1. I had both my prostate and three feet of colon removed at the same time 6
months ago. I can still have orgasms, may regain erections some day (no hope
of NATURAL, unaided erections for you at 3 years out), and see minimal
effect on my bowel habits (softer stool, primarily, often requiring extra
paperwork, but no other inconvenience). Other than using more TP and diaper
rash ointment than a year ago, my colon resection was a bump in the road.
2. I'd sue this nincompoop up one side and down the other, IF he had any
other way to save your life without making you sterile and impotent. He
should have informed you OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF YOUR TREATMENT. OTOH, I'd
guess he had no other options.
3. Actually you can still father a child; it just won't be as much FUN as it
would have been four years ago, because your orgasms will squirt urine
rather than sperm -- a given with any prostatectomy -- and because gathering
your sperm will involve your doctor rather than your lover.
4. It's pretty likely that before your PC reached your bladder, it involved
the nerves that control erection, in which case they were doomed anyway.
5. I don't have ADD, and it's STILL tough to remember to do my Kegels.
Schedule them into any of several electronic reminders and do them by the
clock.
6. You and/or your partner can still provide your orgasms -- unless maybe
your doc used a cherry bomb to remove your prostate and bladder -- and there
are several ways to do the same for your parner, with or without medical,
surgical, and/or mechanical technology. I'd think that exploring the many
alternative routes to solo or duet orgasm may take your minds off the
methods that don't work anymore.
7. Vent. Get thoroughly pissed off. Chew the SOB out loudly from his crowded
waiting room and inform the state medical boards for his not telling you of
the SEs even if they were unavoidable.
8. Find out why removal of a small piece of colon caused your bowel
problems. That doesn't seem right to me, but I'm a patient, not a doctor.
This may be medically or therapeutically repairable and/or legally
actionable.
9. Then concentrate on #6. You aren't GONNA have a thoroughly normal life
again, but then who does . . .  past, oh, about, say . . .  47? By then most
of us need glasses, and many start to feel a little stiffer where we don't
want to feel stiff and a little less stiff where we DO want to feel stiff.

I.P.

Though it's off topic, I'm sure in the last three years you've had occasion
to research your condition; albeit too late.  What did you find regarding
alternatives to surgery?

I would seek out a new doctor in order to explore what may help you have a
more normal life.  It does not sound right to me that the bowel surgery
should result in what you describe.  You can also find a urologist that
specializes in the penile implant surgery.  That may give you a more
satisfactory sex life, but you must realize that it will never be the same
as before.  I had RRP almost two years ago now, and I am still impotent and
incontinent, so you are not alone in that department.  Just yesterday the ED
specialist told me that there is really no chance for me to have a return to
normal sexual function, so I am still trying to digest that idea.  The uro
that did the RRP told me last November that my incontinence will never get
better, so I have started looking into the artificial sphincter, although to
be honest at this point I do not think I will opt for further surgery.
Enough about me; this is suppose to be about you.

On the doctor that did this to you, I would suggest getting an opinion from
another physician knowledgeable about the cancer.  It could be that the
surgery that you had was necessary, and that the problem is not really
medical malpractice as much as a failure of giving proper informed consent.
That does not make it right, but it is a different situation from having
been mutilated by an incompetent surgeon.  As to lawyers and law suits, I'll
leave that up to you.  I would concentrate on getting better and having a
more normal life, i.e., try to stick with the positive.  Revenge may be
sweet, but it won't give you an erection.

Good luck to you.

Thank you.
David S.

Mike, my cousin's husband just had exactly the same surgery you had -
bladder removal due to bladder cancer, prostate gone (don't know about
nerves), piece of colon used to reconstruct a functioning bladder.
He's only about 6 weeks post-op so there is no telling what his
ultimate side effects will be but he's enduring quite a bit right now
what with an infection, self-catheterization, a midnight run to the
emergency room, mucus in his urine, etc.. I'm sure you know all about
this and then some.

I'm appalled at the bed-side manner of your doctor who told you all the
side-effects at the last minute although I doubt the outcome would have
been much different if he had told you earlier.  What were the other
options available at the time?  Bladder cancer is bladder cancer and it
has to come out.  If he actually botched the surgery you could sue for
malpractice but short of that you can't sue him for being an a.shole.
Looking for something positive, when I was searching for a surgeon for
my prostate cancer, I happened onto a doctor who specializes in urinary
reconstructive surgery - he fixes botched surgeries, accident cases,
etc..  He's at UCSF but I'm sure there are others around the country.
Perhaps you could consult with one of these to see if there is anything
that could be improved in the voiding departments.  I doubt there is
much that can be done for erections that you haven't already pursued.

Dwelling on "killing the bastard" won't help.  I wanted to kill a
bastard who was a bit of a torment during my high school years.  But
then I learned just recently his wife died early on and he had to raise
three children alone and then he recently died of MS.  Now I feel badly
that I felt that way all those years.  He wasn't that big a bastard.

Anyway, check out the possibility of some reconstruction or other
treatment.  Good luck to you.
Dave Perry

Mike,
Your story is very sad. I have no experience with bladdder
cancer/removal, but I have a lot of experience with penile injection
following RP. Have you tried the small needles? I use #31 gauge needles
that are only 5/16th inched long. Mosquitoes are better endowed!They
hardly hurt at all. If you use Caverject Impulse system, those needles
are like harpoons. Has your doc tried changing the dose? Or tried
different meds like bimix or trimix? I thinkthe injections are
massively under-used and under appreciated. They work great for me.  It
does take some work to get the dose right, but it is worth it!
Steve U