It has been a long time since I checked in here. Just wanted to give hope to the younger guys who may be worried about the future. I found out at 44 that that I have prostate cancer, and now 5 years...
Hey Squid - Glad you decided to post. There are a lot of good people sharing good information and support on this site. Hope you stick around and share your journey. Try not to get caught on the poop...
Mikee219 - The signature worked. Even with a biopsy report like yours there is a lot that can be done to slow things down and hopefully stop it in it's tracks. Your situation is very serious and the...
Mikee219 - It does sound like your local team is not up to date. I live between Charlottesville and Fredericksburg. My biopsy was done at UVA and my surgery was at Johns Hopkins. My recommendation is...
GTO - I live in Locust Grove out by Lake of the Woods. If I had to have my biopsy done over I would go to the surgeon who did my RRP. IMO the biopsy is critical to finding cancer that is just...
There are some things that can cause the psa to rise slightly for a short period of time. Ejaculation and bike riding are a couple. Never heard coffee causing a psa rise. -John...
David T - No worries. Keep learning and asking questions. This is the best place on the net for prostate cancer information and support. Stay in touch. - John...
Mavica - I've noticed in several of your posts that you seem to emphasize talking to your doctor and relying on their advice. Do you think that the people on this site are not doing that? I find the...
Fred - Make sure you are walking as much as you can without over doing it and be patient. Everyone heals at different rates. - John...
I could not agree more with Tony and Bill. After spending four years in the medical field while in the Navy I realized that not all docs are created equal. Never forget that the person who finishes...
Chuck - Welcome and congratulations on surviving for so long. Keep up the good fight. I'm sure everyone at this excellent site, self included, is looking forward to your knowledgable posts....
Bill - Glad to hear about your latest results. Hope you hit 'em long and straight. Many years ago I was a corpsman (medic) in naval special operations. I was constantly amazed at the various quality...
Brighteyes - 0.03 is excellent. Nothing to worry about . Just make sure you stay in touch with your doc and get the psa checked every 6 months to a year. Stay in touch and let us know how you are...
cjp - At your age and psa level the odds are that you do not have cancer. If you do have cancer, odds are that it is very earley and still curable. With your family history and your rising psa you...
Lemonlime - If you have been unusually active the last couple of days you may have loosened up something causing it to bleed a little. It probabley is not anything serious. Your doc will probabley...
cjp - Welcome to the best place on the net for information about prostate related issues. If your symptions started after the aggressive dre then they are probably related to the dre. With your psa...
Randy - Congratulations! - John...
Jeff - Not to alarm you, yet it is possible to have cancer with a very low psa. One of the best things you can do is learn as much as you can about PCa. There is a lot to learn and it is worth the...
Tony - Glad to hear your butt is sore. A sore butt means the treatment is working. - John...
Dale - Our cancer journeys are definately life changing and I can relate to what you posted. Over the last 4 months I have reflected on my life and made some significant changes. My biggest regret is...
Bill - Something is definately going on with your prostate. Do you have any symptoms? How old are you? A large increase in the psa should encourage you to have a biopsy regardless of your age. The...
Bluenose - Glad your doing well. - John...
HI!...
Sounds like a good plan to me....
Rick - Your path report sounds excellent. As far as the bleeding goes, I had a little during my first post-op week and after that nothing. The blood is probably a result pushing too hard during a...
Lemonlime - Are you feeling better after painting the bathroom? As far as the leaking goes, my experience has been sort of like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Over time you make progress but it...
Suzy - If you want proton therapy then fight the insurance company. Do not give up. There are a lot of people who can help you fight them. - John...
Sike - I had surgery 2 months ago at Johns Hopkins and I live in VA. If you want to talk on the phone, email me your phone number. Click on Navy for email. - John...
Bill - The best advice I can give you is that the hard part is already over. Nothing that will happen over the next several weeks will compare to being told that you have cancer. The future won't be...
Lemonlime - Being 5 weeks post op it probably is all right to paint the bathroom. You are probably just using muscles you have not used in awhile. You might want to take it easy for a few days and...
Tony - With you helping your dad monitor his psa, I'm sure he will be fine. If I was 74 and had a psa under 10, I probably would just watch it. There is a guy in my man to man support group who is 82...
Ellsworth - Learn as much as you can about PCa so that you can make the best decision for your particular situation. This site has the most informed support group on the net, so ask a lot of...
Jack Z - I"ve heard Dr. Myers name many times on this site and from guys in my man-to-man support group. I think he is located in Virginia. Finding the right doctor can make a huge difference in your...
mrs. c - Everything you are feeling is normal and you are not alone in this journey. There are a lot of wives, who are very informed and supportive, who post on this site, so ask a lot of questions...
You can work with a catheter but it probably is not a good idea. An RRP is major surgery and all the quick recovery talk is somewhat misleading. Everyone's recovery is different. I'm 44 and in very...
VaFan- I've had the open procedure and I live in VA. E-mail your digits and I'll call you tonight. - John...
Go to the Johns Hopkins Hospital website and look for the Han Tables. Enter your gleason, stage, and psa and it will give you a %....
Sounds to me like Barkley is confused. I don't see how a colonoscopy can screen for prostate cancer. The round mound of rebound should stick to basketball and leave the cancer talk to people more...
Pete- Congratulations on all the zeros. You're an inspiration to all us new guys. - John...
SHU93- You are the youngest person I have come across with PCa. I am a little older but in the same ballpark, statistically speaking. From what I can gather, nobody really knows about reoccurrance....
Jack Z - Welcome to the club you didn't want to join. Being in shock is normal for anyone who finds out they have cancer. It will take some time to mentally adjust to things. My recommendation to you...
I'm not an expert on the subject, yet weighing pads makes sense to me. If a man has incontinence issues there are many variables to think about and weighing pads gives you measurable results. The...
Mr. Pork Chop - After high school I joined the Navy and enjoyed every minute of the 4 years that I was in. I thought about being a lifer but I knew that one of my main goals was to run my own...
This subject is probably one of the most sensitive to wrap your hands around. Once again, as I try to gather information I get conflicting opinions. Some doctors say penile shortening is a side...
LV-TX, Excellent post. You are very well informed and have a good plan. I think James C.'s advice is excellent. Even after you get home after surgery keep walking. All the best, - John...
Hang in there buddy. As you are aware everyones recovery is different. Try this, my doctor said not to do kegals, he recommends only stoping and starting the urine flow during urination. Start the...
Jeff - Glad everything went well. Have you gone for a walk yet? - John...
Thanks for all the replies. Does anyone understand the effect on the lymph system when lymph nodes are removed from it ? - John...
During my initial consultation Dr. Partin said he was going to remove the nerve bundle on the right side because of the tumor size and its location. He never mentioned the lymph nodes. I think he...
My doctor told me the best thing to do is while urinating stop the flow of urine completely then begin urinating again. Do this every single time you urinate. He said to imagine holding a quarter...