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Just had RALRP

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 5/9/2017 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everybody, really happy to have found this site and all the knowledge and experience here.

My PSA has been increasing for years and had a biopsy (negative) in 2011 and a negative MRI in 2013.

Strong family history of PCa and PSA still rising despite finasteride led to another MRI in Dec 2016 which showed a lesion score of 3 on a 1-5 scale. Biopsy using Uronav found multiple cores positive, most 3+3 but one 3+4.

Had DaVinci procedure done at Johns Hopkins with Dr Pavlovich. Great facility, great surgeon. Pathology came back upgraded to 4+3 but all negative - margins, lymph nodes, etc.

Catheter comes out soon and then I am thinking I will start the Cialis 5 mg daily. Ordered Dr Mulhall's book on Kindle and watched his videos on YouTube (learned all of this on this site). I am totally scared of needles and the idea of ICI but I see so many of you use Trimix so maybe I am just a big chicken. Anyway hoping daily Cialis and maybe 2x per week 100 mg Viagra does something.

Anyway I am 61 and this is my 3rd major cancer (not counting perhaps 8 SCC and BCC removals from skin) so I have had my fair share and then some so went for the long term cure. Worried about ED and continence but cure is 1st priority. Have supportive wife who says she'll love me no matter what and I'll be no less of a man in her eyes with or without erections. Wish I felt the same.

Post Edited (gardener55) : 5/9/2017 11:51:16 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/9/2017 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats on all the negatives in your pathology! Seems like you should be pretty confident of getting it all. You and I may have crossed paths at JH while walking the halls. I had mine this past Monday morning and was there for that night and another. Taking my catheter out tomorrow. My surgeon was Dr. Han. I was on 11th floor Zyad (sp?). Did you have nerve sparing surgery? That may make a significant difference in how much ED you have.
Posted 5/9/2017 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
welcome to HW.

It takes time to know what will recover. You're at a very early stage, so it's impossible to know for sure.

Give it some time, let your body heal and see what come ups.

Andrew
Posted 5/9/2017 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
gene62, small world I had my surgery at JH the same day. But I was on 6th floor at Bayview. Yes nerve sparing, 50% on one side and 75% on other.

PS I am removing my catheter tomorrow also. Kind of anxious about removing it myself but anxious to have it out.

Post Edited (gardener55) : 5/9/2017 12:47:58 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/9/2017 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
I believe the desire to have it out at this point overrides our anxiety! With the nerve sparing you stand a good chance of recovering pretty well from initial ED. And as you note there are aids as well. Glad we have both made it through -- now to regaining some normalcy.
Posted 5/9/2017 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
That's a good path report, you did well! A Doc gave me an injection of trimix and it didn't hurt at all but was quite effective. That never appealed to me either.

When it's time for the cath to come out, deflate it and take a nice warm shower, mine practically fell out - it just required a slight tug. Easy-peasy.
Posted 5/9/2017 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on getting your surgery done, and the good pathology report. Now it's time to deal with the side effects, but don't stress out over them. Let your body heal. Walk as much as possible, as that will help your recovery and can aid in regaining continence.
Posted 5/9/2017 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
gardener55,

Your third go-around...well you deserve a break!

I just wanted to provide a little perspective. Trimix injections are definitely not the 1st-pass path to take...more like the 3rd-pass. You do see a lot of posts here about this topic because it there can be issues which accompany it's use. Worry about that later, and only if you need to. A lot of guys (myself included) end up with acceptable sexual function from the PDE-5 inhibitor pills (Cialis, Viagra, etc). I've been taking a 5mg daily dose of Cialis for, I dunno, close to 8 years ago now (my 8-year surgery anniversary recently passed).

For now, you've got a little recovery to do once the catheter is out, then a bit of healing from surgery, and then...then it'll be time to start "penile recovery."

Good luck!
Posted 5/9/2017 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats and welcome. I am 3 and a half years post RALP. I found that for me 5mg Cialis 2-3 times a week has worked well and did not have the negative side effects of Viagra.
Posted 5/10/2017 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Gardener and Gene....best wishes. That said, you guys really need to include your locations in your profile! As a fellow student of the 'Johns Hopkins School of Cutlery' and only about 30 minutes south of the facility, I may be missing out on beer and crab cake time with the fellas!

LOL!

MD

P.S., I was also on the 11th floor of the Zayed tower after mine. No pets and a great night's sleep!
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