Breaking the Silence on Prostate Health

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I share my four-year journey with elevated PSA levels and prostate health monitoring. After seeing my PSA jump from 0.9 to 2.7 in two years, I embarked on a thorough medical investigation including multiple biopsies, MRIs, and ultimately successful treatment with Dutasteride.

• PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) should ideally stay between 0-4 in men
• Rising PSA levels warrant investigation even when within normal range
• Underwent comprehensive testing including two 12-point biopsies, both negative for cancer
• Dutasteride treatment successfully lowered my PSA from 5.09 to 1.54
• Risk factors for prostate cancer include age, family history, and certain ethnicities
• Regular PSA testing is crucial for early detection and high survival rates
• Prostate cancer awareness shouldn't be limited to September

Get your PSA checked regularly. Don't allow September to be the only month that we are aware of prostate cancer. Do it annually. I do it twice a year. Reach out to me and I will provide the resources and information to help you take this important step for yourself and your family.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
What does the name meaning of Aziz?
Well, good morning and happyThursday to you.

(00:44):
It has been a minute sincewe've shared a cup of coffee and
, you know, coffee with Clinch.
I don't know what has happened.
It has been forever since I'vedelivered one of these episodes
to you this early in the morning.
But hey, man, we are almost tothe weekend.
But I had a motivating thoughtfor this coffee with Clinch.

(01:06):
I wanted to touch base onsomething that's permanently a
part of my life, forever.
And it started four years ago.
And this just so happens to bethe month in which we call it an
awareness month.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Monthis in the month of september,

(01:28):
four years ago in 2021.
Um, my doctor, she is in centralaustin and she is very thorough
amy kowalski is her name verythorough, um, just very
proactive.
And I'm being a proactive guymyself Because you know, with

(01:49):
age, regardless of what we eator how well, how clean we eat,
and take all the measures, youknow you still got to live but
at the same time, there arecertain things that you can't
avoid.
But you got to be proactiveabout it all.
You can't avoid, but you got tobe proactive about it all.

(02:09):
Um, she noticed my psa on myblood work.
Which psa for you, men, uh,women, you don't have to worry
about this but psa, prostatespecific antigen.
It's a met, a measure ofcertain cells through your blood
work pertaining to the prostate.
You know you want to keep itbetween zero and four.
Well, in 2019, mine was 0.9.

(02:31):
Fast forward to 2021, it was2.7.
Regardless, if it's below thefour, they're looking at it and
measuring it, or, in this case,amy, my doctor, my physician,
looking at it as an upward trendlike that.
That's alarming.

(02:51):
So she was having aconversation with me.
Long story short, I was referredto Urology, austin.
I started out with the providerthat I am not with currently,
and I'll get to my current one.
We did all the tests thedigital rectal exams, the

(03:17):
antibiotics, to more blood work,mri, everything and then it
came down because it was notlowering, the antibiotics were
not working, and so they'regoing through the whole battery
of the protocol and it allstarts with that blood test.
So then I had a 12-point biopsyno cancer.

(03:42):
My PSA was doing this.
It was doing this, hoveringbetween 2.7 and4 for two years.
Okay and so, and keep in mindthese MRIs, you know, with all
of us with healthcare.
I have a high deductible plan,so but you have to do this stuff

(04:06):
because if you get things earlyyou can your survival rate if
you have prostate cancer it'svery encouraging, very high.
The percentages are in ourfavor as men If you catch it
early.
And even if you get it late inthe game you just got.
You have to detect it.
So I requested another positionand it led me to Dr Carl

(04:30):
Bischoff with Urology Austin.
We went through looking at mydata and he's very progressive
and talks about the lateststudies and we were talking
about different avenues, all theplans.
So anyway, we ended up doinganother 12 point biopsy.

(04:51):
Okay, we went through that.
This was early last year, keepin mind.
My PSA went up I mean up.
So I'm fearful, it's worriedbecause I'm doing a blood test
twice a year.
Part of our conversation withDr Bischoff was about PSA.

(05:14):
What all does that entail?
As I mentioned, it's prostatespecific antigen and basically
what.
What that is and then whatprostate cancer if it becomes
that it's DNA mutating that leadto abnormal cell growth, the

(05:36):
PSA if it's increasing DNAmutating that does lead to
abnormal cell growth or can leadto abnormal cell growth, and
when you have prostate cancer,there's all factors.
There's family history, genetic, there's age, as we increase in
age in men.
I'm 52.

(05:57):
So it's ironic, or justparallel, that in 2019, it
started to increase.
Now there's no proveninformation, no studies have yet
to confirm that what we eat,what we consume, affects it.
I believe what you eat, whatyou put in your body, does

(06:17):
affect you systemically.
Okay so, and then there's alsocertain ethnicities who are at
risk for prostate cancer.
Well, anyway, we we go throughthis second latin, last year's
second 12-point biopsy.
I'll just be honest, they'renot pleasant, but they're not
horrific, they're not awful.

(06:39):
And it was determined thatthere was no cancer.
No cancer, that's in Februaryof March of last year.
So I'm fearful.
And at that time, what wedetermined?

(07:00):
We get the results back nocancer again.
And two MRIs, two biopsies, nocancer.
But the MRIs were suspicious.
They measure in PIRAD rating.
There's just a suspicious spot.
Well, dr Bischoff, we had along conversation.
We have a genetics testnegative genetic test to prove

(07:23):
that I don't not 100%, butreally close.
That says that I don't have thegene for prostate cancer Very
encouraging.
Well, he put me on this drugcalled Dutasteride and basically
what that is.
It's one of the activeingredients in the hair growth

(07:43):
product propecia.
Okay, and what that job?
What the job of dutasteride isto do is to shrink your prostate
, lower the psa, because if youhave any psa increases on with
that, then you really havesomething suspicious.
I just had my blood work doneon Wednesday or last week and

(08:08):
then yesterday I got my results.
This is where I'm at 5.09 to1.54.
That's where I stand now.
Not only is the Dutasterideworking, the words used were

(08:29):
overachiever jokinglyoverachiever to where their
goals with Dr Carl Bischoff andhis staff, had me.
Where I was probably going tobe at this point, it decreased
lower than anticipated.
So that really helps me.
It helps anybody when you seethat.

(08:49):
So from 5.09 to 1.54 in aboutapproximately a year and a half,
two years.
I want you to do that.
If you're a man, I want you toget your PSA check Now.
Not only do it for yourself, doit for your family, do it for
the longevity of your life and,more importantly, do it for your

(09:11):
children.
Set an example.
It's easy.
Reach out to me and I willprovide the resources.
I will provide information andlead you to Dr Carl Bischoff
with Urology Austin.
I want that for you.
Don't allow September to be theonly month that we are aware of

(09:34):
prostate cancer.
Do it annually.
I do it twice a year.
Hey, another side of this break.
We'll wrap things up and I'llgive you a tease about our big
episode with Michael Sinner, theformer UT tennis coach.
I'll tell you all about it.
Up next, austin Texas ischanging every day, but one

(09:57):
constant is Dirty Martin's placeon Guad.
Dirty's recently celebrated 98years young and the future is
soft, and this space in the backis open to host any event,
personal or business related.
Hey everyone, it's Daniel hereat Dirty Martins.
We're in the Burn Orange room.
We are currently booking a lotof parties back here.

(10:18):
As you can see, we've got acapacity for about 90 people,
but we are excited to host anyparty that you might want to
bring for about 90 people, butwe are excited to host any party
that you might want to bring.

(10:40):
Give daniel young a call atdirty's to reserve this space
for any event that you can thinkof.
Shout out to Daniel and hisamazing staff at Dirty Martins
Fun, all of them are fun.
Great environment, great vibe,especially on game day UT
football game day at Dirty's.

(11:00):
So go visit them and rent thatburnt orange room space for any
event you can think of.
Hey, just real quick, before wewrap things up, be sure to
follow us on each of our socialmedia platforms.
Appreciate you very much as weare growing We've grown
excessively here lately.
On TikTok I finally started tounderstand it and I hope you

(11:22):
enjoy that.
And then on Instagram, x uh,youtube and, of course, facebook
.
But hey, we're going to wrapthings up with this coming up
tonight.
Um, on episode four 81, michaelcenter, the uh, former UT tennis
coach.
Back in 2019, he was let go andended up in a federal prison

(11:46):
and obviously fired by UT.
That same year, his team wonthe national championship.
Well, as you can see, that's abook, a picture of Michael
Center's book.
It encapsulates the whole storyof what happened and how it
changed his life.
It was it wasn't behind barslong, but anytime, any day is

(12:09):
too long, but even here's a copyright here.
Breaking serve is the book.
You can get that on amazon.
Hey, mugs up and thank you forstarting my morning with me, or
allowing me to start yourmorning with you, and really
appreciate you following storiesinside the man Cave Podcast and
if there's any message I couldever get across to all men from

(12:33):
this episode get your PSAchecked In a matter of two years
or less.
My PSA has gone from 5.09 to1.54.
I got the results yesterday.
Couldn't be happier.
Anxiety every time for theblood work results.

(12:53):
Hey, have yourselves anexcellent day and even going
into the weekend, and don't missepisode 482 or 81.
Good night, have an amazing day.
Thanks for joining me.
See you soon you.