A Pleasant Holiday Greetings to one and all here at HW

This is my second Christmas season I have spent here at HW.  I have met so many new friends here in that year, including those on line and in person.

Want to extend this greeting to Peter for having such a wonderful source for us to use, and to each of our moderators who do a tough job keeping our cat fights down to a minimum.

To each of my friends here, both male and female.  Your combined support and care has carried me forward through many a dark moment and set back this past year, I will always be  greatful for your knowledge and heart felt care.

This is a great place, and is a real part of my day to day life.  For whatever I contribute, I trust you I take back more in return.

And as one of my favorite songs says, "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.  Let there be peace on Earth, the way it was meant to be."

May all my PC brothers and their families have a wonderful and heart filled holiday, and may the year 2010 be a great one for all

David and Peggy in the great Palmetto State of South Carolina

Thank you, David. You been a great friend here today. The best to you and your faamily, and keep those zero's rolling in next year.

We can get excited, tax seasons is upon us soon, lol.

David in SC

Right back at you David. Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.

Keeping my fingers x'd for a good PSA result today.

All the best to you.

Magaboo

steve, thanks, yeah, my mom is but 15 minutes away, and at age 82, not a bad thing.

magaboo, thanks, and the best to you all as well, you been a great allie

tony, thanks for all you do, may the peace of the lord be with you, and your family too

Hey David,

All the best to you and Peggy for the holidays. Hope you have a great Christmas with your family!

...my 2nd Christmas here, too. And, thanks for all the support you've given me. It's meant a lot.

In the new year...your PSA will be zero...I'll finally get some time off and indulge in the southern BBQ you've invited me so often for...and all will be well

Mike

Hi David,


Wishing you and yours the compliments of the season and a healthy and happy new year.



Keep well,

Bill

Hi David,

My wife and I extend our Best Wishes to you and Peggy for a relaxing Christmas and Joyful New Year, hopefully with PSA 0's.  We pray nightly for you and for all prostate cancer and other cancer victims throughout the world.  I, too, have survived for two years since diagnosis.  Like most of us here, I have much to be thankful for, especially for people like you in this forum.  Peace to you and to all who share their journeys here.

Like many along the east coast, we received a very special Christmas present - about two feet of snow!  It was and is wonderful - my wife and I are from Maine and how we miss snow at Christmas time!  Not this year.  We still have a lot on the ground.  The forecast is for rain Christmas and the day after, so we may not have the snow to enjoy much longer.

Gene in Md

Well, it's Christmas day, we had our family get together last night at our home here. Amazing spread of food, great gifts for one and all. All kids and grand kids made as well as my mother.

Can't believe its my second Christmas since my PC fight began, sure didn't expect to be on a catheter a whole nother Christmas again. But such as it is. I have had to completely eliminate Advil, which is a shame, took two yesterday moning, as I didnt want to be on any thing prescription driving around for obvious reason. By the time I got home from last minute shopping and picking up my daughter, I was one big ache from the waste down. My leg bag was fire engine red, and it freaked me. I am use to the pink bags as small amounts of blood mix in, but never one this raw.

Between my wife being a nurse and my daughter in law, an RN, being there, we all decided that I had been on my feet too much, and took the advil.

Christmas is quiet, wife had to work today, for being off yesterday, and me: just going to chill and rest, still in my robe and big bag, don't see much point of dressing, lol, no where to go.

Hope all my brothers and sisters here are having a wonderful day ,enjoying one another. Bless one and all.

David in SC

t-dog, take comfort that most men get through their surgeries and/or radiation treatments fine, with little if any problems. With all sugeries and procedures, there are always risks, sometimes the doctors tell you, and sometime you just have to ask point blank. Each man here has a different twist to their own journey. What is an easy part for one guy, ends up being an ordeal for others. Each of our body's react different to treatments, and pain and pain threshold is a very personal and subjective thing.

In my case, I get through some of the big parts fine, and then get hung up on the small stuff. You never know what you are going to get.

If you are still considering surgery, just remember, whether it be robotic or open like I had, it is still a major and complex surgery. It's a serious decision to make if you go that route, you need to understand there are no guarantees about whether all the cancer will be erradicated (in my case it didnt), you may have incontinence longterm (more than a year), or none at all, the range is that much. And with ED, it's like rolling the dice, even with the "both nerve bundles saved" surgeries performed by brand name doctors, some men are still dealing with ED 2 years later, some go as far as having penile implants.

The point, very mixed bag with what you may or may not get. I healed well from my open surgery, but have had endless problems with blockages and urinary retention, thus why I am still on catheters over a year later, is this normal? Nope, dr says perhaps 4% of men have this trouble. Incontinence for me, lasted less than a month and was never real bad. I had the left nerve bundle removed, the right side was left as is, and according to surgical notes, appeared damaged. Yet having said that, I never had any ED, I have been able to have natural errections right from the start. Even my doctor says it didnt seem possible, yet it works.

Keep researching, keep asking questions, there are no re-winds or re-do's on what you choose. I thought surgery was going to do it for me, and in 9 months, had to go through salvage radiation treatments. For most men, piece of cake, for me, turned out to be a long, painful ordeal. I write this too, on my 86th day of wearing this Suprapubic catheter, which is a constant source of pain and annoyance, with no guarantee of when it will be removed for sure.

Not complaining, just trying to educate on what any of the experienced men here will tell you, you just don't know what you will get. If I had to do this all over again, with my stats, still would have had surgery. Depiste all my troubles.

So good luck to you.

David in SC

Ok David We had a wonderful Christmas here in Louisiiana. Now we get ready for New Year and I do hope that this new year bring you healing and prosperity. Sounds like things are looking up for you on the employment area not lets get rid of that dorn tube! Hope to see you in the early part of 2010.

You brother in PC
Jeff T

David,
Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you and all out PC brothers. I hope the New year will bring good results and bright future for you and your family. Your support has meant a lot to me and many more on this forum. I have learned a lot from you and your advice has always been comforting. Good luck brother.