The Routine Physical

    I made my appointment with the family doctor and went for all my blood tests. Then after my prostate digital exam my doctor told me that he found a small sized lump in my prostate and that I need to see a specialist to see if it might be cancer. The doctor's office made me an appointment 6 weeks later. I got to see one of the top Urologists in our part of the country. He was recovering from prostate cancer surgery also, his was done 1-1/2 years ago.

    Once I got into the Urologist office and the doctor did his check up he found the same thing. But my PSA blood test said I was great less then 2.0. The doctor said the only way to make sure was for him to do a biopsy of my prostate. So they set an appointment 1 month away. I had to be off all aspirin and aspirin products for at least 2 to 3 weeks before it could be performed as there is a lot of bleeding. I was a little nervous but not too bad. The doctor said he thought it might just be calcium or some swelling of a lymph node. Well the time came for the needle biopsy and I found out what it was like to lose all my modesty. I had to get naked and lay on a table with no sheet or anything. The nurse was preparing me and then the doctor came in and explained what was going to happen. The gun he used to take the biopsy was kind of scary and quite an ordeal. It even took pictures on a ultrasound monitor. The ultrasound was clear the doctor said he couldn't see anything wrong. So the doctor took some samples from both sides of the prostate and 1 finger guided biopsy shot of the lump area.

    4 days later the results came back positive. From that day on for the next 2 weeks I lived in HELL. My wife and I cried and cried. I tried to be strong but all my mind would say is that I am dying. My wife and I had to go see the doctor again and this time we had a conference in his office. He went through all my options and he gave me a list of names of other doctors and specialist to see before I made up my mind. It helped to talk to the other people but still I was frightened really bad, it seemed everyone said I was lucky to catch it so early and that I would be OK, but it that my mind wouldn't listen and went its own way. I had a few friends in the past 4 or 5 years die from prostate cancer and that was all I could think of. My father and his brothers all had it BAD but they survived it. Everyone of them had the worst case and went through Hell with theirs and one of dads brothers did finally die of his.