Ronni
Well-known Member
- Location
- Nashville TN
His yearly physical unearthed a very high PSA number. He was tested a second time to ensure it wasn’t an error. And then a third test was ordered after his doc sent him to an urology specialist, which also returned the same result.
To determine definitively that he has cancer they did a needle biopsy. They removed 16 cores across the prostate in a grid form. Of the 16, 15 were cancerous which indicates that the prostate is riddled with cancer. His PSA score which they determine by blood test is 935. A high/abnormal PSA for his age is anything above 6.5. They reason they did the blood test three tomes was to verify because they don’t often see a score that nigh.
The PET scan he has scheduled will determine whether or not the cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes and other areas of his body. For those who are unfamiliar with PET scans (I was) It’s an irradiated fluid that is injected into his blood. Once it spreads through all the vessels, it will cluster around any cancer cells and show up as glowing areas on the screen they use to track the fluid.
The concern is that it’s spread, based on him having such a high PSA number and also because of his Gleason score, which is 9. A Gleason 9 reads as a highly aggressive, fast growing cancer which puts him in the high risk category.
His kids are shaken by the information. So are mine, they adore Ron. His younger daughter burst into tears, older one was more stoic but then texted me immediately after with a thousand questions. Until we get the results of the PET scan and a treatment plan he’s keeping the information to just immediate family.
I’m numb. I don’t know if I can withstand another loss.
To determine definitively that he has cancer they did a needle biopsy. They removed 16 cores across the prostate in a grid form. Of the 16, 15 were cancerous which indicates that the prostate is riddled with cancer. His PSA score which they determine by blood test is 935. A high/abnormal PSA for his age is anything above 6.5. They reason they did the blood test three tomes was to verify because they don’t often see a score that nigh.
The PET scan he has scheduled will determine whether or not the cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes and other areas of his body. For those who are unfamiliar with PET scans (I was) It’s an irradiated fluid that is injected into his blood. Once it spreads through all the vessels, it will cluster around any cancer cells and show up as glowing areas on the screen they use to track the fluid.
The concern is that it’s spread, based on him having such a high PSA number and also because of his Gleason score, which is 9. A Gleason 9 reads as a highly aggressive, fast growing cancer which puts him in the high risk category.
His kids are shaken by the information. So are mine, they adore Ron. His younger daughter burst into tears, older one was more stoic but then texted me immediately after with a thousand questions. Until we get the results of the PET scan and a treatment plan he’s keeping the information to just immediate family.
I’m numb. I don’t know if I can withstand another loss.
Last edited:
.... have the heavens not sent enough to you in the last few years to cope with ?.....
Ron's in for a rough time. My husband went through it. It's hard to withstand but you must get him through this then get yourself through it. You can do it. 
