Anxiously waiting my 1st PSA result

I wish you the best on your PSA results. I was probably as concerned as you about my results since my surgery. I got my first results yesterday and thankfully they were zero.

I also live in Austin. Dr. Fagin was not my surgeon but my urologist at The Urology Team recommended him. Another friend recommended the surgeon that did the Di Vinci on me.

Others here will probably have some thoughts on the ED questions. I am still dealing with continence and haven't faced any ED questions yet although my surgery was supposedly nerve sparing. My surgeon did give me a few free samples of ED drugs yesterday and encouraged me to start using low doses to get the blood moving.

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Dx December 22, 2008
Age 69
PSA 1998 5.2, 2000 2.5, 2003 5.4, 2004 7.4, 2005 15.9, 2006 20.5, 2007 31.5, 2008 34 and 32.9
Biopsy 1998-no cancer, 2003 - no cancer, 2006 - 12 samples, no cancer but PIN, Dec. 2008 - 12 samples, 2 positive with Gleason 4+3 = 7 on each. PIN on 3 others.
Di Vinci surgery on 2/10/2009, Austin TX
Pathology post surgery T3a, Gleason (4+3)7 with tertiary pattern 5.
NX,MX,R1, margin involvement 1-2 mm
Catheter removed on February 23.
First PSA followup on April 6, 2009 with 0.01 (lowest they can measure)

Hi Ed,
You can call you doctor's office and let them know that you are dealing with PSA ~ prostate specific anxiety ~ and you want the PSA results asap. They should be able to call the lab for you and get the results. PSA tests themselves take less than an hour. I now wait 24 hours for mine, but I don't have much in anxiety anymore, and they should not make a patient, especially a high risk patient, do any waiting if it's bothering them. When I started out, they used to do it STAT and have it ready immediately. I have since become used to the process and when I see my oncologist, I go in the day before for labs. Then the first thing out of his mouth is the result. Fagin is a great doctor and I know he knows the drill.

I bet you get great results, but to be sure, I will send well wishes (and higher) just for good measure.

BTW, my Us TOO chapter facilitator ~ Lew Musgrove ~ had surgery in 1993. He was Gleason 8 as well and he is doing great. He went on the become the President of Us TOO International and for years has been the lead advisor the the Nevada Governors commision on Prostate Cancer. He has since retired himself to just running the Las Vegas meetings.

Thought you might like that tidbit...

Tony

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Age 46 (44 when Dx)

Pre-op PSA was 19.8 : Surgery at The City of Hope on February 16, 2007

Geason 4+3=7, Stage pT3b, N0, Mx

Positive Margins (PM), Extra Prostatic Extension (EPE) : Bilateral Seminal vesicle invasion (SVI)

HT began in May, '07 with Lupron and Casodex 50mg (2 Year ADT)

IMRT radiation for 38 Treatments ending August 3, '07

Current PSA (January 13, 2009): <0.1

My Journal is at Tony's Blog  

My InfoLink page is at Tony's Prostate Cancer InfoLink Page

STAY POSITIVE!

Greetings, Ed.  I am very grateful that my doc says post surgery you shouldn't have to wait.  I go in, they draw the blood and 20 minutes later I have the results.  It does cut down on the anxiety level.  Trusting you have already entered the zero club and will know it very soon. David

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Age 55

Diagnosed Dec 2007 during annual routine physical

PSA doubled from previous year from 1.5 to 3.2

12 biopsies - 2 positive with 2 marginal

Gleason 3 + 3 = 6

RRP 4 Feb 08

Both nerves spared

Good pathology - no margins - all encapsulated - Gleason 4 + 3 = 7

Catheter out Feb 13 - wore pad for couple of days - pad free Feb 16

Great wife and family who take very good care of me

Ed, my surgeon was Dr. Shaw at Austin Diagnostic Clinic. See this link:

http://www.adclinic.com/Doctors_Specialties_Maps/Doctors/KShaw.htm
and
http://www.adclinic.com/Doctors_Specialties_Maps/Urology/lap_prostatectomy.htm

He was very good with explaining all of the options and tradeoffs of treating this dreadful disease.

The surgery was in the same complex as his office and he was with me in my room before and after several times before I was discharged (2 nights).

John

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Dx December 22, 2008
Age 69
PSA 1998 5.2, 2000 2.5, 2003 5.4, 2004 7.4, 2005 15.9, 2006 20.5, 2007 31.5, 2008 34 and 32.9
Biopsy 1998-no cancer, 2003 - no cancer, 2006 - 12 samples, no cancer but PIN, Dec. 2008 - 12 samples, 2 positive with Gleason 4+3 = 7 on each. PIN on 3 others.
Di Vinci surgery on 2/10/2009, Austin TX
Pathology post surgery T3a, Gleason (4+3)7 with tertiary pattern 5.
NX,MX,R1, margin involvement 1-2 mm
Catheter removed on February 23.
First PSA followup on April 6, 2009 with 0.01 (lowest they can measure)