One week from today I am getting my first PSA test since my operation. Should be good, but it is a challenging hurdle to get over. Will report on the outcome and any more pathology information I can get when I meet my urologist a week after that.
But I thought, I'd report on what's been happening with the things that aren't life and death (or life and a lot of treatment).
Incontinence is a lot better than I feared. Just over 3 weeks after the operation I stopped wearing the pads. I'm completely dry at night, and mostly over a few drops during the day, mostly associated with more strenuous physical activity.
ED is close to complete, as you'd expect after 5 weeks. Knowing that getting the blood moving through the penis is the best you can do while waiting for the nerves to awaken, I'm taking 5mg daily of Tadalafil, and was giving it a good massage a couple of times a day. It would come out of its shell a little bit, but never harden. My physiotherapist thought I should try a pump (try everything is the message), so bought a cheap one from the local adult shop (something I hadn't even noticed before). It's not changing things when I don't use it, but it does work really effectively in making my dick bigger and harder than its been for while. I shaves my public hair around the base, and thing fit easily. It does me good to see it hard! I'll see if my urologist wants me to try a bigger dose of Sildenafil or even an injection. It's amazing what you now take to be the new normal!
Finally, at 3 weeks I also had my first post-prostatectomy orgasm. I may not have even thought of it, if it hadn't been for this group. It is weird: soft and with no ejaculate. But, I guess it's still pretty intense (maybe more so), it's repeatable, and women have been having orgasms without erections or ejaculation forever. My only regret is that without cum, it's strangely harder to know when I've orgasmed. It the end it's clear, as I loss interest, and also am breathing like a freight train! Again, it's my new normal.
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Firefly54
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Sounds like you're doing very well. I've read that it can take up to two years for continence and potency to return so you're way ahead of that on both measures. I think there's reason to believe that you will become fully continent and close to fully potent again, maybe in a few months. You won't ever see cum again but, what the heck, it's the feelings that count.
I bit ahead of you so yeah it takes time but things do progress. One thing I noted is using Sildenafil is awesome! I mean if I would have known before what it can do, I would have used way before my RP. I mean the intensity, the experience, its better then life before. To bad its so expensive...
Thanks for the advice. I’ll make certain I get my urologist to prescribe some Sildenafil. But it is interesting to see how much fun you can have with a soft penis.
Be patient. It is still very early. Congratulations on the bladder control. It took me three months to totally go without pads. The erection takes longer. My doc explained to me the nature of nerves and that they take a long time to heal. Most of what i have read, what he told me, and what I'm observing, say 18-24 months and that is assuming 100% nerve sparing. It took me six months to start getting an erection and at 18 months it is doing pretty well.
Don't go crazy with the pump as you are still healing inside and don't want to risk damaging anything. In a few months ask him for a 15 or 20mg dose for "on demand" use. You will notice the difference. You can of course always take more 5 mg tablets though that eats into the 30 day supply. Also in a few months ask him about constriction rings... cock rings. They work in conjunction with the medication to retard blood flow back out of your penis.
Hey, the main thing is you will have an undetectable PSA reading and life will go on. Sometimes you have to try, but keep the focus on the important things... life!
Thanks, I agree patience is important, and also not getting too far ahead of myself. Even my continence, which is good, has its moments, with drips and leaks, and even a wet patch in the bed once (and not the good kind!).
I only had 80% nerve sparing, which means I'm definitely not assuming too much erection-wise. My routine at the moment is the daily 5mg tadalafil and 10 minutes on the pump, with a bit of manipulation when I'm in the mood. The pump came with a ring, but I'm quite small, and possibly smaller since the operation, so need to get the right size. For rehabilitation, as well, it's best not to use the ring, as the point is to get blood into the penis.
You worried me a bit with the warning about not going crazy with the pump, but the advice from an Australian clinic is for 10 minutes a day for 6 months, with the most important warning is not to 'inflate' too fast. On the effectiveness and when to start, I found this article, which isn't that recent, but seems to support pumping: researchgate.net/publicatio...
I am grateful for your sharing of your experiences after surgery. For me, those first two weeks after the catheter came out were among the lowest of my life. The last 26 months havd been about defining my new normal. My potency has not returned and I do not expect it. I have done everything short of implant. At age 77 pentrative sex is not high on my agenda. My new normal. Thank you for contributing.
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