Prostatectomy Alternatives

[horseradish]

When I ran across this forum and became a member I read through all the "discussions" and realized that I didn't belong here! I pictured the posters on here as a bunch of guys walking around bowlegged, dripping blood, waving their peckers around, holding it firmly so it wouldn't fall off, all the while trying not to trip over their catheters!........

I'm a seventy year old guy who clearly remembers the death of my father, some 25 years ago, of prostate cancer. I vowed that cancer would not sneak up on me as it did to my dad. When my annual PSA test came back a 4+ I was referred to a urologist. That referral resulted in a biopsy that scored some "hot Spots" that ranked 3-4 and a 7+ on the Gleason score.

That gave me the three choices...cut...microwave or wait around. The prostatectomy, at first made a lot of sense because I had a history of ulcerative colitis. Current medical thinking is that UC and radiology are not compatible. A conference with my gastrointestinal surgeon/doctor opened the choice doors back open when he said that my colon could tolerate radiation!

My urologist, does around 50 radial -prostatectomies a year. He is not a fan of the robotics. His prognosis for me was: a surgical recovery period of 6 to 8 months (three months of which involved a catheter) resulting 100% removal of the prostate and its cancer cells, 25-40 % of immediate and future problems with urinary and fecal incontinence and 25-45% of problems with ED. But, I would be cancer free until I died of something else!

The radiologists I conferred with gave me these numbers; 95% assurance of no further prostate cancer cell growth for at least 15 years and 100% thereafter, 5 to 10% chance of incontinence problems and 10-15% chance of ED problems.

I chose radiation therapy....it was prolonged and the two DRT sessions were very uncomfortable. (If someone wants more details about my radiation therapy, just ask..) The results some six months later is that I pee when I want, (not when my bladder wants), bowels are fine and peter gets up just as eagerly as it always did.

Check with me some 15 years from now!

Remember, it's you making choices for yourself.