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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / September 2004RRP August 12 2004
Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. HX: Age 58 DX BPH @50 psa 3.5 Biopsy 6 @ 53, w/ psa 4.5 ,all negative prostate 30grams PSA 8.4 @ 58, biopsy 12, CA in 3 areas, prostate 90 grams Gleason 6, T2B, Stage 3 (?) Urologist says it is contained according to the numbers. He told me the options and recommended I have a second opinion w/ a radiological oncologist. I did that and learned about the options. I decided on RRP and Thursday 8/12/2004 is the date w/ Dr. Chris Fukuda at Fletcher Alan Medical Center in Vermont (associated with University of Vermont Medical School). I bought a treadmill, dropped 20 pounds and had a Bard filter placed in my Inferior Vena Cava to keep clots from going to my lungs (I have 3 risk factors according to my Urologist). The "You have Cancer" words did not cause me a lot of grief 'cause I had a feeling that was gonna be the case. I cried over the possibility of no more erections. My wife said "So what are the options .. get over it". She is my rock and center and I know she torn up inside. I have since read about the options and will deal with it as it occures (tried real hard not to say "as it arises"). The incontinence thing has me sad and anxious, the thought of post surgical pain for a day or 2 is scaring me and I have yet to find out if I will be able to Motorcycle Tour. I made the mistake of doing some allergy medications (Allegra) for about a week only to find out that it is contraindicated with BPH. The ER gave me a choice of tough it out or have a catheter placed. I opted for the catherter 'cause I knew that was coming after surgery so why not "practice". I am pretty sure I can deal with that now. Can you tell me about pain medications once you got home, getting up and down from a recliner, apetite and general post hospital experiences. Thank you in advance and thank you for the support I have received while lurking. Mike Spivack Hi, Mike.... and welcome to the club that nobody wants to join. But you are here among good company. Lots of caring and supportive people here with experience in dealing with PCa and its aftermath. The incontinence was not too much of an issue for me. I was completely dry about 6 weeks post op. At 20 months post op, I still have no erections to speak of. I've tried all the tricks... perhaps it will come back, but that hope seems to be getting more and more bleak. Tears are okay... and it has been, for me, the most difficult part of this whole process. But each of us is different. Some guys have erections right away.... others recover more slowly, but do recover. And some of us will just have to accept that life is different now... but we are still alive to talk about it! The surgery was my first. I was 51. It went very smoothly. I was operated on early one morning... and went home the next morning. Post op pain was really hardly noticeable. The doc gave me meds for the first few days, but I don't think I took any after the first day home. Tylenol was enough. As for getting up and down from the chair, wasn't too much of a problem... just had to take it easy and not pull on the stomach too much. Slip up to the edge of the seat and then stand... that kind of thing. I can still remember my first shower a few days after being home... it was WONDERFUL!! You have a wife who is there to help you through this. And this group is very supportive. Please lean on us as much as you need to. We've all been there done that in one form or another. Good luck with your surgery.... keep us posted!! MikeH :) > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack Mike, Post op pain wasn't a problem for me either. I was in hosp for total of 6 nights (seems to be the norm here in Oz) and had an epidural in for the first 2 nights after. After than it was Panadeine when needed, not that often. I had to go back in after a couple of months to have scar tissue excised (couldn't pee) so had another catheter for a couple of days which put me back a bit. Incontinence is the main issue for me, I'm 4 and a bit months now and still using one pad per day. A royal pain in the arse but hey I'm alive, breathing, active and coping! Still doing the exercises (when I remember) and my physio suggests that I don't use a pad at night, haven't tried that yet, I don't want wet sheets, but working up to it. It helped to avoid coffee and alcohol for a while but now I'm back to my regular 3 expressos a day and a glass or two of whatever. No other "action" I'm afraid but ever hopeful :-) Good luck on the 12th. Dave Dec 03 Age 51, PSA 10.8 Jan 04 Dx PCa T2a Gleason 5 Mar 04 RRP, post op path good, all contained May 04 cystoscopy & BNI now pi**ing like racehorse Outlook optimistic > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack *Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for *about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. <snip> *Can you tell me about pain medications once you got home, getting up *and down from a recliner, apetite and general post hospital *experiences. I was given a prescription of percoset but didn't need a refill. Getting up and down was a challenge, but carrying the blasted Foley bag around when not strapped on my thigh got old quick. I ate alot of fruits (grapes) and veggies, plus small bits of regular foods. And drank a good bit of water. *Thank you in advance and thank you for the support I have received *while lurking. Best wishes on a speedy recovery and successful operation. Al Please be quiet if replying via email, flames will be deleted promptly. I won't even read the whole message... Welcome, Mike. The surgeon specifically said he will do a "nerve sparing" RRP, right? Your case is probably contained, so the surgeon should try to spare the nerves. If not, find a surgeon who will. On pain, for some reason I didn't respond to morphine, and I woke up in agony. But what you are supposed to do is complain, and the doctors will find something else that works. They have lots of things to choose from. I found the pain to be like having strained your back. It was not bad if I didn't move. But I wanted to move, so I complained and got a different medication. I couldn't get the pain prescription filled after I left the hospital, so I had to do without. In retrospect, I should have asked for help getting medication after I got home, but I didn't think the pain would last as long as it did. I had no prior experience with surgery and pain medications and such. But I must remind you that, on the other end of the spectrum, several guys on this list had no post-op pain at all. Hopefully that will be your experience too. So don't worry about pain!! You're about to get cured!! jimhoney > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. Your initial approach, post Dx, is exactly what is warranted. You might also purchase Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Prostate Cancer. > HX: > Age 58 [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Gleason 6, T2B, Stage 3 (?) BHP supposedly has nothing to do with prostate cancer, aside from each are maladies of the same gland. That's just informational and really doesn't do much for you now. I am surpised if you went five years without frequent PSAs and DREs after registering a 4.5. Your doc should have been more concerned. But, that too is water under the bridge. I don't know what "Stage 3" means. The stage most of us are familiar with is the T2b, which means the doc could feel the cancer during the DRE and that it involves more than half of one lobe, but not both lobes. > I decided on RRP and Thursday 8/12/2004 is the date w/ Dr. Chris > Fukuda at Fletcher Alan Medical Center in Vermont (associated with > University of Vermont Medical School). The biggest decision is done! Don't look back. You'll find that getting the RRP is the easiest part of this, at least on you. It' might be a little nerve-racking to your family waiting in the waiting room..... > I bought a treadmill, dropped 20 pounds and had a Bard filter placed > in my Inferior Vena Cava to keep clots from going to my lungs (I have > 3 risk factors according to my Urologist). Walking before and after RRP is great! > The "You have Cancer" words did not cause me a lot of grief 'cause I > had a feeling that was gonna be the case. I cried over the > possibility of no more erections. My wife said "So what are the > options .. get over it". She is my rock and center and I know she torn > up inside. Well, erections are not necessarily history. I started having them again 2? years after RRP. And with a good wife, sex continues unabated. > Can you tell me about pain medications once you got home, getting up > and down from a recliner, apetite and general post hospital > experiences. My pain meds are still in the bottle. Everyone is different, but I don't think anyone took meds after a week at home.  SignatureProstate Cancer Survivor (so far), not a doctor PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75 EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 Erection 05/12/2003 @ 48 HTbegins 07/21/2003 @ 48 PSA .07 .05 Lupron 7/03, 8/03, 12/03, 4/04 non illegitimi carborundum I just had my RRP last week (7-27-04), and the post-op thing went much better than I had feared. I was on the morphine drip plus a PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia) pump for about 36 hours. After that, they switched me to Celebrex (anti-inflammatory), and I could ask for other pain meds as needed. As it turned out, I took one Percoset (fell asleep immediately). They sent me home with Tylenol #3 (codeine), and I took it on that day, but not since. I really haven't had pain -- I would describe it as discomfort, which has declined steadily each day. Even in the hospital, on the scale of 0 to 10, I never described the pain above a 3.5. On the motorcycle front, do you take part in Americade? My wife's family has a home near Ticonderoga, NY and we see the thousands of visitors each year. Age 46 PSA: 1.4 (12/2000), 2.0 (7/2002), 10.3 (3/2/04), 6.0 (retest 3/18/04) Biopsy 4/5/04 cancer in 10% of one core Gleason 6 (3+3); clinical stage T1c Bone Scan negative RRP 7/27/2004 > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack Thank you all for your support, concern and caring. I am as ready as I'm gonna be and since I am at the "one step at a time" stage, the sugery is the next step and you all have helped set my mind at ease about that stage. My objective here is to do all that I can to survive this and deal with the repercussions as they surface. I will let you all know how it went as soon as I get home and my "lap" is able to hold my laptop Thanks again Mike S P.S. Glenn , I have been going to Americade 10 years and next year will be no exception > Thank you all for your support, concern and caring. I am as ready as > I'm gonna be and since I am at the "one step at a time" stage, the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I will let you all know how it went as soon as I get home and my "lap" > is able to hold my laptop Mike..... As others have said, walking beforehand helps.... and be sure to try to find some of the pants that snap down the sides of the legs. Most athletic stores.... and even WalMart.. sell them. They are very handy when dealing with the catheter right after surgery.... Best wishes! MikeH Mike, I'll add my $.02 to all the reassurances you've already received. My RRP was done on March 18 of this year. PCA in the hospital w/morphine. Didn't need to press the button all that much, as I remember. Came home third day and got a prescription of Tylenol #3 (w/codeine). Took one that night to make sure I could sleep OK. Don't remember taking any more after that. As others have said, the pain part is not that bad. Getting out of the recliner or off the couch is a little tricky for the first day or two. Just don't try any sudden lurches out of your easy chair, or anything like that. The incontinence thing, for me, was not a very big deal. I went through two or three pads a day for the first couple weeks after the catheter came out, and then about 99% dry. Good luck to you, and take one challenge at a time. No good to worry too much about things you can't control now or in the future. You have your hands full with what you can do now. SignatureJerryW jweindel at flash dot net > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack Mike, I'll be going in for my RRP on Sept 3. I had all the same questions you have. I can't tell you and the group how helpful and comforting your comments and advice are. I hope to be able to add my two cents when it's over. Maybe I will be able to help others. ...Good Luck. Keep us up to date.. Frank Bartolomeo Frank, good luck on your surgery early next month. We'll all be pulling for you to come through "in a breeze." Keep us posted on your progress, and let us know if you have any questions going in that haven't already been discussed in this newsgroup. There's a wealth of information among these folks. SignatureJerryW jweindel at flash dot net > Mike, > I'll be going in for my RRP on Sept 3. I had all the same questions you [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > date.. > Frank Bartolomeo well tomorrow is the the day and I am ready for this thanks to all the excellent support, ideas, thoughts and prayers for within this NG and the families aroung me. I'll post again as soon as I am able Thank you all Mike S > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Mike Spivack > well tomorrow is the the day and I am ready for this thanks to all the > excellent support, ideas, thoughts and prayers for within this NG and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Thank you all > Mike S God speed Mike S Dale J. > > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > > > Mike Spivack SignatureEmail: dalej2@mac.com Good luck, Mike!!! Bev > well tomorrow is the the day and I am ready for this thanks to all the > excellent support, ideas, thoughts and prayers for within this NG and [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] > > > > Mike Spivack I MADE IT !!! and am at home healing. You folk had so well prepared me that I knew what to expect at every turn, even that I might be awake and asked to move myself to the Table when rolled to the OR. My roomate in the hospital lives in the same town as I do, had the same procedure on the same day by the same doctor. We had as good a time as is possible under the circumstance. He had not found this NG so I answered a lot questions. Thank you thank you thank you!!!! Next post at Path report time (Doc says it was contained an he was able to spare both nerves on both sides and node looke Grossley Normal) > Looks like I might be next. I have been lurking in this group for > about a week and in pheonix5 for quit a while. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Gleason 6, T2B, Stage 3 (?) ____________Above cut___________________________________________________ Mike, Welcome home! Glad to hear everything went well so far...expect that to continue. Take it easy for awhile and give yourself time to heal. I took six weeks off work post op and pretty much pampered myself. Did do some walking as soon as I felt up to it. I am three months (tomorrow) post op and doing well. My path reports were all good, no capsular penetration, lymph nodes and seminal vesicles clear, nerves spared on both sides. Post op PSA <0.1 on July 13th. About 99% dry now. I am going to continue to be optimistic about the future. Keep up posted on your progress. You know we all love those success stories! SignatureJerryW jweindel at flash dot net > I MADE IT !!! and am at home healing. You folk had so well prepared me > that I knew what to expect at every turn, even that I might be awake [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > > ____________Above cut___________________________________________________ Glad to hear that all went well. I think it is so much easier to face something when you know what you are facing. Even pain is more bearable when you understand why. Hopefully you have someone there to wait on you and pamper you through this healing process. Bev > I MADE IT !!! and am at home healing. You folk had so well prepared me > that I knew what to expect at every turn, even that I might be awake [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > > ____________Above cut___________________________________________________ hi mike - the roughest part is over. no, not the surgery. the waiting - ha, ha. well, yeah, it was good to get the surgery over too. now is the time to just pamper yourself and sit back and enjoy that book you have been putting off reading or watch some of those videos you didn't have time for. in other words, take the time to smell the roses and enjoy the wonders of nature around us. i think you will find out just how amazing it is to heal and get back on your feet after a major operation like this. anyway, the worse is over, the news is great, and may your psa's be undetectables. ~ curtis knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional "Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." after reading this, it makes one wonder if they can do anything for the impotence caused by pca. ~ curtis ============================ By Narad in BhopalMonday, 16 August , 2004, 23:09In what is being described as a rare and remarkable feat, the Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, in Bhopal, has succeeded in reconstructing the male organ of a young cancer patient through very difficult and highly sophisticated surgery. This is for the first time in Madhya Pradesh that this vital human organ has been restored to normalcy through surgical operation, an official statement said, adding, "there have probably been less than a dozen such surgery cases which were a success in the country as a whole." The organ of a young patient aged 35 years was surgically removed initially in the hospital for treatment of cancer. Thereafter, the new organ was reconstructed with the skin and other tissues of the forearm and it was attached through complicated micro-vascular technique wherein the vessels and the nerves were joined under operating microscope to bring new vascularity and sensation to the new organ. The spokesman of the hospital said that amputation of male organ is a very traumatic event for any young patient causing loss of sexual function and self-esteem. With reconstruction of this organ, the patient will be restored to his normal functioning in this vital area of human life and will have an enhanced quality of life. The surgery department of the Cancer Hospital has many such rare surgeries to its credit including reconstruction of breast, facial bones, thumb after their loss in mutilating surgery. The team, which performed this remarkable feat, comprised Dr Anshuman Manaswi, Dr. Naveen Gupta, Dr Mudit Agrawal all Onco-surgeons, supported by key staff members Dr Neelu Mehrotra, Dr Smita Soni while Dr O P Sharma, Dr Lata Bhattacharya and Dr Udaykant Soni provided anaesthia support to the operation, which continued for 18 hours. knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional "Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." Congratulations. Good luck in your recovery -- don't let the catheter drive you completely crazy. I agree that the knowledge I got from the experience of others was very helpful. (Otherwise, I would have gone right back to the hospital the first time I got a bladder spasm and blood leaked out!) > I MADE IT !!! and am at home healing. You folk had so well prepared me > that I knew what to expect at every turn, even that I might be awake [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > > ____________Above cut___________________________________________________ Congratulations, Mike. You're a trooper. My RRP is scheduled for 9/2. The waiting IS terrible but listening to you and the rest of you guys gives me great hope. The best to you, Mike! Frank > I MADE IT !!! and am at home healing. You folk had so well prepared me > that I knew what to expect at every turn, even that I might be awake [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > > ____________Above cut___________________________________________________ Thanks Frank I am sure you'll be just fine, after all yours is the easy part now. I V goes in, you go for gurney ride, breath deep a couple of times and wake up asking when it will start. I learned that the body is optomistic and the mind is pessimistic. I am feeling so good today that I went to the mall (wife drove ) and walked around while she shopped. Managed to get in and out of the car bunches of time. No pain meds since day 1 post coming home. Got back in the car for the ride home and was sound asleep for the trip and In the reclinner sleeping till right now . I guess I now know what "dont over do it" does I hope and pray that in a little while we'll here you say to the NG, "Thanks for the support and the preparation I'm prayin for you and thinking about you August 31, 2004 WOW WOW WOW. Some one here said that having the staples and catheter out would be a great relief. What an understatement. I feel human again. I asked the Doc if I had any metal inside and he said yes he uses clips and there are quit a few. I guess I'll need to ask him for a medical letter so that I can skip some of the airport embarrasment. Have been feeling the urge to urinate about every hour. As soon as Willy is unsheathed from the Depends (Overkill I think) he lets go a good stream, make that 2 streams of about 200 cc. My wife asked how my aim was, I replyed that it was real good with one of the streams. She shook her head and walked away. Got the pathology report back today also. My Biopsy report prior to RRP was Gleason 6, T2B I got upgraded by post surg path to Gleason 4+3=7 and T2c. All contained, no node involvement. I think it is all good . attached below is my retyping of the Path report: Final Pathological Diagnosis: A: Prostate, portions of seminal vesicles, vas deferentia, radical Prostatectomy: 1. Adenocarcinoma of the prostate, invasive, moderately differentiated, Gleason Score 4+3=7 (Upgraded from Gleason 6 from biopsy) -Tumor is bilateral and involves less than 5% ot the prostate volume (pT2c B was T2b). -Tumor is multifocal and bilateral -Tumor involves peripheral zone -Extra prostatic extension is absent -Surgical margins are negative for tumor -Perinural invasion is not identified -Lymphovascular invasion is not identified -Prostatic Intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is identified (block A10) -Seminal vesicles are negative for tumor -Vasa deferentia are negative for tumor 2. Glandular and stromal nodular prostatic hyperplasia 3. Atrophy with acute and chronic inflamation 4. Adenosis B. Lymph nodes , left pelvic, excision: 1. One lymph node negative for metastatic carcinoma (0/1) C. Lymph nodes , right pelvic, excision: 1. One lymph node negative for metastatic carcinoma (0/1)(pN0) D. Seminal vesicles, billateral, excision: 1. Seminal vesicles with no specific pathologic features. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you in this "club" . Decide, act, survive, heal and live long. For new members, I pray you have an experience at least as good as mine but hoppefully better. To the NG regulars: You folks made the pre and postsurgery a complete none mystery for me and that made my journey as easy as it could possible be. Knowledge IS power. The beers are on me. I will be here in the NG lending support, thoughts and prayers for as long as I can. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You Mike Spivack 2. No evidence of malignancy Mike, Great news! I'm happy for you. Just keep on keeping on. SignatureJerryW jweindel at flash dot net 2/11/04 PSA 2.6, Suspicious DRE (age 62) 2/23/04 Biopsy: Gleason 3+4=7, T2a, left lobe 5/18/04 RRP, Path: Gleason 4+3=7, T2c, both lobes Tumor organ-contained; lymph nodes clear, seminal vesicles clear Both nerve bundles spared 7/13/04 PSA <0.1 > August 31, 2004 WOW WOW WOW. Some one here said that having the > staples and catheter out would be a great relief. What an [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > Mike Spivack > 2. No evidence of malignancy Sounds great Mike, I wish you a speedy recovery. Tom > Mike, > [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > > Mike Spivack > > 2. No evidence of malignancy |
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