10 month post op 0.00

Thank you for all the support and encouragement from everyone since diagnosis, intervention, and healing well! My free PSA test for September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month was less than 0.04! My next official visit with Dr. Sekula and Dr. Albala, New Hartford, N.Y. and Syracuse N.Y., is in December. I'm still leaking a bit, mostly from stress and can wear a depends for 16 hours or so with it barely damp. Most of the issues are from post pee leaking, but the "milking the perineum" helps tremendously. ED sucks, and have been reluctant to take Cialis, I hate medications, never needed them for anything, and hopefully can resolve this issue without them... Thank you to all, there is hope for sure, this, coming from a guy that had a gun to his head during a terrible bout with depression post op... Prayers, best wishes, and sincere hope for all of you for great health and happiness forever.

Bob

Fantastic news Bob, glad to hear it and I wish you the very best as you continue down the path.

Congratulations !

Great you are doing well.
Take the Cialis. It's part of the rehab process. Opinions will vary whether it helps or not. I didn't want to leave anything to chance and did as I was told.

sbharley -

You said: "...this, coming from a guy that had a gun to his head during a terrible bout with depression post op..."

I sincerely hope you meant that figuratively rather than literally.

On the other hand, if that was literally true, then please, please give very serious consideration to seeing someone about therapy to help you with this! Antidepressants, talk therapy, something! At the very least please do talk to your primary physician right now about this, whoever that person is. He or she can help.

There is absolutely no shame whatsoever in feeling depression following surgery, or really following any treatment. Actually, it is pretty common to feel such depression, and there are many things that can be done to combat it.

But you must take action yourself and talk to your caregivers if you believe that it is still a problem. Please do take action if this is continuing to bother you!

And if it helps you, please do know that you are among friends here, many of whom have experienced exactly what you are experiencing, and we are glad to help if we can because many of us know what you're feeling.

Good luck to you, and please do whatever it takes to help yourself!

sbharley –

I was glad – and frankly relieved – to read your reply that you really are in control of things because you really do have a strong support system: a strong wife, an "infinitely strong support system" as you put it, and good doctors.

That is so important, because PCa, like so many serious illnesses, attacks the mind as well as the body. Severe depression is indeed one of the things it can cause, but, as noted, there are many excellent medications and therapies that can help with that. Even a good exercise program, such as the exercise and weight lifting that you mention, can make a big difference. And a challenging and rewarding job, such as being a teacher, which you also mention that you do, can make a huge difference in a person's outlook if you love doing it.

There was something else that you mentioned in your original post that I want to follow up on. You mentioned that you had "survived a career in the military" and that you had "lost men." Well, some of us regular posters here can relate to that. For example, I was a soldier in the Army and I saw action in Vietnam during that war, as a number of us here did, and I believe we also may have a few veterans here from more the recent conflicts, such as the Gulf War or Afghanistan or Iraq. And if while serving you "lost men" as you say, then there is always the possibility that you may have experienced chronic PTSD, which can certainly add to the stress of having to deal with a serious illness.

On that subject, since you appear to be career military, I assume you are already aware that the Veterans Administration has considerable benefits, both medical and financial, available to those who have served (or perhaps you're in TRICARE and already have access to them). If you're not aware of this, then by all means go to the VA website and learn what it available to you for your years of service.

And as I stated in my earlier post, this forum is a truly outstanding source of online support and information, with many here available virtually 24/7 to listen and assist, whether you have questions, or simply want to express yourself, we will be here for you.

When it comes to prostate cancer, this forum really is one of the very best on the net, if not the best, for online help with dealing with this disease.

So it's really good to hear that you are on top of this thing, but if there is anything that we can do here online to help further, please do let us know.

Good luck!

CONGRATS BOB !!

Hey Bob,
I'm happy to hear your PSA news, but I'm SO GLAD to hear that hear how much improved you are continence wise. I remember you were having a real hard time. Actuall, we had it done about a month apart, and I remember that I was having a hard time, but it seemed to me you might have been having even a harder time. But now, though I am much better, it sounds to me like you might be doing even better than me. And I agree, post urination dribbling is the biggest problem, and perineal pressure/milking does help a lot.

Anyway, happy to hear how much better you are having it! Here's to continued improvement for both of us and others here also!
Bill