PSA 7.3 - referred to urologist - - Page 2Worried about symptoms

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 12:56

Thank you, Neil.

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 13:32

Today, I just feel numbed by it all.

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 14:07

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Today, I just feel numbed by it all.

H: I’m very sorry to hear that.

Have you got a urology appointment date yet?

The ideal sequence if anything untoward is found apart from your urine retention, should be, of course at the behest of your consultant:

1. mp MRI scan at 3 Tesla resolution, if possible, then if suspicions are raised:

2. Template targeted biopsy under some kind of anaesthetic (avoid TRUS). If biopsy positive then:

3. Treatment plan discussed with your Multi-Disciplinary Team, with “curative intent”.

4. Surgery or treatment with the aim of being cancer-free in 2019. That’s if you even have it.......

I hope you ordered the information Toolkit folder as that explains everything more eloquently than I can.

Best of luck as ever.

Cheers, John.

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 14:55

Haig,

Call one of the specialist nurses via this website. The number is at the top of the page.

If at all possible have a change of scenery...a weekend away with loved one's. Your wife will be feeling your anxiety too, while also dealing with her own.

At this stage your fears are palpable and understandable. However, with your symptoms and possibly having an enlarged prostrate, it is entirely feasible that your PSA is raised for those reasons.

Wish i could do more to help. Take care.

Neil.

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 15:21

Neil & John,

As usual, replies on here help me rationalise this all a little better. I have no appointment yet - the GP saw me this Wednesday morning at 10am; I guess I need to hang on until sometime this week. The days feel long and I could hear the sound of the groundsman cutting grass in the mild drizzle. I envied him simply because he doesn't have a high PSA.

Haig

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 15:55

Haig, from what you have reported, PCa seems very unlikely and I wouldn't think a biopsy at all likely. I think you may have classic benign prostatic hyperphasia and will be given some pills to shrink the prostate and restore normal urination. I would recommend taking some advice about your anxiety, though. Not that I'm recommending pills for that! Just restore some balance to your thinking.

User

Posted 23 Nov 2018 at 17:15

AC,

If you're right, please send me your address and I will post out a bottle of something for Xmas. If you're not, at least it made me feel good for a wee while (no pun intended).

Haig

User

Posted 24 Nov 2018 at 09:24

Good morning everyone. I hope that all of you are well and although I do not know any of you personally, I mean this with complete sincerity. I guess many of you are finding me a little tiresome by now. Don't worry, I feel the same about myself, so don't take it to heart. I am not as bad as I was after finding out about my 7.3 PSA and slightly enlarged prostate, which was 'smooth' (was that intended to make me feel any better about the whole bloody thing?). I hope to get to see the urologist next week rather than this waiting game, which I struggle with. I still feel a complete imposter amongst you and should really have only begun to talk after knowing the result of further investigations. In terms of the symptoms, it seems that BPH and PCa are pretty similar, but both talk of needing the loo at night and I don't have this. I guess it is all so different for all of us etc.

Anyway, I'm going to leave you all alone until after the urologist tells me what I have. I promise not to bother you. Until then, keep safe all of you and without you, my last 4 days would have been yet harder to negotiate.

Haig

User

Posted 24 Nov 2018 at 09:55

"Smooth" is good, Haig. A prostate with tumours feels "knobbly". So yes, that should make you feel good!

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 24 Nov 2018 at 10:43

Haig.

Dont worry about bothering people that is what this forum is all about.

Better to put all your worries in print than to bottle them all up inside. I have started to use this site as part of my therapy as I find talking about what I have is my way of coping with it. I know that some of my friends are sick to death of me talking about it but I don’t care as it is helping me.

hang on in there and what ever the result next week me back and talk it over.

Bob

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 09:26

Morning all. My appointment is Tuesday 4th of December. Seems an age away, but at least I have a date now.

All the best,

Haig

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 09:59

You’re not bothering us at all, and I hope you will shortly bugger off and not need to ‘bother’ us ever again!

Best of luck on the 4th🤞

Cheers, John.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 17:34

I thought to stay away but I'm back, I'm afraid. So sorry. I came across a chap (on this site forum) who was 63 years old, PSA 7 and he was asking about the urologist's procedure regarding MRI & Biopsy. Anyway, he had MRI and biopsy same day, I think. Worryingly for me, after having been calmed by many on here, his MRI came back clear but the biopsy 12 point test showed one slow-growing cancer cell. I think he went for active surveillance.

Anyway, I naively thought I might get the MRI scan done and result back same day, there and then. "You're alright mate, get outta here" sort of result. Wishful thinking, of course. A number of things: a PSA of 7 is slightly lower than mine and cancer found in this chap and then I hear stories of over a week, 10 days wait before you get called back to do the biopsy. I haven't ordered the toolkit suggested because I feel so saturated with gloom that I couldn't face it. Haven't called the nurse number either. Keep googling and coming back to you guys - that's all I do.

Haig

Edited by member 25 Nov 2018 at 17:34 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 17:56

Haig,

Whatever the results of an MRI a biopsy should be performed...i would insist on it.

With your present fear of the worst, it is the only sure way to rule out PCa - and give peace of mind.

Neil.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:08

Thanks Neil & Mr A. You are both gents to spend time replying to me.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:10

Hi, I know what you are going through and maybe it is easy for me to say this but wait until you see the uro and don't jump to conclusions.

I had a psa of upto 15 at last count, was getting up some nights 9-10 times, prostate was massively enlarged, had biopsy, scans, cystoscopy, meds etc etc finally the uro diagnosed BPH and done a Turp.

I am about 5 weeks post op have good flow no bleeding and I sleep all night, still waiting for histology but I assume that was clear as they have not called me, I go for uro appointment on 28/11.

What I am trying to say is try to look to the positive, it doesn't mean you have pc just because your psa is high, bph will cause that too. I understand only too well the stress you are feeling, but don't count the losses until the race is run, easy for me to say now I am nearly home and dry, but I feel good now and that is important, in a few days maybe that will change when I see the uro, but I am thinking positive.

Try to relax, going to the uro doesn't mean pc it could be BPH.

Good luck.

Steve.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:16

Thanks Steve. Good luck to you on the 28th - I really hope you can move on. I wish I could have the mental strength of all on here - staying positive is something I am not able to manage. I have tried.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:33

'The days feel long and I could hear the sound of the groundsman cutting grass in the mild drizzle. I envied him simply because he doesn't have a high PSA.'

Nice words Haig, do you have a tune for it?

When I was first diagnosed I used to wake up in the night which isn't unusual, but then I'd get a fear that something was wrong but I couldn't think what it was. Then I remembered and worried a bit before going back to sleep. That lasted about a week. The words aren't that good, not sure if a tune will fix it.

Don't worry about posting your fears. People talk about the most personal matters on here. Some of the ladies know more about your very personal fears and problems than most men.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:39

Hello Peter. No tune, I'm afraid - just the way I was thinking at the time. Waking up at night suggests that you had moments of sleep - I just lie there with some pretend snoring, so my wife thinks I have knocked off. Then God knows what I do for the next few hours - I need some pills probably, but I don't want to go to my local doctor's surgery right now. If I could hibernate, I would.

User

Posted 25 Nov 2018 at 18:48

Hey Haig...

It's a bugger waiting for tests and results ....we've all been there!

Try to put your teaching skills into practice and focus on the facts you have before you .....

Until you have the results of any tests / biopsies etc you won't know what your situation is...

I know it's bloody stressful and we all deal with it in different ways ....in your case it may well be not Pca at all!

Life is full of obstacles and hurdles to overcome....you must know that...

Maybe a visit to your GP and explain your anxiety will help? ....he'll only dish out a few pills though .. if they help meantime that's fine innit!

If it helps you keep on posting your concerns here..... sometimes the people on this site give more support than a GP would when it comes dealing with this stuff https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/Scripts/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif

Best Wishes
Luther

Edited by member 25 Nov 2018 at 18:57 | Reason: Not specified

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PSA 7.3 - referred to urologist

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