My Latest PSA result

[Guest guest]

Not much of interest to report. I had another PSA

test in February and that came in at 5.8 – a little lower than January’s

6.4 ng/ml but still within the range of the previous test. But a blip down is

always better than a blip up!

I’m seeing the oncologist next week for our

three monthly review meeting so I had another PSA test on Monday and that’s

come in at 5.9 ng/ml, so it seems that there is some stability since the last test

in February came in at 5.8 – a little lower than January’s 6.4

ng/ml but still within the range of the previous test.. Just in passing, after

I entered the new number in my records I noticed, somewhat ironically, that if

I take all the PSA tests I have had in the past sixteen years, the average is………5.9

ng/ml. If nothing else that demonstrates some of the issues in using averages

and medians to make decisions or interpret studies. What is more important is

the range of PSA results – and what changed them. The range is wide –

starting in August 1996 at a level of 7.2 ng/ml it went as high as 42.0 ng/ml

in June 2007 but was as low as 0.17 ng/ml in August 2008.

I have had a deal of problem over the last two weeks

with my teeth and one, surplus to requirements, had to be removed. Since I am

on Warfarin that is always an issue. With an Australian study showing that the

risk of stopping Warfarin is greater than the risk of tooth removal whilst on Warfarin,

I opted to stay on the drug as I have in the past, with good results. Not so

this time. For the first 24 hours the site bled profusely (I wondered just how

much blood I might have lost, thinking of a dripping tap and a basin with a plug

in it!). I had a couple of stitches in it yesterday and am rinsing with a (very

expensive) mouthwash which seems to be doing the trick so hopefully I won’t

slowly bleed to death.

BUT….one good thing that came out of this was

that the mouthwash had to be made by a compounding chemist and he has agreed to

knock up a batch of DES (diethylstilboestrol) for me if and when I need that –

and if and when I can persuade my oncologist that it’s a good idea.

Anyone interested in my story and why I made the

choice I did can read it all at http://www.yananow.org/display_story.php?id=984

and http://www.yananow.org/whynotsurgery.htm

All the best

Prostate men need enlightening, not frightening

Terry Herbert - diagnosed in 1996 and still going

strong

Read A Strange Place for unbiased information at http://www.yananow.org/StrangePlace/index.html