THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2015 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.
My oldest brother called me one day and told me he had prostate cancer...well used to have it as he was currently in recovery from surgery. No worries he said, he had come through it just fine and was back to work after about 5 weeks off, WITH 0 SIDE EFFECTS! I was shocked but relieved that he was doing so well and he wasted no time in filling me in on his journey and encouraged me to get checked out A.S.A.P. which I then did.
My initial PSA was 21.4, the subsequent biopsy was positive, gleason score; 3+4 for a 7a and grade T1C. My wife and I decided on the retropubic prostatectomy because it made the most sense at that time, my brother had had the laproscopic surgery done but I didn`t know that at the time. My 3 weeks with the catheter were pure hell, I literally counted down the days, hours and minutes until it was removed only to discover to my horror that I couldn't hold my pee! It`s now been 7 months since the surgery, I am still incontinent and have ED but just recently returned to work although I am unable to perform the the job I like and am good at.
I am having a hard time being very positive in the face of these setbacks and kind of bristle when people tell me to look at the upside which is I am now cancer free. I can now see the point why some men decide to do nothing, they were afraid this would happen. I guess I can sum up how I feel about all this by saying I no longer lose any sleep about dying of prostate cancer but I sometimes do because of the side effects.
Hello Terry, thank you for the reminder. It`s been almost 2 yrs post surgery now, (radical Prostectomy) last PSA was .2 which is up by .1 from previous test. I`ve gotten over the fact that I may need more treatment in the future due to rising PSA, but still struggling with the side effects of surgery. I received Bio-feedback therapy to address incontinence with little to no good results. The good that came out of the therapy was an understanding of proper Keigel technique. I am currently booked for a cystoscopy at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. This is a preliminary procedure to determine viability of Sling implant surgery. Dr. Sender Herschorn is the guy my Urologist refered me to as I was assured he was the best in this area. I am hoping the sling will cure the incontinence so I can put this whole nightmare behind me. I am trying to stay positive if not for myself but for my family as my mood and outlook impact them directly. I am not looking forward to more surgery but I made a promise to my Mother in-law,(terminal lung cancer) that I intend to keep. Another reason for me to put any self pity behind me is my good friend has a terminal diagnosis of PCA. In his case surgery and any form of radiation therapy are out because of pre-existing condition. I am humbled and amazed by his outlook in the face this devasting news, unfortunatley, he still resists my attempts to get him to share his story here on your site. He does attend a support group which he finds comfort in so he has more than just me to relate to. Anyway I think the bottom line is that we must all live for today to ensure quality of life over quantity. Thanks to your website , I have found invaluable information and support so please continue to do what you do, thanks to all, Raymo
Raymo's e-mail address is: lblanchard1963 AT gmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")
NOTE: Raymo has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.
