From “The Decision”
An easy way to get a rectal exam and PSA done is to look for free prostate screenings during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. My community has one every year, and it is an easy way to get checked at a convenient time and at no expense. Usually the urologists will do the rectal exams, and the hospital arranges with a lab company to do the PSA. One year I was doing the rectal exams in the hospital for one such screening and saw a friend of mine, a plastic surgeon, walking down the hall toward me. He was cutting through this area of the hospital to get somewhere else and had just happened upon me. “What are you doing, John?” “I am doing rectal exams for the hospital’s prostate screening promotion.” This physician has subsequently passed away, and I think of him often and his fun-loving spirit. “Can I have one?” “Well sure. Now?” “Yes, if it is O.K.?” At that point, hardly even breaking stride, he detoured into the room off the hall and all in one swoop flipped up his lab coat, dropped his pants, and said,” I’m ready!” I checked the prostate, and told him it was normal. He pulled up his pants, flipped down his lab coat, thanked me, and then, just as quickly as he had come, went on his way. I mention this story to make the point that when it comes to a rectal exam, you’ve got to get one when you can.
I am all about proactive prostate exams, but on national T.V.? As the old joke goes, ” I don’t know if I’d done that brother.”
Dr. Oz: 5 Health Tests Every Man Needs with Dr. Harry Fisch
By admin on February 11, 2010
Prostate Exam:
Dr. Oz asked his audience and 68% have never had a prostate exam. The way a prostate exam is done is through a digital (or finger) rectal exam to look for irregularities in the tissue inside your anus. Everyone should get a prostate exam by the age of 40, but definitely by the age of 50. To show how easy a prostate exam is, Dr. Oz had the first live prostate exam on TV! Robert volunteered to have a prostate exam from Dr. Harry Fisch. Dr. Fisch did the prostate exam by putting some lubricant on his finger and putting it inside of Rober’ts rectum to examine the size of the prostate and to look for rectal cancer. All that Robert felt was a little pressure, there was no discomfort or pain and Robert was completely shocked at how quick a prostate exam is. After the prostate exam, Dr. Fisch took a little stool from on his finger and put it onto a card with some developer liquid that turns dark blue if there is blood in the stool. Blood in the stool would be an indication of colon cancer or bleeding ulcers. Some preventive measures to keep prostate cancer away include antioxidant rich foods like green tea and pomegranate juice, foods with lycopene like tomatoes and red sauces, and prescription medications called finasteride or propecia (which also has the positive side effect of growing more and thicker hair)!
Prostate Diaries 