Stories Inside the Man Cave
Stories Inside the Man Cave
Breaking the Silence on Prostate Health
I share my four-year journey with elevated PSA levels and prostate health monitoring. After seeing my PSA jump from 0.9 to 2.7 in two years, I embarked on a thorough medical investigation including multiple biopsies, MRIs, and ultimately successful treatment with Dutasteride.
• PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) should ideally stay between 0-4 in men
• Rising PSA levels warrant investigation even when within normal range
• Underwent comprehensive testing including two 12-point biopsies, both negative for cancer
• Dutasteride treatment successfully lowered my PSA from 5.09 to 1.54
• Risk factors for prostate cancer include age, family history, and certain ethnicities
• Regular PSA testing is crucial for early detection and high survival rates
• Prostate cancer awareness shouldn't be limited to September
Get your PSA checked regularly. Don't allow September to be the only month that we are aware of prostate cancer. Do it annually. I do it twice a year. Reach out to me and I will provide the resources and information to help you take this important step for yourself and your family.
Please like and follow each of Stories Inside the Man Cave Podcast social media links on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok.
What does the name meaning of Aziz? Well, good morning and happy Thursday to you. It has been a minute since we've shared a cup of coffee and, you know, coffee with Clinch. I don't know what has happened. It has been forever since I've delivered one of these episodes to you this early in the morning. But hey, man, we are almost to the weekend. But I had a motivating thought for this coffee with Clinch. I wanted to touch base on something that's permanently a part of my life, forever. And it started four years ago. And this just so happens to be the month in which we call it an awareness month. Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is in the month of september, four years ago in 2021.
Speaker 1:Um, my doctor, she is in central austin and she is very thorough amy kowalski is her name very thorough, um, just very proactive. And I'm being a proactive guy myself Because you know, with age, regardless of what we eat or how well, how clean we eat, and take all the measures, you know you still got to live but at the same time, there are certain things that you can't avoid. But you got to be proactive about it all. You can't avoid, but you got to be proactive about it all. Um, she noticed my psa on my blood work. Which psa for you, men, uh, women, you don't have to worry about this but psa, prostate specific antigen. It's a met, a measure of certain cells through your blood work pertaining to the prostate. You know you want to keep it between zero and four. Well, in 2019, mine was 0.9. Fast forward to 2021, it was 2.7. Regardless, if it's below the four, they're looking at it and measuring it, or, in this case, amy, my doctor, my physician, looking at it as an upward trend like that. That's alarming. So she was having a conversation with me.
Speaker 1:Long story short, I was referred to Urology, austin. I started out with the provider that I am not with currently, and I'll get to my current one. We did all the tests the digital rectal exams, the antibiotics, to more blood work, mri, everything and then it came down because it was not lowering, the antibiotics were not working, and so they're going through the whole battery of the protocol and it all starts with that blood test. So then I had a 12-point biopsy no cancer. My PSA was doing this. It was doing this, hovering between 2.7 and4 for two years.
Speaker 1:Okay and so, and keep in mind these MRIs, you know, with all of us with healthcare. I have a high deductible plan, so but you have to do this stuff because if you get things early you can your survival rate if you have prostate cancer it's very encouraging, very high. The percentages are in our favor as men If you catch it early. And even if you get it late in the game you just got. You have to detect it. So I requested another position and it led me to Dr Carl Bischoff with Urology Austin. We went through looking at my data and he's very progressive and talks about the latest studies and we were talking about different avenues, all the plans. So anyway, we ended up doing another 12 point biopsy.
Speaker 1:Okay, we went through that. This was early last year, keep in mind. My PSA went up I mean up. So I'm fearful, it's worried because I'm doing a blood test twice a year. Part of our conversation with Dr Bischoff was about PSA.
Speaker 1:What all does that entail? As I mentioned, it's prostate specific antigen and basically what. What that is and then what prostate cancer if it becomes that it's DNA mutating that lead to abnormal cell growth, the PSA if it's increasing DNA mutating that does lead to abnormal cell growth or can lead to abnormal cell growth, and when you have prostate cancer, there's all factors. There's family history, genetic, there's age, as we increase in age in men. I'm 52. So it's ironic, or just parallel, that in 2019, it started to increase. Now there's no proven information, no studies have yet to confirm that what we eat, what we consume, affects it. I believe what you eat, what you put in your body, does affect you systemically. Okay so, and then there's also certain ethnicities who are at risk for prostate cancer.
Speaker 1:Well, anyway, we we go through this second latin, last year's second 12-point biopsy. I'll just be honest, they're not pleasant, but they're not horrific, they're not awful. And it was determined that there was no cancer. No cancer, that's in February of March of last year. So I'm fearful. And at that time, what we determined? We get the results back no cancer again. And two MRIs, two biopsies, no cancer. But the MRIs were suspicious. They measure in PIRAD rating. There's just a suspicious spot. Well, dr Bischoff, we had a long conversation. We have a genetics test negative genetic test to prove that I don't not 100%, but really close. That says that I don't have the gene for prostate cancer Very encouraging.
Speaker 1:Well, he put me on this drug called Dutasteride and basically what that is. It's one of the active ingredients in the hair growth product propecia. Okay, and what that job? What the job of dutasteride is to do is to shrink your prostate, lower the psa, because if you have any psa increases on with that, then you really have something suspicious. I just had my blood work done on Wednesday or last week and then yesterday I got my results. This is where I'm at 5.09 to 1.54. That's where I stand now. Not only is the Dutasteride working, the words used were overachiever jokingly overachiever to where their goals with Dr Carl Bischoff and his staff, had me. Where I was probably going to be at this point, it decreased lower than anticipated. So that really helps me. It helps anybody when you see that. So from 5.09 to 1.54 in about approximately a year and a half, two years.
Speaker 1:I want you to do that. If you're a man, I want you to get your PSA check Now. Not only do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for the longevity of your life and, more importantly, do it for your children. Set an example. It's easy. Reach out to me and I will provide the resources. I will provide information and lead you to Dr Carl Bischoff with Urology Austin. I want that for you. Don't allow September to be the only month that we are aware of prostate cancer. Do it annually. I do it twice a year. Hey, another side of this break. We'll wrap things up and I'll give you a tease about our big episode with Michael Sinner, the former UT tennis coach. I'll tell you all about it.
Speaker 1:Up next, austin Texas is changing every day, but one constant is Dirty Martin's place on Guad. Dirty's recently celebrated 98 years young and the future is soft, and this space in the back is open to host any event, personal or business related. Hey everyone, it's Daniel here at Dirty Martins. We're in the Burn Orange room. We are currently booking a lot of parties back here. As you can see, we've got a capacity for about 90 people, but we are excited to host any party that you might want to bring for about 90 people, but we are excited to host any party that you might want to bring. Give daniel young a call at dirty's to reserve this space for any event that you can think of. Shout out to Daniel and his amazing staff at Dirty Martins Fun, all of them are fun. Great environment, great vibe, especially on game day UT football game day at Dirty's. So go visit them and rent that burnt orange room space for any event you can think of.
Speaker 1:Hey, just real quick, before we wrap things up, be sure to follow us on each of our social media platforms. Appreciate you very much as we are growing We've grown excessively here lately. On TikTok I finally started to understand it and I hope you enjoy that. And then on Instagram, x uh, youtube and, of course, facebook. But hey, we're going to wrap things up with this coming up tonight.
Speaker 1:Um, on episode four 81, michael center, the uh, former UT tennis coach. Back in 2019, he was let go and ended up in a federal prison and obviously fired by UT. That same year, his team won the national championship. Well, as you can see, that's a book, a picture of Michael Center's book. It encapsulates the whole story of what happened and how it changed his life. It was it wasn't behind bars long, but anytime, any day is too long, but even here's a copy right here. Breaking serve is the book. You can get that on amazon.
Speaker 1:Hey, mugs up and thank you for starting my morning with me, or allowing me to start your morning with you, and really appreciate you following stories inside the man Cave Podcast and if there's any message I could ever get across to all men from this episode get your PSA checked In a matter of two years or less. My PSA has gone from 5.09 to 1.54. I got the results yesterday. Couldn't be happier. Anxiety every time for the blood work results. Hey, have yourselves an excellent day and even going into the weekend, and don't miss episode 482 or 81. Good night, have an amazing day. Thanks for joining me. See you soon you.