Keeping an
eye on it
When you get within a certain age range, you need to pay a bit
more attention to a few things and more so, your health. I have attended talks,
groups, discussions, seminars, and conversations about men’s health and ageing,
these things interest me enough even if I do not seem to act on the much I have
learnt.
I guess because I have usually had blood work done twice a year, I
seem to be a bit conversant with health issues, my kidneys, my liver, bone
health, and other indicators in the blood results that I chase up with medical
personnel to have a handle on the issues when a result falls out of range.
One month on prescription folic acid and the folic acid deficiency
anaemia is now a thing of the past, the last reading put it at borderline high
when it was well below the minimum range hardly 7 weeks ago. The other things
as red blood cell counts and thyroid activity we need to monitor over a longer
time.
That erogenous zone of life
The elephant in the room, the prostate-specific
antigen (PSA) test, that I have ignored and done nothing about for years.
Friends report their experiences and I sometimes pretend not to be in the
affected cohort. My GP even sent me messages inviting me to assess this
facility, it is one of the more intimate men’s things that we find ourselves
too coy to talk about.
Two blood tests later, in early February and late March, my GP
called to have a chat and then immediately scheduled an appointment to have me
felt up in a funny place. I duly attended and before I could draw a sharp
breath, it was over.
Well, it is slightly enlarged but smooth, and a scan is needed
just to be sure. This matter is important but we rarely want to attend to it,
either out of fear or embarrassment, both of which can kill you if a situation
could have been caught early, but left too late.
Deal with it early
After my many encounters with the medical establishment for all
sorts of life-threatening conditions, this should be the easiest of matters to
assess, review, and understand, and hopefully, after the scan, I might just lay
my mind to rest, absent of any worry or anxiety.
You have to know, to know, that once you are over 45 and black,
the statistics can be scary, but do not become a tragic statistic, make that
appointment, have those checkups, know the situation or at least have the
knowledge to face up to it and have it dealt with promptly.
“1 in
4 Black men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Black men are more
likely to get prostate cancer than other men, who have a 1 in 8 chance of
getting prostate cancer.” Prostate Cancer UK
Men’s things are also about life and well-being, better the finger
now than a scalpel blade later.
Reference
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