Hi,

I am in my forties, very physically fit. I have had CP since my late
teens. Went to a urologist, who did a few tests and declared that
there was nothing wrong with me. Toppers was, the stiff rod cystoscopy
he used damn near killed me, and he refused to give me pain meds. Had
to drive 300 miles to get home on my own. Only urologist I was allowed
to use at that time with my employer. Passed out in the bathroom of a
Denny's from the pain when I tried to urinate. Didn't try that again
for the better part of 24 hours, even with the agony I was in. In
other words, that experience 'cured' me of complaining for 25 years. I
got by on lots of drugs, legal and illegal, self prescribed and self
applied. Got Hep C (and now on combo treatment) as a  little present
with that lifestyle. 5 years ago turned myself around, substituted
LOTS of exercise, lots of vitamins & minerals for the drugs, and
pain-wise, while still living in misery, at least I'm getting no more
misery now than when I laid around on my a.s and used drugs to mask
the pain.

Fast forward to 2005. Finally got the nerve to go to a urologist
again. Very nice gentleman. Did the usual tests, tried to see if maybe
it was IC instead of CP. No such luck. At least the cystoscopy device
he used was very tolerable. No worse than the catheter the nurse used
to apply the potassium solution when testing for IC. And I got some
Vicodin for the pain if I needed it. (Still sitting in the medicine
cabinet).

Anyway, here's where I'm at. I've had it, and want this damn thing
fixed, and I'm willing to accept a certain amount (maybe even a lot)
of risk or trade offs to get it done. In my opinion, after 25 years, I
know this: The irritation is in my prostate. It is, at this point,
irrelevant to me why my prostate is being irritated. I want the damn
thing removed. The current urologist says he'd lose his license if he
did it, while at the same time discussing the subject with me very
candidly, even letting me know that absent cancer, he could be
especially careful in regards to nerve sparing, thus limiting the risk
of long term impotence (which, by the way, along with incontinence,
does not scare me in the least). He is seriously considering my
request to at least 'scoop out' the prostate (as he described it), the
treatment used for BPH. I'm willing to give it a try, while knowing
that it would most likely not eliminate the irritation. What it might
do, is allow me to get a stream started and maintained without having
to enter some kind of friggin meditative zen state to get it done
without severe straining. 'Meditative zen states' are hard to come by
in a crowded men's room, and straining, I learned long ago, is a sure
request for LOTS more misery. So I stay home a lot.

What I would like to know is: Has anyone out there had any experience,
good or bad, with complete removal of the prostate. And most
importantly, what reasonably proficient surgeon could someone
recommend who can do such a thing for a CP sufferer? I speak Spanish
reasonably well, and read and write it very well, so I'm considering
looking to Mexico, or further south, if necessary to find someone.
Hell, people where I live routinely go there for dental work, why not
prostate removal:)

ANY input would be appreciated.