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MRI this morning. Now very anxious.

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User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 10:48

Hi all -

quick summary of me:

I’m 52. Had a checkup in June 2021 as I was a bit concerned about getting up to pee in the night. DRE was normal, PSA = 1.0

I also had a DRE in 2022 = normal.

Sep 12th 2023 during health check up: DRE normal but PSA was suddenly 9.7!

Got urgent referral to a urologist - saw him on Sep 15th. He suggested an MRI and then “probably” a biopsy. DRE was normal though “perhaps slightly firm to one side”. He also remarked that my prostate is actually smaller than average. They did a urine flow test which showed a bit of “stop-start”, slightly weakened flow.

Spent the weekend in a state of dread and despair. I have two youngish kids and a loving wife. I’m also prone to anxiety, catastrophising - you name it.

Sep 18th - got a call - results now show PSA has dropped to 6.5 and some evidence of UTI found in urine culture test, which urologist kept saying was an “surprise”. Antibiotics prescribed.

Of course I leapt on this as good news and decided “well that’s it - just a UTI”. But of course at the back of my mind are lots of hovering questions. Why was he surprised to find a UTI? Could PCa be causing said UTI? Could a UTI (which would have to be so mild I’ve not noticed it, except maaaaybe a little pain on urination a few weeks back) really cause my PSA to have rocketed from 1 to 9.7 so quickly? When it dropped from 9.7 to 6.5 in a few days, was that really a good sign, or just a standard fluctuation or difference between labs?

Had the MRI scan this morning - like being at an Aphex Twin gig - and cheerily greeted all the staff but inside I’m very anxious. I know statistically given my age I’ve got a reasonable chance of having some form of PCa regardless of any of the above. I also know this is one of the most treatable types of cancer there is. And I know there’s still every chance I don’t have it at all.

My follow-up meeting with the urologist to discuss the MRI results is in 5 days. I suppose my question is - am I a fool to wrestle with the odds in my head? Am I being falsely reassured by the “good signs” (eg the drop in the PSA number) and ignoring the more ominous ones (at last count it’s still 6.5).

Any tips for reducing the anxiety or ruminating gratefully received. I feel like I just want to hide away a bit. I know I should get out, go for a jog, try to take my mind off it etc, but that’s just so hard. I sometimes find myself feeling morose, withdrawing to my room or snapping at the kids when they make too much noise - and then of course I feel awful for doing so.

Sorry, this is a bit of a ramble. I suppose I’m just seeking reassurance or any advice I can get. How do the rest of you cope with the waiting? Does it get any easier?

 

 

 

 

 

User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 11:19

Firstly, given your age and the PSA/DRE results there is a chance that there is the start of PCa there. After all, 12+% of men will get diagnosed with it at some point.
BUT, it is very likely to be at it's early stages and you have caught it before it gets too advanced - so extremely treatable and no reason to believe that it will shorten your expected lifespan.
The MRI will see if there are any suspicious areas and then a biopsy will determine whether it is cancer or not.
Then they will decide what the best course of treatment is.

PCa is slow growing and most men die with it, not because of it and so try and put it all into perspective. It isn't going to kill you.

Don't let it take over your life and affect your relationships. There are plenty of us on the same pathway, many are in a far less favourable position than you are.

Go give them a cuddle and tell them how much you love them!

Edited by member 22 Sep 2023 at 11:22  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 11:49
Iain, we've all been there with the "what if..." mental stuff, and waiting for the tests to be carried out is the worst part - by far - in the entire process. I'm not going to say "don't worry", because obviously you are worried, but what I would say, as we've discussed previously, is that this shows all the symptoms of being a UTI (with cancer, your PSA goes only one way: upwards), but that even if it does turn out to be prostate cancer, it's not the end of the world. You get it treated (and, as I'm sure you know, prostate cancer has excellent treatment success rates) and then you get on with your life.

If you are finding the stress difficult to deal with, go and see your GP. When I was diagnosed five years ago and was finding it difficult to deal with, my GP prescribed me Sertraline, which helped me enormously.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 12:11

The good news is it does get easier as you learn to adapt to the new dynamics of life 😵‍💫🤪 Having said that I have my post RARP year 4 bloods coming up in November. I’d be lying if I didn’t say my butt will be twitching like a rabbits nose until I have the result in hand 👀

btw we’re the PSA bloods done after the DRE? Happened to me once and there was an elevated number and I just looked at the consultant and said you’ve just squeezed my prostate….which shouldn’t be done for several days before a PSA test….basic stuff 🤷🏼‍♂️🤪😵‍💫

Edited by member 22 Sep 2023 at 12:14  | Reason: Not specified

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User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 11:19

Firstly, given your age and the PSA/DRE results there is a chance that there is the start of PCa there. After all, 12+% of men will get diagnosed with it at some point.
BUT, it is very likely to be at it's early stages and you have caught it before it gets too advanced - so extremely treatable and no reason to believe that it will shorten your expected lifespan.
The MRI will see if there are any suspicious areas and then a biopsy will determine whether it is cancer or not.
Then they will decide what the best course of treatment is.

PCa is slow growing and most men die with it, not because of it and so try and put it all into perspective. It isn't going to kill you.

Don't let it take over your life and affect your relationships. There are plenty of us on the same pathway, many are in a far less favourable position than you are.

Go give them a cuddle and tell them how much you love them!

Edited by member 22 Sep 2023 at 11:22  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 11:49
Iain, we've all been there with the "what if..." mental stuff, and waiting for the tests to be carried out is the worst part - by far - in the entire process. I'm not going to say "don't worry", because obviously you are worried, but what I would say, as we've discussed previously, is that this shows all the symptoms of being a UTI (with cancer, your PSA goes only one way: upwards), but that even if it does turn out to be prostate cancer, it's not the end of the world. You get it treated (and, as I'm sure you know, prostate cancer has excellent treatment success rates) and then you get on with your life.

If you are finding the stress difficult to deal with, go and see your GP. When I was diagnosed five years ago and was finding it difficult to deal with, my GP prescribed me Sertraline, which helped me enormously.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 22 Sep 2023 at 12:11

The good news is it does get easier as you learn to adapt to the new dynamics of life 😵‍💫🤪 Having said that I have my post RARP year 4 bloods coming up in November. I’d be lying if I didn’t say my butt will be twitching like a rabbits nose until I have the result in hand 👀

btw we’re the PSA bloods done after the DRE? Happened to me once and there was an elevated number and I just looked at the consultant and said you’ve just squeezed my prostate….which shouldn’t be done for several days before a PSA test….basic stuff 🤷🏼‍♂️🤪😵‍💫

Edited by member 22 Sep 2023 at 12:14  | Reason: Not specified

 
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