Hi, Frank...

First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your wife's illness.  I'm sure this
must be really a lot to deal with right now.  There's no *good* time to have
surgery, but it just complicates your life (and hers and the kids) a bit
more.  As most have told you, however, the surgery is really much easier
than you can imagine it to be.  And the fact that you walk everyday is a
real PLUS!!

I had a Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy in November of 2002.  All went
very well.  My surgery was done in Atlanta.  I researched all the different
options, and since I had never had surgery before, and because the surgeon
had done many of these surgeries and seemed to be a really great guy, I
chose that option.  But many of my friends here in this group chose the
traditional Retropubic Radical Prostatectomy, and they have done just as
well.  Some people elect to have radiation.... others use seeds.... others
choose seeds + radiation.  The point is that there are several *good*
procedures out there, and you just need to find the one you feel most
comfortable with.  There are pros and cons to each, I suppose.

If you want a good site for info on the LRP, go to www.krongrad-urology.com
.  I read a lot of the stories there on that site when I was looking into
the surgery.  There is also a site where you can actually *watch* the video
of the surgery being performed.  If you think you would want to see that,
I'll try and dig it up for you.  Just let me know.

Try to keep your mind occupied with other things.  You'll do well with the
surgery.  The most aggravating part, for me, was the catheter.  It wasn't
painful... just an inconvenience.  Once the old foley is taken out, you will
progress pretty rapidly back to good health...... and the cancer will be
GONE!!

Take care.... feel free to email if you have any questions....
MikeH (domiha@hotmail.com)

When I heard "old part of city" I had to go back and re-read your first post
as my first reaction was OMG, my mailman??? You're in the DC area. I'm down
here in the SE corner of Virginia in a Historic district. Lots of steps!!
Probably half of my married life I have lived with mail carriers on foot.
I'm one of those who tends to leave the thermos with ice water on the porch
in the summer and coffee in the winter. I think the average mail carrier
around here loses about 15 pounds when they start this route.

Daughters who help are wonderful. Yes, it is often difficult to remember
everything and sometimes we think we understand what is being told to us and
then later go "huh???" So having her there is good. She's also trying very
hard to show her love.

Call your insurance company and ask them about in-home care. You might be
able to get more than you think. And you might even be entitled to domestic
help for a while, someone who can go grocery shopping or run the vacuum
cleaner. The insurance company will tell you what your doctor needs to order
for you to have help.

Another thought is call the local college and see if anyone there needs free
room and board in exchange for some domestic help: cleaning, cooking etc. I
know several young people who would have jumped at that opportunity. Choose
your new live-in carefully. My husband had a good friend who was a divorced
commercial pilot. He didn't like leaving his house empty for long periods of
time and he hated housework. So he called the local college. He got a great
young gal who was thrilled to work for board, in fact she was so good she
stayed long after she graduated.

Another thought call your local rescue squad and see if anyone there needs
room and board. When a single older gentleman in our neighborhood was about
to have major surgery he was concerned about coming home to a house alone,
especially at night. So I told him about a friend of my daughter's from the
rescue squad. The young man from the rescue squad stayed with him at night
for quite a while. Our older friend never needed any help but just knowing
someone was in the house put his mind at ease.
Bev

A couple of the guys have had a robotic RP.

Sorry when you said John Hopkins first, I figured you were in the DC area.

I know all about snow, I'm a transplanted Yankee. LOL
Bev

I am a new member of the club and have been lurking here since May.  I also
have never posted to a news group before, but thought that I might have some
useful information for you, Frank.

My Age is 64
PSA 9.0 in May 2004
Biopsy was June 9, 2004 (one core positive, gleason 3+4 = 7)
Stage T1c

I have chosen to have the Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery, using the  Da Vinci
Robot, and will be operated on in August. I live in Rochester, New York and
have chosen a surgeon that has considerable experience in this type of
surgery ( he has done more than 125). He has a good reputation and I
understand (from someone that I know) that he has had patients come to him
from the Buffalo area. My surgeon will be Jean Joseph, M.D. Here are some
links related to him. From my office visit with him, and also from speaking
to a couple patients that have used him he appears to have a very good
bedside manner also.

http://www.stronghealth.com/news/article.cfm?art_ID=323&serviceline=42
http://www.stronghealth.com/news/article.cfm?art_ID=496&serviceline=42
http://www.stronghealth.com/news/article.cfm?art_ID=492&serviceline=42
http://www.stronghealth.com/services/urology/dem&chron.cfm

Here are several general links about Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery.

http://www.cityofhope.org/urology/lrp.asp
http://www.henryfordhealth.org/body.cfm?id=39704
http://www.med.umich.edu/urology/PatientInfo/PatInfoPages/LapRP.htm

BobS

Welcome, Frank!

   I and a few other guys here had Robotic Laparoscopic surgery. Mine
was in Arlington, Texas, in October 2003, and I'm pleased with the
result. I was checked out of the hospital within 18 hours of checking
in, de-catheterized in 8 days and back to work in 2 weeks.

    Here's a website that includes a streaming video clip of RLRP:
http://www.uant.com/robotic_surgery.html

Larry
Diagnosed age 59
PSA 22
Biopsy 8/12/2003
Gleason 4+3=7 (first opinion)
Gleason 4+5=9 (second opinion)
CAT scan negative
Bone scan and skeletal survey negative
Da Vinci Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy 10/13/2003,
one nerve spared.
Final path report, Gleason 4+5= 9/10
Seminal vesicles positive
Lymph nodes negative
Padless 2/13/2004
PSA History:
07/20/2004  < 0.1
04/13/2004   < 0.1
01/09/2004   < 0.1
07/28/2003   22
12/14/2002   15.70
10/25/2000    4.51
09/26/1997    2.5
10/19/1993     1.3
01/16/1993     0.9