And so it starts

I was nervous at the Doctor's, even though she is a nice lady who speaks excellent English.

She explained that my previous blood test had shown an elevated PSA* level. Previously (July 2021) the level was 5, now it was 17•8. She explained about PSA, but said it didn't necessarily mean cancer, sometimes you can have an aggravated or infected prostate. I'm not sure why nothing was said two years ago, because the desired level is less than 4.

I'd been cycling quite a lot, and getting sore in the seat, so she prescribed another test, just in case it was just a blip, but she wrote a referral to a urologist for additional tests.

Just the mention of the C word is bloody scary. When I was growing up it meant massive weight loss, and was never mentioned until the funeral 6 months later.

I have been happier...

*PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate gland. A small amount of PSA is normally released into the bloodstream. However, when the prostate gland is enlarged or inflamed, or when prostate cancer is present, more PSA is often released, which can be detected in a blood test.