Questions from Winglets

Now during the DRE can the doctor actually feel your entire prostate? Having examined pictures of where the prostate is compared to the other surrounding organs, it appears there is a whole side which is beyond the reach of someone's finger going in? Is this right or can the doctor feel the entire organ? I would think he would only be able to tell if it's enlarged if he actually felt the whole organ rather just a portion of it?

Post Edited By Moderator (Tudpock18) : 1/29/2018 5:20:32 AM (GMT-7)

Tudpock18 said...
Hello Winglets. Here's the deal. You have been warned twice by one of our moderators and had suggestions from other members as well. This is a forum for men (and their loved ones) with prostate cancer to get support and advice. It is not a forum for answering miscellaneous medical questions that should be addressed to your doctors or that you can find answers to via a simple Google search.

The moderators have discussed your multiple threads and decided that the best way for you to get info is to limit your questions to one thread and that will be this one. If you want to ask questions please do it on this thread and see what answers you get. Please do not start new threads for the time being or they will be deleted.

Thank you,

Jim

Ok understood. I'm sorry.

Good move Mods, Thank you
Wingmaster, WOE

winglets said...

I’m wondering whether I can just have a MRI instead and skip the PSA as the MRI would just get straight to it in terms of figuring out what’s what.

That is absurd. A blood test and 30 second push against your rectum versus an hour or more in an MRI tube?

I've been "searched" by customs in third world countries (yes, drug smugglers push packets up there) with more discomfort than a DRE.

And if you are to the point that an MRI shows you something, your insurance will have required a certain series of PSA tests / increases before they will pay. Varies from one company to the next, so don't ask what the series is.

Yes thank you for being patient with me and I will not start any new threads but stay on this one. You're right I know I need to get this test done and have to push through the fear and reassure myself that it's most likely not the worst case in my situation. However I think even something like enlarged prostate would be very depressing.

I'm still having these strange urination patterns.
I have drunk alot of tea for many years now on a daily basis and never had an issue with urination for the most part. I will have instances where I will drink alot and not feel an urge to go for ages. Eventually I'll get the urge, pee a fair amount and then not drink hardly anything but I'll go pee a large amount again maybe 2/3 hours later. It's the fact that I'm peeing soon after I already peed that confuses me despite not really having much to drink. However I'm talking like 2/3/4 hours, not like 30 min intervals. So for example...

Yesterday, I slept ok and didn't even pee when I woke up in the morning. At work I reckon I drank around 700ml (tea/coffee) and I did NOT feel the urge to pee but I was curious to see how much I'd void. Hardly anything came out - maybe 150ml and this is my first void for almost 12 hours! How is that even possible!? I drank some more later in the day (about another 1.3l perhaps - tea/coffee/water) then I voided around 500ml. Then 2 hours later, I'll had this slight urge which developed into a stronger urge and l ended up voiding around 700ml despite NOT DRINKING ANYTHING in these 2 hours. So why the retention? This is what I don't get. I've always had a strong bladder and don't feel the need to pee until I'm around 700-800ml. I believe this is still the case but I seem to be experiencing some kind of strange delayed urination pattern?

Still waking up at night with that sensation, sometimes just an hour after I fall asleep. I'll be wide awake sometimes but then the urge to pee will lessen so I mostly don't need to go. So again I'm confused.

Post Edited (winglets) : 1/29/2018 7:52:09 PM (GMT-7)

The doctor of course, I know. I will try and see him again soon.

So I’ve come up with somewhat of an alternative – a home testing kit. I’ve seen many starting from quite cheap but this is just for one single test. I know they are used for other things like blood glucose testing etc. but maybe it’ll at least give me an indicator? The only thing though it does not actually provide you with a numerical result but rather a more general result with lines. Has anyone used something like this and is it worth doing?

Sorry I meant a home testing PSA kit, like one of the following you can buy online -

www.vivomed.com/en/gb/SELFCheck-Prostate-PSA-Health-Home-Test-Kit/m-8716.aspx

www.homehealthtesting.com/psa-test-p-36.html


Anyone familiar with these? Again not sure if it actually provides you with a numerical result? Instead it indicates whether you're over the 4.0 limit or not.

Winglets
Please think about this recommendation:
/www.quora.com/Can-spending-too-much-time-on-internet-forums-be-detrimental-to-your-health

And yet, I have to admit that I am a bit addicted to this Forum myself...

Still having these off urinary patterns which feel abnormal, you could tell me what you think about this..
For example I woke up an hour after I fell asleep and felt that strange sensation for a few minutes before it pretty much disappeared.

At around 3am I voided 700ml, then around 400ml at 7:45am as I leaving for work.
I drank around 1.25 litres before lunch then voided 750ml.
After lunch I had drank roughly 1.5l and then voided 800ml soon after.
But here’s the thing, after this I did NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DRINK and ended up voiding another 700ml!

My bladder filled up despite not having drink anything in between. I wonder if this is simply the extra urine that was waiting to be emptied from my kidneys into my bladder or what? Obviously because my bladder can only hold so much urine but does it work this way? Also these liquids I’ve drunk are not just water, but tea and coffee. So I realise that tea/coffee can make you pee even more however that's never really been a problem before.

So my totals are – 3.35l so far for today (including the early morning voids) and it’s only 4pm but then again I have drunk around 2.65l (including tea/coffee). Does this sound normal?
My flow rate is fine and again no straining, burning, no pain etc.
That's why I'm confused as to whether it's my prostate or something else.
Another big thing is that I occasionally feel a little off after I peed, like “on edge” almost rather anxious and not quite myself. Can’t quite describe it. Then other times where I feel totally normal. Comes and goes. Right now, I'm feeling really anxious and feel like I need to go pee. This is the same kind of sensation I've felt waking up in the middle of night

Jeff, I'm surprised you lasted this long.

I'm with you guys. Sad, but he's done. I almost hope he's just trolling, because if isnt and he's serious, he's a tortured soul.

Ok so I finally got the PSA test done so will have to wait a few days for the results. Have to admit I'm just scared about it because it's consumed me. I think what did it was when the doctor did the DRE and he said that it was larger than it should be for my age. Although he said he wasn't worried about it, I have not stopped thinking about this moment because I hear of men who have been diagnosed with PC and had enlarged prostates despite having one that was almost very smooth, like mine. It seems you can have a smooth but enlarged prostate and still have PC.

It appears that PC affecting younger men (around the age of 40+) can be very aggressive and often don't respond well to treatment. This is very scary.

Past time to lock this up.