Today's oncologist visit

Mel,

It's not just the complexity issue, there would be potential liability issues with another uro stepping in. There is no doctor around that knows as much about my situation then my presnt uro/surgeon, with the 9 ops that he has performed related to it. Prior to the by-pass surgery, my case was studied by Dr. Webster at Duke (about a 5 hr drive from here). He is considered one of the best recontructive bladder neck surgeons in the country, and his remarks back to my uro, was that there was so much radiation damage to the bladder and bladder neck, that any attempts to repair it would probably end up disastorous at best, and that the chances of leaving me 100% incontinent for life were high, and that I would also be majorly ED after. He was not at all eager to take me on, and he's one of the best in that field.

From a surgical perspective, there are only a handful of possibilities, regardless of the surgeon. The most commonly used approach, is via the scope. The next best shot, would be suprapubically, which has now been ruled out to the prescence of a collasped bladder. So making an incison over the bladder to access it to further exploratory surgery is the best shot of getting inside it, without risking rectal wall damage.

i should know in about a week or two, if my present uro/suregeon will concur with my oncologist and agree to do so. if he says yes, as much as i don't want another op, i would be willing to consent just to get to the bottom of what is going on.

david

thanks, samster. i could certainly use a bit of break in this twisted journey of mine. you would think by the law of averages, something would go right, lol. but it is what it is.
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dropped off a letter to my uro/surgeon, unfortunatley he had already taken off for the weekend, but at the end of the letter, i asked him to consult with my oncologist, and see if we can come up with a game plan that all sides agree on. i am game to anything at this point, that will give some conclusive evidence.

david

Aimzee, don't think i have ever thought or accused you "hikjacking". I am not real big into that term, as I don't mind when a thread takes a natural turn here and there.

Yeah, the VA thing has been a thorn in my side for nearly 3 years now, I really do believe that the VA hopes some of us older vets will die before a case gets decided. They sure didn't mind me joining when I was 18 and Viet-Nam was a raging war.

Give my thanks to Ron as well. I think about him and his horrific pain, and I spend a lot of time on the Chronic Pain group too, I know that I am not alone in my pain battle. Just hard for anyone else to truly understand what a challenge it can be to make it from one day to the next. As a wife, like my wife, you see Ron's daily battles yourself up close and personal.

david in sc

David, I'm sure there is a doctor out there that can help...the problem is finding him !! While my story is different..there are similarities. about 6-7 years ago I started having extremely severe abdominal pain and would get very sick...vomiting, couldn't even move from the pain....I ended up in the E.R. then hospitalized 7 times plus had 10 or so attacks that cleared without going to the hospital......I saw doctor after doctor...I was afraid all the time......well after every test known to man it was determined that I was having Small Bowel Obstructions which were being caused by adhesions from my prostate surgery.I could'n't find a  qualified surgeon willing to operate...I had 6 surgical consults....the Chief GI surgeon at Stanford Medical Center, head surgeon at Palo Alto Medical, I even saw a gynocologist who specialized in endometreosis....nobody would touch me. Well, I finally found a top surgeon at UCSF.....we did the operation 1 1/2 years ago and so far doing well....but finding him was like finding a needle in a haystack. I still fear having another one of these, but for now all is ok.....back to the fight with Prostate Cancer.Good luck in your search.

Terry

Terry,

That was an amazing story there, but looks like it had a happy ending, of course, then to have to deal with PC.

Hope you continue to do well.

david