← Return to What is a Prostatectomy Like?

Discussion

What is a Prostatectomy Like?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 11 hours ago | Replies (98)

Comment receiving replies
@survivor5280

I'm absolutely aware of all of that. My rigorous approach to pelvic floor training and physical training was multi-fold: it was the only control I had over the outcome so long as the cancer wasn't worse than anticipated, it provided a means for a better recovery - regardless of the outcome, and if I lost my nerves (which was anticipated by the surgeon by the way) then it still could help with incontinence.

I realize I'm a unicorn, but to me that means I have a duty to let others know that it's not a guaranteed crap-sandwich. I searched high and low for good news on this disease and it's nearly impossible to come by.

And while I don't point this at you, I've had some nasty messages just because I did come out the other side of this without negative long-term results and that saddens me because it makes me not want to participate as much on sites like this.

Jump to this post


Replies to "I'm absolutely aware of all of that. My rigorous approach to pelvic floor training and physical..."

Seriously? Nasty messages about your outcome? If that’s the case, that really sucks.
I, for one, am GLAD that someone finally had the results all the surgeons have promised us since the introduction of the daVinci system. My surgeon actually advertises online that you will have NO ED, NO incontinence and ZERO cancer once he’s done treating you; he’s only batting .333 as far as my case is concerned….
So you were motivated by a dire prognosis and did everything you could to give yourself SOME kind of chance - and in your case, it worked. Others have done the same or more and are spending their lives in Depends. Such is life.
But they shouldn’t be bitter toward you because you had a better outcome; that’s not right…. I think it might have been you who posted that none of the success stories were on this forum because none of those men needed to be here - and that’s probably correct. You decided that your success story SHOULD be here in order to give some hope to men facing surgery, and that can only be a good thing.
But you must remember that a lot of men are very angry, bitter and disappointed in both their outcomes - and their futures; they obviously didn’t have everything go right for them as you did. You really are an exceptional case - I mean it! All the literature I’ve read including Mayo’s on ED after surgery paints a very pessimistic outlook for most cases - even at the best surgeon’s hands. And I think that is the predominant outcome for most of us and even those not on this forum.
Please go back and look at some of your earliest posts….would you say they were grim, pessimistic and full of gloom and doom? Now imagine that all of those fears really came to pass. You’d be out of your F’ing mind by now. That’s what a lot of men are living with and they are probably a little peeved by a guy who says he was wheeled out of the OR sporting an erection! 😂. OK, I exaggerate on purpose because to some, that may be what it sounds like and I think you get that too.
But please don’t stop posting - you have a lot of accumulated knowledge and experience and it is just so important that it be shared.
Best
Phil