← Return to Prostatectomy or Not: My decision to have surgery was right for me

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Profile picture for rickwoodvisuals @rickwoodvisuals

@jmhabo I had radical prostatectomy 4 months ago in July (Gleason 3+4) and am recovering slowly but def getting better and so glad I chose to be aggressive. The first few months were frustrating with incontinence, def no erections. It's gotten much better, I can control my bladder most of the time with 1 pad that is usually dry each night (it wasn't that way at first). Not meaning to share TMI and I don't have full erections yet but have improving sensitivity on penis which allows improving erection with help of penis pump and orgasm (suprisingly from muscles around and below where prostate was. My body is healing itself and it may take a year to get back to where I was and want to be, but it will happen.... Like you best news was that cancer had not spread outside the prostate. Urology Oncologist says the pathology numbers are very encouraging and suggest they got all of it . I can handle and accept whatever I have to during this slow recovery. Don't form an opinion until at least 4 months....I'm much, much better after 4 mos than where I was after one month.....Your body uses A LOT of energy restoring itself and you WILL be tired.....It gets better...give yourself permission to let your body recover at it's own pace......It will get better I assure you!

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Replies to "@jmhabo I had radical prostatectomy 4 months ago in July (Gleason 3+4) and am recovering slowly..."

@rickwoodvisuals Thanks Rick and everyone for their support and encouragement. My surgery was a nerve-sparing laparoscopic/robotic surgery and it is my understanding that the Cleveland Clinic surgeon who performed my operation is very experienced, so I am hoping for the best. Apparently it is a slow process.
My doctor recommended 10 Kegel's per hour during every waking hour. 10 waking hours is 100 Kegel's. Seems excessive. A book recommended by the Cleveland Clinic "Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" by Dr. Patrick Walsh seems to be a very good reference and recommends standing while urinating and stopping stream for 5-10 seconds, repeating as often as possible. I'm curious what kind of exercises other RP patients are doing.