undressing in front of nurse?

I think some of you are missing the real problem here.

The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer is a series of indignities and intrusions.  That is a fact.  Someone seeing me naked is no big deal, I am an AANR member (American Assoc for Nude Recreation) and I am use to walking around with no clothes on.

The problem is that some medical people are thoughtless and treat us like we have no feelings.

Fortunaltly, that is not usually the case, but the minority of nurses and doctors who need to improve make the entire profession look bad.

---

biopsy 10/16/06

T2A,  PSA 4.7

Gleason  4+4=8  right side

DaVinci Surgery  1/16/07

Post op confirms gleason 4+4=8

no extension or invasion found

no continence problems

PSA 90 day -.01  , 6 month -.01 , 9 month +.02 , 1 year +.02

Ed problems continue

Now using Bi-mix

 

LOL Ziggy9 you gave me my laugh for today after a stressful visit with the surgeon, I thank you for that I needed it. I've never compared my doctors office to a public toilet and you gave me visions of my butt sitting on a keyboard. Trust me when I tell you that wouldn't be a pretty sight

    Wiggann,  I had no symptoms at all.  I had my GP do my annual physical and blood work.  My PSA was a little high.  I was sent to my Uroligist.  He did the secondary PSA and DRE.  The DRE was slightly firm.  The second PSA came back at 5.7....I think?  After that is when all the fun started!  If your interested check out My Journey!

    So sorry your husband was treated like that.  Good Luck.

    KW

 

---

    43 at Dx and Surgery

    PSA 5.7, Biopsy 3 of 12 positive (up to 75%) all on left side of prostate, Gleason 7

    RRP on Oct. 17, 2006 - Nerves on right side saved. All Lab's clear. 

    Cathiter in for 28 days due to complications in healing. Removed Nov. 9, 2006

    First Post op PSA on Dec. 11, 2006  Undetectable 0.00.

    ED workable and usable with Viagra.

    Feb. 20th, 2007 - Feb. 4th, 2008  Cystoscope, Two Collagen injections,Second Opinion Consultation for Incontinance at OU Medical Center, Bio-Feedback training, Chiropractic, Accupuncture  to try to resolve ongoing incontinance (4-6 pads a day)  All PSA's 0.00.

    Feb. 22nd, 2008 - Surgery to install the AMS AdVance Male Sling.

    March 27th, 2008 - Sling not working, Little or no improvement.

    April 18, 2008 - Collagen injection.  Back to using 4-6 full pads a day within a week.

    May 14, 2008 - Another collagen injection to try to Band-Aid the leaking for our June cruise.  Will start making conusultation appiontments for AUS after we return.

     

Wiggyann,

No, we haven't got the report back yet. It just went out on Tuesday and I was told it takes about 5 days depending on how busy Jon Epstein is.

My husband is 53 and was also told he has several options, surgery or Brachytherapy being the main ones with watchful waiting at the bottom of the list. We haven't talked to the radiology oncologist yet his appointment is next Thursday. We met with the robotic surgeon yesterday and he said the cryotherapy is an option if the seeds fail should he decide to go that route. I think he's leaning in that direction. His urologist said that's what he would do as well. Hard to get any feedback from patients that had Brachytherapy done as everyone seems to opt for surgery. I realize every case is different but we learn from each other. My husband knows someone that had it done 15 yrs ago and he's fine he was 43 at the time. He knows another that had it done 4 yrs ago and his PSA level has been 0 for the past two years.

I'm trying to figure out if a medical oncologist should be consulted as well.

Husband 53
PSA 1.7
Gleason 6
3 out of 8 positive all on right side

Dear Lana (creed_three and C.J.)

I just wanted to let you know how very much your post
meant to me It is filled with so much good information
that I am going to print it out and keep it.

I am happy to hear that your husband is doing so well after his surgery and has such lows psa's

Wishing God's best blessings to both of you,
Wiggyann

Husband 68 at diagnosis, December 2006
PSA 7.3
Gleason 7, eight cores out of twelve positive
for adenocarcinoma
Stage T1c
Treatment 25 IMRT and Brachytherapy (April 2007)
PSA at 10 months 0.7

Hi JC,

Thanks for your reply. I've been following your progress and it seems like your doing well, good to hear. I keep reading that brachy should be followed up with some EBR but that appears to have it's pros and cons as well. You can read until your head spins and still not have the answers. My husband say's we are all going to die of something and to him quality of life is more important than quantity.

creed_three,

Hello I sent you my email address. So glad that you
kept your post. I was going to print it out yesterday, but
my computer wasn't working with my printer for some reason
and today your post was gone.

Thanks so much,
Wiggyann

Thanks for clarifying, Lana.

I realize that everyone reacts differently to things.   My wife and I are usually polar opposites in our reactions, so I respect differences completely.

Whatever works best for you and your husband is what you should do.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

DanMan

---

Danman Bob, Born 1951

Nerve-sparing, open prostate surgery November 13, 2007

Gleason score 9, PSA 14; Biopsy result - 9 of 12 sticks showed cancer

Post-op pathology stated that cancer was confined to the prostate

Unrelated surgery January 2008 delayed incontinence recovery, which is now showing good signs of improvement (fraction of a pad a day as of late April 2008)

100 MG Viagra 3 times a week beginning December 2007

Osbon Erec-Aid Esteem manual pump for therapy beginning mid-February 2008

30 MG papaverine/1 MG phentolamine bimix injections beginning late April 2008

Five week post-op PSA 0.2, five month post-op PSA 0.1, next test August 2008

I do see the concerns of the original poster with respect to sitting bare-assed on chairs being sanitary.

I don't think getting embarrassed about being exposed is something to worry about. The medical staff gets plenty of that, even though they are human. It's par for the course, IMO.

When I had my biopsy, the male doctor did it, but he had two interns watch the procedure. The doctor asked my permission, and I gave it. I figure, if it helps someone learn, that's a good thing. And I've seen a lot of things more pornographic than putting lube and a condom on an ultrasound wand, so I didn't give that a second thought either.

My pre-surgery MRI was rectal, and quite a few people got an eyeful.

When the urologist gave me an in-office penile injection, he had a very attractive and young female urology intern watch the whole process of injection and testing of the firmness of the erection. He asked my permission as well. I was happy to do it

---

____________________

Prostate cancer diagnosed: May 15, 2006 (age 40)
Gleason score: pre-surgery 3+3=6; post-surgery 3+4=7
daVinci radical prostatectomy: July 25, 2006
size of tumor: approx 1.1 inches; negative margins from surgery

- number of pads/day at 3 months after surgery: 3 to 5
- number of pads/day at 4 months after surgery: 1 to 2
- number of pads/day at 6-18 months after surgery: 0 to 1

- 1st post-surgery PSA: 0 (Nov 2006); 2nd post-surgery PSA: 0 (Feb 2007)
- 3rd post-surgery PSA: 0 (May 2007); 4th post-surgery PSA: 0 (June 2007); 5th post-surgery PSA: 0

The search for timber: took Viagra/Cialis approx. every other day, ErecAid once a day, injections. Peyronie's diagnosed 7/5/07. Now on daily Cialis, L-arginine and pentoxyfylline. Peyronies has stabilized and significantly reversed.

- PGE1 batting average: .364 (4 for 11)
- Bimix #3 batting average: .722 (13 for 18) Bimix #1 batting average (8 for 8) = 1.000
- Trimix batting average: .500 (1 for 2) Grand total 26 for 39 = .667

"Lost in the valley without my horses, no one can tell me what my remorse is..."

Hi Danman Bob,

I read where you will be having radiation treatments this year. I hope that everything goes good for you and that you have no side effects. The radiation technicians can adjust the
linear accelerator to where it will just hit the parts of the prostate
they want it to without damaging the rectum or bladder. They have really made some good improvements over the way things used to be

Wishing you the best always,
Wiggyann

husband 68 at diagnosis
PSA 7.3
Gleason 7
8 out of 12 cores positive for adenocarcinoma
Stage T1c
Treatment 25 IMRT (radiaton treatment)
and a 90 seed pallidum seed implant.
PSA after ten months 0.7

For laughs I'll describe my introduction to clinical medicine. I was 18 and had gone to the medical clinic at Ohio State University because I was experiencing my first hemorroid. I had no idea of the procedure, so I just followed orders. First, I was given an enema bottle and a frock and sent to the john. Ok, back from that, the doctor told me to get up on the table on all fours, which I did, trying to keep the frock thing covering me as best I could. I was ready, but I didn't know for what.

Then the unimaginable happened. As I saw the doctor approaching with the sigmoidascope (sp?), he signaled for all the young nurses on duty to gather around, behind me of course, to observe the procedure. Suprised? Not much. I wonder how many shades of red I turned. So there I was, up on all fours, unable to see what was going on, but listening as he lectured the nurses regarding what he was doing.

Not much bothers me since that experience.

---

_____________________________________________________________________________

Pre-Diagnostic PSA record, begun 1995 at age 58..... now 70:
1995 - 1.2
1997 - 1.7
1998 - 1.4
1999 - 1.7
2000 - 3.4
2001 - 2.0
2002 - 4.6 on 6/6, 4.1 on 7/24, 3.5 on 10/1 at urologist's office
2003 - 2.3
2004 - 2.7
2005 - 3.2 on 7/15
2006 - no test????
2007 - 5.8 on 2/5, 5.7 on 6/16
2008 - 10.4 on 2/29, 8.8 on 4/21 --- Scheduled biopsy for 5/6/2008. On a graph, the PSA rise looks exponential, i.e. a growth function.

*****************************************************************
5/22/2008 -- Results of biopsy
4 of 12 cores show adenocarcinoma:
LLM - Gleason 3+3=6, PTI=10%
LM - Gleason 3+3=6, PTI=2%
LLA - Gleason 3+4=7, PTI=25%
LA - Gleason 3+3=6, PTI=20%
Clinical Stage:
T2a
Comments:
RLB - There is focal acute prostatitis
LLM - There is focal perineural invasion
LLA - There is focal perineural invasion
Partin Table:
OC - 33%
CP - 52%
SV+ -10%
LN - 4%

No treatment selected yet.....

I was shocked to hear of your husband's biopsy experience which seems to have been performed in a very undignified manner.  I would have considered writing a letter to the head of the hospital where your husband's urologist practices, but realize that doing so can have negative consequences when one is battling PCa and just wants to get on with treatment. 

All medical procedures of this nature should be performed as professionally and discreetly as possible, which means that you should be asked to undress in private and put on a gown.  I had the following four experiences relating to my radiation treatments and have no complaints:

Biopsy:  had on a gown, was asked to lie on my left side with the gown obviously open at the rear.  the biopsy was done with me facing the wall, so i did not see what was going on or any of the instruments used.  i can't imagine why everyone would not have a biopsy performed discreetly in this manner.

Endorectal IMRT:  again i had on a gown lying on my left side with my rear exposed for insertion of the anal probe (which incidentally was painful because it had to be inserted quickly or i was told that it would have been even more painful with slow insertion)!  i joked about it with the nurse!  I asked the doctor if i could see the probe after the exam, but he said it would be better if I did not see it! 

Scan of the prostate and surrounding area for radiation treatment set up:  i had on a gown opening at the front when i got on the scan table on my back.  the procdure was undertaken by my radiation oncologist and assisted by two nurses and one male intern!  i was obviously lying naked there from the waist down because the doctor had to either insert a catheter or insert a fluid in my penis to pinpoint the location of my bladder to avoid radiating that area during treatment.  i took it all in good humor as they had to do their job.  i just didn't expect to have three assistants there.  however, during my treatment and post-treatment my doctor often has an intern in the examination room for a prostate exam, etc. (i.e., i usually get a double prostate exam). i am oblivious to it all now!

Daily radiation treatments:  put on a gown in private with the front opening.  i was placed on my back on the radiation table.  it was necessary to do an abdominal scan every day as part of the set up.  before opening the front of my gown and doing the abdominal scan, a paper sheet was placed over me for my privacy.  sometimes i would kid them about whether or not my family jewels had been exposed in the process! 

Dave 

 

---

-69 years young!

-29 core biopsy 9/27/06 at age 68

-PSA 7.1, Stage T1c, Gleason 7 (3+4) [less than 20% in one area], Gleason 6 [less than 5% in two other areas], Negative DRE, bone scan and Endorectal MRI. 

-Completed 39 Proton radiation treatments 2/22/07-4/18/07.   

-PSA History: 7.1 pre-treatment; post treatment: 2.1 (3 mo.), 2.4 (6 mo.), 1.7 (9 mo), 1.6 (12 mo.).  Radiation oncologist said: the 3-mo. drop of 70% exceeded expectations; the slight 6-mo. bump up was not a cause for concern now; expected drop in 12-18 mo. is 75%.

-The following is a link to My Journey With Prostate Cancer -- Proton RadiationTherapy.  

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=1002871 

Post Edited (pcdave) : 5/27/2008 8:59:25 PM (GMT-6)

wiggyann, it seems that no two doctors or practices are the same, as far as protocol, from my experience. That makes it difficult to know what the "standard" is for something, doesn't it?

---

James C.
Moderator- Prostate Cancer

Age 60
4/19/07 PSA 7.6, referred to Urologist, recheck 6.7
7/11/07 Biopsy- 16 core samples, size of gland around 76 cc. Staging pT2c
7/17/07 Path report: 3 of 16 PCa, 5% involved, left lobe , GS 3/3:6.
9/24/07 (open) Retropubic Radical Prostatectomy performed
9/26/07 Post-op Path Report: GS 3+3=6 Staging pT2c, 110gms, margins clear
10/15/07 ED- begin 50mg Viagra and Vacurect pump nightly, Fully continent
1/14/08 Caverject started/stopped, aching. 2/24/08 .5ml Bimix started-success
5/7/08 ED- Viagra, pump, no response- Trimix .075ml continues
Post Surgery PSA's:  3 mts-0, 6 mts.-0