The Catheter is OUT

Howdy,

Do you have the post-op pathology report? We'll look forward to seeing it. Sounds like it will be great news for you.

Good luck!
Chuck :)

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Pathology showed Gleason 3 + 3, pT2c, N0, MX, R1
adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm to firm erections now happening 2 years post-op.

You will be amazed how quickly you will recover now that you've lost the rubber snake. Best of luck to you!!

Tom

Stay+,

Happy to hear the news......You'll do well.

Just take your time heading back to work. I found that I still need a power nap in the afternoon after walking with our Labs.

I found that I was able to shovel snow at about 4 weeks without much difficulty. I head back to Shadyside on 1/08 for my first PSA test. I'm meeting tomorrow with my local urologist.

Best wishes for a healthy and Happy New Year.

Berk

Congratulations. You're on your way to a full recovery. Take care and let us know how you're doing.

I'm able to stop & start the flow of urine, so things are looking up

Congrats!...good to hear that you are recovering well.
Keep going...
All the best..

Stay+

The day my catheter was taken out was amusing and tragic. After I had my catherer removed, I arrived at home all "padded" up and went for my first solo. It was tragic, because I have not had time to drop my pants when my "d*ck" heralded its freedom and p*ssed everywhere and on everything. And then as if to apologize it behaved perfectly for 3 wonderful days, till I started with pelvic floor exercises.

There are some great joys on this journey and one of them is to retain a sense of humour. My wife and I laughed so much that the embarrassment went and I started to accept a "new way of living". Getting into bed that night with a doubly secured nappy was a different matter. Disposing of the dry pad, which was used to re-enforce the nappy, the next morning was a real win.

And then after 3 days of being dry -- it started! This journey is a roller-coaster, sometimes you in the dips and sometimes you are on top of the crests. It does get better though.

So take care!