When Routine Wasn’t Routine

In July of 2021, I was at my primary physician of 15 years getting my bi-annual checkup. We were chatting as usual when I started telling him about my younger brother who had just had a prostatectomy. He looked at me and asked "Why did we stop checking your PSA?"

A missed assumption

I answered "Why did WE stop checking my PSA?" I assumed that he, knowing my family history of cancer, had always checked the box on my blood work to include a PSA test. He had not and said I should get a PSA test ASAP.

The results

I did. About a week later, while I was at the beach with my wife, he called to tell me my PSA was 29 and referred me to a urologist. The urologist was thorough. After performing a DRE, which my primary had never done, he said he felt irregularities and recommended a biopsy. Out of 15 samples, 12 came back positive for cancer, with Gleason scores of 8 and 9.

Surgery and initial treatment

I had a prostatectomy in November 2021. Six months later, when my PSA started rising again, I went through 48 rounds of radiation along with two three month Lupron shots. About a year later, a PSMA PET scan showed metastasis in my right hip and left femur. Five additional rounds of radiation took care of those spots. After that, my oncologist started me on Lupron injections every three months and daily Erleada pills, which I will be on for the rest of my life. Thankfully, two subsequent PSMA scans have shown no further metastasis.

Lesson learned

If there is a takeaway from my experience, it is this. Do not assume your doctor is doing everything necessary for your health. Like Ralph Kramden said, “When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.” I turned 74 a week ago. I walk three miles every morning, do 50 “old man” pushups daily, and work out with light weights every other day. I am planning to add chair yoga or tai chi soon.

Prostate cancer probably will not kill me, but it sure did take a toll on my sex life. I am grateful for an understanding wife.

That is my story, and I am sticking to it.