On Friday jim was in the hospital for his 3 month internal stent replacement. Blood work all within normal range. It seems like in the last few months he was using the catheter less and less and doing so much better. No urinary tract infections any more., but a few days before the surgery he had terrible back pain, and told his Urologist this before the surgery. After the surgery, the Doc came out to tell me things were not good, the stents were encrusted and extremely hard to take out, he could not replace the internal stents, too many tumors. Another surgery with radiology for external stents , same day. Jim has two bags, with tubes going into each kidney. He is no longer feeling the back pain…..my question is : he is urinating from his penis just fine. Told me better then pre cancer diagnosis after Turps operation. Some urine is going in the bags but most is normal elimination from his penis. His scans through the months showed tumors staying the same but last month his PSA rose , his testosterone remains low. Is this normal to be told the tubes are the only way to empty his bladder without the internal stents. He told me he’s urinating better then ever. It’s been a rough few days, thank full the eagles are going to the super bowl, The games took our minds off of everything for a bit. Thanking all of you, my friends in advance for your answers. He has been on Lupron for a year and zytiga for two months.
I agree with Larry that Dr. Kwon is worth seeing if you can. I have been seeing him for about four years. He is willing to aggressively attack the cancer which I like. He is very busy and my only complaint is that he sometimes will rush out before I have a chance to digest the new information he gives me and ask questions. He is definitely up on all the latest treatments and at Mayo you have access to all the other diagnostic and treatment facilities. The place is intimidating, however and it sometimes feels like a factory to me. I live in a small rural northern Minnesota community and don't really care for the big city.
As to your question about the ease of urination, I can only guess that the stents were plugged and now at least some urine is making its way down the ureters as it normally should.
Thank You Apisdorsata! It’s been a little over a year since Jims diagnosis, the lack of control and that feeling of intimidation you talk about, is now part of our lives. This bothers me way more then it does my husband. I can’t believe what he goes through, and frankly, you all are the strongest men I have ever had the privilege to know.
I had both ureters with stents, PCa was in the L side lymph nodes and was collapsing that ureter. and they put a lil curly pig tail at the end to embed in each kidney. Urologist said she had a darn hard time getting the stents in place. They got swapped at 6 months and then totally out at a year. Still have an atrophied L kidney tho
So, as to your question, Yea, if he had normal Creatinine and GFR levels indicating normal kidney function, and peed pretty much normally, then why the stents.
I'm thinking that the back pain may have been pressure from the urine being unable to escape thru the encrusted ureters and now that urine is going out via the external stents into bags, there isn't that pressure in them anymore. Just a guess
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concerned about prostrate Cancer. ? PIRADS-4 
Stage 4 Prostate Cancer
3 to 6months to live! I don’t accept this.
Wants to end treatment 
MO wants to pause Zytiga when PSA reaches 0
