Hello all. I have anxiety about
getting prostate cancer. My father died of that disease (trust me that it is not the way you want to go), and I have a high risk of the disease because of an above-normal psa and genetic factors.
I think about prostate cancer way too much. I have done A TON of reading about it -- so much that a doctor friend of mine tells me he believes I know more about current developments in prostate cancer research than 95% of qualified urologists. (For better or worse -- perhaps worse -- I have the ability to understand scientific and medical literature).
I have done the prudent things -- eating a healthy diet, getting tested regularly, consulted with a qualified doctor, and becoming knowledgeable. But the anxiety about this is obviously not constructive. My wife says "why don't you just stop worrying about it." Of course, I wish it were so simple.
Objectively, I am at a high risk. So it is not like I am worrying about something that is unlikely to occur. But really there is not much I can do about it, beyond what I am doing. So all I am doing is worrying, wasting time and mental energy, and suffering unnecessary stress.
Do any of you have suggestions for how I might deal with this effectively? I would be grateful for any advice.