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Sun 8 Aug, 2021 01:56 pm
I am 71. Occasionally, in the past, I had some blood in both my urine and semen. This had happened on rather rare occasions from 2002 until about three months ago. When it first happened in 2002, I was alarmed and I was told by the City of Philadelphia health department that I had syphilis. Having extreme doubts about this diagnosis (given how this department is run), I, nevertheless, got the three penicillin shots and waited to be re-tested. I was then fine, but was told that I can never give blood because my blood is "marked".
In more recent years, again, I would occasionally get the blood back. Lost for an answer, I started searching on the web. For many, many years, I had had a very pressing need to ingest citrus well beyond the ordinary intake, because I loved it so much. I found that this gross excess could lead to the urinary tract getting sores and such. To me, this seemed to be a potential answer.
I got Covid-19 in early February 2021. I went to Urgent Card and I did not go into the hospital, but could not eat anything for nearly seven days. I got better on my own, then got my two Pfizer vaccinations. Before Covid, I had had a persistent cough for the past few years. In honesty, Covid seemed to have cleared that cough up; it seemed to be the "cleaner of my system", as crazy as that sounds. But, the urinary tract blood occasionally persisted. In the back of my mind was the citrus (I was still eating/drinking a lot of citrus until March 2021) so, to be more certain, went to a urologist. (Since March 2021, my citrus intake has been modest; no more blood is seen. Case closed?) The urologist was not terribly concerned with the blood. But he was very concerned with my PSA (prostate specific antigen) test of a whopping 16! To him, this seemed to signal a strong chance of prostate cancer. (I did not experience such a mental devastation, because I had heard that the reputable Stanford Medical, on the west coast, had long ago stated that PSA was, essentially, bunk, and proved little, or even nothing.) I then did a FIT test (stool sample). It came back positive. The doctor stated emphatically that I needed to have more invasive tests.
Two weeks ago, in July 2021, I had my very first colonoscopy. I was very apprehensive because all medical factors pointed to the probability of cancer. However, I was clean, there was one non-cancerous polyp which was cut off, and the doctor in charge of the gastroenterology said it was a good colonoscopy and that there was no cancer present. I also got a prostate MRI which showed nothing definitive ("Equivocal" rating). I am a vegan and eats lots of fruits and vegetables.
Despite these encouraging findings, neither my urologist nor my general practitioner (who both have my electronic medical chart with all this information) have not contacted me about these good findings. Why? Are they "disappointed"? I am extremely hesitant to have an actual prostate biopsy because of the risk involved. At 71, if nothing has shown up with the tests done so far, and nothing but silence regarding the rather good outcome of those tests, I am beginning to wonder what medicine's current agenda really is. There are four doctors involved: my general practitioner, my current urologist, another urologist which I am about to see later in August, and the gastroenterology physician (who, immediately after the colonoscopy, told me the good results of the procedure). They are all from the same medical organization and hospital.
Reading through the lines, I am beginning to wonder, seriously, about something seemingly rather nefarious: When preliminary tests posit trouble, but trouble does not emerge through bolder testing, do doctors get pissed off? Somehow, again, between the lines, I am thinking that doctors do not want patients to recognize that the human body has amazing capabilities of self-healing and that the stress from endless testing can re-invent, re-instate malady. I like to go beyond the "clinical approach" in my quest for a sane, sensible life.
It does seem crass and overly bold to state these possibilities, but I am really starting to wonder. Come hell or high water, will doctors do anything to get that "Eureka moment" they seek by finding cancer? I am beginning to wonder about this 'desperation' to find 'bad' at all costs. And, I am very aware of the financial goldmine that current medicine is in its need to seek to solve problems AFTER they occur, rather than honing into the the far less costly preventive approach. And I am wary and apprehensive beyond comprehension of living out my life by taking test after endless test in that quest "to find". My urologist told me to get Prosta-Q for better bladder function. This 'over the counter' dietary supplement (available ONLY by mail order) costs a whopping $100 for a one month supply. I sent for some and nothing changed (other than my bank account got smaller). Another item: Oxybutynin, I also got; nothing changed. My bladder holds very little urine (100 mL max) because my prostate is huge. This frequent need to pee is not recent, as, even when I was in high school, I could not go through two consecutive classes without peeing. But, to re-iterate: I am starting to read between the lines and feel strongly that doctors will fight desperately hard to find cancer, primarily so that they will find something "to cure". Preventive medicine seems to be something that the medical community does not want to recognize as being of primary importance, but such prevention is, essentially, the core function of living a good, wholesome life. Seemingly, if "bad" is not found, do doctors think that they have "failed"? I resent very much how PSA tests are held out to be the holy grail, even though there is much informed controversy in that regard. Doctors will NOT disclose this truth to the patient. Thankfully, the Internet is of great assistance here.
Again, I am afraid of invasive, painful, and very risky tests (which puncture skin walls by needle) in order to obtain a biopsy. And, even THOSE tests are not foolproof, as every portion is not biopsied. I feel fine. I am used to peeing very frequently. I feel that a 'quality of life' mandate should be considered as being just as important as finding a tiny bit of cancer in my prostate (It grows so slowly.) At 71, I feel fully justified in potentially defying the medical community in this regard. Is one's quality of life and mental state of any importance here? Five years ago my PSA was just as high from another urologist, and, again, I had received the "panic call". Why am I not "filled with cancer" by now? Why am I not filled with fear? Last time I checked I was not dead. Is this "death" going to come suddenly? Or am I going to be cheated out of such death?
Am I a fool for thinking that sometimes one's intuition can be a powerful and positive indicator? - David Lyga
1. Modern medicine is far from perfect. Many of us, myself included, can tell stories where modern medicine has failed to detect something or cure something that we thought should be treatable.
2. Modern medicine is, by far, the best way to understand, prevent and chre diseases. Our medicine now keeps people alive longer and healthier longer than any other belief, ritual or practice throughout history. We have literally doubled the average human lifespan and we have cut childhood mortality to almost nothing.
3. Science is better than intuition for making logical informed decisions based on the evidencd. Intuition is wrong, sometimes fatally so, a large percentage of the time.
Am I a fool for thinking that sometimes one's intuition can be a powerful and positive indicator? - David Lyga
No, I don't think so. I think your gut is always right and you should listen to it. Our doctor tell us the good and bad whenever we have blood or urine tests and we have recommended him to others. He's more concerned than we are, in fact, if something is up or down a little from year to year.
However, I think you may be onto something in your fears. My sister-in-law, who lives in Nevada, had lymphatic cancer in her groin. The surgeon she saw was very bossy and patronizing and insisted the only solution was to have her lymph nodes removed. She was scared so she didn't do her due diligence (research) and had them removed. She has since realized she didn't actually have to have them removed and for the rest of her life, she has to live with the results (swollen legs, stockings, etc). She doesn't see doctors unless she absolutely has to.
Trust your gut, research, ask around.
@Mame,
Mame's post is a perfectly good example of the
slot machine fallcy
Slot machines are designed to be tilted against the players. They will always take in more money than they pay out. A smart player will understand that they are unlikely to win money - intuition or no.
So why do people keep playing slot machines expecting to win? It is because
people believe in intuition. There is a voice in their head that tells them that they can tell when a win is about to come (even though there is zero chance that they actually have this ability).
The problem is that human intuition is flawed. People sometimes do win with slot machines and the machines are designed to pay out smaller amounts... when you win the $500 prize you forget that you have paid $700 to get it.
Intuition teaches you the wrong lesson because you emphasize the positive results and forget the negative ones.
There are people who live past the age of 100 who have smoked all of their lives. This doesn't mean your intution that smoking is OK for you is correct.
There are people who die after taking the Covid shot. This doesn't mean that people's intuition that the Covid shot is deadly is correct.
Forget Intuition. You should not smoke. You should not count on slot machines as income. You should get your covid shot.
You should listen to your doctors. Listening to "your gut" instead of your doctor is a good way to lower your life expectancy.
Well, I thought that my questions were relevant and I was correct with THAT intuition, as the responses are varied. It is a subject worth considering and, no, doctors, though well trained, are not without personal prejudice. That goes with the human race.
I really do not know what I will do. Again, it causes me much angst KNOWING that the PSA is controversial and, at the same time, doctors act as if it is NOT. That, alone is worth considering. Mame seems to be quite coherent.
Again, I am 71. I feel perfect. I am strong and vibrant. If there is cancer, where is it and how long will it take to kill me? Somehow, maybe through naivety, I am not too scared of doing nothing, but I AM frightened of test after test in a desperate quest to find cancer. Maybe I will live out my life as nature intended. I just might not die all too soon. My state of mind, my quality of life, has to count for something. Somehow, I do not feel that I am doing the wrong thing. I am more frightened with endless, invasive tests than I am with letting nature take its rational course. Prostate cancer is not in the family. Even if I do die a few years earlier, I am not certain that that will be the manifestation of an erroneous decision. - David Lyga
@david lyga,
It is very simple. Your best chance of living longer and staying healthier is to listen to your doctor.
I get your point about doctors being human. And you are correct. But, doctors are also experts. They know more than you do, which is why you should listen to them. It is a good idea to get a second opinion, but then you should listen to the doctors.
Treatments for cancer are evidence based. Science has data from millions of people. Medical understand about which treatments are likely to extend life and increase qualify of life are well documented.
Listen to your doctor.
@david lyga,
Let me back up a little bit. I am talking about the greatest chance to live longer and stay healthy longer. That is a scientific question.
Of course there are other things to consider; personal values and beliefs are important. If someone chooses to forgoe medical care for whatever reason, this decision should be respected by doctors or anyone else
But if the goal is to stay healthy for the greatest amount of time, your best way forward is to listen to your doctor
@maxdancona,
MAX:
"Do what the doctor says to do. (S)he knows best."
Max, this imperative seems to support the claim that seeking a second opinion becomes, at its worst, an unfair derogation. "Seeking a second opinion" is founded upon the theory that the first doctor is wrong, in error, and needs to be challenged, corrected, even refuted. Your unwavering 'obeying' the doctor leaves no room for the possibility of error, actual wrongdoing, or intentional over-reaction. Thus, Max, sometimes the "do no harm" prerogative from Hippocrates can become a de facto hypocrisy. You seem to leave no room in your mind, or mantra, for that distinct possibility. That is where David Lyga takes issue with your absolutism. Point made?
Certainly, the training and academic requirements for attaining the level of physician are not to be downplayed. But, to infer that this paradigm of excellence can never be refuted is pure fallacy, Max. When doctors, themselves, refute certain truisms, as Stanford Medical has done in greatly diminishing the imperative of PSA validity, we have both moral and objective problems which go far beyond what the hoi polloi, like David Lyga, say regarding the requisite testing. Certainly, I am not on a par with the academic training and expertise of my urologist. But, in the same vein, I say that refusing to recognize him as spokesman for God, becomes a sane, underlying, albeit ancillary, factor worth considering. I am not alone with this rational thinking. - David Lyga
Doctors aren’t all the same, there are good and bad. A good doctor will listen to their patient and make sure they are on board with their treatment.
Bad doctors assume they know what’s best for the patient before they walk through the door, and if the patient doesn’t agree they’re being difficult.
I’ve had to deal with both. There was one doctor at my local surgery who always had appointments because nobody wanted to see him. He was rude, arrogant and incompetent, he gave me questionable medication and screwed up a simple procedure on The Kid.
I would only see him for something like a sick note or a repeat prescription.
It’s even worse in America where the doctor’s prime motivation isn’t the health of their patient, but money. They have a vested interest in sickness, if they cure someone, that person will stop paying them, but if they can keep them on a long term prescription that’s a cash cow that keeps on paying.
I would never believe anything a profit driven doctor said to me.
Thank God we have the NHS.
@izzythepush,
I agree with all of this.
@Mame,
Expect a conniption fit anytime soon.
The Kid went to have a couple of veruccas frozen with liquid nitrogen.
The doctor started freezing a scar from where they'd trodden on a plug.
He was the foot expert too, yet he mistook a scar for a verucca.
@izzythepush,
I worked with doctors for 6 years. I know how stupid some of them are. I trust my body and what it tells me. If you're attuned to it, you have a better chance of making the right decision. Doctors aren't gods. And some of them are in the wrong business.
@izzythepush,
izzythepush wrote:
Expect a conniption fit anytime soon.
I don’t take any pleasure from being right.
Anyone who has seenMichael Moore’s film Sicko knows how **** the American Health Care system is.
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