I had my biopsy today. It took all about 15 minutes. I arrived at the clinic and handed the receptionist my health card. She took it and then wrote down some information and then asked me to have a seat. I look at the other man in the room. “Did I look as grim-faced as this guy?” I thought to myself. “Yes,” I realized, “I am just as morose.”
It’s not like there is any laughing in a normal Doctor’s office, but when you’re looking at twelve little jars that are about to hold 12 cores from your prostate isn’t exactly joyous. One man was ahead of me and then the technician, I learned his name was Michael, asked me to come in. He showed me into a little closet and told me to undress and put in one of the paper robes stacked on the shelf.
I complied and then used the washroom before entering the exam room. Michael asked me to lie on my back and he then lifted up my robe and scanned my abdomen. This made me question I have the silly paper robe in the first place. I had done one of these before at Medcan so it was no big deal. He then told me to roll on my side. With a deep breath he inserted the scanner in my rectum. It was smaller than the one used at Medcan so it went in easier but he was more aggressive in moving it around. Once he’d taken some images of my prostate, Dr. Singal came in. After greeting each other he said he was going to give me a local. I must have visibly changed on the table because he noted my relief by reiterating how he doesn’t normally do this.
The wand went back into my rectum and it was followed by two needle pricks. One on the right side, and one, much harder to reach on the left. In fact I could feel the poor doctor maneuvering the wand with one hand and try to spread my ass cheeks wider with the other so he could get it to the proper angle. After a minute, when the freezing took effect we began.
“I will count down the first ones so you know it is coming. Three…two…one…” Snap, went the needle gun followed by a dull pain. “That wasn’t so bad was it? The freezing worked?” I sounded my consent. Snap, Snap, Snap the subsequent cores were collected in short order. Most were painless, only one or two caused any sort of pain.
I did hear him mention something about blood after the first core but it wasn’t until afterwards when he pulled out the wand and told me to hold a tissue against my ass that I got it. “Michael thought he saw an area on the ultrasound that looked suspicious, and your prostate is larger than it was.” Dr. Singal informed me, “We may have results for you as early as next Friday.”
So this chapter in my prostate saga is done. Now we wait for the results…and hope.