Early days with watchful waiting
I am a 50 year old male, married with two daughters. In April, 2019 I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. Prior to this I was cruising along, loving life and felt like I was in the prime of my life. My diagnosis came after my yearly PSA blood test result showed an increase.
The moment of the diagnosis My Urologist recommended I have another PSA test in 3 months which I did. My PSA went up again from 2.7 to 4 in 3 months. I had an MRI which showed I had some ‘nodules’ in my prostate. Then came the biopsy and the result being I have two areas of cancer in my prostate – low grade Gleeson score 6. My Urologist has recommended ‘watchful waiting’.
Watchful waiting is an approach when you allow time to pass before medical intervention or therapy is used. It’s a way of monitoring prostate cancer and involves regular PSA tests and clinical appointments. I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that I have Prostate Cancer.
Will it spread outside my prostate? Should I have my prostate removed or do the ‘watchful waiting’? I really don’t know what I’m going to do at this early stage. I don’t want to leave it until it’s too late, but I also don’t want to undergo surgery if it’s not necessary. I’ve heard that the surgery option comes with many possible side effects. Every pain I get in my body I think it’s the cancer spreading. I have no idea what’s going on inside my body, is it the cancer or something totally unrelated? These uncertainties have made me really anxious and I worry about my future all the time. I’m having PSA blood tests every 3 months and will be seeing my Urologist again in October to discuss my concerns.
For others in my situation, I would suggest hearing from others with a diagnosis similar to yours and perhaps look for a local support group or online forum to take part in. I think it’s really good to connect with people who are going through similar experiences as a means of putting some concerns at ease and to find out their diagnosis and treatment choices.