Fishing season is over
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:29 pm
I'm 63 and it's been 8 months since my robotic surgery prostatectomy. pre surgery Gleason score 6.0.
Post Op 3 month and 8 month PSA were both <.01
Both nerves were spared but progress is slower than I expected. Maybe it was the way the surgeon sold me on the process and maybe it was my own desire to believe the best. I assumed that I'd be in the 60% majority (for my pre-op situation as described by the Dr.) and have erectile function in 6 months or less. In the post op recovery room the surgeon had nothing but happy words to say. "We spared both nerve bundles and this is a good as we could have expected."
With such encouraging results I was crushed at the 3 month check up when the Dr. said something like "As I told you and your wife, in post-op, there was quite a bit of inflammation and it was difficult to separate the nerves from the prostate. You may want to consider injections." That was tough to hear and it was the first time I heard it. I'd have put that in all caps large size red bold text but I'm not the type of guy to yell.
Now at 8 1/2 months post-op I am believing what I heard at the 3 month visit. Maybe I should have considered injections but I have seen some improvement recently and I'm as confused as ever I was. In just the last couple weeks I've had some reaction to Cialis. With 20 mg Cialis and manual stimulation I can get about 1/2 to maybe 3/4 of what would be needed for vaginal penetration.
I've got a few questions. If I should be asking these in another area, or three different threads, please let me know.
#1. Given the recent improvement what can I expect over the next months? Will progress accelerate or will it be slow? I know what the Dr. said but at this point I'd like to hear it from someone who's been there and done that. I'm not asking for a psychic prediction, just some real world experiences.
#2. Prescription Ciali$ is a bitch. Are there any offshore pharmacies that can be trusted?
#3. I was low T before surgery and prescribed Androgel. When the cancer was diagnosed I was told "No more soup for you!" The theory is that testosterone supplements might feed prostate cancer. "Might" being the operative word here. The theory is not without controversy. Add to that the fact that I almost certainly don't have any prostate, much less prostate cancer, I don't see how testosterone supplements are going to find anything to feed. Is anyone here post PC and using testosterone supplements?
Sorry for starting with so many questions. There is a reason for my impatience. My wife has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. My problems are minor. Everything now is how to make every moment we have left be as good as possible for the woman I love. I don't know if we have two years or ten left to us but every moment is precious.
Post Op 3 month and 8 month PSA were both <.01
Both nerves were spared but progress is slower than I expected. Maybe it was the way the surgeon sold me on the process and maybe it was my own desire to believe the best. I assumed that I'd be in the 60% majority (for my pre-op situation as described by the Dr.) and have erectile function in 6 months or less. In the post op recovery room the surgeon had nothing but happy words to say. "We spared both nerve bundles and this is a good as we could have expected."
With such encouraging results I was crushed at the 3 month check up when the Dr. said something like "As I told you and your wife, in post-op, there was quite a bit of inflammation and it was difficult to separate the nerves from the prostate. You may want to consider injections." That was tough to hear and it was the first time I heard it. I'd have put that in all caps large size red bold text but I'm not the type of guy to yell.
Now at 8 1/2 months post-op I am believing what I heard at the 3 month visit. Maybe I should have considered injections but I have seen some improvement recently and I'm as confused as ever I was. In just the last couple weeks I've had some reaction to Cialis. With 20 mg Cialis and manual stimulation I can get about 1/2 to maybe 3/4 of what would be needed for vaginal penetration.
I've got a few questions. If I should be asking these in another area, or three different threads, please let me know.
#1. Given the recent improvement what can I expect over the next months? Will progress accelerate or will it be slow? I know what the Dr. said but at this point I'd like to hear it from someone who's been there and done that. I'm not asking for a psychic prediction, just some real world experiences.
#2. Prescription Ciali$ is a bitch. Are there any offshore pharmacies that can be trusted?
#3. I was low T before surgery and prescribed Androgel. When the cancer was diagnosed I was told "No more soup for you!" The theory is that testosterone supplements might feed prostate cancer. "Might" being the operative word here. The theory is not without controversy. Add to that the fact that I almost certainly don't have any prostate, much less prostate cancer, I don't see how testosterone supplements are going to find anything to feed. Is anyone here post PC and using testosterone supplements?
Sorry for starting with so many questions. There is a reason for my impatience. My wife has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. My problems are minor. Everything now is how to make every moment we have left be as good as possible for the woman I love. I don't know if we have two years or ten left to us but every moment is precious.
or should I say can't fish. I think most of us thought after recovery we would be back in the saddle in no time... mmmmmm... Then we thing somthing must have gone wrong. I sure did. The latest thing about rehab is to get you on injections ASAP. Try to get the Weewee working like we want it to. Many guys have found that after the injections there is marked improvement. I have found that but just not quite enough. I can tell you that the injections are very easy to do. After you get the firs one and know how to do it.. The benifits are so good for most of us. Give it a shot.