Yep. Another four months have elapsed and Count Dracula nipped on my arm once again. I should be able to see the results online late Thursday night if historical patterns hold true.

It’s funny. I’m at the point where I’m not at all worked up about the results. In my mind, I’ve already reconciled that they’ll likely come back slightly higher than the last time (0.10 ng/ml). There’s not a damned thing that I can do about it, so why worry? I’ll save that for The Decision.

Of course, I can’t let a PSA post go without a spiffy chart. Remember, the blue data points are my actual historical PSA readings; the red data points are predicted future PSA results.

I don’t want to say that the “Decision Zone” is purely arbitrary, because it’s not. Studies show that earlier salvage radiation is more effective, plus my doctor was suggesting we start thinking more seriously about what’s next when the PSA hits 0.15 ng/ml, give or take a hundredth of a nanogram or two.

I also know that, as the PSA continues to grow, the linear trendline will likely become more of a curve with an increasing slope.

My trendline predicts today’s PSA will come in at 0.115 ng/ml. Stay tuned for the actual number…

This post originally appeared on Dan’s Journey through Prostate Cancer. It is republished with permission.