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Surgery in Nov, or wait to January? Pros/cons?

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Posted 10/26/2009 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denver,

I agree with most that has been said that:

(1) You should be waiting at lest 8 weeks after biopsy and
(2) With your biopsy results, you should have plenty of time before "needing" to do surgery if you choose to do so.

I was in a similar situation to you and my diagnosing doctor and second opinion doctor said I had 4-6 months to comfortably decide on a procedure.

Barry (a.k.a. Idaho)
Posted 10/26/2009 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
My surgeon wouldn't touch me until a min. of 8 weeks after my 3rd and final biopsy, for the same reasons stated by others here. Three weeks sounds risky for the patient, he needs to be on your schedule, not you on his.
Posted 10/27/2009 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Add me to the "wait" pile.
You can spend the holidays in good health and have more time to empty your prostate.
Enjoy it while you can.
Jeff
Posted 10/27/2009 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Denver I agree with the advice your getting here. I was also 3+3 at biopsy and was actually told NOT to make a decision for a while by my urologist. He said the earliest he wanted to see me about anything was two weeks later. I could tell my prostate was taking a while to recover as I was ejaculating blood or brown left overs from the biospsy for about 6 weeks. We also had a holiday already booked to celebrate our 25th Wedding anniversary and the urologist thought it was also idea to go away and enjoy ourselves. I was also called by the hospital and offered a date three weeks earlier than palnned when the booked pateint develoepd a cold, but I declined. I/We stuck to our timing. Yes you will have all kinds of thought in your head over the holidays, but I really think that might be a lesser difficulty that being post op. PC divides our lives in two. Make the most of the end of part one. To quote Churchill: "It's not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning." Why not also use the extra time to get your health as great as possible. If you smoke give up. Stop drinking alcohol. Eat plenty of fruit and veg. (Oh sorry! I forgot it's the time of year for eating and drinking) Practice Kegelling Very best wishes. Alfred
Posted 10/27/2009 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Denver: Just my 2 cents. Take the later date and have as much sex as you can before the big event. Enjoy yourself. You do have time.

Jeff T
Cajun Country
Posted 10/27/2009 8:42 PM (GMT 0)

Denver:

I urge you to re-read the posting of Dave7.  Being pro-active is nice, but it's just not that simple. 

Moreover, after reading the post from RacingOyster, I would have another concern.  Is it the opinion of your doctor that it is medically necessary (even medically desirable) to remove your prostate in Nov. rather than Jan.?  Or, is the Nov. surgery date offered just because it fits in his schedule?  If it is not medically necessary, and if the warnings of RacingOyster have any validity (and I don't mean to doubt him), then I would have more than a few reservations about my current surgeon.

RHC

Posted 10/27/2009 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Have to admit ,that if I had to re-do any portion of my journey, based on what I know now, I would have postponed my open surgery from Nov 14 of last year to the earliest January opening of this year. My entire THanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Years was a big painful mess and a blurr of uncertain memories.

And I think about all that pre-dry orgasm sex I missed out on too! lol.

If it is safe, I would wait that little bit of time.

David in SC
Posted 10/27/2009 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
My opinion only, but if you are sure you want to go robotic, and if your doc says three weeks is enough time from the biopsy, why wait? The cancer is not ging to get any better, only worse. Even though it is slow growing, that means nothing if it grows enough to get into the next stage or get you positive margins. I wish I would have had surgery months earlier than I did. Again, just my opinion.
Posted 10/27/2009 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
 

First of all, a HUGE thanks to everyone who has replied! My wife and I just went through the entire thread with great interest and we are both just blown away how great you guys are. I haven't been able to check the forum for a few days because I came down with a flu (sneezing, cough, aches, fever, etc. . ).  

This flu has knocked the Nov. 16th date out of the picture.

Sorry, the dates in my initial Oct 21 post got mis-understood by some - I said that I had been 'diagnosed' 2 weeks before.  So, the biopsy would have been 3 weeks before the post, on Sept 29. So, surgery on Nov 16th would have been a little over 6 weeks. And 6 weeks is the minimum from my doc. 

So, yes, I'm going to heed the advice of many and take more time. Going to see a radiation oncologist on Friday. Now that the flu has subsided, I can continue with my research.

My insurance deductible has already been met for this year, because of a car accident in January (some kid ran a red light and hit us - wife is still doing physical therapy). So, financially, it seems best to do it this year if another spot came open. My wife and I do not have kids or grandkids, and there are no relatives flying in for the holidays. 

Just the idea that my PSA doubled since March of 2008, just doesn't sit well with me. Nobody knows what that curve really is and at what rate the cancer is really growing - right now everything indicates it being contained in the capsule, but there is no way to tell how long that will be.

But, now that I'm feeling better, I will get down to business and learn and research everything that I can, and educate myself as you have all recommended.

Thanks so much, again!!!!

 

Posted 10/29/2009 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Ok, but don't forget the sex part. There are some things you can't store up, and that is one of them. Maybe even a few weekend trips, or a long trip to some fun place.

Probably the thing I miss most is the spontaneous sex part. Not as much fun when you have to take viagara, or do a pump or injections.

Good luck, but with your stats, I would say you have time to enjoy life a little.
Posted 10/29/2009 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
Goodlife you are on point with the last comment....Earlier I think I posted. Have as much spontanious sex as you can before suregry....Denver you are a young man...Enjoy the sex...

Jeff T
Posted 10/29/2009 11:33 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, get plenty for the Gipper, and the rest of us, while you still can have good old fashioned messy sex.
Posted 10/29/2009 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Guys...there is more to life than sex....
Posted 10/29/2009 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
... True. But like ice cream and sweet wine, given the choice, I'd rather not go without it.
Posted 10/29/2009 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
Sex and money are not everything.

But, they are way ahead of whatever is in second place!!!
Posted 10/29/2009 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Les, you are right, there are Ferrari's and Lamborghini's and fast motorcycles.
Posted 10/29/2009 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yep..Thats Right.
Posted 11/2/2009 1:03 AM (GMT 0)
I had the same stats and waited 6 months. I'd wait at least until after Christmas. You have no need to rush. My dr. Told me Gleason could take 10 years to cause promblems untreated.
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