Bob's possible prostate tumour----cancerous--Mike, Roger, Warren, Joe, Bill

Thanks, Karlen1 for your March 27 message. Many thanks for updating us on your partner's progress.

I have been scanning the RP messages for well over a year and have wondered what the current status is of many of those who posted earlier. Then I realized that I have failed to post. So here is my story.

I had an RP on January 9, 2003 at age 71. My doctor and urologist had been checking the prostate and PSA for several years. After noticing a hard spot and nodule, a biopsy was done. No cancer was detected. Two years later, another biopsy was done. My PSA had remained in the 2 to 3.2 range until the last PSA in October 2002 when it was 3.9. That second biopsy showed cancer and a Gleason score of 4 + 3. No cancer was found in the bone scan. After consulting my urologist, primary doctor and a radiologist, all recommended an RP. I did many hours of research on the internet and read several books on prostate cancer treatments. Based on what I read and my doctors' recommendations, I decided on a RP since the urologist felt the cancer was confied to the prostate capsule.

The pre-surgery, surgery and immediate post surgery were routine. The cancer was confined to the capsule. The hospital care was excellent. The stay was 48 hours. Every thing went well until the dreaded bladder spasms started about 10 days after the surgery. Medications, including pain killers, didn't help much.

After the catheter was removed at 21 days post surgery, incontinence was immediately evident, although there was no leakage while sitting or while in bed. At first I used Depends undergarments with a back-up Depends Guards-for-Men. After several weeks I was able to get from the bed or chair to the toilet, mostly retaining the urine in the bladder. I thought that I would gain urinary control by the end of six months. I didn't, but I was using just Depends Guards-for-Men in my shorts by that time. Several per day. By nine months, I was using one Depends GFM per day.

My doctor kept saying that I should be doing several hundred Kegel exercises per day. When I did them, I had pains throughout the lower abdomen. After a week or so of the Kegels, the pain would get worse and the leakage greater. When I stopped the Kegels, the pain would subside. After many cycles of these periods of Kegels followed by periods to recovery, I decided not to do the hundreds of Kegels any more.

Several weeks ago I decided to do only the stopping and starting of the urine flow each time while standing at the toilet. This seems to be Dr. Patrick Walsh's current recommendation. I can do this withough the pains in the lower abdomen. Although the urinary control has not improved, I have hopes that it will using this method. When I am in the house most of the day, either in bed, watching T.V., reading, or sitting at the computer, or while driving the car, there is no leakage. When I am on my feet for any period of time (grocery shopping, yard work) the leakage is more than a minor annoyance, but certainly overall still tolerable. Under these circumstances I am hopeful that full urinary control will return. And, for now, I am willing to wait it out without considering further measures to artificially stop the leakage.

I am now at 14 months since surgery. I feel great, except for the incontinence. I returned to my daily 30 to 60 minutes fast-walk on the treadmill shortly after the catheter was removed. My three post surgery PSA tests were said to be <.01.

Again, thanks Karlen1, for your update. Please continue. And, I encourage others to provide an update from time to time. Like me, I am sure that there are many others out here reading and considering every word presented.

Any comments or questions would be appreciated. Lou T.

Benji48 said:

Hi Lou,
Thanks for the update. I notice that you have 2 postings because for some reason a portion of the 1st was left off. You (& you only) have the option to delete any duplicates (of yours) by cliking on the little "waste can" at the bottom of the post.That way it'll clean up some of the clutter. Just thought I'd let you know.
Benji

Thanks Benji48. This was my first attempt and I must have inadvertently posted the draft without realizing it. Then I didn't know how to delete the draft. I wrote Jose for help. With your advice, I was able to delete the draft myself. Lou T.