I want to start a movement among knifemakers

[oljoe]

I want to start a movement among knifemakers and their friends and families.
I?m sure that many of you are like me; I wouldn?t go to the doctor unless I was incapacitated or the cut was so deep that I could see bone. Any aches, pains or sickness we tend to attribute to a cold or the flu or that I worked to hard strained myself.

I?m here to tell you that may be a big mistake. Most of us (men) don?t consider what might be going on inside of our own bodies.

There are, in place today, many new technologies that could save your life if used early enough. One such technology is a PSA blood test.

PSA stands for Prostrate Specific Antigen. PSA is produced by the prostrate and normally only a small amount gets into the bloodstream. Should the prostrate be inflamed or damaged the PSA level in the bloodstream is higher and a doctor can determine what needs to be done.

Doctors recommend that men should have their prostrate checked at the age of 50. That may not be soon enough for some.

At 48 (I?m 49 now) I had a routine examination and blood test. I found that I had a high PSA level although I had no symptoms of prostrate problems. After another PSA test and a biopsy the doctor determined that I had prostrate cancer. The doctor, my wife and I discussed the options and decided that surgery was the best option at my age.
I spent 2 days in the hospital after surgery and 2 weeks off work then returned to my usual routine with lifting limitations. I did manage to get out to the shop to do some knife work during those 2 weeks.

After 8 months no cancer is present. The key to my recovery was early detection. Prostrate cancer is slow to migrate but if left unchecked can spread to the lymph glands and to other parts of the body.

If this post causes one person, their father, grandfather, son, brother or friend to get checked I feel it is worthwhile. I do, however, hope that every man, even if you don?t have symptoms (I didn?t), will get this simple blood test.

My tagline says that if it aint broke don?t fix it. Some times it is broke and we don?t even know it

[ranger1]

Well,said

[Bobby Branton]

I do mine once a year like clockwork. Listen to what the man said. I had a friend who missed one year and I watched him slowly pass away. It is a horrible death once it spreads.
Bobby

[RandyScott]

Excellent advice! In addition to the annual prostate exam, at the age of 50 the word colonoscopy creeps into your vocabulary. Katie Couric's husband died from colon cancer and she has been an avid supporter and encourager of men getting that exam. The most unpleasant part of the experience is the preparation for the experience. But as one cancer survivor put it "the preparation for a colonoscopy is nothing compared to 6 months of chemotherapy! You get to keep your hair and go back to living when the procedure is completed!"

[paul savage]

Thanks for the post , and I look forward to my annual tests that I'm sure were dreamed up by the former Soviet KGB. Any how , it goes with the age (49) and if more guy's would lose their modisty and pride alot more would'nt be losing something else.
Paul

[SharpByCoop]

Just did it, first time, two weeks ago. Fortunately it was routine with no complications or diagnoses.

The prep is difficult, but I'll be prepared next time. (Fast five hours, and then drink a half gallon of disgusting Go Juice in 90 mins.) Stay close to the potty... ) Worth the effort.

The procedure wqas covered by my insurance as I am over 50, but all you have to claim is you had a single bloody stool and that warrants the inspection in insurance's eyes.

I know this is an 'off topic', but I support anything we do to keep us healthy.

Thanks Joe. "Doc, I don't want to get any younger--I just want to be able to grow OLDER!!!"

Coop

[David Broadwell]

Had my PSA done last month. Sure beats the old greased finger test!

Haven't done the colon test yet, but my new doctor will probably want one.

Here's another one most men don't think to do. Examine your testicals every month or so for any unusual lumps. Yes, just as women check for lumps in the breasts, men need to look for lumps too.

Glad you're cancer free, Joe.

Sometimes when we wait till it looks like it's broke it's too late to fixe it.

David

[rhrocker]

I had my first colonoscopy two months ago. I've been getting the PSA's and digital exam (it's recommended that both are done, just don't worry about it, get over it) There had been some evidence of bleeding, hense the scope. Coop is right, the worst part is the dreadded salt like solution you have to drink.. They all vary I think, but mine was made by Fleet (?), and was supposed to taste like ginger ale, wrong. I barelyl got the first one down, and barely barely got the 2nd one down. I was ready to barf big time, but held on. The next day, I showed up a few minutes early at the Dr's office. They had me strip and put on the stupid dress thing with the open back. They then start a saline IV, the doctor comes and explains the procedure, and showed me the scope (I didn't really think that I needed to see that thing!). I asked several questions, and the Doc ordered the Margarita to be injected into the saline tube . I remember counting to 2, then waking up an hour later. It wasn't bad at all. The Doc found a very large polyp next to the apendix. It wasn't the mushroom type, but rather the type where the stem is attached to the colon wall, they say it's a difficult kind. It came back benign (this time), but the doc wants to do the procedure every 6 months. He showed me a photo of the area where the polyp was removed. It had been tatooed (so he could find the exact spot next time), plus there were several metal clips where the thing had been removed.
I'm really glad I had it done. I didn't mind the actual colonoscopy at all, but that drink, it's just flat awful, and I'm already dreading the next time.
Well, this was sort of lengthy, but I wanted you guys to know what goes on.
Just, "Get over it!", and have it done, it may put 20+ years on your life.

[cockroachfarm]

I remember many years ago reading about the importance of the PSA test, so the next time I went to the doctor I asked him if he could arrange it. He just laughed and replied: "I have been giving you a regular PSA test since you turned 40, like I do with all my male patients." Also had the colonoscopy a few years ago. (Gatorade it ain't! )

[Lane Ritter]

I donate blood once every 2 or 3 months. The blood bank does a free psa test once a year for donating.

Lane

[oldwolf]

Been there, done that as far as Prostate Cancer and treatment.

"If this post causes one person, their father, grandfather, son, brother or friend to get checked I feel it is worthwhile. I do, however, hope that every man, even if you don?t have symptoms (I didn?t), will get this simple blood test." I'll second that!!!!

Oljoe, glad your surgery turned out OK for you. Watch your PSA like a hawk.

I was very lucky and found out about a non envasive treatment Called Proton Beam Therapy, done in Loma Linda, Ca. Most Doctors won't even mention it as they are Specialist in Surgery, Radiation and can't do it.
Most men don't have any treatment symtoms at all and many play 18 holes of golf everday while in treatment. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is. I'm a big proponent of Proton Beam Therapy and I'll tell everyone that will listen about it . Like Oljoe, I don't want any guy to have to go through some of the nasty side effects that can occur with Cancer therapy just because they have not been fully informed.

This is way off topic, but too important not to inform others.

A lot more info at www.protonbob.com

Do yourself a favor and check it out even if your PSA looks OK now. A low PSA does not always mean NO CAncer.

PM me if you need more info. Rant Ended.

Ken

[Dusty Moulton]

Hey guys,
I am not much of one to get on the forums, but it seems like life has taken all of my our options and then condensed them into a very small time frame. Maybe it is actually called getting old and waking up to realize how little time we have left.
And now that I recogonize that is happening in my life, why don't I slow down, minimize the stress and try my best to enjoy the few remaining years that God has granted me. Maybe just cause I am stupid!! I don't know? Because I just keep pushing when the Doc say's slow down, exercise, eat right etc. And I say I can't afford to!
I guess a part of that is because I have picked this life style to live, and that means that I have no pension coming in from 20 years of working for a corporation or hardly even any retirement when the time comes to pay the basic bills from social security in the future. Because the profits in this type of business are so slim that I did not pay enough in to make a difference for my future. So I have no alternative other than keep to pushing my self as hard as I can until I can no longer work. OOOOWWW.... this sounds like a sob story! Sorry I didn't mean it that way.
I recently had 2 large pollups?? (Spelling?) removed when I had my colonoscopy, and was told that if I had waited another year it would have been to late for me. So now I go every year with hope in my heart and aprehension in my mind, just like many of you.
Any way As they say DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO!!! Ya'all take care of your selves and don't be as stubborn as I seem to be and we will see each other down the road.
And you can buy me the next round.
Dusty

[oljoe]

Thanks everyone for the responses glad to hear that some make this a part of their usual routine, but I haven?t heard from any one that said that they will get their prostrate checked that doesn?t already have a routine of doing so.

Having a colonoscopy is also a good idea. Thanks Randy for bringing that up.

Paul, I?m not sure that pride is what holds many of us back. It seems to me that we think that self medicating will take care of the illness or ?leave it alone and it will take care of itself?. Sometimes it takes a doctor, but we don?t know unless we see one.

Coop, I?m glad to hear that they didn?t find anything. This brings up another excuse that we use to NOT see a doctor. ?If they don?t find anything I just wasted my money?. What is piece of mind and quality of life worth? The whole thing is that if the diagnosis is done early the recovery rate is much greater.

Thanks for the input David. The digital exam or ?the old greased finger test? was the standard for a long time and most of the time is accurate. The digital exam didn?t show any abnormality for me but the PSA test did and a biopsy conformed that it was indeed cancer.

"Get over it!", and have it done, it may put 20+ years on your life.? Thanks Robert.

Holger E., That is a good doctor you might want to keep him.

?The blood bank does a free psa test once a year for donating.?Thanks Lane, I was unaware of that.

http://www.protonbob.com/ good information. Thanks Ken, ?Watch your PSA like a hawk? I will have a PSA done every 3 months.

?Ya'all take care of your selves and don't be as stubborn as I seem to be and we will see each other down the road.? Thanks Dusty.

[oljoe]

Thanks to everyone that responded.
I noticed that there were 399 views of this post. I hope that some if not all that viewed will take something away with them, whether it is getting a prostate exam or just going to the doctor for something that is troubling them.
The purpose is for us to not be so stubborn and take care of ourselves.

Good luck and take care

Joe

[oldwolf]

Oljoe,

Thanks for starting this post. I hope 399 guys got it that if your PC is confined it's not necessary to have Surgery. I wish all of you that have had it, the best of health.

Ken