Posted 8/24/2012 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW, sorry you have the need to have found us here, but this is a good place to be if needed.
That is a very high PSA reading. It is possible that some or all of it could be related to a prostate infection. The urologist may put him on a strong antibiotic and see if the number comes down greatly, if so, that would be good news. Or the urologist may want him to have an immediate prostate biopsy. They are no fun, but almost all of us here have been through that one or more times. In my case, it took 3 biopsies spread over about 18 months to finally confirm that I had prostate cancer.
Your husband is getting too angry before having any facts to work with. That is more normal to experience directly after a cancer diagnosis, not before, but hey, we are all different. And his talk and feelings about surgery and/or radiation are a bit pre-mature at this point.
For starters, you can tell him, that with radiation as a treatment, that his hair is not going to fall out. That is more typical for chemotherapy, not radiation. As far as a catheter goes, most men that opt for surgery have a catheter in for on the average of 5-10 days, a week typically. It is inserted when the patient is still under the gas so to speak, so he wouldn't feel it being inserted. When a catheter is removed, it almost never hurts, and it drops out like a slippery snake. For me, it was a big issue, due to complications, I spent a total of 1 1/2 years on 21 different catheters, so for a guy worrying about a few days with one, its hard for me to be too sympathetic.
With many cancer diagnosis, people go from shock and awe, to fear, and yes, to anger (for many), that is all considered a normal process for digesting and accepting the fact that one has cancer. But right now, he doesn't know if he even has prostate cancer, so again, one step at the time.
If he does prove to have cancer, and assuming its serious enough to need treatment, his basic choices would be surgery (either open or robotic), or some variation of radiation, either with beams or seeds, or again some combination. If he was diagnosed with serious statiistics, he may be put right on Hormone Therapy in some form, if they felt that his cancer (if he has it) has already spread beyond his prostate.
Please stay in touch, and let us know what the urologist is thinking or planning next. If an infection is ruled out, then a biopsy is highly likely the next step. It is still the best tool to get a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Meanwhile, and I say this lightly, your husband needs to chill out, and wait until the facts are in, then there is time to get mad or angry later, though anger about it will not help his situation if he does indeed have cancer.
We have many wifes here that speak and represent their husband's cancer journeys, so you will not be alone.
If you need to vent here at any point, feel free to do so, we can take it, and remember, with prostate cancer, there is no such thing as a dumb question.
Good luck to both of you, I hope you don't really need to stay here, but if you do, you will be in good company.
David in SC