I’ve
been writing this
column for over
twenty years. It
currently goes out
to over eighty
newspapers and about
ten e-zines around
the country. In
addition to these
publications, a
number of folks log
onto my web site
each week and
download my column
to send to other
people around the
world. I have no
idea how many people
actually read what I
have to say each
week.
I do know that about
the time I get ready
to hang it up, I’ll
get a letter from
someone who has read
my post of the week
and just wanted to
tell me how much
they enjoyed it or
offer some other
viewpoint to be
considered. These
mean a lot to me and
I thank you for
them.
In addition to these
columns I try and
send out a personal
note every few days
with a quotation of
the day, a new
recipe and some
lyrics to songs
we’ve all heard at
one time or another.
It’s always amazing
to me to see the
actual words in
print….what I’m
singing is often not
even close to how
the real words are
written.
Anyway, last week
those people on my
recipe, quote, lyric
blurb got a message
from me saying
something like …
‘good news, my PSA
went down from a 4.3
to a 3.5’.
I was surprised as
to how many e-mails
I received wanting
to know exactly what
a PSA was. It is not
a college score.
So, I thought I
would take a moment
to explain to both
the ladies who read
my stuff as well as
to any men who are
unaware of what a
PSA score is and why
it is important. PSA
stands for
prostate-specific-antigen
test. To understand
exactly what the
test is and why it
is important go to
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/PSA
for more
information.
I can tell you that
if you are a male
and over 50 years
old, you should know
what your PSA score
is and if it is
rising or not. I am
not a doctor so I
won’t try to tell
you what your
individual number
should be or should
not be. I will tell
you that the numbers
as well as the time
for those numbers to
increase is
important to your
health. Three years
ago, my PSA was at a
2.8 and in a little
over twenty four
months (about this
time last year) it
went to a 4.3. Some
said this wasn’t bad
and others said it
was. My doctor
started talking
about biopsies and
methods of treatment
if it turned out to
be cancer.
I didn’t want the
biopsies and I
didn’t want cancer.
So, I started
reading books on
ways to get this
under control, if at
all possible. My
wife and I must have
bought six or seven
books and read them
all trying to find
something that might
give us some
instructions on what
to do. Friends of
mine who had cancer
offered various
suggestions, none of
which in my opinion
were of much help.
It seemed to me that
the treatments for
prostate cancer were
all over the board
and there were
success stories and
failures with each
one. My wife was
taken with one book
which specified a
specific regime of
vitamins and
supplements. In
September I took
another PSA test and
it had remained a
4.3. At least it
wasn’t increasing,
but were the
vitamins and stuff
having any real
effect?
I waited six more
months and then went
back for another
blood test and
agonized over the
week between the
test and my visit to
the doctor. Last
week, when I went in
to see him, he told
me that the test
score had decreased
to a 3.5. I cannot
tell you what a
relief that was to
me. I don’t have to
go back for another
year.
So, the point of all
of this is, this
stuff is scary and
you should not mess
around with it. You
need to know what
your score is and
keep an eye on it to
make certain it is
not rising. I have
too much to get done
and too many things
I want to see before
I check out of this
old life.
Besides, what would
you have to read if
I wasn’t here?
