Talked to my surgeon today and got my final pathology report. My Gleason score was unchanged at 3+4 (Here is a good explanation of the Gleason score if you don't know what it is https://www.pcf.org/about-prostate-cancer/diagnosis-staging-prostate-cancer/gleason-score-isup-grade/ and the cancer did not break outside of the prostate so it looks like he got it all with the surgery. Will know for sure in three weeks when I get my PSA tested but on the surface, looks promising.

Hope you stay clean and healthy!

Thanks. You will be good. Catching it early is the best thing.

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18 months without a boner? Fuck that noise, just kill me now doc. Although the penile implant sounds promising, that'd be like having a bionic dick. wonders of modern medicine. I'd do more porn if I had an inspector gadget bionic unit. maybe they could make it with different cycles, like spin, vibrate, pneumatically pump back and forth, etc.

No doubt about that!

Praying for the good outcome, D.

For the others who may be on the fence about the exam, I will be 62 next month and have gotten in the good habit of getting an annual every October. For me the prostate exam is something I have gotten used to. It only takes a few moments, it does not hurt, and it seems my doc gets more nervous about it than I do.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Thanks and good on you to make it a routine!

My wife went with me when I talked to my surgeon. As we were talking, he asked if he could examine me and I said sure. So, my wife leaves and I’m out the door in about 20 seconds and she says, “that was quick!” and I responded with “what did you think was going to happen?” Of course, she didn’t know and so I explained what a DRE consists of.

I semi know my gp on a social level. He was like “Drunk, believe me that it’s as awkward for me as it is for you.”

At what age do men need to be tested? I thought it was 45 for white men and maybe 40 for black men.

What is the procedure for testing? Is it uncomfortable, etc.? How often do men need to be tested once we're at that point.

Normally, what are the types of symptoms men should be looking out for?

I get a yearly blood test at my physical and mine is checked that way.

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I think the age you start to get tested depends on your family history. If you have a history of prostate cancer in your family, earlier is better. PSA is just a blood test as Seacrest said. Your PCP/GP may do a DRE as well, which while not the most fun, isn't that bad and takes about 5 seconds. As Drunk Squirrel said, doctors don't like to do it any more than we like getting it done.

Regarding symptoms, found this:

Most prostate cancers are found early, through screening. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. More advanced prostate cancers can sometimes cause symptoms, such as:

Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night
Blood in the urine or semen
Trouble getting an erection (erectile dysfunction or ED)
Pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones
Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control from cancer pressing on the spinal cord
Most of these problems are more likely to be caused by something other than prostate cancer. For example, trouble urinating is much more often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous growth of the prostate. Still, it’s important to tell your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed. Some men might need more tests to check for prostate cancer.

For me, I started with enlarged prostate which made urination difficult and I got up a lot during the night but I didn't have any specific pain or blood in semen or anything like that.

Good news, and good luck Division!

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Not a mult.

A while ago my uncle had same. They did not remove though they chose to use some sort of radioactive discs inserted. Was this discussed? Maybe it’s not done now?

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Elections have consequences.

If you can't handle getting one knuckle deep in the moon by 40, you haven't lived.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Thanks MM!

How is your uncle doing?

The main treatments for guys my age are surgery and radiation. The radioactive discs/seeds are a subset of the normal radiation treatment. I could have used that but radiation tends to swell the prostate and with my already too large prostate, I most likely would have had to go on a full time catheter for the foreseeable future. Another issue with radiation is that it tends to hit other healthy tissues and that ends up making the whole area kind of "petrified". And if the radiation treatment does not work, they'd still have to try to remove the prostate and surgeons do not like to do that because it's like chipping a rock out of another rock. I almost certainly would lose the ability to get an erection normally (implant can take care of that) so all in all, for me, the best treatment was to remove.

Got my PSA results after nearly 6 weeks after surgery. It was undetectable, which means that for now, surgery successfully removed the cancer. Now let's hope it stays this way.

Now, must deal with the other issues...

Congratulations!

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Good news on the cancer, D....

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My dad had it in 2017, he won't talk to me about any of it so I know nothing about it. I know they found it super early and he will be fine.

My father in law has it, it spread to his bones. We are probably 3 years or so in but he is starting to decline again. I think they are going to go with radiation now but I'm not sure why or how it works. I think the prognosis was 3-5 years. He is in a lot of pain.

Congrats

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Elections have consequences.

Division, good to hear!

Spaulding, sending good vibes.

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Good news Div, hope it continues to go well.

on a somewhat related note. We have to meet with our benefits company. They are pushing a cancer program for families. Looks to be about $40 a month for a family and they provide coverage for a whole number of treatments and such. Anyone gotten one of these? I hate spending more money a month, but I know one diagnosis can rock your world financially.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Sorry to hear about your FIL. Yeah, when it gets outside of your prostate, that's when it can get real bad. I think the radiation probably is to kill as much as they can and hopefully make him as comfortable as possible. But that's just a guess, I'm not sure. I hope he can manage the pain as best he can.

Not sure why your dad won't talk about it to you. Sure, it can be embarrassing to discuss some of it, I suppose. But, I'm glad he's doing well.

Thanks Nas!

Thanks boyd!

Thanks Mike!

Thanks Frank!