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YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

 

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Tim Briggs lives in North Carolina, USA. He was 55 when he was diagnosed in March, 2011. His initial PSA was 5.60 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6, and he was staged T1c. His initial treatment choice was Surgery (Robotic Laparoscopic Prostatectomy) and his current treatment choice is None. Here is his story.

Not much to tell yet. PSA had jumped from 2.9 to 5.6 in six months, so I went to a urologist and scheduled a biopsy which came back positive in 2 of 12 samples but low percentages. Had the biopsy re-checked with a second surgeon's lab and confirmed results.

Had just lost my wife 16 months prior to lung cancer so this kinda floored me. The mental aspect was the worst. I am scheduled for this coming Monday, July 18 , for robotic surgery. My surgeon has great experience with the Da Vinci robot and I have great confidence in his ability if not in mine post-op, been doing my Kegels for several weeks, they say it helps. Hope so!

Decided after talking with surgeon and my age to go this route and get rid of the cancer before it moved along somewhere else. Hope to be back bow hunting by opening day in September. Gotta have goals!

Let you know how things are going when I get home. Thank you all for this site. It sure helps!

UPDATED

April 2012

I'm delighted to see the site back up. After surgery I was pretty much leak free and pad free in 3 weeks, for that I am so very grateful. I went back to work at my desk in 2 weeks. Pushed it a little but tried to limit what I did. Have been back for PSA tests every 3 months and so far all have been <0.1

UPDATED

February 2013

Just went back to the Dr. for a check up (go every 6 months) still running at 0 PSA. One more visit and they said they would move me to once per year. ED is still a problem but had my first 3/4 erection just the other night (after 18 months). YEEHA! Maybe there's life in the ol boy yet. With that in mind I'm restarting the 5mg once a day Cialis but it sure is expensive. $150.00 a month but I have to try. The Bimix will work at only .14 ml or less but not really needed. Still hoping for mother nature to kick in. Incontinence is still not an issue, I have the occasional strain leak but it is very small, just have to be mindful of what I am doing. Other than these iems life goes on and is better than I thought it would be. I am looking forward to being an old man on my porch one day. I'll try to update at the two year mark.

UPDATED

March 2014

Since last update my PSA has remained undetectable. ED is still an issue but occasional signs of life, 3/4 erections but brief. Taking once a day Cialis but no real change yet. Not a major issue except for my pride I guess. Bimix works well. I am considering the implant procedure but Doc says I'm to young. My question to him was how old is old enough, why not while it might be of some use sometime. No answer yet. LOL. Other than that I just try to limit straining on things and if I know I have to I go to the bathroom first. I was able to bowhunt the same year as surgery and that was one of my goals. I still work every day to make a living so I have no right to complain.

UPDATED

May 2015

My Dr. has graduated me to only 2 visits per year. Everything has stayed about the same. ED is still an issue. I looked at perhaps having the pump installed but my insurance only pays 5k (if deductible has been met) and from what I gather the procedure costs about 25k. Dr. said I was too young to get this done yet. LOL I asked him why wait until I am 70 and won't care anyway. Still work 6 days a week with the only major problem being I have to pee quite often still and have to remember to pee before I strain on anything. No major leakage problems. Life goes on.

UPDATED

July 2016

Nothing much has changed. PSA is staying down. Still work every day and still pee a lot. LOL. But have no reason to complain. Have much more trouble with the rotator cuff surgeries and knee replacement that I have had since cancer surgery. Life goes on and some days are easier than others. I think they call it AGE. God is good and has seen me through some hard times and I'm grateful. And I still get to bow hunt and go see my buddy in Texas and hunt. I guess I would do it all over again if needed to, sure beats the alternative.

UPDATED

September 2017

Nothing much new to report. ED still ongoing. Still have an urgency to urinate sometimes where results don't fit the urgency, but no problems going. Injections will work but I have given up looking for any kind of romance. The desire seems to have diminished.

UPDATED

December 2018

Life goes on. I think I am missing the testosterone. My energy levels are usually kinda low. Maybe it just comes with getting older. Bathroom trips still frequent and ED still present. I sometimes wonder if I should have just gone with "Watch and Wait" , but then I realize I might not be here if I had because of how fast it was growing. I try to remember to thank God for each new day and all His blessings because there are folks a lot worse off than me. I get to see my kids and grand kids grow, go bowhunting and experience new things. Life is good.

UPDATED

March 2020

Nothing much has changed for me. ED still there. Have to urinate a lot but I am constantly sipping tea or Diet Pepsi or water so I guess self inflicted to a degree Have quit dating all together the last two years. I feel I am damaged goods and it would not be fair to the lady if it got to intimacy plus the fact my libido is thru the floor. Blood work shows a very low testosterone level. I retired at the end of 2019 so I now have sometimes too much time on my hands but my hobbies and yard and garden manage to fill in most of it. I got into forging knives 2 years ago and that keeps me occupied a great deal.

I plan to ask my Dr. at next visit if it is safe for me to take testosterone suppliments. Don't want to put gas on any fire that might be present.

Mostly, life is good. I still get up and can take care of myself so I am blessed.

Tim's e-mail address is: daswamp1 AT embarqmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")


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