things that surprised you about prostate cancer

[Darryl]

For a list I will post here, please reply with one or more things that surprised you about prostate cancer after you were diagnosed and up until today. Things about the disease, treatments, journey, your home, family, friends, and work-life....anything you can characterize as a surprise or unexpected aspect about prostate cancer. Thanks.

[jimreilly]

After hearing that robotic laporoscopy was easier than traditional RP surgery I was surprised at how much pain and discomfort I had after a laparoscopic RP and how slow the recovery was. One of my nurses said that in their opinion such surgery was "easier" for the surgeon but not always for the patient. Don't know if that's true, but if I just judged from my experience I would think it might be. (I had earlier had a non-laparoscopic kidney surgery, and I would say I had sharper and more persistent pain after the prostate surgery).

[ColorandLight]

1. How the post op catheter was really not that bad.

2. How quickly it’s become routine to give myself injections to get erections post op (7 mos for me at this point)

3. How not concerned my urologist was/is about the lack of erectile function the surgery causes. If I wasn’t advocating for rehab, injections, and other options, it would hardly be an issue for him.

[Longlines8]

I was surprised how much I missed ejaculation. I had expected this to not be an issue.

How at first the trimix shots made me hard as a teen and stay up much longer but over the years (6 at this point) now not super hard any more and only lasts about 15 to 30 minutes.

How no one mentioned I'd lose 1 to 1.5 inches in length.

[DWK908 in reply to Longlines8]

I feel the same and I think the trimix shots made my cock curved. It used to be so straight when I was hard. I miss the ability to ejaculate very much.

[Terp2017 in reply to Longlines8]

I feel the same way about ejaculations and miss the extra 1.5 inches. No one ever said the frequency of urination would increase so much.

[Pierre71]

I am surprise how much I miss to see my gooey semen spurt at orgasm

I am also surprised to see how resilient the body is. Having erections as before, orgasms (dry) and pleasure even by having absolutely all removed under the penis is really surprising.

I am also surprised how the men and women that I meet every day to which I explain everything about prostate cancer does not know what the prostate is, the functions of this gland and the consequences of having a prostatectomy.