I am 63, and in good general health, but I have had prostate problems for
many years. About 3-4 years ago I had a TUMT that didn't offer much relief
to my flow problem. My uro (who had done the TUMT) started talking about a
TURP, but I began reading this group and started to look around for a uro in
the region who could do a PVP on me. My own uro's partner was just starting
to do PVPs, but I did not want to be among his first patients. So with my
uro's blessing, I found another, in east central Iowa a couple of hours
away, who had done about 80 of them. After an exam, he determined that the
reason my TUMT didn't work was because of an enlarged median lobe. He told
me he was confident he could help me.

I had the PVP procedure about five months ago. It was done with a spinal,
but my only recollection of the procedure was a bubbling sensation. There
has never been any significant pain associated with the PVP, in sharp
contrast to my TUMT, which was quite painful. Because of the travel, I spent
the night catheterized in the hospital. I had a couple of pain pills, not
because I really need them, but because the male nurse kept telling me that
I needed to prepare for the painful removal of the catheter, which turned
out to be a piece of cake. The improvement in my flow was immediate,
dramatic, and continues through today. I had little blood in the urine, and
I passed a large scab after about three weeks, another non-event. My PVP was
on Thursday and I returned to teaching on Monday, which was a rough day, but
from then on it was fine. I resumed all normal activities after two weeks,
and I do not have retro. I am off that darned Uroxatrol and feel better
because of it.

Before the PVP, I was up about once each hour during the night. That
frequency has been gradually declining to the point where it now averages
2-3 times per night and is getting generally better. I would have liked it
to improve quicker, but I am quite happy that the vector is moving in the
right direction. Caffeine and alcohol give me some irritation, as do some
spicy foods. When it gets particularly bad, I follow the advice of the PVP
uro and take two Naproxen tablets per day for about 7-10 days and that
clears it up. I generally find that I am better off if I drink more water,
which I find difficult to remember to do.

Overall, it has been a very positive experience for me.