PSA going up having biopsy

I just underwent a biopsy two weeks ago. I would say on a scale of 1 to 10 my anxiety was 8 when I walked into the office. Much to my surprise the procedure was a snap and I would rate the whole experience a 4. While yes it was uncomfortable, it wasn't terribly painful. I had 13 cores.

The worst part of the experience was the following:

1. Waiting two weeks for the results was unbearable at times. When I was ushered into the exam room to meet with my doc I was barely able to breathe.

2. The bleeding after the procedure was not pleasant. My urine had cleared up after the 12th hour, but the stinging with each void was like pouring lemon juice on an infected wound. I was just about sting free one the second day. By day three it was a memory.

3. Blood in the semen. What more can I say? The blood was in there for a good 10 days and proceeded to get lighter each time. The weird thing now is, my semen is like water, very thin and runny. I asked my doc about the blood and he said that all of the blood pooled up in the gland during the procedure and that there wouldn't be any bleeding afterward. He also said that the blood would not get absorbed and the only way to clear it is through, ahem, ejaculations, and the more the merrier.

Thankfully the results came back with 13 negative cores. The reason for the procedure in the first place was my velocity went up over the past year, starting out at 1.2 during the summer of 2011 to 3.7 by July of 2012.

I did a lot of reading on PC during the time it was recommended that I get the biopsy and was extremely upset by what I was reading, the experiences of men my age (52) that didn't have favorable results. I really feel for these guys and my heart goes out to them.

I know I'm not out of the woods, but at least there's no raging cells swimming all around in there. I am fully aware that the procedure is a shot in the dark and there may very well be some bad things going on in there, but for now I'm breathing easier.

@MarcJ - Your situation sounds a lot like mine. Low number but velocity rising. Only my age is different, age 62, and my PSA only went as high as 2.2 (2.7 if you count the last one, which was a different lab, and right after the 2.2, 20 minutes after DRE.

Happy for you. I hope i get the same result.

The thought of it is way worse than the actual doing it. The 12 little pops are sharp, but the pain dissipates almost as fast as they arrive. The doc did give me an initial pop of what he called an anesthetic, it didn't really obliterate the pain until the last half of the pricks. To tell the truth, I actually slept through the last 6 or 7 pops each time I did it. I was going to count the pops, but never made it to the end. They gave me a little cup of something to drink, and to be honest I never asked what it was, about 30 minutes prior and then sat me in a real comfortable lazy boy in the dark. So when I got on the table, I was already half groggy. But as soon as it was over, and by the time I got dressed, I was fine and eating at Cracker Barrell about 20 minutes later with no problems.

One tip, if you have hemorrhoids, be greasing and treating minor symptoms aggressively the week before. On my second one, the biopsy turned a very minor case into a really hot one.

A guy I know that had it done, described the sound as somebody stapling a piece of paper. To this day, that sound gives him the willies. So whenever his wife gets mad at him, she takes a stapler and chases him around the house.

After it's over, you will laugh about the whole thing.

Iron Reb - thanks. I'll be laughing after the results (if they are negative) not after the biopsy. I do plan on getting very drunk on Thanksgiving (day after biopsy). But need to be careful, my (adult) kids don't know whats going on, no need to worry them unless biopsy comes back positive.

Good point.

oh, and i am grooving on your "playing for change" link, nice.

Thanks Akai. At this point, i am 5 days away from having the biopsy done, so i will just go with it.

Pratoman,

Here's wishing you happy results so your Thanksgiving/Christmas has an extra special meaning.

Pratoman,
I hope you are just a vistor now and not a permanent member of our little club here.

I had 3 biopsies and none hurt they were just "uncomfortable".
Never needed anything more for pain than the shot my doc gave me before the procedure.

Do be prepared for some blood in the semen for a couple of weeks afterwards. It was a little shocking the last time (12 core)?

Good luck!

Bill

Thanks guys.
I guess I'll just pop 2 xanax the morning of, and take a pass on the pre procedure Vicoden.
Having 15 people to my house the next day for Thanksgiving, and will need to help the wife, don't want to be too looped.
I appreciate all the encouragement

Your Friend,
the 2 year old ;-)

Thanks Greg.
Greg, looking at your signature brings to my mind a concern - i asked my original doc the following question (this is not the doc that is doing the biopsy)......
Does the fact that my PSA is 2.2, at age 62, raise the possibility that i have such a small or early cancer, that it increases the chance of a false negative biopsy?
His answer was an immediate and flat "NO".

I wonder about that, and wonder if your numbers are an indication that he is wrong.
Just sayin......

Thank you, pretty much confirms what i thought.

Pratoman:

The "assays" the two hospitals use for the test may be different and this could account for the difference in readings. Call the Chem Lab at each hospital and ask what assay they are using. They should be able to answer this question.

And yeah, a DRE, ejaculation, bike riding, etc. can cause the PSA to rise slightly. The general rule is to cool it 48 hours prior to having a PSA test done.

And BTW, there was a study done by a patient himself that had blood drawn and a PSA test done every day for 30 consecutive days.  He saw, in general a +- 1 variation through out the month

Um, I am hardly an expert nor a medical professional - but from everything I've learned combined with your statistics - I would not do the biopsy at this time.

Too many things you've stated would raise flags for having to do a biopsy - and not because of the embarrassment, pain, or anything else - I just don't see the need to go through a biopsy based on your stats. 

I would suggest waiting a bit, refrain from all the stuff pre-PSA that others have mentioned - ESPECIALLY getting a PSA immediately after a DRE????  I have never heard of that, which in itself would raise a red flag for me in terms of the practioner that let that happen. 

Perhaps getting a 2nd opinion from an expert / oncologist/urologist - and then go back and get a follow-up PSA.

PCa is nothing to take lightly - but on the other hand there has been way too much going on with over analyzing.  IMHO I just don't see the need for a biopsy given all of your stats.

Best to you. . . .