Ever since my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer ten-years ago at age 67, I've been getting tested every year. He opted for surgery and has had an undetectable PSA ever since. Obviously, he made the right choice.
My PSA had gone from 1.8 ng/ml to 3.0 ng/ml, back down to 2.2 ng/ml and then back to my most recent reading in February of 3.0 ng/ml, all within a period of about two years. A biopsy was done and out of 12 cores, 4 were benign, 3 were atypical and 5 were cancerous with <5% of the cell involved. I was assigned a Gleason score of 6. I was told that this was significant early stage cancer with an intermediate chance of spreading, and was told by my urologist that the chances of the cancer being confined to the prostate were statistically, very good.
After conducting research for the past year in anticipation of this moment, and a long conversation with my urologist, I opted for the DaVinci surgery and will have it performed on May 21, 2007 at Florida Hospital in Orlando. I've always been in pretty good shape, running 20 to 30 miles a week, and have stepped it up a notch in anticipation of my surgery. I want to be in the best possible shape of my life before I go through this thing. Hopefully, it will help me to recover faster.
I'm very nervous and scared, but moving forward in a positive manner. I hope to report back with great results. Keeping my fingers crossed.
# 1: This morning I went in for my pre-surgery testing. EKG, pulse and blood pressure were all normal, and my blood work should be fine if there's no drastic change from my last test. I did not have a chest X-Ray since I have never smoked. Anxiety is now slowly increasing since it is currently four days before surgery which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Monday, May 21st. And I'd just like to mention that Ed and Jay, both prostate cancer survivors and members of YANA, have been great mentors in guiding me through these uncharted waters. They've been a great comfort.
#2: I had the robotic surgery done on May 21, 2007 at Florida Hospital in Orlando. Dr. Rakesh Patel performed the surgery and Dr. Jeffrey Thill assisted. The surgery only took a little less than two hours and went extremely well. All during the surgery my family was kept updated by the surgical nurse. They knew what was happening at every stage. The thing I first remember upon waking up in recovery was feeling a sensation of having the need to urinate but could not. The nurse told me this was common and to just "let if flow." It felt like everything was backing up in me but a few minutes later the nurse told me that urine was now flowing in the catheter.
Upon being wheeled out of the elevator and to my room, I noticed my family in the waiting area. They were all smiles and I knew the surgery went well when my sister ran up to tell me that Dr. Patel told the family that I should be fine given that the surrounding tissue looked healthy, but we would have to wait for the final pathology report.
Well, I received a voice mail message today from Dr. Patel who said that "the pathology report looks pretty good, the cancer was confined to the prostate and the surgical margins were negative." I must have listened to his message ten times to make sure the message was correct. Barring any complications, I'm scheduled to have the catheter removed next Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day. I'll report back in order to let everyone know how my continence is.
As far as post surgery, I'm definitely sore but walking around the block four times a day. There was no pain whatsoever associated with the robotic surgery. Discomfort, yes, but absolutely no pain. The only medication I had so far is Tylenol. Amazing considering this type of surgery. I've gone on to more solid foods and hope to have a bowel movement soon. I'm no different from everyone else who has had this surgery when I say that the catheter is a pain in the ass to deal with and I can't wait to have it removed. Looking back right now, and even though I don't know how the continence and sexual functions are going to turn out, given my age, family history and Gleason Score, having the prostate removed was definitely the right decision.
# 3: May 21st, 2007 - My surgery was performed at Florida Hospital in Orlando. I awoke at 3:00 a.m. in order to take the last step in the Fleet Prep Kit #1, the dreaded suppository. I don't think I could have been anymore cleaned out and ready for surgery. I hit the road at 4:00 a.m. with my wife and sister who was there for support. We left early since we live about 35 miles from the hospital. I checked in at 5:00 a.m. and afterwards a nurse took us to the prep room, but not before an emotional hug and goodbye to my sister who had to wait in the family waiting room. I undressed, put on the gown and the nurses started surgery prep. After the prep was done the hospital chaplain came by and held hands with us and we prayed for a successful outcome. Finally, the time came for me to go to surgery and my wife and I had a very emotional goodbye and I told her, "See you in a few hours, cancer free." I was wheeled into surgery and was introduced to a student nurse who would be watching th enire procedure. I kidded with her and asked her if she always got this close on a first date. My doctor came in and told me not to worry that everything would be fine. I also noticed the DaVinci machine covered in plastic. Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. but did not start until 8:00 a.m. since time was needed to "warm up the DaVinci." The last thing I remember is having the mask placed over my face and then it was lights out.
Later, I woke up in the recovery room and the first sensation I felt was this overwhelming sense of having to urinate but couldn't. I told the nurse that the tip of my penis hurt and it felt like it was backing up with urine. She told me that was common, and to just let "it flow." Yeah, right, like I had any control now. I had no idea what was happening down there. A few minutes later she told me the catheter bag was now filling up with urine and that I would be going to my room soon.
Upon being wheeled out of the elevator on the way to my room, my wife, father, mother and three sisters were waiting for me with big smiles and told me that I looked great, and my oldest sister came up to me as I was being wheeled to my room and whispered that "You're going to be fine, the surgeon told us everything went great!" After being wheeled to my room my wife told me that my surgeon told her that the surgery went very well, and was performed in just under two hours. The prostate peeled away nicely and the nerves were spared. Next test, the pathology report which I would receive a few days later.
Later that afternoon I was walking around the halls and feeling pretty good. I had no problems with pain nor with any gas. I was sore in the gut though. Gee, wonder why? I ravenously ate the two bowls of jello and one bowl of broth and drank the cup of coffee that I had for lunch. After having to fast the previous day anything placed in front of me would have tasted good. My doctor came in later and told me the same thing he told my family - successful surgery, nerves spared, no complications at all. Surrounding tissue looked good but he couldn't make any statement regarding the prostate being confined until the final pathology report. No problems during the night except that I had techs coming in every hour to take my vitals. No way to get any sleep that way.
May 22, 2007 - After a visit from my doctor at 7:00 a.m. with some last minute instructions, I was advised that I would be discharged in the morning. After breakfast, yes, jello, broth and coffee again, the tube in my stomach was taken out, I was cleaned up and given catheter bags and instructions along with my prescriptions. After the forms were signed confirming that I received all the instructions I was released on a beautiful Tuesday morning. Later that day I walked twice around the block. Time for recovery.
May 23, 2007 - Somehow I missed a call from my doctor but he did leave me a voice mail message which I will never forget - "Hi Jack, I just received the final pathology report and it looks pretty good. The cancer was confined to the prostate and the margins were negative." My wife and I hugged each other and both shed a tear as I told her, "We got it babe, we got it in time." Although the chances are very good that my PSA will remain undetectable in the next few years, still, I'll have anxiety waiting for the results for the next PSA test, and every one thereafter. But hey, why worry about that now.
May 24, 2007 - Recovery is going well. No pain whatsoever. Just soreness. Started on some solid foods today and had my first solid bowel movement which felt wonderful. I will say that the catheter is a real pain to deal with, and the tip of my penis burns and is sore. No big deal there. It's just something everyone who has surgery goes through. Still, I can't wait to have it removed.
May 29, 2007 - Follow up appointment today with my doctor and if everything is healed the catheter will be removed. I had X-rays taken, a dye inserted in my bladder and then removed after another X-ray and after my doctor reviewed them he told me everything looks to be healing nicely and the catheter would be removed. Thank God! I felt a little pull in the penis as the catheter was removed, no pain, and since I hadn't had any fluids that afternoon there was little leakage. I then placed on my Depends brief. What a weird experience that was. We also went over the final pathology report. The report upgraded my biopsy Gleason score from a 6 to a Gleason 7 (3+4). The tumor location was bilateral, multifocal and approximately 15% of the glandular areas observed were involved by tumor, the largest measuring 7 mm. No extraprostatic invasion, no seminal vesicle invasion, no angiolymphatic invasion and negative margins. The report just confirmed my decision to have the prostate remov ed. I just have a feeling that given my age (49), this cancer would have spread at some point down the road where it would have been much more difficult to deal with. We drove home and by the time we got there although I did have leakage, I could control my urge to urinate long enough to get to the bathroom.
June 6th, 2007 - Well, it's been 17 days since my surgery and 10 days since the removal of the catheter. Physically I feel great and am eating whatever I want. Although I can control my urine and have a good strong stream, I do have a problem with leakage whenever I'm up walking around and going out on my 3 mile walks. It's an incessant dribble or drip that is really bothersome. At night I'm dry, although I will get up four or five times to urinate. No trouble holding it till I get to the toilet. I'm also fine while sitting. It's just the walking whenever I'm up and about that presents a problem. Currently I'm going through about three or four Depends pads a day. It all depends (no pun intended) on how active I am. The more active the more pads I need to use. I really envy the guys here who had no leakage and complete control after the catheter was removed. However, I think those guys are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most of us experience leakage to some degree. I'm doing my Kegels and am trying to be patient. Hopefully the leakage will start to minimize soon. I'll report back.
One Month Update - June 18, 2007.
Well, its been one month since I had my surgery. I took three weeks off from work and returned on the fourth week, working part time, although its closer to full time - 6 hours a day, five days a week. Physically I feel pretty good, although I'm still tired, but attribute this to the fact that I'm getting up three to four times a night to urinate. I have a good strong stream and have no trouble holding it till I can get to a toilet. My commute to work takes 35 minutes, and twice I've felt the urge to urinate 15 minutes into my commute even though I relieved myself at home before I left. Fortunately I've been able to hold it until I get to work when I make a dash to the toilet. Although I haven't used it yet, I keep a jug in my truck just in case I can't make it. I had a weak bladder before my surgery and I suppose this won't change. Whenever we go anywhere I'm always checking out to see where the closest restroom is located.
So, as far as regaining continence, things are much better than the week after the catheter was removed. I don't wear a pad at night but will wear one during the day to catch drips that will occur. I can usually make it through the day with one pad. No leaking when sitting or standing. Sometimes I'll feel urine starting to leak after sitting and then abruptly standing up but I'm usually able to 'Kegel' in time to catch it. No leakage sneezing or laughing. I walk three miles a day, usually in the evening, and am still getting some moisture in the pad from leaking. However, its not as bad as my first walk when I soaked the pad, but I'm anxious to see if I have any leakage when I resume full activity two weeks from now, like cutting the grass, doing yard work, running, etc. For now I've eliminated all coffee, tea and alcohol until I'm fully continent. I never drank much alcohol but I do miss my morning cup of coffee. I'm still doing Kegels three times a day - Three sets of 15 quick ones followed by 15 "slow and hold" for five seconds and then another 15 quick ones. During this whole ordeal the incontinence has been the toughest to deal with. But I do realize its only been a little less than three weeks since my catheter was removed. I'm just impatient.
As far as erections I've had no trouble as long as they are "assisted". I still haven't been able to wake up with an "unassisted" one though. I started Viagra yesterday and it seemed to help. Erections are strong enough for intercourse but it sure is different, and the dry climax is really strange, but I'll get used to it. As with a lot of guys here, my main priority was 1 - eliminating the cancer; 2 - regaining continence; and 3 - having erections again. I'm very fortunate to have a loving, caring wife. We've been together 18 years and I know I'm not exaggerating when I say I could not have made it this far without her. I am a lucky man.
My next appointment with my urologist is the 28th of June. He'll probably schedule me for my first post surgery PSA then. I'll report back with the results. And if anyone has any questions about my experience, feel free to contact me. We're all brothers in this fight.
June 28, 2007 - Five weeks post surgery and four weeks post catheter removal.
Just returned from my appointment with my urologist. He was delighted with my progress. Five weeks post surgery and I've had erections (assisted) and even woke up when one at 3:00 a.m., although I attribute this to the Viagra I had taken earlier in the afternoon. Still, assisted or not, if the old boy will rise, I'm happy. On the continence front I still wear a pad during the day to catch drips and times like this morning when I sneezed so hard that no matter how hard I "Kegeled," I couldn't stop the squirt that went into my pad. No pad at night, and I'm finally getting some sleep since I'm only getting up once during the night to urinate.
The bladder is slowly healing and regaining capacity to hold urine. I have a 35 minute commute to work and relieve myself before I leave home, and usually I make a dash to the men's room as soon as I make it to work. However, today, I didn't even use the men's roo m till about a half hour after I arrived at work, so, things are improving. I still leak a little when I do my 3 and 4 mile walks and will wear a pad, and still have to catch a squirt sometimes when I stand up after sitting.
I also had blood taken to see what my first post surgery PSA will be. After all I've been through (the first indication of a rising PSA and fear of cancer, the fear of the biopsy, waiting on the biopsy result, the surgery, post surgery issues) I'm trying not to even think about the first post surgery PSA result. Obviously I'm hoping for "undetectable." The final pathology report stated that the surgical margins were negative although the Gleason was upgraded to a 7 (3+4) from a biopsy of Gleason 6. So, my chances are pretty good that the PSA should be undetectable.
I'll be back to let you know.
July 5, 2007 - Received my first post surgery PSA results via phone message today and thank God it was "undetectable." I was somewhat worried because my PSA test was taken 5 weeks post surgery, and everything I've read stated that you should wait between 8 and 12 weeks to have your first post surgery PSA test in order for all the PSA to leave the blood. Maybe since my PSA was only 3.0 it didn't' take that long to leave my system. I don't know, I'm just glad it's undetectable.
My 3 month PSA test will be September 28th, but for now I'm not even thinking about it. I'm going to get on with life and cross that bridge when it appears.
Almost seven weeks post surgery and things are improving on the continence front. We attended a Fourth of July event yesterday for about three and a half hours and I had no trouble at all, and only had to use the men's room once. There was a brief squirt that I had after I stood after sitting but I caught it in time. Right now that seems to be my only leakage or when I make a sudden jerk or move in my chair. These moments really catch me off guard. I took an hour walk Tuesday and for the first time, finally, I had no leakage. Let's hope that continues. I also walked the stairs in my house for a set of 50 and had no leakage. No leakage cutting the grass or doing yard work either. I cut my Kegels down to three sets of 30 a day. I hold it for a count of 5, rest to a count of 5 and then after 30 I'll do 30 quick contractions. Fours sets seemed to be a little much and I felt that I was doing more harm than good. I've been without the pads for a week now and am being very cautious. I still keep an extra pair of underwear and pad with me at work. Just in case.
No problems on the erection side. This past week I've awaken twice with erections without any help from the Viagra. These are usually a 7 or 8 on a scale of 10. I haven't tried sex yet but that will be soon. I'll continue to report on my progress. Feel free to contact me if anyone has any questions. As I said before, we're all brothers in this fight and should all be there for one another.
October 5, 2007 - I'm just about five-months post surgery and today, I received my second post-op PSA result which was <0.1. It's amazing how the anxiety completely drained out of my body once I heard the result. I go back again for another test on December 20th and I'm sure Mr. Anxiety will appear once again but for now, I'll celebrate with a prayer of thanks and a glass or two of fine wine.
Continence wise I'm about 98%. I have, or have never had any urge incontinence, and I can lift weights, walk at a brisk pace for an hour or hour and a half, exercise on the stairmaster for 45 minutes, work in the yard, and do most if not all activity without any leakage. The only problem that remains is when I try to run. I was running 25 miles a week before surgery and everytime I try to run now I start leaking small amonts of urine. My doctor told me it's the pounding from the running on the bladder and the sphincter isn't strong enough yet to close completley when the pounding starts. It's frustrating but hey, otherwise I'm dry so I'm not going to complain. Also, I've now gotten into the habit of Kegeling whenever I cough or sneeze which stops any leaks. I've been Keegeling every day since the catheter was removed and will continue to do so. I feel like I could crack a walnut now if you placed one between my butt cheeks! The minor stress incontinence that will catch me off guard once in a while has such a minor amount of leakage that it's not an issue.
Erections were never much of a problem although I do use Cialis. I haven't tried having sex without it yet but will try do so in the near future. The damn stuff is so expensive that my wife and I now have to "schedule" our sex times since I'll know when to take a pill. I find that if I take one on Saturday morning it will last until late Sunday.
So guys, that's about it for now. I'll report back in December. Looking back over the past five-months I can say that choosing surgery was the right decision for me, especially given my family history and my post-op pathology report that showed that although the cancer was contained, it appeared to be of the agressive sort. Thank God it was caught early. Although it appears surgery was a success and right for me, I'll never advocate surgery to anyone - we're all different, but I will be more than happy to relate my experience to anyone trying to make a decision.
Peace, love and 0 PSAs to all.
January 3, 2008 - I received my third post-surgery PSA test results and I'm joyful and thankful to report that seven and a half months post op my PSA remains undetectable. Waiting for this result was a little more stressful that the past two since my blood was drawn on December 20th, and I had to wait until today to receive the results due to my urologist's office being closed four days over the holidays and staff taking vacation. Usually I have my results in about five days.
Looking back before surgery, I was under the fallacy that once the prosate was removed and if the pathology report stated the cancer was contained, there was really not much to worry about. It was guys who received alternative treatments that involved keeping the prostate that had to worry about the cancer coming back. I couldn't have been more wrong. Whatever treatment we choose, all of us have to worry about post treatment PSA results. We're all in the same boat, and I pray for all here to have undetectable PSAs.
I'm now a little over seven months post-op and if I can continue to pull a 0 PSA, consider my surgery a success. I'm fully continent and have no trouble achieving erections. I can now spend 50 minutes on the treadmill running five miles and stay dry. This was my self imposed last "test" for considering myself fully continent. Sometimes I can even have an erection without the help of Cialis, although I'm in no way ready to throw away my prescription. As I've stated before, I will never tell someone to have surgery, each situation is different. But I will be happy to relate my experience to anyone, and help you through this life changing bump in the road.
I go back for my fourth PSA test on March 13th and will hopefully report back with another undetectable PSA. Until then, good luck to all.
I had my fourth post-surgery PSA test taken on March 13, 2008 and I'm happy to report that it is still undetectable, <0.1.
My next test will be in June and if it's still undetectable my surgeon is going to put me on a six-month test schedule. If it's still undetectable after that I'll go back to what it was pre-surgery - once a year.
Hard to believe that it's been one year since I was first diagnosed. I still remember walking around waiting on the results of my biopsy wondering what the future would hold. What a year it's been.
I will say that the anxiety I felt waiting on the results of the previous three PSA tests was not there this time. In fact, after my test I never thought about it again until four days later when I thought it was time to call in to get the results. The anxiety only returned when I was waiting for the nurse on the voice recorded message to give my name and the test result. When I heard the result I gave a big sigh of relief, thanked God and had a glass of wine in celebration.
So, it's been 10 months since my surgery, my PSA is undetectable, I can achieve erections and am fully continent. As such, for me personally, having the prostate removed was the right decision and as long as I can keep pulling 0s on my PSA tests I consider my surgery a success.
I will say once again that I will never tell or recommend to a PC brother what course to follow in deciding what treatment to take, but I will be more than happy and eager to relate my personal experience in helping anyone to come to a decision. Some guys I've spoken with have had the surgery, others have taken a different route. It's a personal decision, albeit a tough one, that we all have to make.
See you all again in June. Hopefully I'll be able to report that I pulled another 0 PSA and go on six-month testing.
I received my fifth post surgery PSA test result back today and once again I'm happy to say that although I sound like a broken record, my PSA remains <0.1 one year after surgery. I can now go on a six-month testing schedule and if those two tests remain undetectable I can then go to testing once a year.
One year post op I'm fully continent (in fact, I think I have better control now than I did when I had a prostate!), can achieve erections (although I still use Cialis) and now appreciate life so much differently now. I can honestly say that although I would never choose to have been the recipient of prostate cancer, the whole experience has made me a more humble and better person.
So, you won't hear from me for another six months, but if anyone has any questions or if I can offer any support, please feel free to contact me. And here's to hoping and praying for success for all my brothers here, and a lifetime of undetectable PSAs.
"See" you all in December.
I went back to my urologist/surgeon on December 11 for my 18 month post surgery PSA test and one week later received the best Christmas I'll ever receive, and that's another PSA reading of <0.01. I'll go back in another six months for my two-year PSA test and if it's still undetectable I can go from six-month testing to once a year testing.
My surgery is slowly becoming a foggy memory, and I don't even think about prostate cancer until it's time for my next PSA test. I said this before and I'll say it again, I cannot give a blanket advocation for surgery, but it my case I feel it was the right decision. Before making a choice, please research each option as throughly as possible, apply it to your particular situation, choose, and don't ever look back.
If anybody has any questions about my experience with robotic surgery, please feel free to contact me. We're all brothers and need to band together to fight the monster. Together, we WILL succeed.
Best to all, and I'll be back in June to report again.
It's hard to believe that it's been two years since my surgery. It all seems so long ago.
Last week I went in for my six-month PSA test and the results came back at <0.1. I can now go to once a year PSA testing since I've been cancer free for two-years.
Continence is excellent and erections are not a problem, although I do need to use Viagra.
By the way, I apologize for anybody who has tried to contact me in the last month via my e-mail account. My computer has been down so I have not been able to access my mail. My new e-mail is shown below. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
So, I guess that's it until June 1, 2010 when I go back to get tested. I'll be sure to stop back and post my results. In the interim, good luck to all, and if I can be of any help, send me an e-mail.
First of all, I want to thank George and Terry for reminding me to update my story since my last update was in June of 2009.
It has been 3-1/2 years since my surgery, and I am currently having my PSA tested yearly. My last PSA check was this past summer, June 2010, and I'm thrilled to report that my PSA is still undetectable.
As far as continence, I'm 100%, although I will have a leak from time to time when my bladder is full and I haven't emptied it and will strain to do something, but it's no big deal. I've been using the treadmill and eliptical on a regular basis since my surgery, and I believe doing both excercises strenghtened my sphincter muscles and helped tremendously in becoming fully continent.
As far as sex, I have no trouble obtaining erections, but at times I still need the assistance of Cialis or Viagra. For me, Viagra seems to work better, but it will give me a pounding headache at times. I don't have that problem with Cialis, but it doesn't seem to work as well as Viagra, plus, although the Cialis lasts longer, I need to take it at least a couple of hours beforehand. I'm also happy to report that at least once or twice a month I'll wake up in the middle of the night with an erection. At times I feel bad that I can no longer ejaculate fluid, and have never gotten used to it, but I've adapted to the feeling, and although it's different, it's still great.
So there you have it. For me, removal of the prostate has been, so far, a success, and was the right decision for me personally. However, I would never instruct anyone to any specific treatment since all of our situations are different. As always, I am happy to relate my story or give advice on how to deal with surgery, so please don't ever hesitate to contact me. I'll be back in June of 2011 to report what I hope will be a still undetectable PSA.
God bless all who are going through this and remember, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Greetings, brothers.
Hard to believe that it's been 4 years since I had my prostate removed. I recently received my latest PSA test results and am thrilled to report that my PSA remains undetectable, so I'm good for another year until my next test.
Also, I am happy to report that I remain fully continent and have no trouble with erections although I still use Cialis on occasion. Pretty boring stuff, but hey, boring is good when we're talking about potential occurence. As my surgeon told me, "There are no guarantees," but every year that passes improves the odds that the beast will not reappear.
So, that's it until next year, and, as always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need a little guidance. I will never recommend a course of treatment since all our situations are different, but if you do decide on radical prostectomy, I'd be glad to offer any advice.
Best to all my brothers, Jack Long
Hard to believe it's five-years since my surgery. I recently had my annual PSA test and am extremely happy to report that it is still undetectable. Nothing has changed much since my last update - no incontinence other than an occasional leak when sneezing or bending over with a full bladder (in fact, I think I can "hold" it longer without a prostate than with one!). I still use Cialis but only on occasion. Sometimes I need, other times I don't. Nonetheless, I'm just thankful that it's not an issue.
So, once again, another boring update. But hey, boring is good, right? [Boring is best - it's just what the newly diagnosed man wants to hear!] As always, feel free to contact me with any questions. I am more than happy to help.
Hello again everyone. Hard to believe it has been six-years since my surgery. I received the test results back from my yearly PSA and I'm pleased and blessed to report that my PSA is still <0.1. My surgeon told me that it is no longer necessary for me to come back and see him since I am having no issues in the ED or continence department (although I still do use Cialis). I will now have the PSA test done as part of the blood work for my yearly physical exam with my regular practioner. I can honestly say that I never think about my PC until it is time for my yearly PSA…still get a little nervous waiting for the results, and probably always will. Anyway, I plan on updating my story as long as this great YANA site continues to be in existence, and am always available to speak with anyone who is contemplating surgery. As I stated before, surgery is not for everyone, and is an individual choice for each individual's circumstances. I will say that it was the right choice for my particular situation. All's I can do is tell my story and hope that it will help you make a decision. Best to all my brothers.
Greetings, all. I went in for my annual PSA last week and I'm thrilled to report that it's still undetectable. Hard to believe it has now been 7 years, going on 8. I honestly do not even think about it anymore until it comes time to be tested. I have been very fortunate in that I do not have any serious side effects. Oh I may have a little leak now and then getting up from sitting after drinking a lot of water, but that's it and it's not a problem. I still use Cialis and have been purchasing it from Canada since it's somewhat cheaper. At times I can have an erection on my own, other times I need a little help. All-in-all I'm doing great, and have no regrets on my decision. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Hard to believe that it's been 8 years since my surgery. I am happy to report that my PSA is still 0. My surgeon told me that there was no reason for me to visit him any longer, and that I can have my PSA tested as part of my blood work in my annual physical. I reached the point a couple of years ago whereby the only time I think about having prostate cancer is when it's time to get tested. As far as side effects, other than a drip or two when I sneeze at times I am fully continent and the flow is strong. I still use and will continue to use Cialis, but I don't use it as often as I used to. I still awake with an erection sometimes in the morning so I guess that's an indication that things are about as good as could be expected. Good luck to all in this battle, and, as always, feel free to email me with any questions. "See" you again here next year.
Sorry for the late response, but I was a little late in getting my bloodwork done this year. I received the best Christmas present of all when on Christmas Eve I received my results, which still showed my PSA as undetectable. Honestly, I really never think about it now until it's time to get tested. I'm also pleased to report that I do not suffer any side effects. I am fully continent and still use Cialis. No problems in either department. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Till next year brothers. - Jack
Thrilled to say that my bloodwork came back last week and my PSA was <0.1. Hard to believe it has been 11 years since my robotic surgery to remove my prostate. No regrets on my decision. I'm fully continent, and still use Cialis (but not much). Our health is our wealth.
Happy to say that my yearly PSA test showed my PSA as undetectable. Hard to believe it's been this long since my surgery. I'm still happy with my decision and the only time I ever think about PC now is when I go to get my yearly blood work done. No regrets. I'm completely continent and still use Cialis at times. Glad this was caught early and I got it taken care of.
Greetings brothers,
Happy to say that I had my annual PSA test in April and it's still "undetectable." As I've said in the past, although it's not for everybody since all our situations are different, having my prostate removed was the right decision for me. I am completely continent and do use Cialis. I never think about PC at all until it's time for my next test. Peace and blessings to all.
Greetings all,
I see it's been a while since I last updated my story. I'm happy to report that there have been no changes since my last update. I still get a PSA every year and a check up with my GP. Last PSA was <0.1. No incontinent issues at all. I will still use Cialis at times but not much. Hope all is well with my fellow PC brothers.
Jack's e-mail address is: jcl1957 AT gmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")
