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Posted 11/29/2009 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
OK-- the time is getting closer. Tomorrow I have my biopsy (under sedation).

I plan to go back to work (University Prof) on Thursday.

I plan to drive home (2 1/2 hours) on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Is this realistic?

I'm usually quite active/animated in the classroom. I can slow that down, of course.

Mel

Posted 11/29/2009 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
I believe from the patients I have seen write on forums like this, that it varies alot. Probably you will do just fine. I can mention my own fun in having biopsies. Uro-doc never informed me about anesthetics or the total number of biopsies I was getting or not alot on what to expect (maybe just a little).

Well it hurts a little like a rubber band being snapped on your behind is similar. After I had the first 6 he paused and I said oh thank G__ that is over...then he said we are half way through (LOL-on it now). After it was over went to the bathroom and took a leak and did not have blood in urine, or atleast I could not see that it was really much different. I must of healed pretty fast as I had no detection of weird colorings or issues. Was tender and sitting might not feel the same for a while. I drove myself home after the biopsies and yeah you could probably go back to your duties very soon, maybe with some discomfort. I was 51 at the time and in very good shape, maybe that helped some.

You will get through that little gig as we other brothers, herein have done. Hope you took some advice and see that the slides go to one of those few type experts, in Michigan Dr. Grignon is considered among the list of experts, per Dr. Strums short list he mentions. However Bostwick, Epstein, Oppenheimer are highly praised on there skills. Best to you. My brother was diagnosed with stats similar to "indolent" PCa definitions, that was 5-yrs. ago now and has done nothing (W.W.-surveliance) his psa has not changed, he is in no hurry to make that big decision. That is a personal decision for the guy who has PCa, probably not insane either.

Bob
Posted 11/29/2009 6:46 PM (GMT 0)

  ..very much so.....I was sedated as well,  more of a "twilight state" that way I didn't have to go to the recovery room. Don't remember a thing about the biopsy, fine with me.....went back to work the next day. Good luck, you'll do fine..

Posted 11/29/2009 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
I played golf both times the day after my normal 12 needle biopsies. I know some here insist on being sedated for them but I don't understand why. It's really not that big an ordeal.

Yes Mel please slow down we are not a class of 19 year olds. Your hyperactive personality will not serve you well fighting PCa. It's best to be patient, take awhile to study your options and possible after effects. In your case you're in big trouble there.
Posted 11/29/2009 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
All I can tell you is how mine went. It was a non-event. I woke up fresh like from a good nap. My wife drove me home and I don't remember any pain whatsoever. It was a fourteen core biopsy. He told me to take it easy for a few days and I consider golf taking it easy, so I went out and played the next day. I had blood in my urine for about five days. I'm not telling you to go play golf. I am a crummy patient and that may be surprising considering my bio info, but I usually let my body tell me what to do or not do since I'm the owner. BTW, he told me that since my PSA was 6.5 and the DRE was negative, my chances of a "hit" on the biopsy were one in eleven. So I was not expecting PCa and I didn't worry about it in the interim. "Only worry about the things that you can do something about." My dad told me that about forty years ago.


Best of luck,



Steve
Posted 11/29/2009 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
I am pretty pain sensitive by nature, and I never found any of my 3 biopsies that big of a deal, under than feeling a bit violated having an object shoved up my a**. I had all mine late in the afternoon, and was back at work the next morning without any issues.

Pain is subjective, so I would never tell another brother whether he needs to be sedated, medicated or otherwise.

But Mel, I bet you are going to drive your doctor(s) wild with worry, lol. Just kidding.

Definitely need at least a chill pill.

David in SC
Posted 11/29/2009 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
By Thursday your body is not even going to remember that you had a biopsy. The largest difference in pain for different individuals seems to be during the procedure, not after. Unless you have a reaction to the sedative, driving on Tuesday seems perfectly reasonable.

Some tips for classroom activity. Leave your unicycle in the office until next week. Throwing bits of chalk at snoozing dullards is ok, but you may want to warm up by targeting the back of your department chairman as he walks down the hall. (If you happen to be a department chair then remember that, under the "fish in a barrel" rule, no points are awarded for chucking chalk at dozing deans.) If your lecture calls for a move that Tony Hawk wouldn't do -- skip it. Finally, if worse comes to worse, you can stand at the podium, speak in a monotone, and flip through power points faster than the students can get them into their notes -- no one will notice since it will seem the same as all the rest of their classes.
Posted 11/29/2009 8:40 PM (GMT 0)

Mel,

My observations.

1. I hated my biopsy. I absolutely positively could not work the day after. However on the next day I went camping on the Current River with my wife and had a wonderful weekend.

2. Overall I hated my biopsy more than my robotic surgery.

3. I have two friends that had the exact type of biopsy one prior to mine one after. Both swear, absolutely swear, that it was a walk in the park!!! Both worked the next day. More amazing to me is that they did activities the day of the biopsy. One went to a movie and the other went out to eat. I had to stay in bed for the duration. All three of us had no sedation, and 12 cores. Both of my friends also attest that going to the dentist is worse. I would suggest that both really need to get a different dentist based on my biopsy experience.

4. I had absolutely no blood in my urine until day 7. And for what ever reason for about 5 hours I had what I thought was an alarming amount of blood (no pain) but it just suddenly stopped and never came back.

Message…Everybody is different, nobody that I can find has ever died during a biopsy, small amount of blood in the urine looks massive but in reality it is not. Obviously I was a real weenie!! (pun intended) when it came to my biopsy.

BTW, I love the hyperactivity in your post. I can feel the passion and I love it. I’d think it would be neat to set through a few of your lectures.... Any posted on YouTube? We need people like you to advocate on our behalf. I hope like heck that your not a member of this fellowship after the results of your biopsy are known. But I’d be willing to bet that you’ll be a great ombudsman for the cause either way.

I’ll light a candle for you tonight.

Jack
Posted 11/29/2009 8:43 PM (GMT 0)

YOu will have a dul pain for about 4 hours; then you can do anything.

JT

Posted 11/29/2009 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Mine went very well. A couple of deadening shots and then 12 thumps as he took the samlems. I had soe blood in my urine hat night. There was some blood in my semen for a week or so but less each time. Driving and working the rest of the day was not a problem.
Posted 11/29/2009 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
I was not sedated. I worked the morning of the biopsy and came home at lunch and gave myself the dreaded enema. The biopsy took look than 15 minutes and I drove myself home. I went to work the next day(sore in the rear). The doctor called me on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and said "You have cancer"...... then I started doing everything you are doing now. Like Jack, blood in the urine didn't start until day 6 or 7. It scared the xxxx out of me.
Posted 11/29/2009 9:40 PM (GMT 0)

Mel, no problem driving home Tuesday and no problem going back to work on Thursday...why not work Wednesday?...maybe it will take your mind off this!

Tudpcok

Posted 11/29/2009 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Mel,

I had a local anesthetic for the biopsy. The doctor apologized for having to take a 13th sample saying that one of them was defective. I didn't really care because it wasn't at all painful. I didn't like being violated and I didn't like having to give myself an enema. Beyond that it was a non event. I walked out of the doctor's office as if I had no more than a DRE.

Wishing you good luck,
Bob
Posted 11/29/2009 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
I was back at work the next day. No problem.
Posted 11/30/2009 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,
You will be able to work the next day so save your sick day for some day when you really need it.

I had a 12 needle biopsy. 10 of them were fine. But 2 were so bad they brought tears to my eyes. So not only does it vary from person to person, it varies from shot to shot.

If you need cheering up think of the view the Uro is getting. That made me laugh. I was tempted to draw a smiley face on my butt but my wife wouldn't let me.

Relax and go with the flow.
Good luck,
Jeff
Posted 11/30/2009 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
I did not have sedation nor was I prepared mentally for a biopsy. I went in for a rectal check and the doctor found the nodule and took me right into the biopsy room. I will admit it was a terrible experience while awake but afterwards I collected myself and went back to work the same day. Really no major side effects for me.

good luck and peace to you
Dale
Posted 11/30/2009 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
Mel
You will be fine. The vast majority of guys have no problems at all. email me. you need to talk to someone to not be so apprehensive. It will be ok.
Paul
Posted 11/30/2009 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
Mel: I'll chime in with the guy who said it wasn't as bad as going to the dentist - it was over in 10 minutes, the numbing shots didn't hurt, and none of the 12 cores were felt. I really can't even say I was sore that day or the days following. The worst part was the more thorough than usual DRE that preceded the biopsy. I went to a three hour event the same evening at which I was sitting the entire time. You'll do great . . . save the sick days.
Posted 11/30/2009 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

I would say that the reason there is variation is not only the difference in pain tolerance, but also the skill, and sometimes the luck, of the doctor performing the biopsy. Also, as you might have noticed, some use a sedative and some do not. I have read that some docs don't even use a local anesthetic (until they had to get a biopsy themselves).

I couldn't pee for a couple hours until they had me drink a lot, and I passed a blood clot. Felt weird but not really painful. Blood in the urine goes away pretty fast. Blood in the semen looks bad but doesn't hurt.

DJ
Posted 11/30/2009 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
My experience was a lot like Zufus. After the first 'rubber band snap on the butt', the doc said, "that's as bad as it will be". OK, I thought, I can handle a couple more of these. "How many are left to go?" (expecting an answer like 3 or maybe 4). "Uhhh, well...eleven" (insert unprintable thought here). More disconserting were the rotations and gyrations of the ultrasound probe to guide the 'shots'. All in all, though, not too bad. Just a 'grin and bear it' half hour or so. Not terribly sore after.

One other thing they either don't tell you, or minimize is "there will be some blood in your semen for the first few times after the biopsy." This means what appears to be pure, thick blood the first time. Might freak you out a bit, but normal.

You're going to get through this little indignity fine.
Posted 11/30/2009 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Rolerbe- looks like about the same fun biopsy experience (LOL). Glad we did not get 20-24 biopsies.

Today is for Mel -(compiler)- I am sure we will hear how this episode worked out for him, hoping it was a non-event. Likely he will post on this so others know, too.
Posted 11/30/2009 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
My husband had local anesthetic for his biopsy around 11 am, after that he went back to work until 6pm at that day.
Posted Yesterday 10:51 AM (GMT 0)
I was under sedation for my biopsy, but the Doc wanted to do a 24 core saturation biopsy and told me I would be happier knocked out.  I wasn't about to argue with him.  I went back to work the next day.
Posted Yesterday 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
The only issue I had was that uncomfortable feeling when seeing blood come out of my penis.

Posted Yesterday 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, I must have had a different procedure. I didnt have any sedation, nurse told me they inserted gel to numb the area...nada... which after what I felt would highly recommend getting knocked out!! The probe/camera was very uncomfortable, needles were ok some more painful then others. Not sure if normal they left a knotted gause in there to stop the bleeding inside which I had to pull out an hour after. The blood clots while urinating was very scarey, had some in stool that just burned slightly. I would have never been able to drive after. I drank a ton of water which helped clean the blood out. First 24 hours was worse for me, next day was sore but OK. Much worse then the surgery....
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