Updated PSA Numbers

My eyes lit up as I opened the inbox to my email last evening. There it was a message from the hospital. I knew immediately my lab results for PSA testing were in from earlier in the day. I had gone in about 10 am to have blood drawn for the test and here it was about 5 pm and they were already posted.

As many of you know, a little over a year ago, I required radiation therapy for cancer. And what appeared as success afterwards, my PSA levels had increased over the past few months. Although it may have been expected as the cancer cells split due to the treatment there was still concern by both my oncologist / radiation therapist doctor and myself because of the rather quick ‘bounce,’ as they call it, in the numbers. They had risen from near two, to over five in a matter of three months from October 2024 to January 2025. Cause enough for another test a month later instead of the customary three.

From that testing in January until yesterday I had been indifferent to it. Sure, the possibility of the cancers’ return was there but I’ll be damned if it was going to dictate who I am and proceeded being me. Even to the point of wishing the phlebotomist a Happy Valentines Day as she drew my blood. Yet it was her that offered first hope for better results in this month testing, and that brought reality to the forefront.

Her words resonated and reality sunk in. The thought of another ‘bounce’ in the numbers brought the concerns back and honestly, I checked my inbox a couple other times before finally seeing the message.

I remembered a session I had with my meditation coach. In that session we talked of things controllable in our lives, things we can change and thing out of our control. This definitely fit into the later as there was absolutely nothing, I could do about it. But after the increase in last month’s numbers even the reminder didn’t offer much help as the anxiety crept in.

As I signed into my hospital account, I caught myself issuing a two-word prayer. ‘Please, Lord,’ Then clicked ‘test results.’

There it was, that word. This time on Valentine’s Day, February 14. ‘ABNORMAL‘ and it hit hard. The thought of someone once special came to mind as I wondered, ‘Why now? Why on Valentines Day?‘ As if I hadn’t been delt enough bad news on this particular day in my life. Now this as I could actually feel my heart start skipping beats.

Then four others came to mind, and I knew I was going to tell one of the five of them before I began writing, even if that first wouldn’t read it. I knew it would be hard as I find it difficult talking to people about this continued cancer fight. I’d rather write about it and have others, including my family, read it. But telling just one person gives me inspiration to get started.

After taking a deep breath, I opened the top link and within a second or two, there were the results with an accompanying graph.

My sights went straight to the highest point on the chart, January. Then followed the graph as it lowered. A ‘woo …’ came out like the signature tone of wrestler Ric Flair. An uncontrolled ‘Thank you,’ came next, as if I knew it was being directed above.

Sure, the numbers are ‘ABNORMAL‘ as they are higher than the top end norm which is four. BUT, and a huge but, they are lower than those in January by almost a full point. Relief sat in and my emotions went back to a somewhat expected reality I am accustomed to.

Later next week I’ll see Dr. Z in an office follow-up at oncology. I sense he’ll say, see you in three months. As another follow-up is already scheduled with urology in March and ‘Dr. L‘ runs the same test beforehand. Hopefully they will have lowered again by this point and be back under four.

Fighting cancer, as I’ve written before, is a battle of the mind. I think more so than the disease itself. That I leave up to the specialists as they’re better equipped to understand it than I am. I simply stay in tune with what’s going on and what to expect next. And although the raised PSA levels were anticipated, my mind hadn’t comprehended they could go up a full year after final treatment as the cells continue to split.

For now, I’m doing well knowing my health, once more, is headed in the right direction even though it’s not over. I, also, hope these updates actually help someone in need. Because Lord knows, I hadn’t a clue what to expect going into this back in 2023.

PS: You know who you are, let me know about Peter Pan…I have the tickets, and you’ll have a blast 😊

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