bowel movement following RP

Will_10_2010
Will_10_2010 Member Posts: 43
in Prostate Cancer #1
Had davinci surgery Dec.15. Six week follow-up PSA was .030. Incontinence issue is resolving itself right on track, down to less than 1 pad per day. Almost everything is progressing nicely. Concern: My bowel movements are fine except every two weeks or so they are very "loose" to only clear liquid for 5 or so days. Lots of gas. Then they return to normal. I follow the same diet I always did. Has anyone experienced any thing like this? I'm seeing my urlogist in two weeks and will ask him. Until then, anybody have any ideas?

Comments

  • Klemon
    Klemon Member Posts: 26
    #2
    Great to hear things are
    Great to hear things are going along well! My husband had RP in July 10- te only issue he had like this was in the first few days post-op, when they insisted he take stool softners. As soon as he quit, all was resolved.
  • Will_10_2010
    Will_10_2010 Member Posts: 43
    #3
    Klemon said:

    Great to hear things are
    Great to hear things are going along well! My husband had RP in July 10- te only issue he had like this was in the first few days post-op, when they insisted he take stool softners. As soon as he quit, all was resolved.

    Thanks for the info. This
    Thanks for the info. This situation seems to occure in cycles. Until I see the doctor I'm eliminating things from my diet one at a time. Currently I'm targetlng coffee. Glad to hear your good news!
  • Klemon
    Klemon Member Posts: 26
    #4
    Will_10_2010 said:

    Thanks for the info. This
    Thanks for the info. This situation seems to occure in cycles. Until I see the doctor I'm eliminating things from my diet one at a time. Currently I'm targetlng coffee. Glad to hear your good news!

    Hope things are resolving
    Hope things are resolving for you. I am not a coffee drinker but when you mentioned coffee I asked my husband and he said he limited his for a bit after the surgery because he was having some loose stools and between coffee and stool softners, he was going more than he liked. Hoping by the time you read this all is back to normal for you :>)
  • grizwalsh
    grizwalsh Member Posts: 6
    #5
    Klemon said:

    Great to hear things are
    Great to hear things are going along well! My husband had RP in July 10- te only issue he had like this was in the first few days post-op, when they insisted he take stool softners. As soon as he quit, all was resolved.

    Is rp radiation therapy?

    Is rp radiation therapy?  thanks

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    edited July 2017 #6
    RP RT

    RP is Radical Prostatectomy. RT is Radiation Therapy. TURP is Transurethral Resection of the Prostate, or Prostate Roto Rooter. PSA is Prostate Specific Antigen. BPH is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. I hate that I know all these acronyms without having to look them up. This is the club we belong to now, the RPRTBPHPSATURP Prostate Acronym club. There are many more acronyms... Someone should make a glossary we can post occasionally. 

  • grizwalsh
    grizwalsh Member Posts: 6
    #7
    Grinder said:

    RP RT

    RP is Radical Prostatectomy. RT is Radiation Therapy. TURP is Transurethral Resection of the Prostate, or Prostate Roto Rooter. PSA is Prostate Specific Antigen. BPH is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. I hate that I know all these acronyms without having to look them up. This is the club we belong to now, the RPRTBPHPSATURP Prostate Acronym club. There are many more acronyms... Someone should make a glossary we can post occasionally. 

    Yea--ain't that the truth.

    Yea--ain't that the truth. Thanks for the info.  Grinder--can Iassume you have had either RT or RP or both like I have--and if you have can I ask you some questions?  Thanks

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    #8
    Of course

    I have had RP, but plenty of guys on here have had all the other procedures and everyone is more than willing to share information we have and compare notes. I have learned a lot from reading posts. I am all the way back to 2013 reading the archives. Sometimes I read a post about PC being a complete disaster, or botched procedures that left guys ruined for life. I used to think what a mess my life was in 2016, but when I read those posts I realize the .50 caliber bullet I dodged and how blessed it has turned out for me. There are also lots of success stories too. I read the unusual ones to my wife and we both feel relieved, but at the same time saddened for some others.

  • GeorgeG
    GeorgeG Member Posts: 152
    #9
    I realize that not everyone

    I realize that not everyone can go to just any doctor that they want or have the flexibility to go out of town for advice and treatment but I believe that when we face such a serious issue as this that can have serious side effects that we should go to the best doctor/hospital that we have available to us. While I believe that the majority of doctors are well meaning and want to do a good job, they just are not all gifted and experienced at the same level. RP in particular is an intricate operation and experience and talent really matter. I would hire a high school kid to mow my lawn because its a pretty easy job and if it gets screwed up were back in business 2 weeks later by doing nothing. If we need to launch people safely into space, different story. I managed thousands of engineers in my career and they all had credentials but they did not all have the same capabilities. BTW, the best of the best were usually quirky and had what might be considered a crappy bedside manner so while it is a real plus to pick talent who is also very caring and easy to talk to, pick talent over personality if you can't get both.

    Basically my point is that we can skew our results toward the positive end of the scale by doing some research and using the best within our access.

     

    George

     

  • grizwalsh
    grizwalsh Member Posts: 6
    #10
    Grinder said:

    Of course

    I have had RP, but plenty of guys on here have had all the other procedures and everyone is more than willing to share information we have and compare notes. I have learned a lot from reading posts. I am all the way back to 2013 reading the archives. Sometimes I read a post about PC being a complete disaster, or botched procedures that left guys ruined for life. I used to think what a mess my life was in 2016, but when I read those posts I realize the .50 caliber bullet I dodged and how blessed it has turned out for me. There are also lots of success stories too. I read the unusual ones to my wife and we both feel relieved, but at the same time saddened for some others.

    After your RP how were your

    After your RP how were your bowel movements---Mine have gotten a lot less painful but I still have up to 4 a day--it's been 9 months since the end of my treatment--I was just wondering what your situation is.  Thanks

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    edited July 2017 #11
    grizwalsh said:

    After your RP how were your

    After your RP how were your bowel movements---Mine have gotten a lot less painful but I still have up to 4 a day--it's been 9 months since the end of my treatment--I was just wondering what your situation is.  Thanks

    Different

    Strangely enough bowel movements were not a problem as being painful because I was dealing with a GI infection all through 2016 besides the prostate issues. Even though my prostate was enlarged to the point of pressing against and restricting bowel movement, I was dealing with a lot of diarrhea, loose stools, and mucous. After all the antibiotics I was subjected to for the prostate infection, the operation, and the GI infection, my GI system settled into common gastritis, which settled into mild food sensitivities, which have also mostly disappeared over the course of a year. So twelve months after my RP, my GI tract has gradually returned to normal over the course of the year. I also have a hiatal hernia which complicated the issues, which is why I preach left side sleeping now to avoid further GERD damage.

    Your symptoms sound like proctitis offhand. But proctitis is usually a side effect of radiation treatment. 

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    #12
    Proctitis

    I just reread your earlier post and you mentioned RT. Proctitis is a side effect of RT but not RP, which is why I didn't make the connection sooner. If I am right, you may want to start another thread under the heading of Proctitis to get the attention of some of the guys who are familiar with it. 

    There are also other threads in this forum that you can search with the keyword "proctitis" where there isxwuite a bit of info available, and you can compare your symptoms with theirs and a general prognosis.

    The fact that it is improving hopefully indicates it will continue to do so. But someone with more experience needs to advise that, or your GP doctor. Like I said, my experience was completely and circumstantially different.

  • grizwalsh
    grizwalsh Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2017 #13
    Grinder said:

    Different

    Strangely enough bowel movements were not a problem as being painful because I was dealing with a GI infection all through 2016 besides the prostate issues. Even though my prostate was enlarged to the point of pressing against and restricting bowel movement, I was dealing with a lot of diarrhea, loose stools, and mucous. After all the antibiotics I was subjected to for the prostate infection, the operation, and the GI infection, my GI system settled into common gastritis, which settled into mild food sensitivities, which have also mostly disappeared over the course of a year. So twelve months after my RP, my GI tract has gradually returned to normal over the course of the year. I also have a hiatal hernia which complicated the issues, which is why I preach left side sleeping now to avoid further GERD damage.

    Your symptoms sound like proctitis offhand. But proctitis is usually a side effect of radiation treatment. 

    Yes I'm sure it is proctitis-

    Yes I'm sure it is proctitis---I am just trying to get a hand on how long it lasts---I really appreciate the info. you've given me.

Discussion Boards