Prostate

[zaggahamma]

Saw Uro today for new bloodwork (PSA and free PSA)...Both still low
0.3 and .13 (Free) The free PSA didn't have a reference range but it was next to nothing and showed in range (the nurse had no idea why there was no reference range) the doc didn't even go over the free PSA (I forgot to ask) He's just raring to go with the biopsy and informed me of his most recent and youngest ever prostate cancer patient (32) that didn't have a high PSA and still had cancer. They even sent a sample to Johns Hopkins and it was confirmed. Well, I decided to have the biopsy done, but at a hospital with anasthesia.

[Kale]

Saw Uro today for new bloodwork (PSA and free PSA)...Both still low
0.3 and .13 (Free) The free PSA didn't have a reference range but it was next to nothing and showed in range (the nurse had no idea why there was no reference range) the doc didn't even go over the free PSA (I forgot to ask) He's just raring to go with the biopsy and informed me of his most recent and youngest ever prostate cancer patient (32) that didn't have a high PSA and still had cancer. They even sent a sample to Johns Hopkins and it was confirmed. Well, I decided to have the biopsy done, but at a hospital with anasthesia.

You are fvcking nuts !!! Have you had a second opinion ?

[zaggahamma]

You are fvcking nuts !!! Have you had a second opinion ?

i'm assuming you mean having the biopsy with the low PSA? Did you read the part about the 32 year old?
Little harsh with the nuts and fvck!
You think I WANT the procedure? Hell fvckin now!
After I went to that uro the first time and he felt something (hard nodule) I went back to my endo and she WOULDN'T check it and asked why....you're only 37 and low psa...like you're saying.
I can't keep shooting test if I might have something.

[Ufa]

jpkman----Kale is extremely smart in this area. He is like the
teacher. I'd pm him if I were you. If you had cancer you would
have blood in stool, urine, ect. Your psa would be 50 times what
you have. The longer this thing goes on the less likely you don't
have cancer. Cancer will tear you apart so fast you would know
by now. (Get a second opinion) --my opinion.

[zaggahamma]

bump

[Kale]

i'm assuming you mean having the biopsy with the low PSA? Did you read the part about the 32 year old?
Little harsh with the nuts and fvck!
You think I WANT the procedure? Hell fvckin now!
After I went to that uro the first time and he felt something (hard nodule) I went back to my endo and she WOULDN'T check it and asked why....you're only 37 and low psa...like you're saying.
I can't keep shooting test if I might have something.

Mate I appologise if I came off like an ass but I dont want to see you do something to yourself that can have long term repercussions if it isnt necessary. If they cut your Prostate you could end up with no sex life. Do you want that ? If your PSA is so low the chances of you having cancer are almost zero. I am willing to bet money that the nodule is just calcification. Have you had an Untrasound ? If not, why not ? This is a basic diagnostic tool and I cant believe he is talking biopsy without having done one. I am begging you to get another opinion before you do this !!!!

[zaggahamma]

Mate I appologise if I came off like an ass but I dont want to see you do something to yourself that can have long term repercussions if it isnt necessary. If they cut your Prostate you could end up with no sex life. Do you want that ? If your PSA is so low the chances of you having cancer are almost zero. I am willing to bet money that the nodule is just calcification. Have you had an Untrasound ? If not, why not ? This is a basic diagnostic tool and I cant believe he is talking biopsy without having done one. I am begging you to get another opinion before you do this !!!!

kale, thanks....i just saw you chimed back....actually got to do a little fishing today
no apology necessary...i thought you meant well..it didn't sound like your usual constructive self....sometimes my passion for things come out like that, too....so thanks
this uro says that he can't rule anything out with only the ultrasound....he says they have to do both at the same time....they use the ultrasound just to help find the area to cut ....i remember you saying that yours was ruled out with just the ultrasound, and i brought it up to them but they said it won't rule it out
i got a little impatient when after that i went back to my endo to get her to check my prostate and she said NO, WHY....these docs man
so I was just going to get the biopsy done to rule it out for sure, didn't know the biopsy was with that much risk that you just mentioned. You have my word that I will talk with another uro, research in depth this more b4 i do it...and if I find out that a uro can rule this shiat out with only an utra, i'm gonna be PISSED and owe you a big A$$ THANKS...I appreciate what you've contributed already
thanks

[Kale]

kale, thanks....i just saw you chimed back....actually got to do a little fishing today
no apology necessary...i thought you meant well..it didn't sound like your usual constructive self....sometimes my passion for things come out like that, too....so thanks
this uro says that he can't rule anything out with only the ultrasound....he says they have to do both at the same time....they use the ultrasound just to help find the area to cut ....i remember you saying that yours was ruled out with just the ultrasound, and i brought it up to them but they said it won't rule it out
i got a little impatient when after that i went back to my endo to get her to check my prostate and she said NO, WHY....these docs man
so I was just going to get the biopsy done to rule it out for sure, didn't know the biopsy was with that much risk that you just mentioned. You have my word that I will talk with another uro, research in depth this more b4 i do it...and if I find out that a uro can rule this shiat out with only an utra, i'm gonna be PISSED and owe you a big A$$ THANKS...I appreciate what you've contributed already
thanks

Man no problem, all I want is for you to talk to somebody else and find out why a biospy is needed for such a low PSA.. When they did the ultrasound on me the Uro said He saw calcification but it was OK so they know what they are looking for. Now there is a chance when they do the biopsy that they can cause damage that will effect your sex drive. With a BPH resection, which is what they do when its so enlarged that it needs to be reduced by surgery, they go in through the eye of your penis and they pear it down with a hot wire, so sex drive can be afftected but its not a given by any stretch of the imagination. What is a given is that when you ejaculate the sperm will not leave through the penis anymore, it is shot backwards into the bladder and urinated out later. You need to enquire about these possibilities if they do insist on a biopsy. You also need to get a contructive answer form the Uro and why he thinks there is possible cancer when the PSA is so low. This just makes no sense to me.. I know a lot about this because, one I have BPH, and two both my step father, and father in-law have both had Prostate Cancer and PSA was the defining diagnostic !!!

[Mobligator]

Saw Uro today for new bloodwork (PSA and free PSA)...Both still low
0.3 and .13 (Free) The free PSA didn't have a reference range but it was next to nothing and showed in range (the nurse had no idea why there was no reference range) the doc didn't even go over the free PSA (I forgot to ask) He's just raring to go with the biopsy and informed me of his most recent and youngest ever prostate cancer patient (32) that didn't have a high PSA and still had cancer. They even sent a sample to Johns Hopkins and it was confirmed. Well, I decided to have the biopsy done, but at a hospital with anasthesia.

Man no problem, all I want is for you to talk to somebody else and find out why a biospy is needed for such a low PSA.. When they did the ultrasound on me the Uro said He saw calcification but it was OK so they know what they are looking for. Now there is a chance when they do the biopsy that they can cause damage that will effect your sex drive. With a BPH resection, which is what they do when its so enlarged that it needs to be reduced by surgery, they go in through the eye of your penis and they pear it down with a hot wire, so sex drive can be afftected but its not a given by any stretch of the imagination. What is a given is that when you ejaculate the sperm will not leave through the penis anymore, it is shot backwards into the bladder and urinated out later. You need to enquire about these possibilities if they do insist on a biopsy. You also need to get a contructive answer form the Uro and why he thinks there is possible cancer when the PSA is so low. This just makes no sense to me.. I know a lot about this because, one I have BPH, and two both my step father, and father in-law have both had Prostate Cancer and PSA was the defining diagnostic !!!
************************************************** ****************************
Jpkman,

Your urologist is absolutely right by suggesting a biopsy. By all means have it done!!! Your Free PSA is very low and depending on the lab, anything less than 25-27 is in the danger zone. The PSA is a good diagnostic tool but it is not perfect. The Free PSA is also a good diagnostic tool but unfortunately it is likewise not perfect but it is an improvement on the regular PSA. The Free PSA can usually tell whether or not the tumor, if there is one, is benign or malignant. This test has a reported sensitivity of about 72 percent and a specificity of 95 percent. (Sensitivity is the ability to detect the disease when it's truly there. Specificity is the ability to detect the absence of disease when it is truly absent.)

Most patients with prostate cancer have a free PSA less than 15%.
Patients with free PSA over 25% usually have benign prostate hyperplasia.
The free PSA threshold of less than 25% is more specific for a diagnosis of cancer and avoids the need for biopsy in about 20% of patients who would otherwise undergo this procedure based upon total PSA alone. However, up to 30 percent of men who do in fact have prostate cancer have a normal total PSA blood level.

The biopsy “will not” cause you any problems with your sex drive! I’ve had three of them done, all under intravenous anesthesia. Takes about 20-30 minutes, no pain or after effects. Don’t ever let them do one with out anesthesia though! Hurts like hell! A good biopsy should take at least six samples in six different areas of your prostate but nine are better. The needle used is very thin and it can miss the tumor if the Uro doesn’t have sufficient experience doing them. Think of a tic tat toe square overlaid on your prostate and a sample taken from each square. The problem is they can’t actually see the cancer in the prostate with an Ultra Sound. If it comes back positive don’t panic. Prostate is very slow growing and you will have plenty of time to decide how you want it treated. I had "brachytherapy" plus 7 weeks of "external conformal beam radiation", the same treatment Rudy Gulliana had only I had mine done in Atlanta, GA and he went to Mount Sinai Medical Center, N.Y.
Stay away from the TURP, Transurethral resection (Rotor Rooter) if you possibly can. They have medications that will help BPH that work very well, "Flomax" is one of the best and a newer one is "Avodart". I take Flomax and Hytrin but the Flomax is better. If you do need an operation to relieve the urinary symptoms there are other newer methods than the old antiquated rotor rooter. One is a balloon method similar to what they use in angioplastia, (my brother had this done), another method is Ultra Sound, and I believe they can also do it by Laser surgery. The old Rotor Rooter method is like a plumber cleaning out clogged up drains and if the surgeon goes a fraction of an inch too far and damages the bladder valve you ‘re in deep sh-t.

[zaggahamma]

mobligator, thanks for chiming in
I wanted to make sure that my free psa was .13 total but the % was 43.3...does this make any difference in your reccomendation?
and also, when i was asking about having a little leakage after urination is a sign of prostate probs, he said they can do a cyscopathy (I problably didn't get that right) but you might know what i'm talking about....they plan on doing that at the same time as the biopsy....i've had that for probably over 10 years.
Oh, and what he felt with the DRE was a decent size nodule (hard)...his words, "could be calcification"...he said that twice in 2 visits, but he also said that he can't prescribe any hormones unless a biopsy was done because of this DRE finding.
But, let me know if the free psa total and the percentage that i just updated makes any difference in what you said in your last post or anything else to add is greatly appreciated.
thanks a lot

[zaggahamma]

Man no problem, all I want is for you to talk to somebody else and find out why a biospy is needed for such a low PSA.. When they did the ultrasound on me the Uro said He saw calcification but it was OK so they know what they are looking for. Now there is a chance when they do the biopsy that they can cause damage that will effect your sex drive. With a BPH resection, which is what they do when its so enlarged that it needs to be reduced by surgery, they go in through the eye of your penis and they pear it down with a hot wire, so sex drive can be afftected but its not a given by any stretch of the imagination. What is a given is that when you ejaculate the sperm will not leave through the penis anymore, it is shot backwards into the bladder and urinated out later. You need to enquire about these possibilities if they do insist on a biopsy. You also need to get a contructive answer form the Uro and why he thinks there is possible cancer when the PSA is so low. This just makes no sense to me.. I know a lot about this because, one I have BPH, and two both my step father, and father in-law have both had Prostate Cancer and PSA was the defining diagnostic !!!

I definately don't have a problem getting 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinions. I am not even sure if i am at total ease with my uro's demeanor...he really is quite arrogant in my opinion, and I don't know if i should take that as confidence in knowing a great deal. I have that feeling that he knows he's good at what he does and doesn't even have to prove it. It's like just do what the doctor says and don't ask ?'s.

[Mobligator]

mobligator, thanks for chiming in
I wanted to make sure that my free psa was .13 total but the % was 43.3...does this make any difference in your reccomendation?
and also, when i was asking about having a little leakage after urination is a sign of prostate probs, he said they can do a cyscopathy (I problably didn't get that right) but you might know what i'm talking about....they plan on doing that at the same time as the biopsy....i've had that for probably over 10 years.
Oh, and what he felt with the DRE was a decent size nodule (hard)...his words, "could be calcification"...he said that twice in 2 visits, but he also said that he can't prescribe any hormones unless a biopsy was done because of this DRE finding.
But, let me know if the free psa total and the percentage that i just updated makes any difference in what you said in your last post or anything else to add is greatly appreciated.
thanks a lot

jpkman,

"Yes a free psa of 43 makes a world of difference!" The higher it is over 25 the less chance that it's anything malignant. Chances are it is calcification or it could be a benign tumor but it's my understanding that even benign tumors will cause the diagnostic PSA to rise. So will BPH but your PSA is low. I forgot to mention in my previous message that if they even suspect the possiblilty of cancer they will stop all testosterone treatments. Yea he's thinking about running a scope up your penis and you can be thankful you'll be under anethesia for that one too. I had that done once back around 1987 sitting in a chair, similar to a dentist chair and they told me they would use a local to numb it first so it wouldn't be painful. They lied! The nurse came out with this tube about 7-8 n long and bigger around than an ink pen and I asked her what that was for and she said that was the local. I think I put my finger prints indentations in the arms of that chair before she got that hose up my dick and it hurt like hell. Never again!!! If she wouldn't have been a woman I'd decked her ass and walked out of that quacks office.

[zaggahamma]

jpkman,

"Yes a free psa of 43 makes a world of difference!" The higher it is over 25 the less chance that it's anything malignant. Chances are it is calcification or it could be a benign tumor but it's my understanding that even benign tumors will cause the diagnostic PSA to rise. So will BPH but your PSA is low. I forgot to mention in my previous message that if they even suspect the possiblilty of cancer they will stop all testosterone treatments. Yea he's thinking about running a scope up your penis and you can be thankful you'll be under anethesia for that one too. I had that done once back around 1987 sitting in a chair, similar to a dentist chair and they told me they would use a local to numb it first so it wouldn't be painful. They lied! The nurse came out with this tube about 7-8 n long and bigger around than an ink pen and I asked her what that was for and she said that was the local. I think I put my finger prints indentations in the arms of that chair before she got that hose up my dick and it hurt like hell. Never again!!! If she wouldn't have been a woman I'd decked her ass and walked out of that quacks office.

That's reassuring....do you think that I should still go through with the biopsy or get 2nd opinion? It is scheduled this Wednesday!
He's not the doc writing the RX for my test and I self administer...I didn't stop after the DRE since the biopsy was pretty close and would have known what it was soon enough.
And there is no mention of any penis tubes or procedures by my doc...that was kale's post informing me of the diff procedures and risks...they are doing ultrasound/biopsy together and cyscopathy to see what could be cause of urine leakage.
hope your still around

[Ufa]

The biopsy “will not” cause you any problems with your sex drive! I’ve had three of them done................

Is this something jpkman can look foward to. Why three. Did you have cancer or just a over enthauastic Doc? Maybe jpkman should just move into the
Hospital. His blood levels are out of wack because of testosterone. Why did
his Doc not mention the low free PSA levels as a reason like you did? If he has cancer why are there no symptoms?

[zaggahamma]

The biopsy “will not” cause you any problems with your sex drive! I’ve had three of them done................

Is this something jpkman can look foward to. Why three. Did you have cancer or just a over enthauastic Doc? Maybe jpkman should just move into the
Hospital. His blood levels are out of wack because of testosterone. Why did
his Doc not mention the low free PSA levels as a reason like you did? If he has cancer why are there no symptoms?

Ufa, that reminds me....my uro didn't even go over the free PSA...i found out that later when the office man. was goin over my hospital procedures for the biopsy....the 2 times i saw him he gets up like while i'm still asking ?'s like fred flinstone when the quitting whistle blows..wtf? Oh, and mobligator does/did have prostate cancer..he's chimed in on my threads b4.
Mobligator, bump on my last post....you did say that the 43% changes everything....did that mean wait for 2nd opinion for a biopsy in your opinion. My uro actually could care less about the psa...he's going on the DRE....and you did state that 30% of prostate cancer patients don't have high psa's....that's the part that makes me lean towards having it done, but should I wait for a 2nd opinion....I wish I could just call an interview them over the phone....get a free quote...like geico I can ask if they can rule out cancer with just an ultrasound...like kale mentioned...my doc is saying no to that.

[Ufa]

jpkman--Kale---is the God Father of in this field. I like Mobligator however,
because of his cancer he will tend to be over cautious. My girl-friend's father
ignored blood in stool and urine and is doing fine 15 years later. This went
on for a year.

I would research the symptoms of 'prostste cancer' If your Endo is not concerned. What about annother dig rectal?

I would listen to Kale. He has true life experience. This has been going on
for a couple of months. Why haven't there been any symptoms? This stress
is most likely making your life unpleasant.

[zaggahamma]

jpkman--Kale---is the God Father of in this field. I like Mobligator however,
because of his cancer he will tend to be over cautious. My girl-friend's father
ignored blood in stool and urine and is doing fine 15 years later. This went
on for a year.

I would research the symptoms of 'prostste cancer' If your Endo is not concerned. What about annother dig rectal?

I would listen to Kale. He has true life experience. This has been going on
for a couple of months. Why haven't there been any symptoms? This stress
is most likely making your life unpleasant.

thanks ufa...i know kale is knowledgeable on the subject and i appreciate his input....i know debates sometimes bring out the most light on any subject. I hope he is right FOR SURE.
Anybody else please feel free to add anything.
I have the procedure planned this Wednesday and am not looking forward to it, but I need to be reassured.

[Mobligator]

JPKMAN,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you, I had to go out.
You said:
< he said they can do a cyscopathy (I problably didn't get that right) but you might know what i'm talking about....they plan on doing that at the same time as the biopsy...>

I assumed you might have had the spelling wrong and meant "cystoscopy" which is when they use a scope to go up your penis to check out the prostate and/or the bladder. There is however a 'medical condition' called "cystopathy" but it is common with diabetics and usually involves Urinary Retention but since I'm not familiar with this condition I don't know if it involves the leakage problem you mentioned. They do use the cystoscopy to check for problems with incontinence. Perhaps your Uro is thinking along these lines in regards to the leaking propblem.

When I was being treated for prostate cancer (March thru June 2002), I was told they could not see the prostate cancer with a CAT or the Ultra Sound. I had heard about a special MRI that was supposed to see the cancer but there were only two of them in the U.S., one in CA and one in N.Y. They used the Ultra Sound to guide the radioactive seeds into the prostate and the CAt to see the placement of the seeds afterwards to determine if the seeding pattern was sufficient to radiate the entire prostate. They also used the CAT to check the size of the prostate but that can also be done with the Ultra Sound.
That was then! Now I understand they have a new machine called the G.E. Discovery ST (manufactured by GE) which is a combination of a PET and a CAT but the Discovery is better then the PET or the CAT alone and is able to actually see the cancer anywhere in the body and if the cancer is too small to see, it will show cellular activity that indicates the possibility of cancer developing. BTW, the ST stands for "See and Treat". Most large Hospitals have them now, e.g. Johns Hopkins, Sloan-Kettering, Mount Sinai, even the small Hospital in Winber, PA which is outside of Johnstown, PA has one.

However jpkman, "I'd be willing to bet the ranch that you do not have prostate cancer!" No way Jose'. And if they do the Ultrasound and a cystoscopy while you are under you wont have any side effects from it, unless there might be a small amount of blood in your urine the first time you go. Your Uro might want to check out the bladder valve and the hard spot on your prostate with the scope, (if that is the right word he used, "cystoscopy". Doctors talk funny sometimes.

[zaggahamma]

thanks mobligator, i didn't think i had it spelled right but figured you'd know what i meant when i mentioned the symptom. Once again, my uro didn't explain what THAT procedure entailed. He led me to assume they could check the leakage problem during the ultra/biopsy, so I thought that would only involve one orifice...but this cystoscopy is no biggie? It must be different than the procedure kale mentioned in thread #48 about going in the eye of the penis to work on the prostate. I think I'll google cystoscopy today and do a little reading.
Much thanks again

[Kale]

Mobligator I am stoked you have joined this board man. I am not going to high jack this thread with questions so expect a few PM's from me in the future with regards to BPH treatment.

[marcus300]

Kale your the man, good feedback and knowledge and a valued member of this board,

What natural liquids or supps help in the area of the prostate?

[Kale]

Kale your the man, good feedback and knowledge and a valued member of this board,

What natural liquids or supps help in the area of the prostate?

Thanks Markus. !!! There are two that I am aware of, Beta-Sitosterol and Saw Palmetto, I understand that Beta-Sisosterol is a lot stronger than Saw Palmetto. Now from the studies I have read on Saw Palmetto the general consensus is that it has minimal to no impact on BPH. The only feedback I have on Beta Sisoterol is Testimonial but I would be willing to give that a try first.

[marcus300]

Looked at these supps before, thanks might have to invest in some,

[zaggahamma]

Are all antibiotics pretty much the same. If I go through with my biopsy/cysto procedures, they have me taking Levaquin(levofloxacin) day or 2 b4 and was reading that i should demand a good anti-b to prevent infection. I'm allergic to penecillin

[zaggahamma]

Well, Not completely out of the woods til samples come back.....BUT....
Doc said LOOKS LIKE CALCIFICATION!!!!!!

I'm real optomistic about it. No problems at the hospital. I had to fast since midnite last night...went in at 1:30....finally got some crackers around 6:00. Man, I was trying to snatch chicken legs off of the plates headin BACK to the kitchen

Thanks again bros

[Kale]

Told you so !!! Glad to hear you are going to be OK, which you are. Now an interesting update from me, I went to the urologist yesterday, a new one, and had a long chat about steroids, BPH and Prostate Cancer and I learned a hell of a lot. Actually he even showed me pics of how they do the biopsy you just had.... ouch dude !!!

So the long and short of it is my BPH is pretty much stable and this is just after doing a very big cycle as well, he did an untra sound and it is still pretty much the same or a fraction bigger, it sitting at about 58 ml in size which is still pretty big given a normal one is between 10 and 15 ml, but he said the biggest he had seen was over 200ml so I still have a way to go yet. We went over all the options for surgery if required in the future. We also went over the options for Prostate Cancer treatement if that ever occurrs. They have come a long way with total resection surgery rather than radiation now using robotic 3d surgery. He says they can actually get the prostate out now with minimal chance of damage to the nerves that control erections so that there is still an excellent possibility of having a normal sex life after a total Prostate resection, just interesting to know.

So fo me its a wait and see what happens over the next few years, but at this stage all is reasonably well. The only real downer was that he found I have an Umbilical Hernia which will need to be fixed and will keep me out of the gym for a month or so which just fvcking sucks ass. Dont need to get it fixed right away but fairly soon anyway.

I had a long chat about Test and what causes BPH and he openly said they didnt really know what caused it but that they eliminated everything that was a possible cause. I was amazing his response when I took him to task on the whole test thing. He talked about the Test conversion to DHT and I asked him why they never measured DHT and I added that I had it tested and he looked at me with a shocked look and said what was the result, then he went on to try and say that DHT levels were so variable that it wasnt a good measurement which to me sounded like he was grasping for an answer. Quite amazing really.

I told him I had read studies that Estrogen was another probable cause as Estrogen rises with age as Test drops, again he didnt have a good answer, it was in the, "we just dont know" bucket. All in all a very interesting two hours.

Anyway glad you are doing OK mate !!!!

[Mighty Joe]

Kale,

Glad you're here bro! I just hope some of the brutha's on here can appreciate just how much you bring to the table for us older BB's.
Any way keep us posted on the hernia thing. The quicker you get that done the faster you're back in the gym!

Good Luck bro,

MJ

[zaggahamma]

Told you so !!! Glad to hear you are going to be OK, which you are. Now an interesting update from me, I went to the urologist yesterday, a new one, and had a long chat about steroids, BPH and Prostate Cancer and I learned a hell of a lot. Actually he even showed me pics of how they do the biopsy you just had.... ouch dude !!!

So the long and short of it is my BPH is pretty much stable and this is just after doing a very big cycle as well, he did an untra sound and it is still pretty much the same or a fraction bigger, it sitting at about 58 ml in size which is still pretty big given a normal one is between 10 and 15 ml, but he said the biggest he had seen was over 200ml so I still have a way to go yet. We went over all the options for surgery if required in the future. We also went over the options for Prostate Cancer treatement if that ever occurrs. They have come a long way with total resection surgery rather than radiation now using robotic 3d surgery. He says they can actually get the prostate out now with minimal chance of damage to the nerves that control erections so that there is still an excellent possibility of having a normal sex life after a total Prostate resection, just interesting to know.

So fo me its a wait and see what happens over the next few years, but at this stage all is reasonably well. The only real downer was that he found I have an Umbilical Hernia which will need to be fixed and will keep me out of the gym for a month or so which just fvcking sucks ass. Dont need to get it fixed right away but fairly soon anyway.

I had a long chat about Test and what causes BPH and he openly said they didnt really know what caused it but that they eliminated everything that was a possible cause. I was amazing his response when I took him to task on the whole test thing. He talked about the Test conversion to DHT and I asked him why they never measured DHT and I added that I had it tested and he looked at me with a shocked look and said what was the result, then he went on to try and say that DHT levels were so variable that it wasnt a good measurement which to me sounded like he was grasping for an answer. Quite amazing really.

I told him I had read studies that Estrogen was another probable cause as Estrogen rises with age as Test drops, again he didnt have a good answer, it was in the, "we just dont know" bucket. All in all a very interesting two hours.

Anyway glad you are doing OK mate !!!!

Big thanks Kale,

You did come to mind when I was writing this post. "He's gonna say told ya so"
I'm glad we can laugh about it now....well, at least for now and I'm feeling pretty confident. The other procedure aftermath aint feelin so hot as you can imagine and I got no feedback from him at all on that. He pulled one of his vanishing acts again. I blink when I'm talkin to him and he's gone. Gonna suck when copays go up next WEEK. It's gonna be a lot easier just to be all clinic. They're more knowledgeable anyway.

Really big thanks for all support

Feelin for you about your upcoming procedure and time off from training. I know how we love and need our routines. We'll help you through and best of luck with it

thanks again

[comradebillyboy]

Big thanks Kale,

You did come to mind when I was writing this post. "He's gonna say told ya so"
I'm glad we can laugh about it now....well, at least for now and I'm feeling pretty confident. The other procedure aftermath aint feelin so hot as you can imagine and I got no feedback from him at all on that. He pulled one of his vanishing acts again. I blink when I'm talkin to him and he's gone. Gonna suck when copays go up next WEEK. It's gonna be a lot easier just to be all clinic. They're more knowledgeable anyway.

Really big thanks for all support

Feelin for you about your upcoming procedure and time off from training. I know how we love and need our routines. We'll help you through and best of luck with it

thanks again

Sounds like he is an arrogant bastard. No feedback at least means no bad news. My wishes for the best.

[Ufa]

I'm glad to your back in one piece. They will most likely send
cutting to Mayo Clinic to make sure there is no cancer.

At least there are no more doubts, second thoughts. It's
all down hill now.

[zaggahamma]

Sounds like he is an arrogant bastard. No feedback at least means no bad news. My wishes for the best.

Thanks CB.

[zaggahamma]

I'm glad to your back in one piece. They will most likely send
cutting to Mayo Clinic to make sure there is no cancer.

At least there are no more doubts, second thoughts. It's
all down hill now.

Thanks Ufa.

I'm going to call and cofirm what they're doing with my bits and pieces, why no testo for 2 weeks, and what came about from the cystoscopy.

[Ufa]

Thanks Ufa.

I'm going to call and cofirm what they're doing with my bits and pieces, why no testo for 2 weeks, and what came about from the cystoscopy.

Well unfortunately, the Doc & Hospital made money and 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Sorry, I'd like to kick them in the ass.

[zaggahamma]

Well unfortunately, the Doc & Hospital made money and 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Sorry, I'd like to kick them in the ass.

Now you're quoting Meatloaf

No kidding....just got off the phone with the nurse...she doesn't know for sure where my samples are going...could stay at hospital, could even be done at the doc's office....doc won't be back til tommorrow...that's the soonest I'll know anything more than i do now

[Kale]

Now you're quoting Meatloaf

No kidding....just got off the phone with the nurse...she doesn't know for sure where my samples are going...could stay at hospital, could even be done at the doc's office....doc won't be back til tommorrow...that's the soonest I'll know anything more than i do now

What a bunch of cockheads, and the know you are waiting on a potential cancer diagnosis. I would be abusing the crap out of your Dr mate, that is just crap !!!

By the way I got a second opinion on the hernia today from my Dr and he said it was so small he wouldnt bother doing anything about it and that I have probably had it for years and it is highly unlikely it will get any bigger. I can feel where it is now that he showed me and the hole is the size of a very small pea so there is no chance of any intestines being constricted or anything like that. So I am just going to monitor it for a while and see what happens. Least I can put off surgery for a while

[zaggahamma]

So now the odds are in your favor. Glad you don't need the surgery and hope you never do.

[Kale]

So now the odds are in your favor. Glad you don't need the surgery and hope you never do.

Thanks man, me too !!! It really ruined my day yesterday I can tell you !

[Mobligator]

Now you're quoting Meatloaf

No kidding....just got off the phone with the nurse...she doesn't know for sure where my samples are going...could stay at hospital, could even be done at the doc's office....doc won't be back til tommorrow...that's the soonest I'll know anything more than i do now

jpkman,

Your samples will be sent to a Pathology Lab and tested for prostate cancer. However if the hospital has their own lab and pathologist they should be done in house and the results should be back in a day or two, depending on how busy the pathologist is. If they come back negative, which I'm sure they will, all your worries are over and you can relax those nerves, which must be quite edgy by now. It's a nerve racking and scary thing, esp the waiting.

Just FYI, or for anyone else who might want to know, if a sample is positive, the pathologist will assign a "gleason score" to each sample that is positive. The gleason score indicates how agressive the cancer is and will be given consideration as to the best way to treat the cancer. The average gleason score is ususally 2-6, a score of 7 is fast growing and 8-10 is very fast. Mine was a 6. If anyone wants to get good information on prostate cancer and illlustrations describing the different procedures and treatments, go to: www.rcog.com.
This is the clinic in Atlanta where I was treated. They just came out with a new booklet, "Understanding Prostate Cancer" and sent me four of them to give to anyone who is considering having treatment for PCa. One thing they emphasize at RCOG is that the type of treatment you choose should be a personal choice based on your own research of all of the different treatments available and in most cases you only have the one chance. They also say it would be a big mistake to trust your doctor to tell you how to be treated because, "most docs, but not all who treat PCa, urologists and radiation oncologists, will recommend whatever treatment they themselves do". At RCOG they don't do this! They want you to make up your own mind after you have thoroughly studied all of the available treatments.
Added these comments just in case anyone knows of someone who might have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

[Kale]

Thanks dude, and after what I learned the other day if I did have prostate cancer I think I would choose the total resection route rather than radiation. The other thing was that the Dr said the the majority of these cancers are slow growing and by that I mean years. Whats your view on that ?

[zaggahamma]

thanks gator...yep, fingers/toes still crossed...hope all is well