I decided I might as well do it in style so we flew to London and booked
into a 4 star hotel in Sloans Square for a couple of nights.
On Wednesday morning I arrived at Kings College Hospital at 7.30am as
instructed and was immediately whisked into the Day
Surgery Ward.  I was told that I was going straight to surgery and was
undressed and on a trolley 5 minutes after arrival.  Mr Muir came to see me
and after I signed the consent form he had a chat.  It appeared that he was
running a course on PVP that week and asked if three visiting surgeons from
Portugal and Slovakia could view the procedure.  I didn't care - I have no
pride!

By 8am I was wheeled into theatre and then..................  the laser
broke down!  It appeared that
it was carrying out its self testing routine and kept shutting down when it
got to no.10, whatever that was.  I was wheeled back to the ward where I was
able to say to the other three guys waiting that it felt like nothing had
happened!  Then I had a long wait, and I admit I was a bit stressed as you
don't like to think of the thing breaking down when its going to be used on
you.  I told Carole, my wife, that I was going to ask them to core an apple
with it before me, so I could see it was working!  Well, in the event they
couldn't
repair it and Mike Degum, the Lasercope rep who was at the hospital, went
off to borrow
another laser.  (Lister Hospital?)

Eventually it arrived and I was wheeled in again, by this time it was
10.30am, and given the anaesthetic. By the way, this was my first-ever
anaesthetic and I didn't like it being
administered, it felt like a hot clamp being tightened onto my arm, a bit
painful.
Later the anaesthetist told me that about 10% react this way to
anaesthetic and no-one is sure why.

I came to and was wheeled back to the ward and my wife.  I felt fine and was
given a tuna sandwhich and a cup of tea.  The anaethetist popped in to see
how I was.  I asked him how it had gone and he replied, "Fine, without
incident.", and then politely searching for something to say he uttered
words I hope I never hear addressed to me again, "you vapourised well."  My
wife said, "Who wouldn't?"

I had no catheter fitted which surprised me.  Mr Muir said everything had
gone well but he wanted me to pass urine three times and have an ultrascan
before leaving. This was because of my retention history.  I drank loads of
water and eventually was ready to urinate.  It was desultory, a trickle!
I passed water a couple more times as instructed, still poor,  and was
scanned - 350ml.  I was a bit miserable at this, but Mr Muir said he
expected
it as my bladder had been stretched over a long period.  Try again, he said.
I did and this time the scan was 270ml.  I thought he would catheterise me
but he seemed calm about it and told me to do ISC on Friday (yesterday)
morning
and ring him with the results.

I went back to the hotel and we had dinner in our room.  Urination continued
to be a problem and I realised that it was now worse than before the PVP.  I
went to bed a bit unhappy.  I got up to urninate at 4am and could hardly go,
just a couple of bloody drops but I knew my bladder was full.  I went back
to bed and relaxed as best I could then got up and tried again.  This time I
passed a bit more, but I knew there was alot in my bladder and I wondered
whether to use a catheter.  In the end cowardice won (I didn't fancy
inserting it) and I went back to bed, very despondent.  I got up for
breakfast and went sadly to the bathroom and wham - a torrent!  That's how
it's been since then, stronger and stronger until now I'm back to how I was
twenty years ago.  I did ISC (painful!) yesterday as instructed and found I
was
retaining 40ml - hardly anything by my lights!  I was delighted and have
emailed Mr Muir
and am now awaiting his reply.

The other thing I must report is that I feel so well, I can't believe I've
had an operation.  I have to keep reminding myself to take things easy.  So
far I have had no pain whatsoever and have no sensation of having had the
PVP except for a slight tingling on urination.  The downside of this is that
I spent Thursday being dragged round the Kings Road by my wife looking at
clothes.  I tried on lots of pair of trousers etc and kept thinking 'how can
I be doing this less than 24 hours after what is supposed to be a serious
operation?'

So, the upshot of all this is that I am absolutely delighted with my PVP.  I
am back to urinating just a few times a day, instead of popping in and out
of the loo several times before going anywhere.  I realise it's early days
but my stream is vigorous and I feel great.   I am taking an antibiotic of
course and Ibuprofen every 8 hours
to reduce inflamation.  No more Flomax, and I hope (depending on Mr Muir's
reply) no more catheters.  I still smile when I think of a couple of hours
after the operation.  I was dressed and waiting to leave, feeling fine and
with no sensation of having undergone surgery.  Mr Muir came by with the
three foreign doctors and I jumped up to have a word.  "This was our first
patient" said Mr Muir to the doctors.  Their faces were an absolute picture
of astonishment, and having spent time in a Uro ward with recovering TURP
patients I can see why!

The internet is an amazing thing.  Without it and this group I would never
have heard of PVP, certainly not from my local urologists.  I am very
grateful to Derek F. for valuable information and correspondence off list,
and others who have discussed and written about PVP.  Also nambucca and one
or two others whose names I forget, who steered me towards the very capable
hands of Mr Muir.

Huw