My experience with Prostate Cancer and RP.

[Pocaboca]

Hi. Thought i would share my Prostate Cancer story. 59 Yrs old at the time I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer back in Nov 2017, after the biopsy came back Gleason 6 in 4/12 biopsies. PSA at the time was 10. We decided on a wait and see approach as I was due to depart on a 5 week trip to Africa. After I returned PSA had risen to 15, so after discussion with my urologist and given all the options, I decided on a RP. March 2016 I had the RP done. After the surgery my surgeon advised the surgery was more complicated than he initially thought. I lost a lot of blood and the nerves could not be spared. I was sent home after 5 days in the hospital. I had not had a bowel movement prior to being sent home with a Foley Catheter. After several days at home still no bowel movement so back to the urologist who suggested a variety of treatments for the constipation. After day 15 of no bowel movements I was geeting quite concerned so they did an Xray and I was back up all the way to the stomach. They recommended I do the prep used for a colonoscopy. Drank the liquid and then after 2 hours I had extreme stomach cramps and the urine in my catheter back turned green. i rushed to emergency and was admitted. The following day was sent for a CAT scan where they inserted a tube up my rectum and injected a liquid dye . after the CAT scan back in my hospital room I started to have extreme pain in the catheter and then the flood gates opened and I released all 18 days worth of constipation. The poor nurse had to help me as the catheter kept getting blocked.

The Next day the urologist came in and advise I had developed a fistula between the rectum and bladder. In order for it to heal I would need to have a loop Ileostomy the following day and allow it to heal naturally for 3- 5 months. Naturally I was devastated, but was wheeled in and had the procedure done. It took a little longer to recover, and I was severely depressed, but a outstanding nurse at the hospital talked to me and told me it was just temporary and i would be as good as new after the reversal. I decided to just embrace the fact I had a bag to poop, and even went on several business trip overseas without issues.

7 months later I had the reversal surgery done. All went well and was sent home after a week. Was advised no heavy lifting for 6 months and to walk to build up my strength. 4 months after the surgery I developed low Iron and anemia. That took me 6 months to recover from. It is now almost 2.5 years since the RP and my PSA is still 0. I Have been having numerous UTI's in the past 7 months, have started to pass a little gas thru my penis, but bowel movement are normal. It has not been a great year. I am scheduled for a cystoscopy next month to address the passing of gas thru penis, but honestly can say I have not been myself since the reversal surgery. I am hoping they can get to the bottom of all the continuing issues I have been having. Its an ongoing battle. Some days are good and others are just horrible, both physically and mentally.

[pjd55d]

Pocaboca - wow

what a journey - makes my trials and tribulations somehow minor in comparison -however that does not diminish the reality for all of us - at all levels - that this prostate cancer thing is a lot physically mentally emotionally. As I have said before - this is the toughest thing I have ever had to deal with - physically mentally and emotionally. The support I receive from this site and others - friends, family and fellow PC suffers is invaluable. Nothing in my life prepared me for the changes - physically mentally etc.

I feel/hope that I am finally - after 30 months of dealing with this - including 2 relationships that did not survive the diagnosis - coming to terms with who and what I am now and have a sense of moving forward from here. I know I will never " go back " to what was and have to appreciate life as it is.

You seem to be one of those survivors who can self monitor - getting to ERs etc and getting on with your life - business travel etc. Yes some days are good and some are horrible. when the good days come I say - to whatever powers: " Thank you - I am grateful. " You can imagine what I say on the bad days ...

Best to you

keep us posted

P

[Lognut04 in reply to pjd55d]

I had prostate cancer last year (3+4) in 1 of 12 cores and RP on Aprip 29th. Everything went pretty much as planned. This April I was diagnosed with Panceatic cancer and had the Whipple surgery performed at Johns Hopkins on May 20th. Until you have had this surgery, you don't know what pain and suffering is all about. RP is a piece of cake compared to Whipple.

[bhayes84]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[j-o-h-n]

And this month's "extraordinary journey" medal definitely goes to Pocaboca.....⭐

P.S. Keep on fighting, we're in your corner....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 09/05/2019 4:15 PM DST

[srose007]

I agree with j-o-h-n. Wow, thanks for sharing your story.

[David1958]

Gee, and I thought my RP was complicated! I so sorry to hear about all of your trials and tribulations. I was diagnosed in 2011 when I was 52. I had RP in June of that year. Considering all of the traffic that has been through that area previously, it is surprising it went as well as it did. I had two inguinal hernia surgeries, one for each side in the 90's, the left one was the traditional surgery (6 week recovery) , the other was laporoscopic (10 day recovery). Needless to say, but there was significant scarring on the left side. It was because of that scarring that my Urologist was unable to harvest the lymph nodes on that side. My Gleason score was 7 (3+4), PSA 5 when the surgery was done. I had no radiation follow up. It took me 3 months to learn how to pee again. No bowel problems. Now, I do understand your constipation. I had developed a vernal hernia back in January 2018 and had it taken care of that same month. I was put on opioids to control the pain (it hurt terribly just to breathe) and I was on it for 10 days. I was constipated for the entire 10 days. That was just the pits.