Entry 1
June 21, 2010
June 21, 2010
Hugh Burton and I completed a canoe trip to the Bloodvein River system in the first few weeks of June. [Photos] A week or so after our return, I felt fatigued and had diarrhea, cramps and no appetite. That matched descriptions of giardiasis. Not good. Hugh didn't seem to have a problem.
Fortunately, in the process of having my doctor and good friend Graham Fuchs check me over and treat me for giardiasis, we learned that my PSA was elevated (17.5 nanograms/milliliter) from what it had been 16 months earlier (5.5 ng/mL).
A man's PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) count is measured by a routine blood test. Interestingly enough, the medical community cautions us to not become anxious when the PSA rises slowly, however, as in my case, if it rises suddenly it can signal a problem.
If it weren't for having giardia, I might have missed the first sign that I had prostate cancer.
The Importance of a PSA Test (mp3 audio file)
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