While others were out shopping for last minute Father’s Day gifts, Dr. Swan, George Plews, Daryl Bode, families and staff prepared the Linden Medi-Clinic for the free PSA testing event Saturday morning. The Yorkton Prostate Support Group, Yorkton Lions Club and the Linden Medi-Clinic teamed up to make this event happen, so as to make it as easy as possible for men to get checked out.
George Plews of the Prostate Support Group along with Daryl Bode were the fore runners of the event. Recognizing the importance of PSA testing and knowing how men detest making appointments, Plews decided he wanted to cut through all the steps of appointment-making, so that men could have a place where they can drop by and get their blood tested, rather than having to make multiple appointments and wait in lineups, waiting rooms, etc. Getting this test done to know one’s PSA number can also eliminate the future need of getting the digital rectal exam; the appointment men dread the most.
Knowing what the Prostate is and what can happen to it is helpful in understanding what the PSA test can accomplish. The prostate is a small, reproductive gland found in men that is about the shape and size of a walnut. This gland rests below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder. As a man ages, this gland grows larger. By mid-life, the prostate can grow from its walnut size to that of an apricot. This enlargement can become a problem for some men as it can squeeze the urethra, leading to urination problems. Enlargement that happens quickly may be a sign of benign prostate problems, as well as prostate cancer. The PSA (prostate-specific-antigen) test is a blood test that singles out the number of PSA produced by the prostate. Elevated levels may indicate cancer. It is not proof that one has cancer, but knowing your PSA number provides a way of knowing what is normal for your body and what is not.
In addition to providing a short wait time, Plews and Bode share their stories to explain the importance of Prostate tests. George Plews had faithfully been seeing his doctor for his tests, but was late by six months in getting one. Plews then found out that his levels were at 279, instead of the average of 4. A few direct tests then proved he had prostate cancer, and was quickly put into treatment to slow the progression. However, the cancer has now metastasized into his bones. Bode notes how his story differs. Once his levels were becoming elevated at a quick rate, Bode received laparoscopic surgery to have his prostate removed. Every three months he is required to have these blood tests to ensure that there are no remaining numbers of PSA in his bloodstream. Luckily, the cancer had only moved from his prostate to the fatty tissue just outside of the prostate.
“I’m one of the lucky ones.” Bode states. “I don’t need radiation and I don’t need chemo because they had gotten all of it out before it spread.”
Through their stories, Plews and Bode stress the importance of getting testing done and how it can change the course of your life.
Getting tested may be the best thing you can do for not only your family, but for yourself.
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