A post that won't be posted on No specific topic

Hello Steve (Stevecam) 

I am a typical man - but I didn't have the typical symptoms. When I went off food and then alcohol and went to the G P's and she said - "I want to stick my finger up your bum" (Digital Rectal Examination to be clear!!) I thought "oh what's this all about"

Prostate's a bit enlarged - and I thought - other men get Prostate Cancer - I had even seen the advertisements on the digital boards from Prostate Cancer UK  at our football club - but that's not me!! - but that's someone else!!!!!!

How wrong I was.

We need to get the message out there - it's a PSA test - yes I had that too - but the normal first line is a PSA test. 

I am a prime example of a man - no it's not me - We all need to wake up and start to look after ourselves.

Cheers Steve - Thanks for the post - from a rather cold 12C Turkey - Well it's 9.00pm.

Kind Regards - Brian.

So much for small talk!

Millibob said:

When I went off food and then alcohol and went to the G P's and she said - "I want to stick my finger up your bum" (Digital Rectal Examination to be clear!!) I thought "oh what's this all about"

A quote and a half 

I never had any symptoms, it was just luck I was tested, the fingerbob thing.

I was in hospital being treated for blood clots on both lungs.  And the rest is history!

Hello Stevecam,

Typically I thought I had no symptoms, but had been turning a blind eye to the fact I was getting up numerous times during the night for a pee for longer than I now care to think of.  I always dropped off to sleep again within a few minutes of getting back into bed so just thought it was old man syndrome setting in & no need to see a doctor as we all know how busy they are.  Not only that, but I felt I couldn't spare the time missing work to even try to make an appointment.  Like you I thought PC was something other people got so merrily went along ignoring it.

The more people who get the message the better.  Doesn't matter what sex they are as we all know someone who may be affected & a firm prod may be needed.

Brian

Since Chris Hoy came out in the news last week, he actually has the government listening!  Which is positive...yes!

I just hope this helps with men to go and get tested!

Brian (Buzzers), it was another Brian, (Milibob) who came out with the quote:

Millibob said:

and I thought - other men get Prostate Cancer

I can't imagine any man who hasn't said that when they were diagnosed.  I know I did!

On the positive side, if I hadn't been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, I wouldn't be on this forum now!

The family this forum has created is brilliant!!!  I know you all feel the same.

Stevecam said:

I can't imagine any man who hasn't said that when they were diagnosed.  I know I did!

Strangely enough I didn't. My father had died of PC at the age of 53 (it was nearly 55 years ago now) and my GP insisted that I got a PSA test annually from the age of 50. That was quite revolutionary at the time and it took 21 years before my PSA had started to rise to an abnormal level (11). Although I was Gleason 4+5=9, it was diagnosed as T3A N0 M0. That was over 6 years ago and my treatment seems to have been a success. My PSA has been stable at 0.2 for three years, just as it was in the 20 years prior to diagnosis.

I think I can say that in my case annual screening worked.

Seamus, it's Bowel Cancer that runs through my family.  While doing family history, Cancer goes back on both sides of the family.

My father had both bowel and skin cancer, survived both until he died of dementia.  That's what worries me the most.

The Colonoscopies are a discomfort to say the least, but if it helps...

We often ignore these symptoms which can mimic other things or put them down to age or something else.  This is called "symptom creep".  I was lucky in that my brother in South Africa was having annual medicals with his employer and had to have PSA and digital examinations from the age of around 45.  When he told me this when I was about 52 0r 53 I was already having bladder problems so I went private and had tests and from then on regular tests.  Even so it was still a battle to get referred at age 70+ when prostate cancer was diagnosed and my Rad.Onc. stated that it would have been better if he had seen me about a year earlier and could have kept up with the rising PSA and been diagnosed sooner.  My GP refused to do more regular testing and I wish now I had got the PSA tests done privately.  No you can buy the tests on Amazon so even though a GP may not accept that test the result may make them examine and test you and you may get an earlier diagnosis and that really is what counts here.  My father died at 88 with but not from prostate cancer and both my brother and I got diagnosed with it at about the same age.  My two sons and two grandsons are at higher risk because of this (and the fact their Mothers older brother died of prostate cancer at 68 having been diagnosed with Stage 4 at age 54, their Mother had thyroid cancer and died of ovarian cancer at 57 and her younger sister also had thyroid cancer at a similar age so it definitely runs in the family.   Thankfully it was not too late a diagnosis for me or my brother.  Now I am telling every man I meet about the importance of the PSA blood test - even younger men of 50  in the gym to get tested - amazed at how many of them do not know what a PSA blood test is.