Today I saw Dr. Scardino at Memorial Sloane Kettering in NYC to finally have
my garden hose removed.  It's been 11 days since my surgery - RRP.  We also
received the news from the pathology report.  Although the cancer broke
through the capsule in two places, it was microscopic and my lymph nodes and
margins were clean!!  My staging, which was originally reduced from T2c to
T2b was offically diagnosed as T3a.  One thing that was done to me, which I
hadn't read about previously was that prior to catheter removal, my bladder
was filled with fluid.  Once the catheter was removed, I was then able to
start and stop my stream upon request.  I guess it was their way of
determining if the plumbing worked or not.  I've been waring a pad now for
4.5 hours and havn't leaked a bit - even after going to the local Chinese
restaurant and consuming a bowl of soup and a glass of water with my meal.
I'm off of all meds except for 10mg (half pill) of Cialas every other day.
I was told not to even attempt to do the kegels until Thursday and not to
even attempt an erection (uising a wholepill) for at least two weeks.  I was
gieven the green light to drink alcohol, smoke cigars and use my boat -
although not necessarily all three at once :>)

So far so good.

Sandy K.
Age 47
2/04 - PSA 4.9
3/5/04 - Biopsy - 9 of 10 cores postivie
Gleason 6, Staging T2b
6/17/04 - RRP - Memorial Sloane Ketteirng in NYC
6/28/04 - Catheter removed, pathology - Gleason 6, re-staged to pT3a
All lymph nodes and margins clear