DECISIONS,DECISIONS ?

The start of 2016 and my PSA was as close as dammit to 10 necessitating a decision!

My mind had been made up some time prior to this stage and it was definitely going to be brachytherapy.

I'd finally been able to make contact with a patient (friend of a friend) who'd told me a pretty "good story" of his treatment ,which he'd undergone some 2 years back.

According to him he'd had some side effects (mainly fatigue and urinary) which had lasted as long as a year,but was back to fighting weight and feeling virtually 100% now.

At last a man who'd open up about this unbelievably sensitive subject?

It 's unbelievable how ignorant the male species is regarding this incredibly important aspect of later life?

Since being diagnosed I've taken every opportunity to :

~inform anyone of a similar age of the need to understand their PSA and prostate health in particular

~attempt to glean further info in the subject,either through research or firsthand

The weird thing is that,as soon as the subject is mentioned and the other party feels more comfortable that he's talking to a fellow "sufferer",I inevitably hear a bit of the real story,namely:

~Oh yeah I get up 3/4/5 times a night to pee (I was getting up once on diagnosis/my only "symptom")

~What's a PSA????

~Yes ,my quack reckons i'm fine with a PSA of 5,8.No need for a biopsy!

~Do you mind dropping the subject ,it's pretty "personal"??????

~Oh I had a TURP some years ago.....couldn't pee at all before that!

~Whaddya mean biopsy....don't they say..... "strive for 5?"(How wrong can one be?)

A%$#%ingmazing!!!!!

Guys just seem to have this total block when it comes to such an important subject.

Only once you tell all do they somehow feel the ability to discuss this issue.

And hell.....there are so many guys out there who are very much affected in one way or another.

Through my research I've reached the following conclusions:

~70% of men over 55 are affected in some way by a prostate problem.Not necessarily cancer but certainly urinary problems caused by prostates the size of baseballs (a normal sized prostate would be walnut sized)!

~If autopsies were carried out on 100 men over the age of 80 (hopefully after death) 80% of them would present with cancer of some stage or other.

~2% (max) of older men know their PSA count

I put this down to what amounts to a total lack of media coverage or media discussion in the subject.

We hear of breast cancer constantly and this dialogue is backed up with runs/walks/meetings/days/months dedicated entirely to the terrible scourge of this deadly disease affecting mostly women.

GOREME UNDERGROUND CITYCENTRAL TURKEY

Never prostate cancer????Why guys?

I'm pretty certain that the incidence of prostate cancer (per capita) is way above that of breast cancer!

Don't get me wrong here.....I'm in no way attempting to downplay the scourge of breast cancer.

But,for goodness sake men......I'm pretty sure that conservatively at least 40% of us out there (probably a lot more actually) are going to be affected if we live past 60.

Surely this is enough to warrant a little more attention in the subject?

At my age I'm constantly attending funerals of men who ....."died of cancer (lung/bladder/colon/spine/brain)".

Scratch a little deeper and you're inevitably going to discover that this "cancer" started in the prostate!

EPHESUS

On diagnosis I became really pissed with the constant......."oh it's prostate cancer....not a big problem,normally slow growing and definitely the best one to get if you're gonna have cancer"

Well thanks a lot!!!!!

So relieved to have picked up the "good" cancer?

What we should be saying is....."look guys,you're all going to get it if you live long enough....the secret is to analyse it and treat it before it metastasizes and reaches places where it's going to take you out!"

So,for goodness sake,be vigilant and act asap once you see the warning signs.

Without being morose,I believe that dying of this disease (eventually) is not a pretty sight!

It often eventually migrates to the rectum/bladder/spine/urethra ,rendering the victim still alive but in huge pain ,virtually unable to move ,with a catheter permanently up his dick!

Sorry guys but just saying....to frighten you all to action...

KOH TAO THAILAND

ANTALYA

from a state of inertia.

It's a totally manageable disease if caught and managed early on!