Bruce Collinson Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 To all the above, this has become a really helpful thread although all of us have found out the hard way. I am blessed with an extremely good dermatologist who first treated me, cryogenically, about 12 years ago. His last words to me when he signed me off for what proved to have been an especially large keratosis was that if anything changed, at all, get back sharpish. My own experience had been that if Efudix doesn’t remove them, they need to be checked. Reverting to the rant, I went in and gave a blood sample, sufficient (I checked) for PSA as well as too much wine, women etc. They had already made the follow on appointment for me to go back and be lectured by an obese nurse about my lifestyle. Now they discover that I need a further sample to be taken, and the follow up has been put back. No wonder to me it absorbs £120bn a year. Anyway, if you see some nearly new Yeti radio, Lasers and a couple of ASPs on the BMFA website, you’ll know it went badly ..... Yours in black humour, BTC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 21, 2019 Author Share Posted April 21, 2019 Hope it goes well Bruce 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 24, 2019 Author Share Posted April 24, 2019 Well today i get to find out my options am a bit anxious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR 71 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 Got my results all good, that's a relief But they found I have a hernia I'll take that every time Wish you all good results and health Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 24, 2019 Author Share Posted April 24, 2019 That is a good result Tony do they need to do anything about the hernia . I think any man that's had a life of physical work is likely to develop a hernia , all the best Tony and thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Saw my consultant on Wed to discuss my options it didn't go well he was blunt to the point of being rude we did not discuss anything about options but he proceeded to tell me about radiotherapy then surgery then wait and see when I asked for his recommended course of action he replied I'm not here to recommend anything just to give you the options anyway to cut a tense meeting short I opted to wait and see which is to have PSA blood checks every 4 months followed by another biopsy I figured as it's supposedly slow growing I could live with the knowledge I have cancer albeit not an immediate threat . Still not certain I have made the right decision but I can change my mind . incidentally since my diagnosis I advised my neighbour who is 75 to get checked and he likely has prostate cancer to yet to be identified what type. Keep checking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryorbik Posted April 27, 2019 Share Posted April 27, 2019 I had the skin cancer on my leg removed this morning in a 45 minute fairly painless procedure, and just have to wait up to 4 weeks now to find out if it was a bad one. The most painful part was having to pay out almost £5.00 to park in the hospital car park for an hour!! Hope all goes well for you Martian, and remember guys, if anything seems a bit odd get it checked out quickly. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly-navy Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 Decided at Christmas to get my test done.Had bloods done in Jan same time as the ones for my Rh Arth, and saw practice nurse at end of Jan for my monthly review. She said my level reading was 5.1 slightly elevated but more than likely age related (73) and they would monitor it with another test in 6 months. Saw GP in Feb for prescription review who commented about raised level and asked me to do another test Mach/April, did it early April. Saw nurse for my review last week who said it had risen to 7 and made appointment to see doc on Monday and said not to worry it is probably to do with my age but needs keeping an eye on so doc would like to talk me through it, bricking it if I am honest. I have no problem going to toilet, gushes out,(bit graphic I know) I can go through the night without having to get up and in all honesty there is no indication of anything wrong and without having the test would not think there could be a problem. If I can cope with having needle injected into my eyeball every 10 weeks think I can cope with this if there is a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 Went in for bloods on Monday, results came through on Tuesday, ‘phone call from practice to say that all normal apart from one which was a little high, probably due to a slight infection but nothing to worry about. Going back in in a months time for repeat test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Collinson Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Martian, good luck with it. Change consultants, you don't need that sort of numb passiveness when you've got a condition like this. Went back in this morning, another blood sample as despite everything I said they had evidently taken less than an armful (cf Hancock). PSA ok, but "these tests aren't really very helpful". Odd how most GPs seem to think they are. Have I missed the point; if you're free from other symptoms (see Flynavy above for clues) and have low PSA count, then it's unlikely that you have a defined problem? Vice versa, if you have raised PSA then regardless of symptoms they are on alert? Where therefore are the unhelpful aspects of routine blood tests? GP friend once told me most men die with prostate cancer, few die of it. Tests say I'm going to get a real lecture upon my lifestyle choices in a fortnight as my liver is threatening to emigrate and I'm borderline for the diabetes that's your own stupid fault. Reminds me of what they said at my last annual review, three years ago. Need a drink. Prostrate problems ... don't take them lying down ... BTC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 3, 2019 Author Share Posted May 3, 2019 Barryorbik I hope your results come back good , you are right about the car parking I am convinced I now own the car park fly-navy did you have a positive chat with the doc ,I hope its all good. Ron Gray great result I hope it stays that way. Bruce thanks for your input. I had a long chat with my GP who offered to send my consultant a letter pointing out my distress but have decided against it because apart from making me angry and distressed it wont make any difference to the outcome I am putting it down to him having a bad day, strangely enough I received a letter from my consultant today going in great detail but for the life of me I swear I was at a different meeting. anyway the upshot is PSA tests every 4months then another biopsy unless my PSA rises sharply. thanks all for your positive comments and I hope this thread has helped at least one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Milbourn 1 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 I'm "on all fours" with Bruce on this one, including the lifestyle and liver warnings. I've had two doses of brachytherapy and several templated biopsies at St Jim's in Leeds since 2009 and I can say that Dr David Bottomley is my preferred candidate for a sainthood. The other staff are equally wonderful and the Bexley Wing is awesome but the French Onion Soup in the 'restaurant' tastes and looks like wallpaper paste. You can't have everything, I suppose. I'm on a 3-monthly PSA regime and the only real problem I have is obtaining the actual value of the pathogen nanograms-per-millilitre from my GP's receptionist. She's been told that she's not allowed to discusss the results of tests with patients although she's quite happy to tell me that the path-lab says the results are "normal and nothing to worry about". I've tried telling her that I'm being treated for prostate cancer and that I have an intimate knowledge of the significance of the figures involved, but she's just another jobsworth and insists that I drive 4 miles each way to obtain a print-out, which she is allowed to give me... Just wait and see if she tries the "Data Protection" bullsh*t on me!! Now, where's that new bottle of tonic to freshen my G+T? Dave M Edited By Dave Milbourn 1 on 04/05/2019 18:05:50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly-navy Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Martian saw my GPS last Monday. First time I had met him, what a guy, I was bricking it and he put me completely at ease, asking if I minded him talking me through everything. Asked if I had any symptoms after the talk and I said none whatsoever, no prob going to toilet don't have to get up in night etc. He said the thing is with this is your prostrate changes as you get older and basically any change could be cancerous or benign. You can show all the symptoms and not have a problem, conversely you can show no symptoms and have a problem. My thoughts he said is best to get it investigated to find out why the change and you should here from hospital soon and it will be a quick referral. Told him we go to Scotland this Thursday so he took note of dates. Received letter Thursday, 13th May, bloody marvelous. Phoned up said we are on holiday so will sort out another date.reason it was so quick he put me in the express system and the hospital is obliged to see me within two weeks. Everyone has been so very helpful, NHS, brilliant we have never had a problem. Thanks for asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 That is brilliant fly sincerely hope it is good news, it seems normal practise to put potential cancer patients down the fast route . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 I went through all this a few of years ago - 2012? I had all the symptoms but, as it turned out, none of the causes - phew! High end of normal-for-age PSA (4. something rings a bell), always wanting a wee,day or night. No identifiable cause. 3 years later it was discovered that I had a spinal chord myelitis issue, the resulting drug regime for that cured the night waking etc. so it seems that what I have downstairs is a software problem, the hardware is all AOK. However - the various urology tests did reveal a rather agressive 5cm cancer in my left kidney which could be removed before it did any more widespread damage. It's a pain in the butt (literally!) getting the checks done but it could make all the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Etheridge 1 Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Thanks to you lot I am booked in for a PSA blood test next week. If the reading is high them the next step is a scan. No sexual activity can be had prior to the test for 48 hours, so no worries there ! I visited the doctors some years ago and it would seem that the procedure was different. On that occasion the woman doctor I saw locked the surgery door and gave me the finger test something that may put others off ?. That was followed up with the blood test. I had a chat with a friend last week end and he said that a member of his bowls club organises tests for all the male club members every two years so perhaps this is something that model flying clubs should think about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR 71 Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Just remember if your doctor ( like mine ) tells you its just a old mans thing and leaves it, insist on finding the cause, i had to go privat but it was worth it in the end.turned out to be a prostrate hat was over two thirds the size of my bladder, One should not have to pay , so kick ass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 Hi if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer consider asking about brachytherapy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Collinson Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Been flying this morning, manic dummy A Certificates being flown in anticipation of the formal testing early June. Chat on the pit line, a well advised 65-ish yr old reckons that advanced investigation now progresses fairly quickly to MRI rather than a biopsy, which I gather is quite unreliable and very painful. Bigger pain in the whatever than CAA over-regulation. Interesting, pal of mine at a smaller hospital went a year ago and was biopsied. Seems a bit random. I suppose in theory this is an area where there is choice of hospital and therefore type of investigation but in practice, given long waiting times even for reasonably significant conditions (passim), you’d be brave to wait long for the preferred choice. We've gone from, no we don’t recommend a blood test for PSA to let’s do an MRI in a flash. BTC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 I didn't find the biopsy painful so don't be put off, but it can be an awkward moment when it's done by a team of middle-aged women tech's. If you think apprehension is defined by the slap of the rubber glove on your doctors hand just wait for the biopsy! In all honesty the only pain suffered is to your dignity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 ITV is showing the all new Month who cares win it's in support of prostate cancer with anecdotal accounts ,sorry this late to point out but it will be on ITV +1 at 10 pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 Sorry that should be 10:30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly-navy Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Got back from two glorious weeks in Scotland to find letter waiting for me to see consultant today. Had a good talk with him and he said my elevated levels could well be to do with the medication for rheu arth, but I will give you a full examination.So madam leaves the room, trousers and kecks down on the bed did a lot of external pushing and prodding asking about any pain I said none whatsoever, then the sound of rubber gloves being snapped on,"Lie on your side please with your knees towards your chin", could feel the examination and said I felt no pain when he asked. Got dressed he said everything was fine as far as he could tell, prostrate was smooth with no roughness. Two options he said, we can monitor with blood tests on a regular basis or I can get an MRI. I said he was the expert what does he recommend, get an MRI then I will be 100% sure, then in future any small increase in psa levels we will know we need not be too concerned. Boy did the roses smell sweet when we got home, go to Devon in few weeks time so thats going to be a goodun. Just got to get another injection into my eyeball next friday now, getting old"s a bitch isn"t it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR 71 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Well done John I'm pleased it turned out good for you Cornwall will be very nice Have a good one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly-navy Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Cheers Tony, Cornwall is in September mate, Devon next. Fired them Lanc engines up yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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