Unless the urologist has a seeing eye dog assisting, I don't think you
need to worry about the nerves.  The needle mechanism is attached to an
anal probe attached to an utrasound machine which (s)he will use to
"see" where (s)he is aiming.

Good luck.

-Gordy

Paul:

Free fall at 13,200 ft....you're a much braver man than me! I do not
like heights. I'm from the school of why jump out of a perfectly good
airplane? ;)
You're numbers and age sound similar to mine when I was diagnosed. My
robotic procedure was done 12/04. I do not think you'd have to worry
about nerve damage due to the biopsy and I think most here would agree.
Seems if there is any serious problem discovered, you seem to have
caught it early enough to be cured. It may not be PCa either. Other
conditions can cause a rise in psa. The biopsy should tell you
something. The consensus is that a rise in psa of equal or greater than
.75 points within the year is a cause for some concern. Did you have a
free psa test by the way?
I'm not familiar with the life insurance part. Perhaps others here will
answer more specifically.

B.A.

I got no physical with my 20-year, guaranteed-renewable, term policy (by
FAR the cheapest way to buy life insurance), just some questions and an
interview with a vitals check. I'm sure they also checked my medical
records on data bases. I got dirt cheap term ins, and if I'm still alive
and want to renew at 73, they must renew me at the standard rate.

Years later I inquired about long term health care, and mentioned my PC
(I knew they'd check). They said that if my PSA was very low after
treatment, it may not affect premiums or could even lower them because
at least one threat is lessened. I could maybe exclude PC from coverage
at least initially, but with Gleason 8 that may not be wise.

I.P.

Hi to Lisa's husband!

Don't worry about the biopsy. Go read the current threads on biopsy anxiety
and post-biopsy sex. (I can tell that is what you've been doing.)

My understanding is that after 5 years of undetectables you probably will be
able to get more insurance.

I think if my husband offered to take me skydiving I'd tell him a divorce
would be much kinder. LOL But I'm glad you two had fun.

Anybody willing to jump out of a perfectly good airplane can face whatever
the biopsy results might bring. Here's to hope that it is just a slight
infection, curable with a round of antibiotics.
Bev

Did they do a FreePSA test?

Paul & Lisa wrote...snip...

Paul...Here is some relevant info...Best wishes and good health, ron

Life Insurance Offered to Cancer Survivors By STEPHEN SINGER, AP
Business Writer
Mon Mar 27, 12:39 AM ET

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. will make life insurance
coverage more accessible to men with prostate cancer, recognizing
rising survival rates with early detection.

The Hartford plans to announce Monday that it will offer insurance at
standard rates to men 60 and older who have been surgically treated for
moderate levels of prostate cancer. In the past, men had to wait up to
three years following treatment to qualify for life insurance coverage
and would have paid significantly more over five years.

The underwriting program is similar to what The Hartford announced in
October 2005 for women with breast cancer and is part of an effort to
improve life insurance availability for some cancer survivors, the
insurer said.

Nearly two-thirds of those diagnosed with prostate cancer are 60 and
older, said Mike Kalen, an executive vice president who heads The
Hartford's individual life division. Some cases of the cancer are not
detected early and are not treated surgically, but as many as 50,000
men each year have prostate cancer detected early and are treated
surgically, he said.

As many as 250,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the past five
years could qualify for the new insurance rates.

In addition to helping men who have been treated for the illness, the
policy is expected to be a positive business move, Kalen said.

A 60-year-old man who successfully undergoes surgery for prostate
cancer and qualifies for The Hartford's new standard rates could obtain
coverage immediately.

If he is a nonsmoker and applies for a 10-year term policy with a
$500,000 death benefit, the annual premium would be $3,045 using the
new guidelines, compared with the annual premium of $9,210 under
previous guidelines. Savings over five years would total nearly
$31,000.

He also could obtain life insurance coverage to protect his family
immediately after his surgery. Previously, coverage would not have been
available for the first three years after treatment.

Kalen said that 20 years ago about half of those who were diagnosed
with prostate cancer died within 10 years. With early detection and, if
necessary, surgical treatment, the survival rate for at least 10 years
is now 93 percent, he said.

The Hartford last year cut life insurance rates for women 40 and older
who have been treated for early stages of breast cancer. Previously,
those women would have paid more for coverage or would have been denied
coverage. The number of applications for insurance has increased by 50
percent since the policy took effect last fall, Kalen said.

Certainly, a concern, Paul.  But an increase from 3.4 to 5.03 in a year
could be A) normal for you or B) a benign prostate problem.  Obviously, it
could also be cancer.  That is why no good diagnostician would not also do a
digital rectal exam (DRE) to find if you have any lumps or nodes on the
prostate.  Did they?  And, did they?

In any case, you don't have to assume at this point that it is cancer.

I've never heard this question before.  Great question!  The nerves envelop
the prostate like a spider web.  I would imagin that most needles miss and
the occasionally one thread of a nerve gets severed.  I doubt there is a
potentcy problem concern.

I think AARP (though I don't like them) sells insurance to just about
anyone.  I have no idea the expense of it.