6 month post DaVinci surgery recovery summary

chitown
chitown Member Posts: 90 Member
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
Follow-up to my previous 5 day report. Overall good but the journey have been uneven.

PSA - Below 0.1 8 weeks and 5.5 months after surgery


Continence - Slow but steady improvement. Stabilized at about 3 months. Now only slight dribble when doing crunches, active sport. Not a bother

Penis pain - Bothered for quite sometime. More like pain in urethra, also in the scrotum
Surgeon told this is just tied to the healing process of the surgery. The pain reduced over time. Now aching scrotum once in a while. I understand that all surgery pain goes away at about 10 month.

Incision wound - Two of the port got infect with pus, pain all. Took antibiotics, one got better. The drainage port was still infected and not healing for about 4 months. Found a suture was accidentally left behind that was causing the problem. Once it got taken out it healed fast. Though the surgeon kept insisting that all sutures were to be dissolved. This suture was made on nylon and was left in by accident.

Stomach pain and swelling - One side of the stomach hurt a lot initially. Think due to bloating and calipers pulling the muscle during surgery. The pain subsided in 2-3 months. But had gone before the surgery with a flat six pack belly and right after surgery came with a big beer belly. It has gotten better but still not where it was before the surgery.

ED - due to penis pain could not start the injection or MUSE for first 3 month. Though was taking 25 mg Viagra daily..though the surgeon was not supporting need for Viagra.
Trimix injection, starting 0.15 did the job and now about 0.05 does the job and plan to stop it soon. Taking injection once a week. Still taking 50 mg Viagra ever other day. Getting nocturnal erection almost everyday and normal erection between 2 am to 9 am almost everyday. During the day it is still not normal, and intercourse during the day is only Trimix enabled.Am very hopeful of the progress. 10 months, I am told is the getting to normal date. I also use Encore pump which I think helps too.

Mental state: BIG surprise here. When the body healed and then I think the mind said - what about me, take care of me now! - I began getting anxiety attack, was losing confidence on small thing, worrying about small thing, feared every negative thing will blow up to be bad, not sleeping well, low energy, job troubles...a mess. Talked to my psychiatrist sister and 2 other friend who are psychiatrists too...they were clueless. Seem post surgery area mental issues are new or patient dont bring it up. In any case took some anti-anxiety meds and Prisiq anti-depressant. Much better now, ADVISE - Beware on mental symptom and dont be shy to address them.

Learned how critical support of friend and family is and how individually we are weak without this support. New perspective to life now..still working to put the pieces together!!

Happy to address any question or detail anything else

Comments

  • ProfWagstaff
    ProfWagstaff Member Posts: 105 Member
    #2
    Mental Healing is Often Overlooked
    Glad to hear the physical results are coming along. The emotional part of this disease caught me off guard as well. Sometimes men are our own worst enemy. We internalize everything because that's what our fathers or grandfathers were taught to do. The only thing is, when no one knows what you're going through, then no one can give you emotional support. I have kept family and friends in the loop at every step of my struggle and the emotional support has been incredibly helpful. Even if they don't know what to say to you, a well-timed and well-intentioned "hang in there" at the right time is a big help.
  • Will_10_2010
    Will_10_2010 Member Posts: 43
    #3
    I just had surgery Dec. 15 .
    I just had surgery Dec. 15 . Your comments help put everything into context for me. Thanks for sharing, it mean a lot. I look forward to hearing of your future success!
  • mrspjd
    mrspjd Member Posts: 694 Member
    #4
    ProfWagstaff said:

    Mental Healing is Often Overlooked
    Glad to hear the physical results are coming along. The emotional part of this disease caught me off guard as well. Sometimes men are our own worst enemy. We internalize everything because that's what our fathers or grandfathers were taught to do. The only thing is, when no one knows what you're going through, then no one can give you emotional support. I have kept family and friends in the loop at every step of my struggle and the emotional support has been incredibly helpful. Even if they don't know what to say to you, a well-timed and well-intentioned "hang in there" at the right time is a big help.

    Prof W & Chitown
    Excellent posts and fully agree that PCa related mental health/healing is often overlooked and the importance, underplayed, no matter what the tx choice(s). Most PCa networking groups deal with info exchange and sharing tx experiences, not the emotional feelings/aspects of living with a PCa dx and the roller coaster of emotions such as depression, anxiety, anger, etc. associated with side effects, status change, on-going testing, and the like.

    The subject of “emotional healing” was recently recognized as one that was not being addressed in the PCa networking grp that my husband and I attend. As a result, a newly formed face to face, men only, PCa SUPPORT group was added and has begun to meet, focusing on heartfelt emotional sharing/healing, man to man. The group leaders expected a low turn out for the first meeting of the new group, perhaps 2-3 men. About 9 men showed up! The fact that so many men attended the first group meeting only reinforces the need for this type of PCa support.

    Thanks for bringing this often “overlooked” and often considered “taboo” subject (for many men) to the attention of forum readers. There should be no shame attached to this disease. Anyone dealing with these emotions/feelings/issues should know they are not alone and are encouraged to seek help/support as part of the PCa coping/healing process, whether on this forum site, with a trusted friend/family member, in a support group, or with a mental health professional.
  • chitown
    chitown Member Posts: 90 Member
    #5
    1 year post davinci surgery report
    Wanted to share my travelog in this journey with all...as reading others have been a great source of inspiration and information for me.

    I consider myself extremely lucky to have found the cancer in the early stage...both my parents side have had several early deaths and suffering due to this.

    PSA - 0

    Continence - 99.9% back to normal. Long airplane rides, long hikes and late night parties are the exception when I have very mild leakage.

    ED - 90% pre-surgery without a pill and 120% with 50 mg Viagra. Hoping to be 100% without pill in 6 to 12 months.

    Other health issues - No Pain or complaints. Back to flat stomach after

    Mental state - very slow recovery. 3 months of Prozac and as needed Clonpin for anxiety.
    Back to normal now and no pill needs.

    Took a year to get the body and mind back to normal. Thanks to each of you who have read or written on this board...best of luck to all.
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #6
    chitown said:

    1 year post davinci surgery report
    Wanted to share my travelog in this journey with all...as reading others have been a great source of inspiration and information for me.

    I consider myself extremely lucky to have found the cancer in the early stage...both my parents side have had several early deaths and suffering due to this.

    PSA - 0

    Continence - 99.9% back to normal. Long airplane rides, long hikes and late night parties are the exception when I have very mild leakage.

    ED - 90% pre-surgery without a pill and 120% with 50 mg Viagra. Hoping to be 100% without pill in 6 to 12 months.

    Other health issues - No Pain or complaints. Back to flat stomach after

    Mental state - very slow recovery. 3 months of Prozac and as needed Clonpin for anxiety.
    Back to normal now and no pill needs.

    Took a year to get the body and mind back to normal. Thanks to each of you who have read or written on this board...best of luck to all.

    Lets Celebrate Together
    Chitown

    What can one say when hearing of such great news?
    Congratulations are not enough for the accomplishments you report. I will raise a glass of my red-wine to celebrate your outcomes.
    I hope that your emotional status gets to the 100% fitness too. Surely you got the control and know how to address depression and anxiety. Pills do but my strategy was in changing life tactics. Travelling, meeting school friends and visiting that far family member gave me pleasure and understanding on what was missing in my mind. I looked for a hobby that would fulfil me, and I found it.

    I wish you post here more of those fantastic results.

    VGama

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