Living with an AUS- Bikes, etc

guards said:

Get a recumbent.

Get a recumbent.

Trew said:

I want to see the
I want to see the countryside, feel the wind on my hair, enjoy life!!

I can't stand those exercise rooms.

mrspjd said:

Mountain recumbents
Check out these cool recumbents, including mountain bike recumbents:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle#section_2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ_jImZ3Dk0

Hi , sorry I'm new and I don't know what the AUS is that you all are discussing.

I had PSA test last October was 4.9 & second test was 5.0.

I was sent to a urologist at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Hospital and he did dre and said that it was very large and both sides lumps and hard as a rock and month later biopsy was Gleason 9.

I am 68 & disabled Vietnam and Cambodia combat wounded veteran with the VA healthcare and no other private healthcare and just the medicare part A.

I knew several old friends ftp high school that received robotic surgery for radical prostatectomy but they had much lower Gleason score and much higher PSA and was not considered to be aggressive cancer like mine.

I didn't know anything about the radiation deeds or any other radiation therapy or hormone therapy or any other drugs that could be used for treatment other than surgery to remove the prostate gland and pelvic lymph nodes.

I only knew what the Lt Colonel Dr Shaw urologist at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Hospital clinic told me before the biopsy when he felt my prostate gland and said that it is hard as a rock and needs to be removed as soon as possible.

I know that I should not be looking for alternative ways to treat prostate cancer and mine was considered to be because of agent Orange exposure . That's because I am a Vietnam veteran and I was in the infantry and probably exposed to agent orange herbicides and I get the presumption that it was because of my service in the military.

But I was already rated at the 100% service connected permanently and totally disabled for PTSD So I have been drawing the maximum amount of monthly compensation already and I have full healthcare and hospitalization and I don't pay for anything.

So I did get surgery and I didn't get robotic surgery and the open surgery for radical prepubic prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection was done March six at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Hospital and I almost died from blood clots and fluid in my lungs. I was told before going to hospital for surgery that I would probably be hospitalized for three or four days and discharged.

I was at the Wright Patterson hospital for ten days and I was on a liquid diet for seven of the days that was terrible because Wright Patterson hospital has chefs as cooks and you get to order the meals from a menu like eating at a nice restaurant and a airman or airwoman from dietary comes around every day to get your choices for each day and although it is the same menu you can order whatever you want to and extra or whatever you want that is for each meal and you can't order breakfast food for lunch or dinner and vice versa.

The breakfast omelettes are best ever and three or four eggs and you can order whatever you want in the omelette from a list of meat and veggies from bacon and cheese and mushrooms and so much more onions, peppers probably twenty items that you can ask for.

It was terrible being on the liquid diet but I didn't have a bowel movement for seven days..After ten days Wright Patterson hospital I had to be transferred to VA hospital for more recovery because I couldn't be discharged in my condition.

I went to Dayton VA Medical Center hospital not to far from the Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

I asked to be discharged May fifth SO I could go home although I live by myself and no one to help me I wanted to leave.

I had the catheter removed after fourteen days and it was terrible not being able to control my bladder and urine. It wouldn't stop coming out especially when I stood up and it poured out down my legs and into my shoes or onto the floor and it got little better and I wanted to leave.

But I still have to wear adult pull up diapers and I have to go to bathroom all the time and can't sleep and have to go sometime two or three times in a hour .

Sorry I get carried away and not sure what I already said but.

I had a low PSA results and biopsy of Gleason 9 & they removed my prostate gland and pelvic lymph nodes and during the surgery the two nerves to my penis were removed and because the tumor was large and I have cancer in my connecting tissue of my bladder and they cut into the sphincter and I just finished my seven weeks of radiation therapy treatments and I noticed that the blood in my urine is gone .

But I very depressed and all the urination and peeing my pants about once a day when I had to go to radiation therapy and then to grocery store and couple other errands and I park in the front of my house and pee my pants before I get out or try hurrying to go to bathroom and pee my pants before I get to bathroom.

The incontinence is normal after surgery.... The AUS they are describing is an artificial urinary sphincter. You can read all about them in this forum just by using the search engine. 

Also there are guys here more familiar with your predicament and can probably give you a better prognosis than I can whether or not you will need an AUS implanted, or whether you will eventually regain continence after a few months to a year.... Are you sure the urologist never talked to you about incontinence? If he did not, the guys in the prostate cancer forums like this will give you plenty of advice once they log on here and see your post.

I'm fact, you should start a new thread asking for advice instead of posting on an old thread. That may get their attention faster.

And no need to worry, you can handle this, it's a matter of adaptation to your circumstances and figuring out your best alternatives.

I had the Artificial Urinary Spincter implant surgery three months ago. I did extensive research beforehand, interviewed surgeons, even got to play with one. I read every post on every message board that I could find form others who had the device implanted. Even though I did everything right, everything went wrong. Long story. Anyway, it is working now. It is uncomfortable, even painful at times. I know that MOST men who have it had a simple procedure as was promised to me, so my story is not the norm. Most others are pleased with the outcome.

I was only about 50% continent beforehand, and it was necessary to get the device so that I could proceed with salvage radiation. It still leaks a little and I still have to wear a light pad in everything, even pajamas. I have to put a yellow washcloth in my swimsuit when it is dry then remove it before getting in the water.  But at least now I CAN WEAR a swimsuit, and shorts. Before that I used a condom catheter most of the time with long trousers and would sometimes switch to diapers to allow my shaft to recover from the adhesive.

Again, this is not the norm. But having the implant will change your life. Just as cancer and RP and incontinence changed my life, having the AUS means you can't just pee, you have to squeeze the device to let go. It takes some getting used to.

Hello, I just had my AUS activated and it is working with normal daily activities, only needing a thin pad for the whole day, but when sitting on bike seat (even with cutout) certain movements still make me leak quite a bit. I will have to try some more seats, but luckily I have my ElliptiGO (standup bike) that I can always ride. It has always been my go to bike when I had all sorts of injuries etc.. and lets me do outdoor riding. I also feel safer on it because you are tall and upright when riding it. No saddle soreness or leaking. :)

Roger,

If you complain to the VA about the undergarments they're supplying you, tell them! I did and requested Depends and have been getting them from the VA ever since.