February 2020 - How it all started

 It started as it must have in thousands or even millions of cases. I had become used to having to get up in the night for a pee but then it became twice or sometimes even three times. I am an active sixty-seven year old who is reasonably healthy if a little overweight. I was certainly aware of the prospect of prostate cancer which comes to males as their age advances. Indeed, a number of colleagues and friends have developed the cancer and some had even paid the ultimate price.

As one does these days, I checked the internet and it was clear that the urge to pee was certainly one of the telltale signs of prostate problems. Without further ado, I booked an appointment with my GP. Too many men I fear do not react quickly enough and it was clear that if you had a problem the quicker it was detected the better. I had been tested a couple of years before and pronounced OK after blood test and internal examination but the urge to pee had certainly got stronger.

The outcome of that initial appointment was a blood test which would be followed up by a further consultation to discuss the results.

The results showed a raised PSA level 5.9 from memory and the GP conducted an internal examination and could not feel any obvious issues. A repeat blood test was organized a couple of weeks later as I was told that the PSA check was notoriously unreliable. The results of this check came back slightly higher at 6.7.

By this time COVD 19 was becoming rampant so the results of this test were discussed with a GP over the telephone. Whilst the results of the test were not very high, the GP was concerned that the PSA level had risen and took the decision to refer me to a specialist in urology in the local hospital the Royal Gwent.

I have decided to record what happens next in the form of a diary in case it might help others who find themselves in a similar situation. I have also decided to develop a simple scale (the concernometer) to indicate how I am feeling. This will go from completely happy through levels of concern and worry to being absolutely petrified.

At this stage I was concerned but was not losing any sleep about it.