At age 57, I was in the best shape of my life. I had no health issues, lived an active lifestyle and wasn’t on any prescribed medication. Every year, I had a complete head-to-toe physical, including bloodwork. As always, my doctor told me I was in great shape, with all my bloodwork levels in the healthy range.

Therefore, it was a shock when my doctor reported that my PSA was rising. Something that my doctor recommended I monitor since I turned 50. And I’ve kept a log of all my bloodwork ever since. Although the PSA blood test doesn’t detect prostate cancer, I’m grateful I’ve been monitoring the results over the years. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known it was rising.

My doctor then ordered an MRI, which revealed a significant anomaly outside the digital rectal examination (DRE) reach. And a targeted prostate biopsy confirmed cancer. The diagnosis was seriously unexpected and took me by complete surprise.

After researching my options, I opted for surgery and was shocked to learn that my cancer was already in the final stage before spreading. If I had not monitored my PSA over the years, cancer likely would have spread to other body parts before symptoms developed.

Since my diagnosis, I’ve written a book sharing the many oversights and mistakes I made that I hope others will avoid. The name of the book is Prostate Cancer Strikes: Navigating the Storm. Please visit my website for more details at gogsgagnon.com.