My prostate journey

I’m lucky. I have an amazing GP. 

I started having general medical check-ups about every five years when I was 60. I didn’t really pay much attention to their results. I felt fine. My GP however, was certainly paying attention. He noticed that with each check-up, my PSA count was rising…not seriously in the first couple of results…and although the count in the third check-up had risen a bit more steeply than previously, it was still well within a ‘normal’ range. Nevertheless, my GP recommended another PSA test in six months. This result had risen again and even more steeply. As a consequence of these exponentially rising numbers, I was advised to see a prostate cancer specialist.

Other than the rising PSA count, I had no other symptoms. 

I met the specialist surgeon in December 2022. A PSMA PET scan confirmed the presence of prostate cancer. The diagnosis included a composite Global Gleason score of 4+3=7 and the news that this was an aggressive form of the cancer. A follow-up biopsy confirmed where the cancer was (although the biopsy seemed a simple enough thing to have done, it took me a few days to recover from it). 

I chose robotic surgery because it felt like a quick and efficient way to remove my prostate…and of course, I absolutely wanted to get rid of the cancer in it.

I had my robotic radical prostatectomy early in February 2023 and the operation appeared to be successful, although…

On my first night at home after the surgery, I woke up needing to have a pee but found I wasn’t able to. This led to a midnight dash to the hospital’s emergency department and to having a catheter fitted. The catheter was removed two days later. That night, exactly the same thing happened…another dash to the hospital and another catheter…a sequence that repeated itself twice more. With my fourth catheter, I was admitted into hospital for a cystoscopy. I came out of surgery without a catheter and with the news that still no explanation could be found as to what might be causing the problem. I stayed in hospital for three days so I could be monitored. Fortunately, everything was working as it should…thankfully.

My first post-surgery PSA result was 0.01. It seemed all would be well in my world.

I was encouraged to follow up the prostate surgery with physiotherapy designed specifically to help with bladder control. I did the exercises for about three months at which point everything was working perfectly…so I stopped.

My second post-surgery PSA check was six months after the first. The result was 0.13…a very low number, but perhaps a hint that my world might not be as well as I’d thought.

Three months later, in January 2024, I had my third PSA test. This time the count had risen to 0.22. This led to another PSMA PET scan to see what was going on, and where. It turned out that a few cancer cells had spread to the prostatic bed…not entirely uncommon apparently.

So…in February 2024, in order to try and mop up these renegade cells, I began a program of radiation therapy. This required attending easily manageable radiotherapy sessions, five days a week for seven and a half weeks.

Three months after completing the radiotherapy, the follow-up PSA count was 0.07…down from 0.22 before the radiotherapy…a good result. Three months later, it was down to 0.03. An even better result. Three months later again and the result was up slightly to 0.05. Still OK and still a very small number. My fourth three monthly test delivered a result of 0.11…a bit more than double the previous count…so not such great news. And my fifth PSA test came in at 0.18…so the cells are continuing to increase. 

My next PSA check is next week.