@Cody Fousnaugh perhaps if you called a urologist's office and asked to talk with a nurse it could speed things. In my experience, urology nurses are pretty sharp and know what these numbers mean and why you could be concerned. Like @John Brunner, I don't like to tell people what to do, but I truly am concerned. Relate to the nurse about the antibiotic and the repeat PSA that remained at 18. If you can't see a physician, perhaps you can see a mid-level (PA or NP) well versed in prostate issues. If they see you and still tell you there is nothing to be concerned about, I will rest easier.
Contacted my VA NP yesterday and having her give me another referral to the Urology Dept. at the VA Hospital. When they call, I will get the information from them about a Community Care (VA paid) Urologist that is 15 miles from me, not 33, like the VA Hospital is. If, by chance, I can't get an appointment to see a Urologist before January 2025, I will have to go to an ER or Urgent Care facility. That is, if the pain in my stomach area gets any worse. Currently the pain is very little and, to me, useless going to an ER or Urgent Care. Wish I could say more, or know more, but I can't.
I am glad things are getting done @Cody Fousnaugh. Try t make sure that the VA bills your private insurance for any co=pay. Community Care is a trap I fell into, and the VA told me they were hacked and supposedly couldn't bill for the co-pay, which is bull. They cannot bill Medicare but they can bill private insurance.
What wife and I would really like to know is: Since I was told by the Urology Dept., at the VA Hospital, that I couldn't get an appointment to see a Urologist there until January 2025, can, whatever I have wrong (PSA number) be that bad? I know what the number says (18), but just how bad can that be if I can't see a Urologist until next January? Then, when I'm finally able to see one, will they tell me, "You waited too long to have this checked out." Then, I would have to tell the Urologist, "What do you mean "me"? I couldn't get an appointment any sooner!" I do know that the population of an area can have a lot to do with medical appointments. Where we lived before, Loveland, Colorado, the population was 78,000 and, where we live now, the population is over 300,000. Add that 300,000 onto the Las Vegas population of over 3 million and............... IOW, some things in life, especially for older seniors, are ridiculous!
Exactly what can happen @Cody Fousnaugh. The 18 PSA might turn out to be of no consequence, but it definitely sends up flags and needs to be investigated, not just treated with a week of antibiotics and written off. I don't know if you have other symptoms, and that probably shouldn't be discussed in an open forum. All I am saying is that you need to be seen by someone competent in this field. As you saw in the Cleveland Clinic piece I posted, it raises your chance of bad stuff by 50%. That means half the time it is benign. You just want to make sure you are not in the bad half, and, if you are, you need to be treated appropriately.
Ok, Don Alaska, here's an update: Was (finally) able to get ahold of a Urology Office that is somewhat close to us. Actually, 15 miles is much better than 33 miles (VA Hospital). Apparently, due to being in New Patient status, the closet date I could get in is November 6th. Better than in January, that the Urology Dept. told me on the phone from the VA Hospital. I will still wait for the call from the VA Hospital and ask them about the Community Care Urology and see if they have a closer available date for an appointment. If not, I will keep the November 6th one. At least now I have an appointment made and it's not in January 2025! My wife was wondering this: Does a high PSA number have anything to do with appendix? Possibly appendicitis? I thought having appendicitis was pretty painful. I just don't have that kind of pain. Actually, Don, as I write this, I have absolutely no pain in any part of my lower abdomen at all. Then again, I took a Tramadol 50mg this AM for my shoulder pain that came from a rotator cuff surgery in 2015. I have osteoarthritis in both shoulders, from rotator cuff surgery in each one. Left shoulder is definitely worse with pain.
Nope, @Cody Fousnaugh PSA has nothing to do with the appendix. It can be falsely elevated by a few other things, but it is mostly specific to the prostate. The Tramadol you take can, however mask pain in other parts of your body. Are you familiar with the "Rebound Test" for appendicitis? Press with your fingers into the right side of the abdomen. It may hurt a little, but when you release the pressure suddenly, you shouldn't feel major discomfort. If you feel a sharp pain when you release pressure, it might be your appendix and should be reviewed by a provider. Lots of stuff can cause abdominal pain. No pain in the lower abdomen, but does that mean there is pain in the upper abdomen? Lots of causes there, but also not related to the PSA. You haven't mentioned fever either, so I assume there is none.
As for a fever, absolutely none! Actually, Don, the light pain started in my stomach after the NP gave me an antibiotic to take for 7 days. When I first got a call from my NP nurse about my PSA lab, she asked me about pain and any other symptoms. I told her I had none. So, the NP figured I had a UTI and gave me the antibiotic prescription (Cephalexin 500mg) to be taken twice a day for 7 days. It was after I finished that prescription that I started get some light pain on one side or the other of my lower stomach. I couldn't figure that out. No pain before taking the antibiotic, but after, light pain starts. Did someone "goof" or what?
Talked to my half-brother last night. He is some six years older than myself. Come to find out, his PSA number was 19. He was diagnosed as having prostate cancer that has spread to his lymph nodes. Generally, prostate cancer moves very slow, but his did not. He has gotten a shot for something dealing with the cancer and will start radiation treatments next month. He asked about having his prostate removed, but the recovery time, for his liking, is way, way too long. His doctor put him on a fairly strict diet. No red meat. Chicken, turkey and fish only and lots of veggies. He hates it that he can't eat red meat right now or maybe never again. He's not suppose to do really physical labor, like he loves to do on vehicles, but will see if he can handle "very little labor". Weird thing is, while talking to him, he didn't seemed worried at all about having cancer. He also told me that, before being diagnosed, he was having a hard time urinating. I don't have that problem (thank God). But, what I have got, we (wife/I) won't know until tests and/or an MRI is done. Even though he pays a monthly premium for Medicare, he hardly uses Medicare. Him and his wife drive miles to a VA Hospital in Buffalo, NY for checkups and some other things. I think he will be using VA Community Care for treatment, but not sure. VA Community Care is a regular doctor that the VA pays to. That is who I'm seeing next week. I've also have an appointment with a Medicare Urologist on November 6th, if I need it. He told me our dad, of whom I was only around until the age of 6, had colon cancer. I never knew that. All I knew is that he died of Cirrhosis of the Liver years ago. He had been a heavy drinker (beer) for years and even owned a Beer Bar at one time. My half-brother is a "Snowbird" and has a home in Pennsylvania and Florida. He doubts he will make it back to Florida before winter hits where he lives in Pennsylvania. Him and his wife absolutely hate winter/snow, but he has to stay where his cancer treatment will be.
I'm glad you're having this looked at @Cody Fousnaugh. Having cancer in close relatives is not a good thing, but it's also not a certainty for your own health. Colon cancer can be from diet as much as from anything else...and colonoscopies can help head that off. You may want to contact that doctor who recently gave you the mail-in feces test and tell her you just discovered that your father died of colon cancer. If you got polyps, you want them gone before it shows up as cancer on a poop test. My dad was also a heavy drinker (and smoker), and he died at 55 I believe from pancreatic cancer (alcohol trashes your pancreas.) I have 2 brothers who died of lung cancer (the older one at 53 and the younger brother at 60), so I have no idea what happens to the prostate of men in my family in our senior years. My PSA has been below 1 for my entire life, and over time has crept up from 0.4 to 0.7, which I am told is nothing to worry about. Rate Of Increase is just as telling as an absolute number.
You may have just missed this from the post above yours, Don: I also saw one of his posts from July where he's been doing the fecal test for colon cancer, having not had a colonoscopy since 2009.