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Surgery is Scheduled: What to do before?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Mar 29 2:55pm | Replies (24)Comment receiving replies
One doc I visited suggested doing PT for pelic floor exercises. The more you can strengthen them before surgery the better your recovery.
I'm currently enrolled in the NePtune trial which will finish in 4 months and then right to surgery. Honestly I'm scared to death of the surgery mostly bc of the side effects and quality of life issues.
Please update us after about how it went and your progress as you move forward.
Good luck - you got this !!!
Replies to "One doc I visited suggested doing PT for pelic floor exercises. The more you can strengthen..."
Scared is, well, scary.
Please try not to be.
Yes, it is a major surgery.
And yes, there will be a recovery period. And some men recover more easily and fully than others. I hope that your recovery is as smooth and complete as possible.
I am writing this from Bologna Italy (and following a couple of glasses of delicious red Italian wine); my 4th overseas trip in the 2 years since RP at 72 followed immediately by Salvage Radiation Treatment w/ ADT. Easy no. I share this as encouragement, not braggadocio.
Life changing, no question.
However I am 75 now and over 18 mos post treatments, with undetectable PSA < .02 and feel really well and enjoying life. And praying that it continues.
I believe that there is more "good" ahead of you and I am very hopeful that you will have a successful surgery and recovery.
Sincere best wishes.
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Hey jma, I’ve read your posts about being in the study and having the BRCA mutation - you and Jeff covered a lot of ground to those of us not very informed about these more advanced drugs, so thank you both for that.
You’ve said that you are scared of surgery, and having had it myself, I concur: It IS scary. But the reality is somewhat different and SE’s do vary markedly from person to person.
But even if your scans are totally clear it means very little in terms of micro-cancer that may be present. As long as you have the gland there will ALWAYS be the chance for more cells to escape into your system and metastasize to distant locations.
At least with the gland out your doctors will not have to deal with that possibility.
I will take it even a step further and say that your surgical pathology might be the single most important piece of your treatment: Is the cancer FULLY contained in the gland? Are there breaks in the capsule? Are PCa cells present in any lymph nodes?
The answers to these questions will be the basis for any treatment going forward (salvage radiation) or even better -NO treatment!
My good friend recently had Cyberknife with a drastic drop in his PSA; he was, of course, elated. However, that soon turned to disappointment when his RO informed him of PSA’s every 6 months and possible PET’s with any change in his numbers. When he asked WHY? The RO replied, “ Vince, you still have a prostate and as long as you do there can always be more cancer.” So much for being “done”, eh?
Phil