Get Checked

[ejrail]

 

TIME TO GET CHECKED OUT

 

 

 

I am writing this in light blue font because light blue is the prostate cancer awareness color. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is the number 2 killer of US men behind heart disease. Most, if not all, men will die with this cancer. Some because of it; some from something else, but all will have this slow growing cancer at the time of their death. 220,000 American men are affected every year. I am one of them. If detected early, this disease is over 90% survivable. I was diagnosed in Nov. 2010, during my annual health check up, after a simple PSA blood test. I had surgery in January 2011. I am still recovering but I am now cancer free.

 

 

I have talked to many men who seem to think that a good colonoscopy test result means the prostate is fine. They think this test is for prostate cancer as well. All the gastroenterologist knows is an enlarged prostate pushes against the lower colon from the front. He has no way to check the prostate for cancer. This is the job of a urologist.

 

 

Prostate cancer shows no outward signs until it has spread to other areas. At that point the survival rate is much less. I strongly urge all men over 50 years old and the high risk men to have a PSA blood test. The high risk groups include men over 40 who have a family history of the disease, men of African-American background over 40 and all men over 50.

 

 

ERIK J

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Hawkins]

YEP..........I just turned 50 on August 16th so I am planning to have a COMPLETE Physical and a bunch of tests. The WORST part about turning 50 was a WEEK before, I received a letter in the Mail from AARP.

[shel-b001]

EJ Great topic hope everyone heeds this & gets tested even if your only 40 . My father died of this cancer , & get tested every year & a check up.

[ejrail]

YEP..........I just turned 50 on August 16th so I am planning to have a COMPLETE Physical and a bunch of tests. The WORST part about turning 50 was a WEEK before, I received a letter in the Mail from AARP.

 

Get used to the AARP mial we get at least one piece a week. Let the tsunami begin.

[ejrail]

EJ Great topic hope everyone heeds this & gets tested even if your only 40 . My father died of this cancer , & get tested every year & a check up.

 

 

My grand father died in 1957 from this cancer. My father got it when he was 59. He had the surgery and lived anouther 25 years before dying from something else. I also got it when I was 59 and have had 2 PSA tests since my surgery and am am due for another in a few weeks.

[Grabber]

Had my PSA tested when I turned 50 last Dec.

 

Mine tested at 0.42

 

A standard range is anything under 3.51

 

After you turn 50, a physical is needed once a year.

[Grabber]

I am still recovering but I am now cancer free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erik,

 

I'm glad your cancer was caught early and you are free of it. Thanks so much for bringing awareness to this problem. I truly believe it is important to share our experience, strength and hope while we are here on this world.

 

Rob

[kstrong]

Thanks ejrail. Good form on the Topic.

I got Diabetes for my 50th checkup. First one in the family tree.

My PSA test is very low.

Get a checkup. Once a year for sure like grabber and ejrail says.

[ejrail]

Had my PSA tested when I turned 50 last Dec.

 

Mine tested at 0.42

 

A standard range is anything under 3.51

 

After you turn 50, a physical is needed once a year.

 

 

My PSA was 2.5 for years until last November when it went to 4.1. My doctors say anything over 4 is a red flag, epsecially if you are in a high risk group like I was.

[ejrail]

Erik,

 

I'm glad your cancer was caught early and you are free of it. Thanks so much for bringing awareness to this problem. I truly believe it is important to share our experience, strength and hope while we are here on this world.

 

Rob

 

I didn't realize how many men don't or WON'T get tested. This disease is something we can have the upper hand with and go on to live for many normal, healthy years.

 

I feel like I was given a second chance. I have tried to share my experiences to give hope and comfort to others who are affected by this.

[car dude]

Erik do you know if there is anything you can do to maintain a healthy prostate?

[David Hawkins]

Had my 50 Year full Check Up the other Day..........not bad, He wants me to loose about 20 Pounds, I want to loose about 30. I need to start taking Vitamin D, My PSA was 1.3, my BP was 135 over 77 which shocked me, usually both Numbers are Double Digits. He up dated my Tetnis Shot in my Right Arm and He gave me a Flu Shot on my Left and NOW both Arms are very Sore. Today I went for my Shoulder problem. Told it was not that bad, just a little Artheritis and that Doctor gave me two Shot of Cordazone, one on Front and one in Back, He told me that my Shoulder will be great by Monday but it is very sore now.

[LTC9024]

Great Post. I too had prostate cancer. I had the prostate removed this past April 2011. The pathology report after surgery indicated some cancer cells had escaped from the prostate into the fatty tissue surrounding it. I then had 33 sessions of radiation to "clean" up the loose cancer cells. One PSA test since indicated a reading of "immeasureable" The cancer has been eradicated BUT will have to be watched to be sure.

I am 62 years of age and my Dad had prostate cancer but he died years after diagnosis from other problems, NOT prostate cancer.

Early detection is the key.

Do not delay once you hit 50 to have a PSA done and if the family doctor says it is not needed FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR WHO WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ejrail]

Erik do you know if there is anything you can do to maintain a healthy prostate?

 

Some doctors and studies claim seleneium and lycopene suppliments and foods can help. I took both and it made no difference as the disease is very herediary. Check out the books by Dr. Walsh of Johns-Hopkins for a better take on the subject.

[ejrail]

Great Post. I too had prostate cancer. I had the prostate removed this past April 2011. The pathology report after surgery indicated some cancer cells had escaped from the prostate into the fatty tissue surrounding it. I then had 33 sessions of radiation to "clean" up the loose cancer cells. One PSA test since indicated a reading of "immeasureable" The cancer has been eradicated BUT will have to be watched to be sure.

I am 62 years of age and my Dad had prostate cancer but he died years after diagnosis from other problems, NOT prostate cancer.

Early detection is the key.

Do not delay once you hit 50 to have a PSA done and if the family doctor says it is not needed FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR WHO WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Great news. Congrats on beating it, LTC.

My surrounding pathology tests came back negative so we think is all gone. I just had my 3rd post-op PSA yesterday. I'll get the results next Thurs.

[skeet]

I had my first prostrate exam when I was 54, I am now 60.

 

 

The doctor told me he was going to perform a digital rectal exam to check my prostrate. I thought wow this must be some type of high tech test, little did I know that digital referred to a digit, his finger.

 

 

I get a physical every April, the includes the PSA test and the digital test. So far no problems.

[ejrail]

I had my first prostrate exam when I was 54, I am now 60.

 

 

The doctor told me he was going to perform a digital rectal exam to check my prostrate. I thought wow this must be some type of high tech test, little did I know that digital referred to a digit, his finger.

 

 

I get a physical every April, the includes the PSA test and the digital test. So far no problems.

 

 

Good for you! The digital test mainly shows the size, if it is enlarged. An enlagred prostate is normal, the older you get. Size doesn't tell if you have cancer or not. You need the PSA for that.

 

 

The doc just called my PSA test from Wednesday came back 0.1, same as the last ones.

[svtkeith]

Very very wise words EJay...So glad you fought and beat the big C my buddy and are now helping other people...I'm 52 and in

 

better shape than most half my age but the fact is the milage is still there and thats why I do like you say and always get my check

 

ups every year.

[RACERX009]

I got the 2 for 1 sale !!! scoped from both ends same day

[David Hawkins]

It will make more since if you Read the Article before you read what I wrote …………

 

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20111007/US.MED.Prostate.Screening/

 

 

 

All I can say is WTH? I just had my Physical (50 YO) and my PSA was 103. I went in a week early to give Blood, she took 4 tubes of Blood from my arm. They used that Blood to do all the Tests, including the PSA Test. So can someone please tell me HOW testing my Blood that was taken earlier is BAD for Me? This Article also states that it is a Waste of Time for them to be doing a PSA Test on my Blood when they SHOULD be spending that time working on creating a better Test. Correct me if I am wrong but, I don’t think the People doing the Tests on my Blood are the same People in the Lab trying to create a better Test.

[Bill Hamilton]

Well I’ve had my prune “popped” a few times by Air Force Flight Surgeons over the years during annual flight physicals. In my younger days, the good news was that they never found my head up there and locked, so I always asked for clarification and for them to forward that on my squadron commanders. In the event of a Class A or lower incident (military code word for accident), a good word from the commander always helped.

 

As I blew past age 50 and started knocking on the door to the 60’s, I’ve had several of those long skinny cameras probing into my “No-Man’s-Land” hoping to keep the Bogies and Bandits in check and off/out of my six-o-clock region. I’ve been fortunate so far as no major damage was noted but a few polyps have had to be clipped to keep my aerodynamically designed exhaust and afterburner flowing correctly.

 

The procedure is actually pretty much a non-event as they use some really good drugs to put you down and bring you out of it about 20 minutes later feeling fully refreshed like you just woke up from a full night’s sleep. After 12 hours of drinking some kind of lime-flavored JP-4 Jet fuel mixture and only clear liquids, which really make your afterburner and tailpipe section clean, that first meal sure is good. :tequila:

 

It’s one of those necessary evils that we must endure in life if want to enjoy the benefits of retirement and beyond. My only concern is I may have subject to an Alien Anal Probe at some point in my life and never knew it if they use the same procedures/drugs as my Doctors. :unsure:

 

As far as keeping your prostate in good working order … I would love to use Hugh Hefner’s method, which from what I understand, is a steady diet of Viagra and 20-something year old blonds. However my wife has other ideas.