Prostate newbie

Hello Palerma 

Another welcome to the online Community. Do you have any figures to help us to help you with - your PSA readings and if you have it from the MRI a PI-RADS Score?

Prostate cancer if caught early is very treatable and 98% of men with this cancer die WITH it not OF it.

To help ease your worries here a link to some information regarding the biopsy:

The Trans perineal biopsy.

Feel free to ask any questions however trivial - we are all happy to help.

Best wishes - Brian.

My PSA reading was Serum prostate specific antigen level 19.90 ug/L.

I have seen the MRI two black areas on edge of prostrate.

was all geared up for biopsy today- then cancelled.

Hello Palerma 

With you having your appointment cancelled they should get you back in ASAP.

The biopsy is the hardest (and sometimes painful) part of the entire prostate journey - and yes you do lose your dignity - but you find out just where you are with the results.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thanks Brian, slightly re assured

Hi Palerma, as Brian says, don’t worry too much about the biopsy, I had 18 samples taken 2 weeks ago and the loss of dignity is much more painful than the procedure. I had a lovely nurse holding my hand throughout and I told her plenty of sea stories from my Navy days. You’ll be fine. Best wishes. Graham. 

Hi Palerma,

I found the most painful part of the biopsy process came a day or so after the hospital visit. There don't appear to be dedicated dressings for that part of the male anatomy - so they put on a hefty gauze pad held in place by yards of sticky tape, which sticks to every hair between your navel and your knees.  Have fun getting that lot off yourself !

Hi Moonrakerz,

Maybe I was lucky when I had my trans perineal biopsy as I had no dressings to contend with afterwards.  Sounds as if they gave you a free sack & crack waxing at the same time :) 

Mine was painful, after they had finished I asked them if they practiced at the local fair ground once a year, no smiles from that one.

Mine went by like a breeze and the only thing I remember is loosing my dignity with the whole process, but I felt afterwards that the care of the many staff members taking you through this essential and obviously traumatic moment was top notch and when I was done I felt cared for. For me like loads of men, this is the first major exploration of a body that has not been through any minor never mind major surgery, but my biopsy was a positive experience until I started to worry inside about the results. The wait for the results was way worse than the biopsy.

Take care Palerma 

I know where you are with that Palerma  . I had an appointment letter sent with a date to discuss the MRI results with the urologist, which was before the MRI scan itself. When I went for the MRI their booking slot wasn’t the same as my appointment letter… And when the letter detailing the biopsy arrived I rang the number to explain I’d had a bad reaction to a small local anaesthetic some time before and asked for their advice. They told me to mention that on arrival, which I did. The biopsy was promptly cancelled and I was sent home. My son had taken a day off work to drive me there and back. It was still done a couple of weeks later with a local anaesthetic, but with a canula in my hand and an anaesthetist there in case of a repeat. Once we were away from that centre's admin dept everything went smoothly…!