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:45
Bri

Personally I would like a couple of years at six month testing before going to full yearly testing. Not sure of the regime but the chairman of our support group is now 17 years PCa free, his only treatment was open surgery.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:54
I would go on another holiday 😀 I think your slacking a bit you're only had about 10

So seriously from someone who follows medical advice to the letter ............ Difficult , you choose then we can have beer to celebrate

Talking of beers we are well overdue 😜

Don't deny the diagnosis; try to defy the verdict
User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 17:47
Bri

as you say, only you can decide about the test. Having a test at 6m rather than waiting a whole year just means you either get assurance that all is going well or you get an early heads up that something isn't.

Only thing for certain is, if you have the test you can't make the result anything different from what it is.

Whatever you decide I continue to wish you stability.

I'm with Si time we got together for a beer and curry its ages since I saw you and Mrs Brian.

My best wishes

xxx

Mo

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 23:15
Hello Bri long time no see😀

To test or not to test that is the question🤔 This is only my opinion if you don't test you are going to spend the next 6 months wondering it will always be on your mind. Testing won't change the result but will give you peace of mind and there is a lot to be said for that. So my vote is get tested..

Wondering and worrying are always worse than the reality whatever that reality might be. So go for it.

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON
User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 00:25
Hi Bri,

I have thought about this carefully and decided that I would go ahead and have a six month check because I would always be wondering otherwise.

I think I've made the mistake too often of trying to avoid checking on health issues in the past, thinking that if I put it out of my mind, it will go away.

I think that if you get a good result (which it probably will be), it will boost your confidence, if not, then you might as well know so you can start to deal with it.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and try not to worry.

Take care.

Steve

User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 06:50
Hi Bri, I am with Steve on this. If you leave it the chances are that in 6 months more you will be fine anyway but if you did have a rise then you would have to wait a further period for another test to see at what rate things are changing also God forbid but if it had elevated significantly then you would always look back to now and say why didn't you get one done.

The whole reason it has come to mind must be because it is on your mind so the only way to get it off your mind is to do it!

All that said , it's your call as you say.

Have a great weekend

Kev

Dream like you have forever, live like you only have today Avatar is me doing the 600 mile Camino de Santiago May 2019

User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 07:15

For what my opinion is worth - 6 months.

If there's nothing there, well you may have had another S.B.T. but you'll also have another 6 months to enjoy life to the full without that worry.

If there's something there, it will be dealt with that much sooner.

So....... one lot of S.B.T or two?

Go with what your gut tells you (or what Mrs Brian advises?)

****

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 08:10

I would want to have a few more confidence boosting 6 monthly 0.02s "under my belt".

 

Flexi

User
Posted 25 Sep 2016 at 20:01

I tend to think raising it has answered your own question. You don't like what ifs get it tested and move on. I had a Newark meet in my diary today but heard nothing so maybe the suggestions above from Si no Mo suggests time is ripe for a beer and a meal.

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:33

Good Luck Bri, hope the figures remain low.  I've got my fingers crossed for you too.  When do you get the results?

Not looking forward to my next PSA test, on December 1st, the first since ending HT.  Due to see the Onco for the results the day before the Flyer event, I'll need a drink or two which ever way it goes.

Take care.

Steve

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:40
Thanks Steve... I will have to ring Weston Park later this week.

Fingers crossed for your results.

Bri

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:48
Hope you get the best result, always rooting for you Bri

Dream like you have forever, live like you only have today Avatar is me doing the 600 mile Camino de Santiago May 2019

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:58
👍

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON
User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 20:32
B

Hope all is okay.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 11 Nov 2016 at 14:05
Bri

Never good to get a rise no matter how small. As you say the technical issues may be the cause or perhaps just something you did differently. I did read that even seasonal changes can have an effect on PSA readings.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 11 Nov 2016 at 20:56

Hi Dave, I don't think the doctors do get concerned about these tiny numbers - it is just the patients that worry about it. If Bri was being tested to 1 decimal place he wouldn't know about a rise from 0.01 to 0.02 As an aside, there are more reasons than the three you listed - a small amount of PSA is generated a breast feeding woman or one who has just had an orgasm can have a PSA of higher than Bri's!!!!

Tiny amounts of PSA can be produced in the liver or pancreas, or in breast tissue (male and female) - that's why the NHS official line is that you haven't got a confirmed recurrence unless it goes above 0.2 or you have 3 successive rises.

Bri, remember John's story for this year, rise to 0.08 then 0.09 and then a lovely drop back to 0.05 - in our case almost certainly due to St James' replacing all their machines this year.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

Show Most Thanked Posts
User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:16

Bri
As we've said before it's very hard to relax , whatever the outcome of your surgery or RT or HT or Bracchy or whatever. It's always with all of us who are afflicted by this blight , cured or not. You've been through the mill in more ways than one , but you know enough about PCa to realise you are now in a very good position indeed. Six months , one year ?? Would it make a great deal of difference ?? I guess it depends on your personality. I'd love to say just relax and have an entire year cancer free , but I know you're a worrier - like us all.
Do what you feel is best and it's good you got it off your chest. I know my GP really well. If I asked for a test he would prob give it. If he thought I didn't need it , he would tell me and I'd respect that.
Take care , relax :-)

If life gives you lemons , then make lemonade

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:45
Bri

Personally I would like a couple of years at six month testing before going to full yearly testing. Not sure of the regime but the chairman of our support group is now 17 years PCa free, his only treatment was open surgery.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 16:54
I would go on another holiday 😀 I think your slacking a bit you're only had about 10

So seriously from someone who follows medical advice to the letter ............ Difficult , you choose then we can have beer to celebrate

Talking of beers we are well overdue 😜

Don't deny the diagnosis; try to defy the verdict
User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 17:47
Bri

as you say, only you can decide about the test. Having a test at 6m rather than waiting a whole year just means you either get assurance that all is going well or you get an early heads up that something isn't.

Only thing for certain is, if you have the test you can't make the result anything different from what it is.

Whatever you decide I continue to wish you stability.

I'm with Si time we got together for a beer and curry its ages since I saw you and Mrs Brian.

My best wishes

xxx

Mo

User
Posted 22 Sep 2016 at 23:15
Hello Bri long time no see😀

To test or not to test that is the question🤔 This is only my opinion if you don't test you are going to spend the next 6 months wondering it will always be on your mind. Testing won't change the result but will give you peace of mind and there is a lot to be said for that. So my vote is get tested..

Wondering and worrying are always worse than the reality whatever that reality might be. So go for it.

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON
User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 00:25
Hi Bri,

I have thought about this carefully and decided that I would go ahead and have a six month check because I would always be wondering otherwise.

I think I've made the mistake too often of trying to avoid checking on health issues in the past, thinking that if I put it out of my mind, it will go away.

I think that if you get a good result (which it probably will be), it will boost your confidence, if not, then you might as well know so you can start to deal with it.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and try not to worry.

Take care.

Steve

User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 06:50
Hi Bri, I am with Steve on this. If you leave it the chances are that in 6 months more you will be fine anyway but if you did have a rise then you would have to wait a further period for another test to see at what rate things are changing also God forbid but if it had elevated significantly then you would always look back to now and say why didn't you get one done.

The whole reason it has come to mind must be because it is on your mind so the only way to get it off your mind is to do it!

All that said , it's your call as you say.

Have a great weekend

Kev

Dream like you have forever, live like you only have today Avatar is me doing the 600 mile Camino de Santiago May 2019

User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 07:15

For what my opinion is worth - 6 months.

If there's nothing there, well you may have had another S.B.T. but you'll also have another 6 months to enjoy life to the full without that worry.

If there's something there, it will be dealt with that much sooner.

So....... one lot of S.B.T or two?

Go with what your gut tells you (or what Mrs Brian advises?)

****

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 23 Sep 2016 at 08:10

I would want to have a few more confidence boosting 6 monthly 0.02s "under my belt".

 

Flexi

User
Posted 25 Sep 2016 at 20:01

I tend to think raising it has answered your own question. You don't like what ifs get it tested and move on. I had a Newark meet in my diary today but heard nothing so maybe the suggestions above from Si no Mo suggests time is ripe for a beer and a meal.

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 17:38

Well I decided to go and give some blood today. It's the longest I have gone between tests i.e. 8 months.

Fingers crossed the PSA remains around the 0.01 mark

Bri

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:33

Good Luck Bri, hope the figures remain low.  I've got my fingers crossed for you too.  When do you get the results?

Not looking forward to my next PSA test, on December 1st, the first since ending HT.  Due to see the Onco for the results the day before the Flyer event, I'll need a drink or two which ever way it goes.

Take care.

Steve

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:40
Thanks Steve... I will have to ring Weston Park later this week.

Fingers crossed for your results.

Bri

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:48
Hope you get the best result, always rooting for you Bri

Dream like you have forever, live like you only have today Avatar is me doing the 600 mile Camino de Santiago May 2019

User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 19:58
👍

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON
User
Posted 07 Nov 2016 at 20:32
B

Hope all is okay.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 10 Nov 2016 at 13:11

Good luck for your results.

 

Mark

User
Posted 10 Nov 2016 at 16:01
Good luck with your results Brian..

KRO...

User
Posted 10 Nov 2016 at 19:55

Cheers folks. The secretary isn't allowed to give me the results and the doc hasn't phoned me as promised

Bri

 
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