Many thanks to all of you who shared so selflessly about your personal
medical experiences.  When I was scared and ignorant and searching for
information to help me understand what was wrong with me, what could
be don't about it, and what others have done in similar circumstances,
this group was invaluable... Thank You.

CAN WE TALK?
This is NOT the Reader's Digest version...
This is what I experienced... for what it's worth...

In Oct 06, bph shut down my urinary tract.  After months of slow-flow,
one Saturday, I couldn't pee a drop.  (Boy, THAT was a bummer...) Off
to the emergency room... drained 600ml... sent me on to urologist on
Monday who first got painful infection under control (took about two
weeks).... put me on Flowmax and Avodart for 30-days... but I still
had not established any acceptable working-order for my natural
urinary functioning...

I went through a variety of interesting and I'm-told necessary tests
including a computerized-flow-test that was really ingenious, almost
fun, and told my doctor that I hadn't damaged my bladder even though I
had allowed the pee-flow to stop completely...So, guys, whatever's
going on with you now... if you can avoid it DON'T LET THE PEE-FLOW
COME TO A HALT AND DON'T LET YOUR BLADDER MUSCLES BECOME DAMAGED...
apparently slow-flow isn't good if it causes permantent damage...but
let me go on....

I had researched the internet by this point and reviewed 7-8 possible
"treatments" but to me only PVP promised to be a reasonable,
sufficiently-controlled weapon of obliteration that I'd even consider
allowing another person to thread one up my penis and incenerate the
offending tissure of my prostate  ... (I had an obstacle in the pee-
flow that had to go!) Now the way I saw it, the "treatment" COULD NOT
be wildly unpredictable in what other major destruction it would
wreck:  like long-term incontinence or loss of my ability to get hard
and have fun... (I'm sorry guys! I'm being "dead serious" here:  I
just rely too much on my personal pleasure from masturbation NOT to be
worried about losing a nerve or two that would make life unbearable--
life is already "f.cked" having to deal with exhorbitant medical
costs--really nasty hospital company in Kentucky that owns the
Southern California facility I used, nasty lab that did assorted
urinalyses and threatened to send my account to collections on the
FIRST BILL--I didn't even KNOW that I HAD an account with those
bastards.... Thus I wrote back to them that I'd pay asap but if they
were so hung up--in the future-- just PLEASE SEND MY PEE BACK TO THE
DOCTOR! I'm sure I can find somebody else .... AND I DID!... Sorry
guys... but I digress....)

After the 30 days of treatment with pills, I told my urologist that I
had screwed my courage up sufficiently to accept a go-in-and-remove-
the-offending-tissue-kind-of-treatment like Greenlight PVP, to which
he replied that he would suggest microwave!   I'd been reading LOTS on
the net, all the groups, etc. and I'd concluded that that microwave is
BAD sh.t!  Even the FDA has a bold WARNING out on the net telling you
that guys have lost the use of their peni (what IS the plural of penis
anyhow???) and that DOCTORS are supposed to know of the microwave
risk... The FDA went on to say that during the microwave procedure it
is NOW MANDATORY that a cooling probe be placed in the rectum to keep
the temperature down so as not to damage the wrong tissue!

Now pardon my "French" but THAT'S f.cked!  And I couldn't believe
that "my" UROLOGIST would even MENTION such a procedure much less
RECOMMEND IT!  What kind of nutball was I dealing with??? Well, back
to the net I went.  (Thank GOD for the net!)  I found a urologist in
New Jersey who was up to speed on PVP, who blogged with a lot of guys
like me, and who told me that I was right in realizing that PVP would
be perfect for my condition--prostate size is NOT an issue for PVP--
PVP is now available in 80watt version (I used a 40watt unit), and "in
confidence" that the "vendors" of the microwave offered doctors "BIG
BUCKS" to peddle the microwave... (Is that what MY UROLOGIST WAS
DOING, I thought???)  Boy was I worried big time!

I returned to my urologist's office to schedule PVP, and he asked me
what I had against microwave....@! (Can you believe that???) Well, I
gave him a run down on the relative control of the destruction from
microwaves compared to laser; I told him about the FDA warning I'd
discovered; and I said that if he'd need to put a refrigeration unit
in my rectum just to be sure he didn't destroy my penis too, that THAT
procedure was just too fraught with uncertainty for my taste... (I
TRIED to be polite and clinical, but this was MY DICK & PROSTATE on
the block here; so I was ready to explode if some guy wanted to blast
me with death rays!)  He never replied to me, and he scheduled PVP
immediately... Oh, yeah!  I told him that the literature that I'd read
gave me only a 37% chance of coming out of the "surgery" without
retrograde ejaculation/my nerves in tact/mechanism-to-get-hard in tact
(i.e. have an erection). But even THAT low number was better than the
microwave... I'd take my chance with Greenlight PVP, I thought... I
really NEEDED to be able to PEE; so what else could I do??? God, life
is f.cked sometime!

Let me "cut to the chase" here, for you guys who are annoyed with my
wordyness...

The PVP went off without a significant hitch.
The "recovery" lasted a full 30 days for me...
I WAS incontinent for 2-3 DAYS right after the surgery!
(That scared the sh.t out of me; HOW COULD THAT HAVE HAPPENED, I
THOUGHT??? I don't want to wear diapers! God!)
But, in a couple more days I got control of my system.  I didn't just
EMPTY every time a little urine collected in my bladder, as I did
immediately after surgery. (I'm not religious, but I was damn thankful
for my good fortune even acquiring the Greenlight PVP and in NOT being
without pee-control anymore...)
Now, as for the IMPORTANT parts: I COULD urinate LIKE A COW PEEING ON
A FLAT ROCK! Whoppie!
It was truly marvelous!  A miracle! :-)

What about getting hard and.... you know.... getting off????
BINGO!  I still did both--- really well and FORWARD TOO :-) , I might
add.  More semen (or whatever comes out) ejaculated now than before
the obstruction was removed. And it felt GREAT!

Oh, yeah!  Another thing REALLY SCARED THE sh.t OUT OF ME....
I accepted complete anesthesia (I'd have liked a spinal, but since I
was "pushing" the doctor already by insisting on Greenlight PVP, I
just went with his wish for me to be completely out.... hummmm??  I
wonder what he wanted me NOT to see???.... I've become suspicious...)

When I woke up from the anesthesia, blood was dripping out of my penis
urinary tract opening...

WHAT HAD THEY DONE TO MY PENIS!
According to the Greenlight PVP material/website/etc. they said that
the laser would cauterize the remaining prostate tissue and there
would be NO BLEEDING!  (Well, don't you guys believe THAT one at all!
Although I'd kiss the President Of Greenlight Laser Corp for how
wonderful his machine was, how effective his Tech Rep must have been
-- the Tech Rep was actually IN THE OPERATING ROOM WHILE my prostate
WAS INCINERATED-- and even how well my urologist must have done (even
if I am still suspicious of his motives for suggesting microwave)...
Yep! I bled like a stuck pig and peed pink.... for days!
Finally the pink pee too stopped.
I kept peeing and having sex... it was wonderful.

Well, I am a little ashamed that I couldn't wait for a full 30 days
after "surgery" to resume masturbating...  The doctor nearly had a cow
when I confessed that one to him.  I told him that I'd really TRY to
AVOID doing it again...

(At that point I felt that I'd perhaps encouraged the bleeding after
the first 3 days by masturbating... You see, I DID avoid masturbating
for THREE WHOLE DAYS!..)

Ok.  You may have a complete disapproval of me and of the personal
innerworld that I've shared, but I want all of you who might be as
scared as I was, that if you can get Greenlight PVP, have a "decent"
doctor (whatever THAT is), and have insurance and the fortitude to
deal with the a.sholes in the medical-insurance world, I think you'll
have an acceptable outcome--even a TERRIFIC outcome, as I did... BUT
DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE TYPICAL... I've discovered that I sure wasn't
typical... also, stay vigilent for "curve balls" from the medical
establishement...

Later, as I thanked my doctor for doing such a great job on me--he was
happy too--I asked him, "Say, I was just wondering.... why DID you
recommend microwave for me?"  He said, "It's standard practice to
recommend the least invasive treatment first, and microwave is less
invasive...."  Duh!?   Well, why make an issue?  I am just ecstatic to
be able to pee like a cow, ejaculate frontward like a teenager, and
get on to the next problem....

Life's a bitch@!

Only one strong lingering concern remains...
I REALLY want to know whether it smells awful in the operating room
with all that smoke from burning human flesh.... gees!.... What do you
think?
I forgot to ask my doctor...
Good Luck.
Pete

I have the feeling, especially when I walk that I have not completely emptied
my bladder.  My biggest problem is starting the urine, which when it starts
is very painful,  I am trying Flomax again, however, the effect of the Flomax
is not as great as when I started it 10 weeks ago.  I wonder if the Avodart
is not slowing the growth of my prostate?