During 2 years have had PSAs of 7.5..... then 6 months later 6.6, then 18 months later 7.5, On the last one, one day before scheduled fusion biopsy, I had also asked Doc to order free PSA, with result of 11%.....normally 50% probability of some sort of PCa. My PIRADS has been rated 3 by Kaiser and later 5 by local med school? MRI no ECE or any other negative sighting..actually, it reads low 0-20% probability.
So, yesterday I drag myself there, take the shot in the behind, strip , and lay there with 3 women looking on???? Digital exam is slightly bothersome, as opposed to the one 2 years ago that I barely felt. Then Dr. Liu inserts the feared wan.....initial pain I hope is just some "minor" hemorrhoids. Nope......HORRENDOUS pain remains as she runs into the prostate....and pain does not abate!! She removes, and I tell her that I really want to get this done...FINALLY(that is another story!)
2nd try.....as bad as the 1st......for me, perhaps just too much a wimp, it is a Horrendous pain.......can't imagine 15-30 minutes bearing that pain! So, failed biopsy! Nice women at front desk tell me this is a one in one thousand occurence...which makes me feel like even more of a loser!!
Today's notes from Dr. Liu...... ".patient expresssed desire to return to DR. Johnson at Kaiser for sedated non-fusion cognitive biopsy....I ( Dr. Liu) feel tumor is large enuf for Dr. Johnon's successful biopsy of this prostate" Well, that is NOT what I told Dr. Liu, as I do know that she can do sedation biopsies at their hospital, but simply doesn't want to...?? They would have inconvenience of transporting the rollable fusion equipment onto a small van and then 1 one mile drive to their hospital?
My Kaiser Doc just recently reconfirmed his advice to have the fusion biopsy at med school.....Kaiser will do operatory sedation(no breathing tube), but they don't have fusion equipment. Dr. Johnson said he want me to have the highest confidence level in whatever the results are.......and the fusion route will provide that confidence. DR. J said he would not only advise the fusion biopsy to his brother or Dad...he would advise himself to have the fusion!!
Has anyone else expected Horrible wand/probe pain.....painful to the point of stopping the procedure .......for me, it was embarrassing, as I know that most men endure and complete the process.
Any thoughts on settling for the non-fusion biopsy? Maybe they just believe Kaiser won't cover the operatory sedation at outside facility? I have asked to be given the extra cost for deep sedation if done with fusion at OHSU? To me, its on them for not initially agreeing to the initiALLY REQUESTED SEDATION WITH THE FUSION BIOPSY.
This has been a nightmare......from needing to initially ask Kaiser Doc for a pre-biopsy MRI, to the Kaiser PIRADS 3 MRI result, to the PIRADS upgrading (reread late May, only told October!!??), to the Kaiser denial of fusion biopsy after Kaiser diagnosed PIRADS3, to the time needed to prepare the most detailed appeal of the denial(interrupted by my wife's near-death delusional state/encephalitis caused by Influenza A in January), to after -appeal win, additional time lost getting a 2nd Kaiser referral just so I could have a 30 minute pre-biopsy consult with Dr. Liu.....then promised a late October biopsy date, then late October date "disappeared" , and finally yesterday's fiasco.
Any answers/comments appreciated?
It seems a stable PSA for 2 years is very good news???? PSA at 70th birthday 7.5, then 6 months later 6.6, then one month short of age 72, 7.5 Optimistically, at least have had another 2 years of non-treatment QOL!!! xcept for the worry!!!
Biopsy and Genetic Testing Experiences
Is a false-positive biopsy possible?
ADT for almost 2 years
NKX3.1 found in liver biopsy
I almost died Tuesday 
