A Club Membership offer I cannot refuse.

[BudleyBare (imported)]

When will you be given the lab results regarding the removed tissues/organs, etc? If comfortable with disclosing such, please post for our information.

And congratulations on what appears to be a successful procedure.

[genderless (imported)]

Yeah sorry about the cancer, but it sounds like your very strong and got a good handle on things. Best of luck!

[John Sheraton (imported)]

Joe, I'm happy that you are happy. You are proof that every case is different. Generally, any PSA below 4 is no threat, and a Gleason score of not more that 6, is no threat. If anybody turns up with a prostate problem, the best place to go is www.nccn.org click in the search for prostate and ,secondly, click to locate the closest Clinic to you and go to it. Don't trust you local Urologist. End

[Joe_Trotter (imported)]

I go in on Friday morning to have the catheter and the staples removed. (roughly 34 hours from now.) Catheter is still a real nuisance.

We will go over the final results of the lab tests then, done on the lymph nodes and the remains of the prostate. We will also spend a little time discussing the surgery. I was too drug-addled to ask good questions at the end of the day when I saw my surgeon.

I was in the living room today, when the cleaning ladies showed up. We talked for a little bit. One of the ladies said that her Uncle had prostate cancer. He had his treated with radioactive seeds. It has come back and now he does not know what to do. Once radiation treatment is done, the urologists won't do surgery anymore. The radiation turns the whole area into a mass of scar tissue.

It was not until I was talking to family members about this that I found out my Grandfather had prostate cancer. The docs said to not worry about it, he would die of something else before the cancer got too bad. They were insensitive, but correct.

It will take a few months or more of healing before I have any idea of how well the modified plumbing works.

[Kangan (imported)]

If I had similar surgery, my over riding concern would be continence issues. I hope that your bladder control is regained easily.

[Joe_Trotter (imported)]

John Sheraton keeps harping on these things -

He keeps telling you to go to www.nccn.org. If you are a man and you have not been there yet, he is absolutely correct - Go, and go now.

He wants you to go to a good clinic for prostate problems, and not to trust your local Urologist. Again, absolutely correct. My suspicious nature tells me my first Urologist was only in it for the money. I am not perfect and I could be wrong about him. What I am not wrong about is that there was so much difference between the first and the second, that it was a quantum difference. There was a generation of technology between the two. I suspect it goes across the entire spectrum of Urologists. This field is moving extremely quickly, and survivability is changing faster than the statisticians can keep up. (I am a member of a 1000-man study to compare relative risks of outcomes). Get good, current information. Do as John says, go to a clinic.

John and I differ a bit on PSA and Gleason scores.

I cannot remember, nor can I locate the cite now, but I ran across a suggestion that sometimes, Prostate cancer can reduce the total PSA level.

A very low level of Free PSA along with a low level of PSA can be a guarantee of cancer, as it was in my case, not a free pass. And I had cancer. Nothing theoretical about it. I had a cancer with a medium growth rate.

Also, a relatively high PSA, along with a high Free PSA level can be quite normal and not be an indicator of cancer.

The Free PSA is not yet incorporated into the Gleason score.

Thank You, John, for the concern and the interest.

The Foley catheter is now out. It did not hurt nearly as much as I expected.

Every day brings less pain in motion. The staples were beginning to itch. It was driving me crazy and I am glad to have them out.

I have much more control than I expected. Still wearing Depends, but every day gets a little better. Still exercising the ol' Kegel muscles. Forty times a day is the minimum prescription.

No Mahogany yet, but, heck, the surgery was only ten days ago. Even if no nerves were cut, they were all bruised. Time is the prescription for that. I had what I considered to be bruising in my lower abdominal area, basically from my belly button down to my crotch, for the first four or five days. It took me a while to recognize it.

Please, if you have any concerns, get a PSA and Free PSA, and if you are over 50, do it every year. Prostate cancer is rapidly becoming the most curable cancer, with lots of options.

[ramses (imported)]

For the guys here who have had prostate problems, what were the first clues that something wrong was going on?

[John Sheraton (imported)]

rames, a basic clue is your PSA count from the regular blood test taken, usually, during your yearly physicaly examination. A PSA of 4 or less is good, not requiring any attention. When it gets to be five or above, that's when you get your Gleason score. If that's six of less your still Okay. This is why you need an NCCN clinic, 'cause Watchful Waiting may be the best next step compared to the anxious urologial thugs who want you to hop up on the table, or give you hormons (the worst stupid thing one could do), or do anything to get income from you whether you need anything or not.

Simply stated, the starting up of prostate cancer in your body is symptomless. That's why that blood test during your annual physical should keep you safe.

Guys who don't have a blood test, some of them get blood in their urine, etc.

Good luck. Only one third of the male population get prostate cancer. Hopefully, your in the good two thirds group.

[ramses (imported)]

I've never had a PSA test as I'm only 38. It seems that lately I've had to put more effort into getting my bladder completely empty and it seems likee I have to wizz more often like I don't have the capacity I had or I'm just getting an urge to pee when it's not really full.

I know it sounds stupid, but I just know that if I say something to my docter that I'll get a finger in my ass. I know it's stupid as the consequences of not doing so could be so much worse.

[kristoff]

I've never had a PSA test as I'm only 38. It seems that lately I've had to put more effort into getting my bladder completely empty and it seems likee I have to wizz more often like I don't have the capacity I had or I'm just getting an urge to pee when it's not really full.

I know it sounds stupid, but I just know that if I say something to my docter that I'll get a finger in my ass. I know it's stupid as the consequences of not doing so could be so much worse.

A DRE is not a bad thing - and some get off with the old finger. Most doctors start doing regular PSAs when their patients get to about 40-50 depending on doc, and on the DRE. Even eunuchs need both. As for the excessive peeing, get a diabetes check up. That is often a sign of your body attempting to shed excess glucose becausse the body can't use it (lack of insulin). Definitely mention the peeing issue - diabetes is not something to fuck around with.