I find that most articles on prostate cancer seem to be from the clinical point of view. This doesn't always placate the poor soul who has just been diagnosed and, as far as he is concerned this is a death sentence. The odds in favour of survival have increased so much over the past few years that there really should not be any doom and gloom about this disease that attacks so many men, and, I am told, an increasing percentage the older you get. And I realise that it is not something that is whispered about in corners any more, if it gets a mention. It is so eminently survivable that all men should take some simple precautions to ensure that they catch it in time.
Some Early Warning Signs
There are plenty of early warning signs that should not be ignored. I can only be classed as a layman, but, having been there, I feel I talk from a position of strength. I knew that I was having to get up more often in the night than before, but was quite happy to assume the advancing years were responsible. My PSA count was about 7, so I was not too alarmed. However, working hard in the garden I did notice some blood in my urine, which should have warned me. But that was only one occasion, so, again, not too alarmed. The sudden lack of ejaculate should have been the final sign, but that was only a couple of weeks before proof positive of the problem. Like most men I was a little slow to grasp what had happened. There was no difficulty in urinating, just more frequent, so I took a little longer than I should have going to the doctor.
Treatment
Luckily for me the cancer had not spread away from the prostate. Leaving it any longer could have been fatal. After having the cancerous cells scraped away a treatment of radiotherapy followed by regular injections and a daily pill is keeping things under control. But before I had been fit and healthy, not really a day's sickness in years and I had been eating all the sorts of fruit and vegetables guaranteed to be very helpful in combating all sorts of cancer. It just goes to show that being open about the disease and an early visit to the doctor, if only to find that all is well, would not have been wasted.
Some Early Warning Signs
There are plenty of early warning signs that should not be ignored. I can only be classed as a layman, but, having been there, I feel I talk from a position of strength. I knew that I was having to get up more often in the night than before, but was quite happy to assume the advancing years were responsible. My PSA count was about 7, so I was not too alarmed. However, working hard in the garden I did notice some blood in my urine, which should have warned me. But that was only one occasion, so, again, not too alarmed. The sudden lack of ejaculate should have been the final sign, but that was only a couple of weeks before proof positive of the problem. Like most men I was a little slow to grasp what had happened. There was no difficulty in urinating, just more frequent, so I took a little longer than I should have going to the doctor.
Treatment
Luckily for me the cancer had not spread away from the prostate. Leaving it any longer could have been fatal. After having the cancerous cells scraped away a treatment of radiotherapy followed by regular injections and a daily pill is keeping things under control. But before I had been fit and healthy, not really a day's sickness in years and I had been eating all the sorts of fruit and vegetables guaranteed to be very helpful in combating all sorts of cancer. It just goes to show that being open about the disease and an early visit to the doctor, if only to find that all is well, would not have been wasted.