THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2017 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.

My story begins in late July, 2008. I had developed a urinary infection so I went to the doctor to get some antibiotics. I also got a physical while I was there. A few days later my doctor called and said that my PSA was a little high, at 4.3. She recommended that I go see a urologist, but that it was probably related to the infection.

I went to a urologist the next week and had an exam. I got the results a couple of weeks later and was shocked that my PSA had jumped to 19.3. I then had the biopsy done, which came back positive with a Gleason Score of 6 in September 2008. While not unexpected given the high PSA score, it was still one of the toughest days of my life. I was discouraged but my doctor said that if the cancer was only in the prostate, that there was a good chance of cure. The next step was some more tests, including a bone scan and an MRI. These tests all came back negative, which hopefully means that the cancer is in it's early stage.

My urologist is recommending surgery, which seems like the best option for someone my age. I've had one consultation already with a surgeon who does the laparoscopic surgery. I want to find as skilled a surgeon as possible to do this delicate surgery. I'm nervous about the surgery (I've never been a patient in a hospital in my life) but also the potential side effects such as incontinence and impotence. I'm not married but have a girlfriend and we have enjoyed a great sex life. I want that to continue. Despite my concerns I think the surgery is the best chance at long term survival.

In October 2008 I got a second opinion with a urologist. He told me that if in fact my PSA was 19.3 that surgery would not do me any good. My thinking was that that PSA result was accurate and was not my "baseline" PSA due to a bad infection I had prior to that test. He also told me that based on my biopsy results that I could join his active surveillance program. I decided to wait and find out for sure what my baseline PSA was.

In December 2008 I had another PSA taken and the result was 0.5. I spoke to my doctor about the low result and he said it was a result of a hormone inject I had received from my original urologist on the day of my diagnosis. I decide to wait a little longer.

In March 2009 I had another PSA taken and the result was 1.9. My thinking at this point is that I'm going to wait another three months and then get another PSA test and DRE. I've changed my diet and am taking supplements. I'm going to see what that does. If it stays low, I'll probably get a confirmation biopsy done and then go from there.

In July 2009 I went to see my urologist for an exam. I had a negative DRE and my PSA was 0.8. Needless to say I was very happy with my PSA result.

It seems that deciding to put off surgery and try active surveillance was the right decision for me. In the Fall my doctor wants me to have a repeat biopsy and I suppose I'll do that, but am not looking forward to it.

For now I'm going to enjoy life and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a low fat, low dairy diet, working out and taking supplements and lots of antioxidants.

Greetings to all on YANA.

I had a PSA test and a DRE in October, 2009. The DRE was negative, the PSA was 0.9. I had another PSA in January, 2010, which was again 0.9.

Based on the low PSA results over the last seven months I have decided to hold off on doing another biopsy for now and continue with the PSA and DRE every three months.

In addition I'll continue with my low fat, low dairy diet and take a few supplements. Otherwise life is good here in South Florida.

I've been on active surveillance now for approximately two years. I continue to have exams and a PSA test every four months. My DRE exams have been normal; my PSA has risen slightly to 1.2 in April and again 1.2 in August. The doctor has told me that since it has been low I can hold off on another biopsy, but he may want to do one next year, so we'll see.

I've also lost weight due to a low fat, low dairy diet. I'm down from 248 in August 2008 to 215 in September 2010. I lost weight to lower my blood pressure but I figure it can't hurt the prostate, either. My next exam is not until the end of the year.

Have a great Fall everyone.

Wow, time flies- hard to believe the last update to my story was in 2010. All is well here. I continue with Active Surveillance, seeing my doctor and doing PSA tests every four to six months. In fact I'm going in for another PSA test next week. My PSA results for the past several years have stayed low and consistent, ranging from 0.8 to 1.3 with my last result a 1.0 from last October. My doctor continues to encourage me to do a another biopsy, although at my last exam he told me that it was unlikely they would find anything, so it's hard for me to be motivated to do another one. My philosophy is if my PSA stays low that's good enough for me; if it starts to rise that would be the time for another biopsy. I'm now married so my wife has some say in the matter as well, as I no longer only have to think about myself. For now I'll take the PSA test next week and see the doctor in May and then go from there.

I hope all is well with everyone else. I'll try to give more regular updates but time does fly.

Greetings all. I continue with active surveillance, visiting my doctor for an exam about once every six months. My PSA results are stable and consistent, remaining at 1.1 for my last two or three blood tests. I'm still sticking with the low red meat, low dairy diet which is also helping me lose weight. I weigh less now than at any time in the last twenty years. I'm also taking a few vitamins and supplements. I think that an important aspect of active surveillance is maintain a healthy lifestyle, and my plan is to continue to maintain that lifestyle.

Greetings all. My yearly update is pretty much the same as the last. I go see my doctor about once every six months. My last exam was April 2014 and my PSA was 1- it's been very consistent. Still trying to stick to my diet, exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle.

I just has my latest exam a couple of weeks ago. I had a PSA of 1. My PSA has stayed in this range for a while now. I now see my urologist twice a year for the PSA test and prostate exam. Occasionally the doctors talk to me about getting another biopsy in the future but for now as long as my PSA stays consistent I think I will continue with only the exams. Otherwise all is well. Happy Holidays everyone!

Peter's e-mail address is: pbdude1707 AT yahoo.com (replace "AT" with "@")

NOTE: Peter has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.