The Knee Bone’s Connected to the … Prostate! June 3, 2020 “The knee bone’s connected to the … Prostate”No. I don’t remember that version of the kids’ song either, but in my case it’s true!Laying on an exam table with an orthopedist driving a needle in and out of your knee, trying to extract non-existent fluid, is no fun. Yet, that was my first visit with any sort of doctor in about 15 years. Two weeks earlier, I awoke with agonizing pain in my left knee. Thinking I must have slept in an awkward position, I stood and it buckled a little. “It’ll work itself out,” I said to myself. But, over the next few days, it got progressively worse to the point that I had to buy a cane. Long story short, I was diagnosed with advanced arthritis. The only treatment was a series of injections that, as of that year, were no longer covered by my insurance and cost more than I wanted to pay. So, I called my boss and told her I needed to take a week off. I laid on the couch eating anti-inflammatories with an ice pack on my barking knee. Why hadn’t I seen a doctor in 15 years? Because, I’m never sick. Fifteen years earlier, I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Other than that, no one in my family could tell you the last time I had the flu or even a cold; but there I lay with an arthritic knee. At 6’ 1” I was overweight, hovering around 285 for 20 something years. Maybe if I lost weight, I might find some relief. I watched some documentaries on health and nutrition and determined to make significant lifestyle changes. I lost 10 pounds a month over the next seven months. The pain left and I joined a gym.In fact, I made so many changes and was feeling so good that, just after Christmas of 2018, I decided to find a doctor and have a full physical. Surely, it would be a good idea to verify that all I was doing was having positive health effects. Turns out, my blood pressure was a little high but every other test came back as perfect. That is, all except one. My PSA was 8.5. At 59, I was urged to see a urologist.Like most men, I had heard of prostate cancer but was surprised to read how often it strikes, that there are no symptoms early on, and how many men it kills.Waiting for the appointment, I started doing my research. My second PSA reading was a 7 and we scheduled a biopsy.On January 30, 2019, I got “the call.” My Gleason score was 6. I had prostate cancer. That was a surreal moment. I had been living bulletproof for years! Our eldest daughter was getting married in two weeks! Now, this? Seriously?!! I “gave her away” to one of the finest men I’ve ever known and danced like I never had before. It would be another six weeks until my radical robotic prostatectomy.The surgery went well and the pathology report indicated that only 10% of my prostate was cancerous. Subsequent blood tests show no detectable PSA. So far so good and I thank God my prostate cancer was caught early. So, you see, if it weren’t for my knee, I probably wouldn’t have been checked until after metastasis and symptoms. Now, I speak out and often. I urge men to get checked. The blue ribbon is tattooed on my right hand because I want every handshake to be an opportunity. Blog Posts Early Detection Contributor Mike Nuttall This prostate cancer survivor is a warrior who is raising awareness daily. He is doing everything he can to battle prostate cancer for himself and other men, and acts as a mentor to the newly diagnosed. More for you
“The knee bone’s connected to the … Prostate”No. I don’t remember that version of the kids’ song either, but in my case it’s true!Laying on an exam table with an orthopedist driving a needle in and out of your knee, trying to extract non-existent fluid, is no fun. Yet, that was my first visit with any sort of doctor in about 15 years. Two weeks earlier, I awoke with agonizing pain in my left knee. Thinking I must have slept in an awkward position, I stood and it buckled a little. “It’ll work itself out,” I said to myself. But, over the next few days, it got progressively worse to the point that I had to buy a cane. Long story short, I was diagnosed with advanced arthritis. The only treatment was a series of injections that, as of that year, were no longer covered by my insurance and cost more than I wanted to pay. So, I called my boss and told her I needed to take a week off. I laid on the couch eating anti-inflammatories with an ice pack on my barking knee. Why hadn’t I seen a doctor in 15 years? Because, I’m never sick. Fifteen years earlier, I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Other than that, no one in my family could tell you the last time I had the flu or even a cold; but there I lay with an arthritic knee. At 6’ 1” I was overweight, hovering around 285 for 20 something years. Maybe if I lost weight, I might find some relief. I watched some documentaries on health and nutrition and determined to make significant lifestyle changes. I lost 10 pounds a month over the next seven months. The pain left and I joined a gym.In fact, I made so many changes and was feeling so good that, just after Christmas of 2018, I decided to find a doctor and have a full physical. Surely, it would be a good idea to verify that all I was doing was having positive health effects. Turns out, my blood pressure was a little high but every other test came back as perfect. That is, all except one. My PSA was 8.5. At 59, I was urged to see a urologist.Like most men, I had heard of prostate cancer but was surprised to read how often it strikes, that there are no symptoms early on, and how many men it kills.Waiting for the appointment, I started doing my research. My second PSA reading was a 7 and we scheduled a biopsy.On January 30, 2019, I got “the call.” My Gleason score was 6. I had prostate cancer. That was a surreal moment. I had been living bulletproof for years! Our eldest daughter was getting married in two weeks! Now, this? Seriously?!! I “gave her away” to one of the finest men I’ve ever known and danced like I never had before. It would be another six weeks until my radical robotic prostatectomy.The surgery went well and the pathology report indicated that only 10% of my prostate was cancerous. Subsequent blood tests show no detectable PSA. So far so good and I thank God my prostate cancer was caught early. So, you see, if it weren’t for my knee, I probably wouldn’t have been checked until after metastasis and symptoms. Now, I speak out and often. I urge men to get checked. The blue ribbon is tattooed on my right hand because I want every handshake to be an opportunity.
