Fresh robotic prostatectomy

[DanWinters]

57 year old very active and fit. After being treated for prostatitis with elevated PSAs and not getting a rectal exam to check for nodularity or tumor. Decided to change providers who immediayely did rectal exam and found a tumor. After my string of Biopsies and MRI’s Gleason 4+4. Agressive cancer. i just had my robotic protestatectomy. Lymph nodes were negative but the tumor had escaped tha capsule “focally”. I am glad I was proactive or would have been metastatic. Now jurt will be out if I will need further radiation. Nine days post. the god awful foley catheter is out and I can begin the bladder control ritual. (better than catheter but still sort of depressing) I will anxiously await continance and the attempt of sexual function as any male ( not just gay). but it will interesting the reception no ejaculation gets you. One more thing actually had a pelvic MRI a year ago which said the prostate was unremarkable. Really? and a year later could kill me. I smell fish. Have spoken toman attorney who admits is wrongful treatment but unless it has killed you. they dont seem to interested LOL. I am mainly lookimg for tips on continance and what to exoect from masturbation. Possibke use of vibrators when i reach that point. Right now a good nights sleep is all I really need.

[Bcgkelly]

Our cases are similar with the exception that it was also in two lymph nodes. First PSA test was zero (0.035) . Nerves were taken so no hard on’s possible. Viagra didn’t even give me a headache. Bought a penis pump which will get me hard but not enough and feels like a zombie dick. Cold and uncontrollable. Waiting to be shown how to inject a drug into he base of the penis which will give me a better hardon, hopefully. On the positive side I can still orgasm and don’t mind the lack of cum too much and my incontinence is not too bad as long as I’m near a toilet. Best of luck with your recovery. Bill

[DanWinters in reply to Bcgkelly]

Thanks so much. I have heard the injections can help a lot and I am not squeemh about this

[Bcgkelly in reply to DanWinters]

I have heard that as well and I don’t mind the injections, particularly if they work. Hopefully I won’t be waiting long and will let you know how I get on.

[jimreilly]

Good luck with your recovery. More than a vibrator, drugs (Viagra etc) and a pump could be useful and perhaps injections. It's important to find a way to have as complete an erection as possible before the ability to do so gets even less. As far as no cum, for me it hasn't been as issue (I rather have cum, but, so, I don't, big deal, and so far others haven't minded, what few there have been). I want to wish you luck and patience, and good cooperation in your urology office in reestablishing continence and erectile ability!

[NolHaltom]

Get rest bud. Take care.

[Hidden]

Hi Dan. You're the third guy I've read where a doc has diagnosed prostatitis based on raised PSA and no other test. A simple urine test would have helped confirm the prostatitis.. One of the others I read this went on for 2 years and his cancer had metastasized. Why lawyers aren't interested is a mystery, to me this is clearly negligence.

Your chances of restoring erections very much depends on the exact nature of your surgery. You don't mention if your surgery was "nerve sparing" or not. Unfortunately, if it wasn't, chances of regaining spontaneous erections are practically zero. Sorry. Radiation is an extra trauma.

If your surgery was nerve sparing then you should use PHE5 inhibitors immediately, e.g. sildenafil or tadalafil (generic versions of these are cheaper than Viagra or Cialis). If not, I believe they will be of little value.

Sorry, I'm not clear how you intend to use a vibrator. I have used one in the past anally to enhance orgasm. That works because it stimulates your "G spot". However your G spot is your prostate gland, so your G spot has gone. If you use it to stimulate your penis, that will help I guess.

Yes you should try using a pump. You can try using it for sex. This entails pumping up your penis by drawing blood into it. To have sex you then have to put an elastic ring round the base of your penis. This means that although your shaft is stiffer, it is floppy at the base. Also when blood is drawn in, it's drawn into the skin as well as the erectile tissue so is fatter.

However, using the pump is not just about having sex, it's about preserving what function you've got and preventing fibrosis of the erectile tissue and venous occlusion. If those happen, no chance. So you should use it routinely twice a day, every day. Additionally you need a proper medical pump, not one of the cheap ones you see advertised or in sex shops. They are much more expensive.

I've never had as regret about losing cum. I'm not gay however so hadn't realized this might be an issue. In any event, because of the shortening of my urethra due to prostate removal when I have an erection it pulls on my bladder sphincter. Sometimes then, although otherwise continent I leak a bit. Sometimes I ejaculate urine which I find interesting and my wife doesn't mind.

I'm so sorry, if you've not had nerve sparing, you may have to resort to the injections.

You don't say if you're in a stable relationship or not. It would help if you were. You need a partner who is understanding and supportive.

Good luck

[Hidden]

Hi Dan

Pleased that you found the cancer eventually and that it has now been removed. Good that things have not spread to the lymph nodes but they will need to keep an eye on your PSA to ensure it does not go elsewhere. A PSA greater than 0.2 is a clarion call. Please see: prostrcision.com/wp-content...

As far as legal action is concerned, due to the profusion of the cancer from the prostate, that has to be a source of greater worry than if it had not. That, I would have thought, would be a fairly good basis for legal action. You might find it helpful to contact a prostate cancer charity and seek guidance on that. Take care.

[dhl550906]

HI Dan, I had standard prostatectomy last year, and continence returned with the exercises 3 months afterwards. Like you, my cancer was outside the capsule of the prostate, so I had radiation there this year with 30 days of radiation daily except weekends, and was on injectable and oral anti-androgens for 6 months. No problem with incontinence after radiation, but I still don't have any erections. There is an injectable drug - Bimix or Trimix - which apparently is good for ensuring erections (certain places on penis can be injected others not!!), but haven't tried that yet, as I have a friend who had prostatectomy and finally got erections back 1 1/2 years later. Fortunately, I'm a bottom and my partner has dementia, so no sex from him anyway, and I haven't ventured into the "market" yet. Ejaculation is interesting - I was able to masturbate before the anti-androgen effect kicked in which removed most sex drive, (although still enjoyed and enjoy looking at a hunky guy!). When I did ejaculate, had some urine, which is normal, so let your partner know that once it returns! Good luck with your continuing recovery.