Eighteen years.
On March 26, it will be exactly 18 years since my diagnosis with prostate cancer.
Eighteen years. It’s been that long.
And the past year has been marked by my doctor and me looking for a trend in my PSA – you know, the prostate cancer blood-reading that tells how you’re doing and whether you ought to worry. But mine’s been up. It’s been down. And it’s been sideways. Finally, on Jan. 29, we had a useful number.
And it was not in my favor.
My PSA was up from 0.67 in July 2024 to 1.36 in January — higher than it’s been since my prostatectomy in 2007 (when it was 6.22). So I did what I‘d long pondered: I entered my oncologist’s research study, and I’ve now had three body scans since.
And my oncologist, after viewing the super-sensitive scan, concluded there is nothing in me to see, nothing for him to treat. The radiology report did, in fact, contain lots of Nos, Negatives and Nothings. I have a higher PSA – yes – but zero prostate cancer to target and, therefore, to zap.
And you’re right: That’s how I feel today:
Will I make it to 19 years?
My First Cancer 
18 years — and Counting
Eighteen years.
On March 26, it will be exactly 18 years since my diagnosis with prostate cancer.
Eighteen years. It’s been that long.
And the past year has been marked by my doctor and me looking for a trend in my PSA – you know, the prostate cancer blood-reading that tells how you’re doing and whether you ought to worry. But mine’s been up. It’s been down. And it’s been sideways. Finally, on Jan. 29, we had a useful number.
And it was not in my favor.
My PSA was up from 0.67 in July 2024 to 1.36 in January — higher than it’s been since my prostatectomy in 2007 (when it was 6.22). So I did what I‘d long pondered: I entered my oncologist’s research study, and I’ve now had three body scans since.
And my oncologist, after viewing the super-sensitive scan, concluded there is nothing in me to see, nothing for him to treat. The radiology report did, in fact, contain lots of Nos, Negatives and Nothings. I have a higher PSA – yes – but zero prostate cancer to target and, therefore, to zap.
And you’re right: That’s how I feel today:
Will I make it to 19 years?