discovery To Diagnosis

In Jan of 2024, during my annual physical, my PSA level was 3.9.  My doctor advised that there was no cause for concern until it reached 4.0, so we’d want to test it again in a year and keep an eye on the results. Since then I’ve learned that the vast majority of prostate cancers are very slow growing, so this advice wasn’t unreasonable.

Seven months later I returned to the doctor complaining about my need to use the restroom too many times during the night. I figured I'd get a prescription and move on with my life. Instead I learned that my PSA had jumped to 8.2, and so I was sent to a urologist for evaluation. That resulted in a "This is concerning." comment, as well as orders for an MRI and biopsy. Long story short: I tested positive for an aggressive form of prostate cancer (Gleason score of 9 out of 10), and, because of spread outside of the prostate to a local lymph node, classified as Stage IV.

The recommended treatment plan was hormone therapy, radiation, and exercise. With the help of a nutritionist I learned about very important dietary changes that needed to be made.