Medicine

The male prostate is a gland that sits below the bladder. Given its function (you can look this up if you’re interested), this is a great location. But for whatever reason, a good number of men develop prostate cancer especially after they turn 50. Cancer, which is really errant reproduction of cells and not some external infection, is usually slow growing and for a lot of men, they eventually die from other causes first. So really the questions are whether you have cells with mutated growth and, if so, is that growth the slow spreading kind or the rapid spreading kind.

As much as we wish doctors had the diagnostic tools that were shown in future science fiction like a tricorder, medicine just isn’t that definitive. A lot of diagnosis are educated guesses based on symptoms and tidbits of data.

One of those tidbits from a digital rectal examine. My PCP, at my first visit to her, highly recommended one for me when I was about thirty.  Being young and not fully understanding what I was agreeing to, I consented and have avoided having a subsequent exam.

Since then, a PSA blood test was developed. This blood test looks for specific proteins in your blood that may indicate cancer of the prostate.  It also gets out of whack for several other conditions like an infection, so it is not perfect. Anyway, for the last 10 years, I consented to having my PSA checked as part of my annual physical. Over the last several years, it started to fluctuate a lot with some results being in the worrisome range.

Last year was one of those results and my doctor suggested a biopsy.  Using the same access port, the doctor uses a camera with a needle to grab tissue samples from several locations to send them off to pathology to be scrutinized for cancerous cells. The procedure is unpleasant to say the least.

All this to point out that the PSA test that started me down this path was in November.  I saw the specialist in early December. I was scheduled for the biopsy in December but I came down with an infection so my procedure was postponed until the last week of January. I was supposed to meet with the Doctor today (a week later) to find out what was observed but he got sick and my appointment had to be rescheduled till next week (middle of February). The nurse who called me this morning felt pity on my delay in meeting with the doctor and hinted that it might be good news.

In these moments, many of us can be very concerned. However, we must never forget to rely on Scripture at ALL times, and heed what our Lord has given to us…

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:25-34 ESV

Oh how I long for the perfect body I’ll get in heaven. Free from the deterioration and eventual death of this sinful world.