A friend and his wife stopped by the other evening to drink beer and talk, what else, prostate. His doctor found a nodule during a DRE and then saw a slightly elevated PSA; next step...biopsy, but my friend was already concerned and wanted to talk about options and outcomes.
His personal circumstances are far different than mine and, having yet to receive a diagnosis, I suggested it may be premature to talk about treatment before the biopsy, but we had a long discussion none the less. Further, he is ten years my senior which also makes his decision different than mine.
Add to this his family physician and his urologist telling him he may have a decision to make, but offering options without opinions, has only served to increase his anxiety. It's a familiar story to those of us who have been through it, and that's where we can be of service.
Although he never said it, it was my impression he was more concerned about the possibility of having a catheter than anything else. I completely understand this as well.
In the end, I believe he was seeking someone to listen who understands. We had another beer and ended the evening with him feeling somewhat better and assured we would be there to help in any way we could if needed. Best of all, he brought the beer!
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