Typically, a rising PSA is the first sign, coming well before any clinical signs or symptoms. In my mind, however, undergoing a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) check was about as bad as anything I could imagine. That PSA anxiety hammers away at your mind on a daily basis, draining your energy and finally reducing your resistance to nothing, only to be inflated again by the good news of a negative rise.
A PSA test is widely accepted as an invaluable tool in detecting prostate cancer. In the …show more content…
The original stage of disease, the pre-diagnostic PSA, and one’s overall health and life expectancy are also key factors in assessing the aggressiveness of your disease, though it must be said that your situation may not fit the classical categories for PSA rise after initial therapy.
My inner emotions were ignited like a match to a slow burning fuse and then diffused as I approached and came through each of my PSA checks. You see, if my PSA had risen, then alarm bells started to sound and concerns from both me and my oncology medical team go into overdrive, because this clearly indicates that all is not at all well. Obviously, the degree of the rise is key, but no rise is good.
With no rise, my oncology medical team remains happy and reverts to their inner shell until the next time. For me, however, the concern and worry continues as the structure and consequence of repetitive thought begin again. Getting stuck mentally over a never-ending process of rise and fall will affect your health. You've heard the saying about “having too many negative