That's one good thing about
living in a lesser populated area, doesn't take long to get appointments for anything. I will be having my 5th corrective surgery a week from today, next Tuesday at 1000. Expected to take 30-45 minutes. The surgeon wants to finish what was not possible yesterday during an in-office procedure. He wants to do another hard dialation. Yesterday's was aborted due to extreme pain, despite being heavily sedated. Once I can be re-
opened (bladder neck), he wants it to heal a few days, with a fresh SP catheter in place (#13). Then he wants to test the
opening, by bypassing the catheter and seeing how I urinate on my own. After a reasonable test period, several days, if all goes well, the SP catheter can be removed and I will free again on my own.
For those not convinced of the strategies being utilized, research for yourself, and you will see how uncommon having chronic strictures like I have experienced really are. It is not uncommon in my research, of men having to be dialated 3-6 times a year to stay open. Under normal circumstances, yesterday's in-office procedure should have worked, especially with as much Demerol that was shot into me (that part was actual quite blissful by itself). And it worked well enough, that when they inserted the scope, I barely knew what was going on. Unfortunately, after feeding in the guide wire, the pain began to rise quickly, as each new diameter dialation rod was inserted. By the 2nd one, pain was almost totally unbearable, and a small attempt was made with the 3rd, and that's when it was aborted. So for the critics ,its not like there isn't a rhyme and reason for doing and attempting what has been done. There are limited choices in treating what ails me, and things are being done with caution since the radiation did so much damage to me, which makes the stricture problem even more complex to deal with.
As mentioned elsewhere, some of the other options are much more extreme and risky, some neither my doctor or myself wish to entertain at this time.
If this attempt doesn't work, or doesn't last for more than a month like the previous one, then it will be back to square one, a thought that saddens and depresses me after all these attempts and recoveries from attempts. My body is sick of the whole process, it will be tough even going through another surgery this soon from the last one.
I really am starting to think it would be easier just to submitt by choice to perm use of the SP cath, and just have them changed out every 4-6 weeks. Don't know, but doing the best I can.
Age: 57, 56 dx, PSA: 7/07 5.8, 7/08 12.3, 9/08 14.5, 10/08 16.3
3rd Biopsy: 9/08 - 7/7 Positive, 40-90% Cancer, Gleason 4+3
Open RP: 11/08, Rht nerves saved, 4 days in hospt, on catheters for 63 days, 5th one out 1/09
Path Rpt: Gleason 3+4, pT2c, 42g, 20% cancer, 1 pos margin
Incontinence: 1 Month ED: Non issue at any point post surgery
Post Surgery PSA: 2/09 .05,5/09 .1, 6/09 .11. 8/09 .16
Post SRT PSA: 1/10 .12
Latest: 7/9 met 2 rad. oncl, 7/9 cath #6 - blockage, 8/9 2nd corr surgery, 8/9 cath #7 out 38 days, 9/9 - met 3rd rad. oncl., mapped 9/9, 10/1 - 3rd corr. surgery - SP cath/hard dialation, 10/5 - 11/27 IMRT SRT 39 sess/72 gys ,cath #8 33 days, Cath #9 35 days, 12/7 - Cath #10 43 days, 1/19 - Corr Surgery #4, Caths #11 and #12 in at the same time, 2/8-Cath #11 out - 21 days