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In June, after a routine physical (and my first PSA test at 41 years old) my PSA came back at 3.3
I had been bike riding a lot and had sexual activity within 24 hours of the test so I wasn’t overly concerned. My doctor recommended I follow up a few month later and retest.
4 months after the initial bloodwork (November), my next PSA reading came back at 4.13. It was time to see a urologist.
Additional MRI imaging identified two PIRADS 4 lesions (upgraded from an initial category of 3)
My biopsy is tomorrow. I feel terrified but I also recognize that worrying won’t solve anything.
MRI imaging shows that everything appears to be contained in the capsule with no seminal vesicle involvement.
I am particularly scared because of my young age. I have a lot of life left to live and my sexual and urinary function is 100% perfect currently.
Beyond the mortal fear, I feel afraid of what this could mean for my quality of life going forward.
I know that no one here has a crystal ball but I feel very alone and thought I’d reach out for any kind of moral support or encouragement you can offer.
Currently I am having some depression. I’m managing it with therapy (and recently medication).
Would love to hear from anyone that can offer some perspective and positivity. Thank you for reading.
Thank you for your message and for reaching out to our community for some help. Every member of YANANOW has been where you are now, and you certainly are not alone. Getting diagnosed with Prostate Cancer at the young age of 41 is rare, but everyone has some number of cancer cells in our bodies. Our immune system usually does a pretty good job of keeping it in check, but sometimes it gets away from us and that's when tumors become detectable. Your feelings of fear and depression are very normal, and we all experience those feelings, although everyone handles it in their own way. You are doing all the right things by getting the biopsy, and it will give you more information about how to proceed from here. Having Prostate Cancer is life-changing, but it is not a death sentence, and you have plenty of men here who are willing to offer support -- you already started that process by posting your message. Feel free to contact me (or any other YANA member) if you have any specific questions or concerns, or you just need to chat with someone who has been there.
Jason:
Your narrative echoes what most of us PCa Warriors have experienced.
Keep us posted. We will provide as much support and guidance as we can muster.
Don O.
I'm 62 and was diagnosed over 8 years ago.
I'm doing alright.
IF you are diagnosed with PCa, then research your options.
Seek a second opinion outside of your current physicians practice.
If you end up gleason 6, typically this is the best as this level doesn't normally progress.
Gleason 7 isn't much worse.
High risk starts at Gleason 8, I am a Gleason 9.
Don't jump to surgery, the difference in outcomes between surgery and radiation are pretty darn close to each other.
But hopefully, you will be put on Active Surveilance and at worst, ADT.
I've been on ADT for all of my 8+ years, but I have also had surgery and radiation.
But I'm still ticking like a Timex watch.
Take time and breathe brother, this is NOT the end.
