You breathe a little easier when the first test comes back with a number the doc calls “undetectable.”
But, they don’t have a bell for you to ring that soon, celebrating the “defeat” of the disease.Way too early for that.
The whole experience – taking months of appointments, tests, waiting for test results, surgery, recovery – tells you this isn’t necessarily over, that nothing about this kind of cancer is simple, and the doc will want another test in three months, then another in six months.
If you’re lucky. Like I was.
I wrote here last spring that, “having dodged a bullet, apparently, I’d like to help some other guy do the same,” about my experience with prostate cancer.
I figured if I could shove one guy up out of his recliner to get a simple PSA test, it would be well worth the effort.
I had my prostate removed last April in a three-and-a-half-hour surgery at Poudre Valley hospital in Fort Collins. Had to spend the night in the hospital, but was on my way home late afternoon the next day.
The post-surgery pathology report couldn’t have been better. “clear margins,” meaning the cancer wasn’t close to the edges and probably hadn’t spread, and “no lymph node involvement.” that’s good news, lying there in a hospital bed with a tube running out of you.
But, there’s no temptation to go get a pitcher of beer to celebrate. (I’ve learned that beer is like dropping a depth charge into your innards, post surgery. So I miss my late afternoon Pabst Blue Ribbon.)
I’ve done a lot of reading about this disease.So I can tell you in layman’s terms that going into this deal, you have three of what I call “check valves” downstream from your bladder. (there’s a medical term for these valves, but it creeps me out.) Taking your prostate out takes away two of the three check valves. And until that last one gets up to speed to hold back the tide all by itself, you can spring a leak stepping down out of your pickup, or with a hearty laugh, or a big sneeze. Coughing hard can be a risky proposition.
But, it beats the hell out of cancer.
And it gets better. Seven months later, I’m pretty much over the side effects.And as this recovery goes on, I’ve learned not to expect sympathy from any woman who’s had children, and as a result has a challenged check valve of her own. they’ve been there, done that. so don’t bring it up.
The good news is that my first post-surgery PSA was what they call “undetectable,” just what my surgeon wanted to see. And the test three months after that was the same. I take another PSA in six months.
Nothing happens very quickly on the road to prostate surgery. I had a problematic PSA of 7.8 early in the summer of 2024. We figured it