PSA:
I recently (7 weeks ago) had my stage 1 cancerous prostate removed. Fortunately caught early enough from my annual physical. Bloodwork came back with an elevated PSA that crossed the magic number of 4 where it had been closing in on for the last 10 years. Other than taking a little longer to start the flow and occasionally getting up once at night, no signs of anything amiss. I'm 63 and very physically active and healthy otherwise. Never smoked, rarely drink, no drugs, very little red meat. No Jack LaLane but no Jack Rickard either (love that guy).
First biopsy had a Gleason score of 6, 3 months later, 2nd biopsy came back a 7 along with Genomic testing showing a somewhat accelerated potential for the cancer to grow. Decision was made after the Gleason score of 7.
From initial concern to removal took about a year with 2 biopsies and second opinion from National Cancer Institute. To all concerned, my prognosis is fantastic, excellent even. My first followup bloodwork shows PSA undetectable. Next one is in 3 months and as long as they stay that way, every 6 months thereafter, I will be considered cured after 5 years.
The reason I'm posting my personal condition on an investors forum can be lumped in as advice. And make no mistake, this is advice. We've done very well for ourselves with the hope that we can someday enjoy the fruits of our exhaustive research and support for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please take care of your health first. All the money in the world didn't save Steve Jobs. But Prostate Cancer is one of the most curable cancers you can get. And there's sometimes no warning you have it. But don't ignore the warning signs and please, please, get your PSA numbers checked every year starting from the age of 50 and if a history in the family, start at 40.
I hope this doesn't come across as a killjoy or to suck the life out of the party during such an exciting time for all of us. I certainly don't mean it to be and my personal situation is not to be looked upon as pitied or sad. The threat to me is gone. I am 100% certain that I will live out the remainder of my life as if this never happened. This is just a small bump in the road and my life couldn't be better.
This is such an easy disease to detect and cure. It would be a shame after all we've been through to have something as curable as Prostate Cancer take it away.
