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← Return to PA vs Dr doing Biopsy
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@brianjarvis
My hat is off to you. You have much stronger mental ability with things like this than I. I also did not want the extra 2% increase in infection. I have read post from posters that did get the infection from transrectal and although rare just not something I wanted to chance.
I came down in 2015 with diagnosed PTSD that evolved into anxiety/panic disorder. It was caused by several traumatic events in my life and won't take up space with typing them.
So with me I try to do whatever is less stressful for me in life. I was already dealing with the stress of PC so I chose the less stressful as possible with biopsies options. We are all different and have to do what is best for us like you did also.
Your medical providers are the only ones who have your medical and mental health history and also can guide you. My wife cannot even help me with band aids as she too has been diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder. She would have laughed at me if ever suggested being in room with any surgical procedure.
Again I applaud you for your ability both physically and mentally.
When I had the Markers and Space/Oar done it was done transperineally but without anesthesia. They (UFHPTI) gave me a sedative, laughing gas, and Lanicane to area so had no pain. But the procedure for me was very stressful and I sucked on that laughing gas as much as possible. Even with this procedure they did a smear to determine which antibiotic to do and was not transrectal.
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@jc76 In my case, I deal with stress by immersing myself in whatever the situation is - whether it was the death of my parents (with me being the executor in each instance); whether it was a situation in my community (when I was mayor of my city); or in this case with my prostate cancer diagnosis (with me being the one impacted).
So, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer I dived headlong into investigative mode, using my doctors’ inputs as another source of information - and me becoming a “student of prostate cancer” - because in the end that would serve me the best.
My view of my medical providers is a bit different. I always keep in mind that doctors (and medical teams) are human beings, not gods; they’re just people like you and me. They are working in an occupation they have an aptitude and passion for; but, they’re not perfect; they’re human, with human frailties; they sometimes make errors. (No different than you or I who were very good in our individual careers and the teams we worked with, but we weren’t perfect.) They have lives to live, spouses, families, bills to pay, and vacations to take, student loans to pay off, and on and on and on…… And, they’re not always right; no one doctor knows everything (even the ones who have my medical records and know my history); they only know as much as they’ve learned and experienced. Whatever they say, I accept it with some cautious and informed skepticism (and optimism).
As for my wife — much of my time has been spent maintaining normalcy for her and myself, and insulating her from the continuous grind - physical and mental - of test-after-test-after-test. I keep her informed - at a very high level - as to what’s going on. But, I generally avoid the gory details unless she asks.