SWIMMING AND OTHER SPORTS POST PROSTATECTOMY TO AVOID DEPRESION AND FRUSTATION.

TONY Z
TONY Z Member Posts: 3
DEAR FRIENDS
MY DA VINCI PROSTATECTOMY WAS 6 WEEKS AGO ON JULY 10, BAD NEWS WITH MY PATHOLOGY REPORTS, I AM DEPRESS, FRUSTRATED, UPSET, I AM 57 YEARS OLD WITH MY OLDEST SON 16 YEARS OLD AND A DAUGHTER 13 YEARS OLD AND I SHOULD BEGIN TO WORK EVEN HARDER BUT IT IS DIFICULT TO CONTINUE LIVING IF I AM SCARE THAT SOON I WILL DIE.

THATS WHY I WANT TO BEGIN SWIMMING OR OTHER SPORTS HOPING TO BE MORE ACTIVE, MOTIVATED AND LESS DEPRESS, BUT MY UROLOGY ADVISE TO WAIT BECAUSE SPORT ARE HIGH RISK POST PROSTATECTOMY

I WOULD LIKE YOUR ADVICE.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP
GOOD BLESS YOU

TONY Z
PSA 4.29 BEFORE DA VINCI
PSA 0.008 POST PROSTATECTOMY
GLEASON 7
PATHOLOGY REPORT - BILATERAL DISEASE: PRESENT EXTRAPROSTATIC EXTENSION: FOCAL SEMINAL VESICLES: PRESENT POSITIVE MARGINS: RIGHT POSTERIOR PERINEURAL INVASION: PRESENT LYMPH NODES: NO LYMPH NODES RECEIVED

Comments

  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member
    Listen to your doctor
    Tony,

    I understand and appreciate your desire to get more active. It's a great antidote to depression and studies show that men who exercise have a much better long time prognosis. In this case, however, I think you should follow your doctor's advice. You had major surgery only six week ago and your doctor is undoubtedly eager to get you fully active but it's important to be fully healed from the operation first. Hopefully you're walking a lot. I'm sure that in the near future he will clear you for swimming and other activities that you can do.

    All the indications are that you will live to a ripe old age.

    Best to you,

    K
  • laserlight
    laserlight Member Posts: 165
    Kongo said:

    Listen to your doctor
    Tony,

    I understand and appreciate your desire to get more active. It's a great antidote to depression and studies show that men who exercise have a much better long time prognosis. In this case, however, I think you should follow your doctor's advice. You had major surgery only six week ago and your doctor is undoubtedly eager to get you fully active but it's important to be fully healed from the operation first. Hopefully you're walking a lot. I'm sure that in the near future he will clear you for swimming and other activities that you can do.

    All the indications are that you will live to a ripe old age.

    Best to you,

    K

    Tony
    By all means listen to the doctor, I had this surgery and The doctor restricted me from a lot of physical activities. This is major surgery, both of my doctors explained to me that it takes anywhere from 1 to 3 years for the body to heal. Walking is fine, but I went back to work after 6 weeks and it kicked my butt. Use the time to research prostate cancer and relax. I was informed not to swim due to the incesions still healing and the risk of infection. I know where you are comming from on this. Take it easy and hang in there
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member

    Tony
    By all means listen to the doctor, I had this surgery and The doctor restricted me from a lot of physical activities. This is major surgery, both of my doctors explained to me that it takes anywhere from 1 to 3 years for the body to heal. Walking is fine, but I went back to work after 6 weeks and it kicked my butt. Use the time to research prostate cancer and relax. I was informed not to swim due to the incesions still healing and the risk of infection. I know where you are comming from on this. Take it easy and hang in there

    “Z” (Zorro the masked man) fighting the enemy “Pca”

    Tony Z

    Looking into the diagnosis posting here, the PSA at 0.008 is indicative of successful surgery. Though you do not mention on your pathological stage, I think that you are a pT3N0.
    The radiation proposed by your doctor relates to the finding of extra capsular extensions, which in a Gleason 7 is susceptive for recurrence.

    You may be depressed for the results and the advice for continuing treatment. However, you may feel a relief if you let it “cool down” for the moment and think about a salvage treatment at a later date when biochemical recurrence is apparent.

    I sincerely do not think that radiation done now or done in six months to the same field (isodose planning) would provide different outcomes.
    In this study you can read about “Early Salvage Radiation Therapy Does Not Compromise Cancer Control in Patients with pT3N0 Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy;
    http://www.europeanurology.com/article/S0302-2838(12)00532-5

    As I commented in the other thread of yours, you should inquire with your doctor about his opinion on outcomes with regards to his preferences against a later “attack”.

    Regarding swimming, I line with the above survivors comments. Infection or viral disease is very possible in fluids and such is not what you would like to occur during recovery. Get a break and look at things positively.

    Take care.
    VGama
  • hunter49
    hunter49 Member Posts: 240 Member
    Tony I ran your case by a
    Tony I ran your case by a clinical doctor at Hopkins. He feels you still have a lot of life left, especially that yuor surgery seems to have been successful with a low post surgery psa. If it comes back you have lots of options. Enjoy today and wait to exercise. I waited 3 months after my surgery in November. I was 49 and in good shape. Walk, spend time with frieds and family. That helped my mental state. Good luck and remember the glass is not half full or half empty, it is overflowing.
  • Swingshiftworker
    Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member
    Let Your Body Heal
    With your apparently successful surgery, I am almost certain that you are NOT going to die from PCa and suggest that you let your body heal fully before engaging in a strenuous exercise program.

    A little exercise (if not painful or stressful in the lower abdomen) should NOT hurt but too much could cause problems (such as internal bleeding) that would just create complications and delay your recovery.

    FWIW, I had arthroscopic shoulder surgery 15 months ago and it took 9 months to get full strength back in my shoulder so that I could begin to do weighted arm raises and shoulder presses again and 12 months before I could go w/heavy weights again. My guess is that it could take at least that much time for your body to fully recover from prostate surgery.

    So, let your body heal, limit and gradually increase the amount of exercise and find time to enjoy your life and family to take your mind off the negative implications of Pca.

    Ciao!
  • SJGUY
    SJGUY Member Posts: 1
    Keeping Active
    Tony,

    I can only say that I was where you are. I kept a positive attitude by keeping busy with family and I started walking the first day out of the hospital. I walked once around the dining room table. On day two at home, I walked twice. It was a very slow walk and I never pushed to over do it. After a week I was able to walk up and down my driveway. It has been 18 months since my surgery and I runn 3 miles, 4 times a week. I am 60 years old and although the future is never certain, my attitude is that I will do the best I can while I can.
    Keep your chin up and take care of yourselve. Enjoy everyday.