PSA blood test - left my arm throbbing on the drive home...

[Stalker62]

Well today's big adventure, was my RSVP to take part in the national PSA blood screening tests, being offered to gentlemen of a certain 'vintage'...

I rock up (early - always early) to find the waiting room filled with men who are of a certain 'vintage' - none of whom will look you in the eye.

The young receptionist (clearly not the dietician - but let's not be unkind), mumbles everything (probably has a mouth full of cake by the looks of her!) and fails to give clear instructions to the herd of bewildered old men, who are clearly not used to attending to their health unsupervised.





Having had the literature sent some weeks earlier, I realise that I have to collect a test tube and a small plastic pouring pot, and go and pass a urine sample. Not all the 'punters' are quite so clued up.

Getting old sucks.

I wonder off, and produce the necessary (mid-stream is best - and no I don't mean go and stand in a Beck) into the 'pouring cup' and then decant same into the test tube. I do so without creating a 'mess'. Others have not been so accurate. Dirty bastards.

I wander nonchalantly back to the waiting area, with an unspeakably warm test tube in my shirt pocket. Did I mention that getting old sucks?

My name is called, and I go and present the poor unfortunate Nurse, with the contents of my bladder. I apologise for being there and she is very kind about it.

A quick test for infections (you can't have the blood test if you have an infection) and I am good to go.

Wearing short sleeve order (why would you not?) - the Nurse applies the blue plastic tourniquet and draws off the sample. Small sticky plaster (no lolly pop) and I slink out of the door.




"If the tests are positive, we will call you back for a CT scan"...


Great. I was wondering what I was going to be doing over Christmas.

Jump back into the truck and head off home.

About half-way there, and my donor arm is numb and throbbing like a bastard. I look down at my fingers and they look swollen.

Thoughts of allergic reaction race through my mind. Fcuk. I wonder if I am going into anaphylactic shock?

I look down at my left arm and there it is.

The blue plastic tourniquet - still strangling my left arm.




So a couple or three things to remember.

• If you get an invite to have a PSA blood test - do take it.
• When you provide your urine sample - do take care.
• When you have given your blood - do have them take off the tourniquet...

Be careful. It's a jungle out there.

 

[Tom270]

Congratulations on having the test I agree to any testing going and waiting for psa summons. I recently went to have my aorta scanned for any signs of disection fortunately all good but 2 men had walked out obviously not having read the leaflet and after asking what it was about and travelling to the testing site went home saying they did not want to know. Their right absolutely but in my view its better to know and see what can be done rather than probable sudden death while driving your loved ones. Hope your results are good.

 

[willie_gunn]

Well done.

It is always worth getting the PSA test.

I had the new biopsy test back in February, where they go in through the perineum, which does have a tendency to make the eyes water. However whilst slightly uncomfortable it is definitely worth doing. Had the second follow-up appointment last week and it all looks good, with the PSA score well within acceptable limits.

 

[monarman]

I had the psa test as part of a general blood test which I had due to an injury from a faulty air suspension seat in the telehandler..( was found d to be leaking and replaced under warranty but I still suffer because of it)... the levels were a tad high for someone of my age (48 ) so I too ended up having the eye watering biopsy.(not the perineum one though... the the slightly more invasive one).. mine came back positive for a very small amount of cancer which is being monitored with mri scans and further psa tests....
My last psa ( september)was nearly twice as high.. but I had it after harvest where I was on the telehandler extensively managing the grainstores and I reckon my prostate (along with other parts of my body ) were aggrevated by the prolonged use which may of sent the readings higher. I will be having another psa test in the next week or 2 and hopefully it's down... otherwise its another eye-watering session in the biopsy chair!.. although the main scans showed no change (they did however show another possible lesion on my illium which could be related to the injury or something a bit more sinister... so had a fully body bone scan yesterday with radioactive juice pumped into me)... be interesting to see what comes of it.

I'm staying very positive about it all and carrying on with things as normal (alghough massively limiting telehandler use and concentrating more on my 'normal' work as deer and wildlife manager).

Get the test done if you can at the earliest opportunity...

 

[Nimrod1960]

Gents
Get tested please.
I did a few years ago , no symptoms just for an all fluids and orifices mot. Doc didnt want to give me a PSA , load of waffle about false positives and stress etc. I insisted ! You can imagine him squirming a week later telling me my score was 30 ! CT MRI scans and biopsies later yielded a Gleason Score 9 ! Drugs and big opp later I am all good.
Moral is if I had not had the test 90% probability I would not be writing this.

GET THE TEST

 

[Foxyboy43]

Indeed very sensible to have it checked and infinitely preferable to the dreaded “just pop up on the couch……”.
Two pals recorded very high scores and are now “in the system” so defo a good idea.

 

[Stalker62]

... CT MRI scans and biopsies later yielded a Gleason Score 9...

 

[willie_gunn]

I too ended up having the eye watering biopsy.(not the perineum one though... the the slightly more invasive one).

I'm staying very positive about it all and carrying on with things as normal (alghough massively limiting telehandler use and concentrating more on my 'normal' work as deer and wildlife manager).

Get the test done if you can at the earliest opportunity...

My very best wishes to you, and that everything proves to be okay.

I know it’s not a competition but….with the transperineal biopsy you actually get it “with both barrels”, so to speak.

After the DRE (never shake a urologist’s hand, or allow them to prepare the vegetables!) the digit is replace with an ultrasound probe. This is used to provide the imagery that enables them to take the samples from the right place on the prostate. Despite my fears beforehand, I’ve scoured YouTube and I’m pleased to report that the footage is not live-streamed!

They then insert a guide tube through the perineum….basically halfway between the last turkey in the shop and the freckle. Thankfully, this is done under local anaesthetic, which avoids the otherwise inevitable Tom and Jerry type reaction.



The needle that takes the sample is passed through this guide tube. They take 12-14 samples, 7 from each side of the prostate, using a spring-loaded needle - you are told to expect a “click” and a flicking sensation as each sample is taken. The closest approximation I can give is that it feels like the consultant is having a game of bagatelle in a very anti-social location!

I was generously informed when they were half way through taking the samples…..how you react to this kind of news depends on whether you are a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of person.



Now as eye-watering as it might sound, whilst the procedure is uncomfortable, it is not painful. That said, I’m not exactly desperate to repeat a process that had half a dozen medical personnel spending half an hour doing a close examination of my nether regions! Afterwards the consultant told me he frequently gets approached by patients when shopping in Oxford, which left me wondering whether he asks them to drop their trousers and bend over so that he can “put a face to a name” as it were - not the thing to do on a busy Saturday in Tesco, I’d suggest!

Prostate cancer will affect 1 in 8 men in the UK at some time in their lives, and a man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes. However if detected early, the prognosis is good. As you say, every man should get the test done when offered the opportunity. If you’re finding yourself struggling to get through the night without peeing a few times, or you go and then 30 minutes later feel the need to go again…..speak to your doctor and ask for a PSA test. Don’t stick your heard in the sand and hope it will go away.

For those wanting to learn more I can recommend “Prostrate Cancer” (sic) by Graham Sharpe, who set up the William Hill prize for sporting literature and previously wrote “Vinyl Countdown”. He takes you on his journey from diagnosis through treatment, and the book is both humorous and thought-provoking.

 

[Stalker62]

I know it’s not a competition but….with the transperineal biopsy you actually get it “with both barrels”, so to speak.

@willie_gunn

When I started this thread, I rather hoped it would provoke, awareness, openness, discussion and uptake on the tests.

Your post may just be the most meaningful I have read on SD - thank you.

 

[HonestJohn]

Free one for the 1st aid kit!

 

[monarman]

@willie_gunn ...

If that's the perineum biopsy then I too had that same procedure.... after they finished I actually passed out!... the first time I've ever done it too!... due to legs in the air for a long period of time I reckon..

 

[willie_gunn]

@willie_gunn ...

If that's the perineum biopsy then I too had that same procedure.... after they finished I actually passed out!... the first time I've ever done it too!... due to legs in the air for a long period of time I reckon..

You have my sincere sympathy.

To be fair it is a very unnatural position for the body to be in. Also the individual body can react in very different ways to similar stimuli. I was told to go and sit down for 30 minutes, most likely to guard against fainting as well. It is not uncommon.

To be honest the most disconcerting thing for me is that the biopsy can result in the prostate bleeding. This happened in my case. I would hope most here know what the prostate’s day job is - suffice to say that when its “product” comes out blood red, it certainly makes you sit up and take notice! If you do happen to be affected, this side effect can last for anything up to a month. Again, and to be 100% clear, there is no pain involved. However it is one of those situations where forewarned is most certainly forearmed!

 

[Foxyboy43]

My very best wishes to you, and that everything proves to be okay.

I know it’s not a competition but….with the transperineal biopsy you actually get it “with both barrels”, so to speak.

After the DRE (never shake a urologist’s hand, or allow them to prepare the vegetables!) the digit is replace with an ultrasound probe. This is used to provide the imagery that enables them to take the samples from the right place on the prostate. Despite my fears beforehand, I’ve scoured YouTube and I’m pleased to report that the footage is not live-streamed!

They then insert a guide tube through the perineum….basically halfway between the last turkey in the shop and the freckle. Thankfully, this is done under local anaesthetic, which avoids the otherwise inevitable Tom and Jerry type reaction.

View attachment 340980

The needle that takes the sample is passed through this guide tube. They take 12-14 samples, 7 from each side of the prostate, using a spring-loaded needle - you are told to expect a “click” and a flicking sensation as each sample is taken. The closest approximation I can give is that it feels like the consultant is having a game of bagatelle in a very anti-social location!

I was generously informed when they were half way through taking the samples…..how you react to this kind of news depends on whether you are a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of person.

View attachment 340981

Now as eye-watering as it might sound, whilst the procedure is uncomfortable, it is not painful. That said, I’m not exactly desperate to repeat a process that had half a dozen medical personnel spending half an hour doing a close examination of my nether regions! Afterwards the consultant told me he frequently gets approached by patients when shopping in Oxford, which left me wondering whether he asks them to drop their trousers and bend over so that he can “put a face to a name” as it were - not the thing to do on a busy Saturday in Tesco, I’d suggest!

Prostate cancer will affect 1 in 8 men in the UK at some time in their lives, and a man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes. However if detected early, the prognosis is good. As you say, every man should get the test done when offered the opportunity. If you’re finding yourself struggling to get through the night without peeing a few times, or you go and then 30 minutes later feel the need to go again…..speak to your doctor and ask for a PSA test. Don’t stick your heard in the sand and hope it will go away.

For those wanting to learn more I can recommend “Prostrate Cancer” (sic) by Graham Sharpe, who set up the William Hill prize for sporting literature and previously wrote “Vinyl Countdown”. He takes you on his journey from diagnosis through treatment, and the book is both humorous and thought-provoking.

Crikey!
Not that long ago you would have to get engaged after all that!
Stay well pal and all other SD chaps of a certain age.

 

[potshotpat]

I remember someone I know (can't remember his name) going for the camera up the jacksie. What an enjoyable experience that was. Things I ( he ) remembers, drinking something that shouldn't be drunk. Getting throw backs wondering if nappies are still available in my (his) size. Then to top it off finding out the specialist is called Mr Blower I kid you not. But being told to smile and say cheese as you watch the monitor as you don't recognise any parts of the anatomy on show. But two weeks later receiving news that everything is okay. Joking apart come on fellas don't Die of embarrassment.

 

[monarman]

Oh yes.... the colonoscopy!..... I was being questioned about my six species of deer tattoos whilst watching the camera go all the way to my appendix (a strange looking thing it is) whilst inhaling gas and air ....
The laxative they give you the day before makes you think your weewee hole has some serious competition!!...

 

[McKenzie]

Oh yes.... the colonoscopy!..... I was being questioned about my six species of deer tattoos whilst watching the camera go all the way to my appendix (a strange looking thing it is) whilst inhaling gas and air ....
The laxative they give you the day before makes you think your weewee hole has some serious competition!!...

I had this delight last week. I get screened every 2-3 years.

 

[McKenzie]

Then to top it off finding out the specialist is called Mr Blower I kid you not.

After my kidney stone episode I had my urethral stent removed by an Asian lady by the name of Dr Wang.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Oh yes.... the colonoscopy!..... I was being questioned about my six species of deer tattoos whilst watching the camera go all the way to my appendix (a strange looking thing it is) whilst inhaling gas and air ....
The laxative they give you the day before makes you think your weewee hole has some serious competition!!...

Ah Picolax! When the world really falls out of your bottom…….

 

[Pete1774]

I had a PSA test many years ago which showed a high level. Went to see a consultant who did a biopsy with the aid of a sort of anal dildo (don't worry chaps, they now use the jolly old MRI scanner) Fortunately it was just an enlarged prostate for which I was prescribed pills which shrunk the offending organ and now its back to a raging torrent instead of a dribbling stream (slight exaggeration) Seriously, go ask for a PSA test before it becomes a problem.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Prostate Biopsy just insist you are knocked out, I was for my first one, then my consultant thought he would suggest a local for the next..... err!!!! No Thanks, knock me out again please....