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Posted 10/26/2006 5:48 AM (GMT -6)
Hello Group,

What a week. Had DaVinci on Monday.....long day; we started about 8:15 and got back to room about 4:00 PM. Dr. Urban at UAB (B'ham, AL) and his staff are second to none. Said everything looked good, saved both nerve bundles, and we are to check on Monday about Path. report.

Went home Tuesday, very, very little pain. Right now the main problem seems to be constipation....bowels still a little slow to respond. Walked quite a bit Wednesday and plan more today. Getting used to my new friend Mr. Foley, but I hope he is out of my life next week.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I look forward to hearing from folks....what to expect, ect.

God's blessings on you all.

Dreadnought
Posted 10/26/2006 6:45 AM (GMT -6)
Had mine the Friday before you down the street at St. Vincents. It was Tuesday am before a BM. Be nice to Mr. Foley or else he'll make you ache a little. Good luck!

Posted 10/26/2006 6:45 AM (GMT -6)
Congrats! Dread - You're home and (we loved this part) it's a great present to have both those nerve bundles to work with. Husb. had a movement the day after and then it was 3-4 more days before the next one. We were in a bit of a panic and bought a honker-sized bottle of milk of magnesia. Pretty nasty, but that worked, along with the fiber laxative pills, which he had stopped after that first bm.

The time will pass quickly with catheter.
Posted 10/26/2006 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dreadnought,

Home! That is good news, and finally done with the surgery. Your system will adjust to the shock of surgery in its own time, but you can move it alone a bit quicker. The old stand-by prune/prune juice works very well, and if you can walk around some all the better. Protien is also what your body will ask for, and steak, BBQ'd ribs, pork chops; nows your chance! So have a speedy recovery, and post us when you can.

Glen
Posted 10/26/2006 7:30 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Dreadnought!
So glad you're back and sounding in great shape! Way to go! Bob still eats a few prunes every day and that has helped immensely with the BM's.

"Remember those kegals!" :O)
Posted 10/26/2006 8:59 AM (GMT -6)
Dawgfan....glad to see a neighbor. I hope your experience was good at St. Vincent's...it is a great hospital. Was Dr. Tully your MD? Plus, any suggestions with Foley is appreciated.

Lawink.....did your husband keep doing kegels with Mr. Foley? Don't want to pull anything loose.
Posted 10/26/2006 9:29 AM (GMT -6)
Great to hear your home and coping very well. I took a stool softener every morning and night. I ate lots of fiber anything with a skin or husk basically. You can't drink to much water keep sucking down the liquids, after all you don't have to get up to pee at this point. I'm doing great now, two weeks ago today I had mine out. You are going to be just fine after this week is over and it will be over before you know it. God Bless

Posted 10/26/2006 11:15 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Dread!
Actually, Bob tried a few kegels with Mr. Foley in place and didn't like it much, so he only did a few but started regularly right after Mr. Foley came out. He also mentioned that he could "feel" discomfort for awhile and after he'd been doing them a few days could hold the "squeeze" longer without discomfort.

Hope this helps.
Linda
Posted 10/28/2006 10:14 AM (GMT -6)
  Welcome home…D Keep the stool softener handy….    you don’t want to be plugged!!!   We had a prescript ion that our urologist prescribed ahead of time and it just wasn’t enough.     We did get constipated and I got Equate Vegetable Laxative per our pharmacist.  We also bought Equate Fiber Therapy.  We alternate between the two.  And yes... I even use them! And we are continuing to use them per our specialist!   They are very mild.   Make friends with Mr. Foley…. Let him do his job J and before you know it ~ he will be gone.   Take care friend and you traversed those stepping-stones before and during surgery perfectly (knowledgeably) !!   Remember… we are here for the long haul…. So keep us posted.   In Friendship, Lee & Buddy
Posted 10/28/2006 10:36 AM (GMT -6)
Ditto dread...I sure love letting everyone express the very same well wishes as I......saves you reading! A big, get better quick from poor, pathetic Detroit......Swim
Posted 10/28/2006 12:23 PM (GMT -6)
Yep, Dr. Tully was my surgeon. My Foley experience was kind of rough at times. Lubricate as much as you can. I didn't have any luck walking or exercising with the catheter, too sore. Have walked 2 miles so far today with it gone and plan on at least 1 more after ballgames. Take care.

 

Posted 10/28/2006 3:20 PM (GMT -6)
Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Foley is not bad, but makes it difficult to really walk for exercise. I have been careful to take the laxatives and softeners, so no problem there. I am so pleased (and blessed) to have so little pain. I can't believe that last monday had such major surgery.

Dawgfan....when will you get your Pathology report? Hope all is well.

Corley
Posted 10/28/2006 4:25 PM (GMT -6)
Poor Swim  mad   thought of you when your Tigers lost last night...I'm very sorry and hope you'll be able to pull thru this awful upset in your life!!!  sad

Many hugs and regards,

Ellen devil

Posted 10/28/2006 6:29 PM (GMT -6)

dreadnought,

Dr. Tully said it was confined to the capsule and nodes were clear as well. It says it could pop up again later, but for now all is well!

Posted 10/29/2006 5:42 AM (GMT -6)
Hello Group,
I'm 55 , Biopsied Oct 5. Found cancer in 2 of 12. Stage 1, Gleason (3+3) 6.
Doc feels confident cancer is confined to prostate. Must be removed.
Am planning on robotic laparascpopic. Problem is that my younger wife wants to get pregnant.
How much time do I have before I have to have surgery. (Doc says within next 3 months)
How long before intercourse can continue after surgery. What is your experience 3,6,9, months after surgery?
I'm really scared. Thanks for help.
Posted 10/29/2006 8:12 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Tex and welcome to the group! One word of advice (learned the hard way myself) . . if you re-post this as a New Topic you will for sure receive way more exposure and replies as the topic will catch everyone's eyes. Right now you are under Dread's topic of Home from DaVinci and not doing your own situtation the justice it deserves. If it were me, I'd re-post under New Topic. Good Luck.

As for your concerns, my husband was diagnosed in May and due to surgery waiting lines wasn't operated on until September. At one time the wait was till November and the doctor wasn't concerned . . . .

What is your PSA????  This too will help in determining the appropriate wait time.

Regarding pregnancy, your wife would have to be pregnant before surgery . . . everyone's return to intercourse after the procedure is different for sure, and dependant upon nerve sparing, but my understanding is that sterility is the norm after prostate surgery of any type.

Your doctor may allow for "watchful waiting" with frequent PSA tests, so you need to express the pregnancy concern to him.

Good luck with your journey, and please stay with us and keep us posted, we'll all be pulling for you!
;o) Linda
Posted 10/29/2006 8:35 AM (GMT -6)

Texman,

I was diagnosed the first of July with a stage of T1c and a Gleason of 3 + 3 and a PSA of 4.3 and 1 of 10 core samples positive..  When I began doing my research and talked to urologists they generally felt that with my Gleason and the fact that there was nothing that could be felt or showed up on the ultrasound that I could wait as much as a year before having surgery.  I elected to get it done as soon as possible but with the surgery schedule I could not get in until this coming Wednesday.  The most difficult part for me is the waiting to know if the cancer is confined to the prostate.  My urologist feels that it is but if you look at the Partin tables I have a 15% chance that it is not.  We all have to make difficult decisions with PCa.  I have read where in cases such as your's that sperm has been frozen for pregancy after the surgery.  One thing to consider but if I was you I would get busy.

Good luck,

Tamu

Posted 10/29/2006 6:35 PM (GMT -6)
Texman,

I had surgery 9/7/2006 and I can tell you after surgery three things are for sure: first after surgery you will have dry orgasms, your prostate produces and inserts the semen and other fluids into your ejaculation stream. Secondly even if the nerves are spared which are more likely with less invasive surgery and a very experienced surgeon it will probably be one or more years before you can achieve an erection strong enough for intercourse. And lastly it will probably be weeks or months before you are even slightly interested in sex. With the "magic" party pills erections are more possible earlier but satisfaction will be "dry" and pregnancy will be impossible.


As far as "waiting" for surgery, I am one of the unlucky ones whose PCa wasn't contained (wish they had caught mine a lot earleir and had surgery sooner too) and would definitely trust my doctor and if he suggests surgery soon I would get it done as soon as possible. Sooooo..... I would say have a heart to heart with the doctor and wife .... get busy... and or store up some frozen papa, once again the heart to heart with the wife and doctor.


I hate to scare you or discourage you as far as treatment side effects but I also believe the facts will ultimately help you as you make a few decisions.

Remember we will be here for you, our prayers are with you and your wife.

John
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