AMS800 Activated!!

Trew
Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
in Prostate Cancer #1
Sept. 19, 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sometime between 1:30 and 2 this afternoon Dr. Latini at the u om MI activated my AMS800. Actually took her three attempts to get it started- a bit painful. She stopped twice- she could see I was in a bit of distress but the 3rd time she got the activaton button in and it was done. The good Dr. and a residence she was working with then helped me do a hands on demostration on how to operate the device. Then I drove home.....

Ate supper with my wife and then put on my walking pants and I told her I was going to take the new body part out for a walk sans pad- about 40 mins- up and down logs, stopped to pull a few weeds along the trail- and about 7 stops for an underwear check- no pad on this walk- and dry all the way around, coming back into the house sitting at the computer, dry, dry, dry, DRY!!!!!

Pad free for the first time since March 23, 2009. I am so excited right now. I"m going to go for a longer hike this weekend- 8- 10 miles just to try this out with a light pack on my back. tonight I am going to sleep with no pad on just to see what happens.

I am so excited!!!
«13

Comments

  • Old-timer
    Old-timer Member Posts: 196
    #2
    Bravo!
    Your report is good, good news. Congratulations.
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,346 Member
    #3
    excellent
    nice to hear great news
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #4
    hopeful and optimistic said:

    excellent
    nice to hear great news

    Enjoy the Drive
    I hope you get many years in that smooth "Gearbox".
    VG
  • lewvino
    lewvino Member Posts: 1,010
    #5
    Trew, I am happy for you as
    Trew, I am happy for you as I'm sure you and your wife are! You have every reason to be excited.
    Congrats to you!!

    lewvino
  • Swingshiftworker
    Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member
    #6
    Congratulations!
    I'm so happy for you! Wishing you a long and pad free life from now on.

    Ciao!
  • ob66
    ob66 Member Posts: 227 Member
    #7
    Congrats, Trew
    Have not been on the forum for months, and lo' and behold I come on to this great news!!! So happy for you Trew. It has been a long road to a dry life. Congrats.
  • PawPaw J
    PawPaw J Member Posts: 34 Member
    #8
    ob66 said:

    Congrats, Trew
    Have not been on the forum for months, and lo' and behold I come on to this great news!!! So happy for you Trew. It has been a long road to a dry life. Congrats.

    Trew, Great to see someone
    Trew, Great to see someone excited. We don't see enough of this kind of news. Congrats on many dry years ahead!!!!

    Johnny
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #9
    PawPaw J said:

    Trew, Great to see someone
    Trew, Great to see someone excited. We don't see enough of this kind of news. Congrats on many dry years ahead!!!!

    Johnny

    almost 2 weeks post activation
    Almost 2 weeks snce my AMS800 was activiated. Since activiation no more pads!! I tossed out the Depends- dry all night. No more Tena guards- dry all day. I am much more happier these days.

    I had devinci surgery on march 23, 2009,hormone therapy for one year- not two as the firt doctor wanted me to have, and radiation- combination of proton and external. some 2 and half years down the road I just got a nice zero on my latest PSA this month. I'm not going to get another one now for 6 months. My urologist says at this point out I am looking good.

    I am coming back from a 5+4 gleason. I am more confident now then I have been since my first Dx in January 09. this site has been a big support and help. thank-you everyone!!
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #10
    Trew said:

    almost 2 weeks post activation
    Almost 2 weeks snce my AMS800 was activiated. Since activiation no more pads!! I tossed out the Depends- dry all night. No more Tena guards- dry all day. I am much more happier these days.

    I had devinci surgery on march 23, 2009,hormone therapy for one year- not two as the firt doctor wanted me to have, and radiation- combination of proton and external. some 2 and half years down the road I just got a nice zero on my latest PSA this month. I'm not going to get another one now for 6 months. My urologist says at this point out I am looking good.

    I am coming back from a 5+4 gleason. I am more confident now then I have been since my first Dx in January 09. this site has been a big support and help. thank-you everyone!!

    That's Super News
    Good news on top of good news equals to Good-News to the second power, or simply good-news squared. Isn’t that SUPER?

    Let’s celebrate this second power with a “powerful” glass of red-wine.
    Congratulations

    VG
  • timothy john
    timothy john Member Posts: 2
    #11
    AMS800
    Good for you Trew,
    I also received AMS800 and is now blocking resulting in considerable pain, each time this occurs I need to attend hospital for relief.
    has this ever happened to anyone, it now transpires that I may !!! need to have it replaced????
  • guards
    guards Member Posts: 72
    #12
    timothy john said:

    AMS800
    Good for you Trew,
    I also received AMS800 and is now blocking resulting in considerable pain, each time this occurs I need to attend hospital for relief.
    has this ever happened to anyone, it now transpires that I may !!! need to have it replaced????

    john
    A question john. Does it require a cath or is the Ams failing? If its a cath sounds like you needed a stint installed prior to the AMS,
  • guards
    guards Member Posts: 72
    #13
    timothy john said:

    AMS800
    Good for you Trew,
    I also received AMS800 and is now blocking resulting in considerable pain, each time this occurs I need to attend hospital for relief.
    has this ever happened to anyone, it now transpires that I may !!! need to have it replaced????

    YEA
    Ain't it great.
    Just had my 6 mo. Its workin great PSA is still zip !!!
    Life is soooo much better today. I hope everyone here is blessed with our sucess
    Trew. Its really good that all our experiences are so similar with the sugery, I talked to my Doc about using a cath imed following surgery and he promised to check on AMS policy.
    Would have made mine so easy just needed to skip that first day lol'
  • timothy john
    timothy john Member Posts: 2
    #14
    guards said:

    john
    A question john. Does it require a cath or is the Ams failing? If its a cath sounds like you needed a stint installed prior to the AMS,

    AMS800
    guards
    it appears that the ams is failing and will have to be replaced but I believe that the ams 800 has been withdrawn from the market worldwide so dont know what is going to happen.
    Its still works very well most of the time but the blockages are severe and could lead to other issues. i feel that only a few months of usage is very little for the pain experienced in the op and thereafter. one other concern is the burning at the head of the penis, for which the doctors dont seem to have an answer. this concerns me greatly, the pain has knocked me unconcious on a few occassions anybody else experience that and if so did it cure itself as the doctors cant !
    thanks for you help
  • guards
    guards Member Posts: 72
    #15
    timothy john said:

    AMS800
    guards
    it appears that the ams is failing and will have to be replaced but I believe that the ams 800 has been withdrawn from the market worldwide so dont know what is going to happen.
    Its still works very well most of the time but the blockages are severe and could lead to other issues. i feel that only a few months of usage is very little for the pain experienced in the op and thereafter. one other concern is the burning at the head of the penis, for which the doctors dont seem to have an answer. this concerns me greatly, the pain has knocked me unconcious on a few occassions anybody else experience that and if so did it cure itself as the doctors cant !
    thanks for you help

    Ask if it is a failure of the device
    Were you ever on catheters prior to the install?
    The recall was some time ago thats true but your doctor should know if your AMS was in the recalled serial number.
    Does it require a catheter? or do they just cycle it. Idon't remember exactly which way the recalls failed. Seems like it was failed to the normal mode but I really don't remember for sure.
    The recall was may 9 this year and the problem was accidental activation in the first 6 weeks after install.

    http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/fsn/documents/fieldsafetynotice/con117443.pdf

    heres a copy of the recall for your info , It appears if you made it through the 6 weeks np.
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #16
    Update on my AMS800
    I am just a happy camper now- my AMS is working very well. In fact I think it has come alive and considers itself one of the boys down there. when they're cold and run, so does the new part. I have not worn a pad since activation on Sept 19 and only have had a couple of breakout leakage but nothing very serious. This has gone so well for me. Dr. Latini at the the U of MI is my hero.
  • JR1949
    JR1949 Member Posts: 230
    #17
    Trew said:

    Update on my AMS800
    I am just a happy camper now- my AMS is working very well. In fact I think it has come alive and considers itself one of the boys down there. when they're cold and run, so does the new part. I have not worn a pad since activation on Sept 19 and only have had a couple of breakout leakage but nothing very serious. This has gone so well for me. Dr. Latini at the the U of MI is my hero.

    Congrats to you
    Congrats to you, Trew. I am glad to hear your good news. May you have many padless days.

    JR1949
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #18
    Trew said:

    Update on my AMS800
    I am just a happy camper now- my AMS is working very well. In fact I think it has come alive and considers itself one of the boys down there. when they're cold and run, so does the new part. I have not worn a pad since activation on Sept 19 and only have had a couple of breakout leakage but nothing very serious. This has gone so well for me. Dr. Latini at the the U of MI is my hero.

    Hi Trew
    Just came over to see how you were doing with the new body part, glad it is working so well for you my friend.

    :+}]
    ╠╣ONDO
  • kozykitty
    kozykitty Member Posts: 15
    #19
    Hondo said:

    Hi Trew
    Just came over to see how you were doing with the new body part, glad it is working so well for you my friend.

    :+}]
    ╠╣ONDO

    ams 800 actuation

     

    HI everyone, I haven't been able to get on line with you since JUNE, don't know what I did but I had to get a new name, password, and e-mail address to get back???ANYWAY, I had an 800 inplanted on 9-6 and hope to get it activated on 10-17.  The surgery went well and the recovery hasn't been as bad as I expected, normal swelling and inconvience pain in fact it was less that the surgery for removel of the prostrate. From what I'm reading (from Trew) I should be able to head to Flordia on the 18th of Oct, day after activation. It's a long drive 1500+ miles but there isn't anywhere else to spend the winter! Does anyone have any advice that I might find useful?

     

  • kozykitty
    kozykitty Member Posts: 15
    #20
    kozykitty said:

    ams 800 actuation

     

    HI everyone, I haven't been able to get on line with you since JUNE, don't know what I did but I had to get a new name, password, and e-mail address to get back???ANYWAY, I had an 800 inplanted on 9-6 and hope to get it activated on 10-17.  The surgery went well and the recovery hasn't been as bad as I expected, normal swelling and inconvience pain in fact it was less that the surgery for removel of the prostrate. From what I'm reading (from Trew) I should be able to head to Flordia on the 18th of Oct, day after activation. It's a long drive 1500+ miles but there isn't anywhere else to spend the winter! Does anyone have any advice that I might find useful?

     

    ams 800 actuation

    my user name was "spark plug" and I  lost contact with this site on June 8th, that was the last commet that I could read, "jim 65" was going to try actupuncture to help control his blader. I was wondering if he did try and did it work??  I don't know how to get back the missing comments from June to oct, anyone have any ideas???

  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #21
    Wow- 2 years already!

    I was surprised to find this post up again.  So I see I have had the AUS in for 2 yrs now.  Time for an update.

     

    For the first year it seemed I have little leakage. 

    Now, 2 years out, I am having some leakage problems.  Then, I am back to backpcking, riding a bike, doing things like that more, too.  And often when I sit on a hard surface like the ground or a rock it seems to put pressure on the AUS sphincter and I sometimes have some urine escape.  So now I am wearing a womans Always Infinity panty liners.  These are a lot cheaper than men's Tena pads.  I use a pair of scissors and shorten the pad by 1/4 or so and it works better for me.  My wife was a help to me in this- she picked up like 4 different brands of panty liners- Always Infinity work best for me.

     

    Still, remembering back to life before the AUS, well, just no comparison.  Back then, before AUS, I was using anywhere from 6- 15 pads a day.  Now, 1 or 2 panty liners.  And I am doing a lot more stuff.

     

    So, looking back- The AUS has been a big plus for me.

     

    -Trew

     

     

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