Interview 04

Age at interview: 68

Brief Outline:

In 1999, aged 62, he developed painful urinary symptoms. PSA was slightly above normal. Symptoms cleared up with antibiotics. Since then yearly PSA tests have been normal. Family history of prostate cancer.

Background:

Occupation: Builder (semi-retired). Marital status: married. Number of children':2. Ethnic backround: White Irish.

Urinary symptoms and pain were probably due to a urinary infection and to benign enlargement of the prostate.

I didn't know anything at all about PSA, I knew, didn't know anything at all about prostate, prostate, how it functioned, I didn't even know what it was or what it was or where it was in your body. And its only through that and having to go to doctors and seeing the specialist and stuff and getting clearance from them that I didn't have prostate cancer and the problem cleared up pretty well with antibiotics and it may have been just another infection I'd picked up I don't know.

So, so what exactly happened did you start having some symptoms?

Yes it was Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve actually.

Yes

Or something and we went down to the local pub with my son-in-law and a couple of friends for a drink and I just found I had to start going to the toilet every two or three minutes you know in a lot of pain, it just suddenly, it all came on. And I came home and I felt quite, quite ill and sick and I felt really rough and was in bad form and as soon as I got a chance I went to see my GP and I was quite miserable for a few weeks you know. And I had some urine tests done and stuff like that and they find blood in my urine and stuff like that. And the signs were looking pretty bad you know then and I thought well this it you know this is curtains you know [laughs].

Oh

I did really you know I thought that's it you know. But then I had tests done and my doctor put me on some antibiotics, what he actually put me on I don't know I never really found out but it did seem to clear it up pretty well. And then I had to go back and have some more urine testing done and it showed some more, it hadn't quite cleared up but whatever it was it seemed to clear up so it may not have been prostatism, they diagnosed me with I think it's called prostatism

And I went was sent to see the specialist in the hospital and of course I'd got an enlarged prostate and they told me I'd had the symptoms but that I didn't have cancer.

Did they do a ...

I didn't have cancer but I had prostatism which I'll have to live with.

Yes. Was it at that stage they did a PSA test?

Yes I probably had a PSA test done before I'd seen the specialist.

The GP did it?

Well you know they send you to the hospital and test it yes.