Well now, it has been a little bit since I came clean here about what is going on with me and my prostate, but there appears to be a lingering confusion as to what is happening with my prostate. Several people I have spoken to have been greatly concerned that I am dealing more with obtaining hormones than dealing with my health. Some of these people have been close friends and some have been well meaning internet friends.
I have honestly tried to clear up any misconceptions about my prostate, but I will attempt to do it again. So.... let's see if I can be more clear this time - THERE IS NOTHING ABNORMALLY WRONG WITH MY PROSTATE! There, does that help?
No? Seriously, there is nothing wrong with my prostate, except of course that I am aging. How about this excerpt for your edification:
An enlarged prostate means the gland has grown bigger. Prostate enlargement happens to almost all men as they get older. An enlarged prostate is often called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is not cancer, and it does not raise your risk for prostate cancer.
I think that this is a very difficult subject for most men to discuss rationally. I mean, after all, this has to do with something that is only accessible by sticking a finger up your butt. And men, well many men, don't want to acknowledge that they even have a butt! Seriously! And certainly most men don't want to ever have anything, EVER, go UP their butt! I mean, talk about gay! Things do NOT go up a male butt, unless of course you are gay! Thus most men are terrified of being accused of being gay and thus, they don't want to ever have to deal with their prostates!
Well prostate owners, get over yourself! Seriously! Stick a finger up your butt and get to know your little walnut gland! Ha! I amuse myself!
So.... me being the problem solving person that I am, decided to solve a problem. What problem you ask? Well, I never wanted to go on hormones, well at least I would never admit to wanting to go on hormones. Thus the dilemma - I want a more feminine body, but I didn't want to admit to wanting hormones. Instead of admitting what has always been there, I instead went to my general practitioner and complained about my prostate, knowing full well that they would refer me to a specialist. Once at the specialist - for all of you who are concerned about my prostate - he did EVERY SINGLE TEST THERE IS - and determined that due to - MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY SYMPTOMS - that I have an enlarged prostate. Eventually he gave me finasteride, which is what I wanted. If you don't know it is a t-blocker. Time passed, I told him that I felt better, he told me he wanted me to stop taking finasteride.
I panicked, and finally pulled my head out of my own ass, ha!, and admitted to myself and my wife, what I was doing, and what I had orchestrated. Then I did the responsible thing - I began to see a gender therapist, and a doctor who is actually educated in prescribing hormone treatment for transgender patients. By the way, all of you folks who are paranoid about my prostate, my new doctor assures me that the new medication I am on will shrink my prostate to nothing.But really, I think there is another issue happening here - all of the folks who are worried about my prostate - I am worried about you. Do you know your own prostate? Because see, I know mine, again part of why I thought I was gay, I have been familiar with my anatomy since about age 12 or so. Most of the people who have expressed concern for me have followed it up with, 'yeah I need to get mine checked soon.' Well seriously if that is your response then YES, YOU NEED TO GET IT CHECKED!
Well, I hope this PSA (Ha! another prostate joke if you didn't catch it!) has helped. From now on I think when questioned about my prostate's heath I will simply refer to this post.
Hope you all are well!
I hope you all have stuck your own fingers up your own butts! Ha! I amuse myself, seriously!
Love you!
Love yourselves!
Yes, even love your butts!
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaellove/
Lol (rant off). I worried about your health because I have seen the results of prostate cancer and the suffering involved as the bladder had to be rebuilt with a piece of intestine after a number of unpleasant reaming-outs of the enlarged prostate over an extended period of time. Not a happy prospect and small wonder that there is concern for you - but I am happy that you are OK. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Tanit-
DeleteYou are not the only one who mentioned this to me. So... don't think that I wrote this to you. If I had intended it to go solely to you, I would have emailed you directly.
I am not ignorant of the problems with prostates, quite the opposite actually.
What many seem to be unconcerned about is seeing a doctor and getting meds for something I don't need them for and ignoring the real issue. Isn't it more important to deal with the real issue than to make one up because people are paranoid about that one?
I didn't feel as though you singled me out as you had obviously had a number of folks mention this to you :-) I just point out that people are in general concerned about you and do not take the time to investigate the deeper aspects of the subject (that you are intimately familiar with...) ;-) I would likely have felt the same had I not had experience with a co-worker's sufferings which I would not wish on anyone.
DeleteHugs,
Tanit
Nadine,
ReplyDeleteI understand fully. My PSA creeped up above 5 and then went to a specialist. After ultrasounds, expanded blood tests (free PSA) and more prodding, the doctor said: "congratulations, you prostate is a large and healthy one". The point is, get the check up, follow up if needed and they you will know what needs to be done.
Leann
Very true Leann! Thanks for commenting!
Delete