Interview 31
He had urinary symptoms. The GP found he had an 'enlarged' prostate, and did a PSA test, which was 'raised'. He was referred to the hospital, where he had a biopsy, which was negative. Symptoms treated with Finasteride and Flomax.
Occupation: Retired engineer. Marital status: widower. Number of children: 4. Ethnic background: White British.
More about me...
Thinks he had the biopsy before the local anaesthetic had time to work.
Thinks he had the biopsy before the local anaesthetic had time to work.
What was it like having a biopsy?
I felt it very discomforting, the they said you don't feel any pain I think it was five snips or something they take off the prostate and I felt every one, I felt every one, I had the specialist that done it actually says to me, 'You're awful lean looking'. And I told him, I says, 'Well I've lost two and a half stone'. I says, 'I've just had my wife. I had the trauma of my wife dying on me', I said I lost quite a bit of weight, which I did do, you know?
I says it's maybe that, but they apologised for, because I felt it and they said they hadnae give the-the anaesthetic time to work.
Did they give you some local anaesthetic?
Oh aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye, they were very good actually, I've no complaints about them you know?
And-and they says well it might be a bit too soon and I had, I think they still had two cuts to take and I told them I was sweating, I broke out in a bad sweat and that you know and they put this thing on my finger for the pulse rate and all this bather and...
But they had they had something on your finger to measure the pulse rate?
Oh aye-aye-aye-aye-aye but I told them to go ahead, I said, 'Just go ahead and take them'.
Because, but it was hurting you?
Aye it did hurt, it did hurt,
But I mean it was over and then after that I, it's vague now, but you get a cup of tea and you sit for a while and then you go and pass urine.
He did not remember receiving much information about the PSA test. His GP said it was 'crucial' that he had one.
He did not remember receiving much information about the PSA test. His GP said it was 'crucial' that he had one.
Did he [the GP] tell you much about the PSA test before you had it? Did he say what the advantages and disadvantages of having a blood test were?
No aye he never said, you know.
He just said it was a good idea to have it?
Aye he just said it was crucial.
He says he couldn't stress the importance [enough], because of I mean [clears throat] I've had him for years, you know first name terms, he calls me by my first name and that and-and he is he's quite a good understanding how I tick, you know. And he says to me it's crucial, it is awful crucial you going to get this test.
Was it a joint decision to have the PSA test or was the doctor very much pushing you to have it?
He was very much pushing me, He was very much.
Because of the symptoms?
Aye, he took control there, he'd done it, as I told you he done a couple of tests himself, you, where he took blood tests and they sent away urine tests and he was quite, he was quite force, forceful on it you know, he was quite forceful, he says, 'it's important'. He says, 'it's very important, you must get this test'. You know, so I mean if they tell you that, you know that's, that's the time you bring your head down from the clouds.
And say well I better get it done, you know.
He tried to dispel another man's fears while waiting to see the urologist in the out-patient clinic.
He tried to dispel another man's fears while waiting to see the urologist in the out-patient clinic.
They just told me it was crucial, they told me it was very important that I had to get a biopsy.
Right.
And they says an enlarged prostate when they come back positive it doesn't necessarily mean to say you have cancer, you know, they says it's just one of these parts of the body, he says most people your age at some time or another have prostate trouble you know, I was aware of that, I've been aware of that for quite a number of years so [clears throat] I had to wait, I actually told them if they thought it was important I would go private, I would pay for a private consultation because sometimes in this neck of the woods you wait a year before I see specialists, no but he says the PSA the department of Urology were quite speedy, you didn't have to wait for months.
Good. How long did you have to wait?
Two weeks I think it was, two weeks or three weeks and I were in the [hospital] and I met about another fifty men sitting waiting for the same thing you know and there was a bit of tension, [ee] there wasnae that much conversation and that, there was one gentleman in particular he was frightened, and a older man than me and he was pretty tall and I got just spent the morning trying to pacify him and tell him it would go okay.
It's what?
I told him, I says, 'It's only a formality'
Oh a formality.
I says, 'You, you never count your chickens'. I says, 'You've just to take it a bit in your stride, to see you don't know to-to hear the-the biopsy'. You know, however [clears throat] I got a biopsy.