Prostate Cancer Sucks-But good to celebrate victories big and small

@tuckerp Yeah, ED and Incontinence. Not fun....I'm working on setting up a Pelvic Floor therapist and do have an appointment with a sexual function therapist. Hoping that helps.

Funny thing, for the incontinence referral yesterday, they gave me the number for the rehab hospital where my son works....which is kind of crazy. I had never thought I'd have a chance going there because Shirley Ryan Ability Lab is the best rehab hospital in the country and the world (ranked that high for like 30 years). So, hoping maybe they have some magic fairy dust or something to help.

Hope things settle for you tuckerp....none of this stuff is easy.

@melvinw Hmmmm, that's super helpful information about your hernia repair. I really hope I don't have to surgery again so soon and miss more work-but I guess work doesn't matter when it comes to health.

Wow-sling sounds like there is a light at the end of the tunnel if things don't progress. Eight years is a long time to wait, but you did it.

And at 73, outdoing the 50-year-old youngsters. You're my hero!

@mjp0512 Breathing easier now-shoulders are not as tense all the time. Not back there yet-but working on it. Thanks @mjp0512 !

@jeffmarc Jeff-I'll be back. I really loved this forum because it had a good mix of positivity amid the really tough sitatuions. I also figure it's good to hear from people where things might have worked out.

And to be candid, navigating all of this was intense and the recovery process is pretty intense.

But yeah, hoping I can just stay focused on being helpful on surgery posts.

@fritzo Like you, I was pretty averse to another surgery after the RARP and the hernia repair. Hence the delay on the sling procedure. Looking back, I would have been smart to have done it sooner. It was not a difficult recovery. Some ice packs the first couple of days, then taking it easy on physical activity for a couple of weeks. No bike riding for 6 weeks. The worst of it is that your privates get rather bruised and swollen— was not a pretty sight. But no pain really.

If your PSA stays below 0.1, you are in good shape. With these ultra sensitive tests, your numbers can bounce around. Less than 0.064 is a good place to be, as your doc said.

Now I’m off for my next PSA test in a bit.

@melvinw Yeah, we're learning as we go. Wish I had the knowledge I have now a couple of months ago. But, we got to live it to learn.

Good luck with that PSA test. I've heard it described by some fellows as a "Patient Stress Attack" test...but sounds like you're a pro and roll with it.

Guess I shouldn't complain as my surgeon repaired my inguinal hernia when he did the RARP. I was upset about it as I knew I had it since the 1990s and it never got worse or bothered me. I lift lots of weights and still never did bother me, wouldn't even know I had it except back when doctors really did a complete physical.

This sling thing sounds good, wounder how long a person has to wait to get one??? I had surgery on 4/30/26 at 12:15PM took 4 hours, I guess the added inguinal hernia he found. Then at 2AM on May 1, had another emergency surgery as lots of bleeding and they went in with robot again and found a bleeding artery. Still having lots of incontinence issue, usually stress. During the day the only time I can pee if getting up from chair or something and then go to toilet and nothing happens much a few dribbles. Even today I did almost 3 mile walk, bladder felt full no peeing. Worked a bit in yard and every bending over a big squirt.
However laying on couch reading a book or watching TV, I do get an urge to pee and can have a small success. Especially at night I wake up and have an urge to go and shoot a stream out like a teenager. But during day when sitting around and walking nothing but dribble and stress incontinence, never a feeling of I need to go. I drink lots of water up until around 8PM, even a couple cokes. Doesn't make sense to me, I know I have a bladder pretty full, but only lying down and especially at night in bed do I get they feeling to get to the toilet and have success like a race horse peeing on flat rock.

Congratulations. Enjoy yourself. The pathology was great news. Wishing you and your family happiness always.

@diverjer Yeah, I asked the surgeon if they could fix my inguinal hernia at the same time and he said they would never do it unless it was causing issues. I had hoped it was an option for me, but not to be. So, I'll have to see if it gets worse and then do follow-up surgery. It sounds like they would most likely do open surgery rather than repeating a laprascopic robotic procedure after a prostatectomy.

Sling? Not an expert, but you and me are both super early in the continence process. Thinking that is if continence doesn't improve after 3-6 months or longer, then they think about sling as an option. But, I'll let the experts chime in.

I'm basically the same as you. I do fine if I'm sitting or laying down. Yes, I now have to get up three times a night to pee, but I'm basically dry in the morning. But, as soon as I do activity...drive, walking, getting up and down and such, tons of stress incontinence. I do a two-mile walk daily and I fill up a heavy pad almost full on a 40 minute walk.

Drinking plenty of fluids is good. I know some people reduce fluids thinking they will have less leakage. But, the bladder is like your stomach. A bladder will shrink over time if you don't drink enough liquids, which just makes everything that much worse. You'll have to go more often.

Oh, watch out for those Cokes, they are a hard core diuretic due to its caffeine content, which increases urine production ....gonna make you have to pee all the more (just like alcohol).

Hope we both make good progress- good luck on your recovery!

I bet we all wish we could smash those three buttons ten times over for you! Great news, congratulations!