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← Return to High PSA and worried
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Based on what happened to me, I think it is very important to get a second opinion by some-one not related in any way to the first doctor. The urologist that diagnosed me and then did the robotic surgery came across as a know it all. After the surgery (June 2022) I never went back to him. Then a couple of months ago my primary care physician (who I see only 4 times a year) told me that some tests that I had taken showed that I had cancer in my lymph nodes. This enraged me. I had always been a sexual adventurer, but without my prostate I can't get an erection. I can't achieve an orgasm no matter what I try. I'm 70 years old and I had decided that if I had to give up sex in order to save my life - well I was willing to make that trade off. But to find out the prostate cancer has spread to my lymph nodes makes me furious. I gave up drinking alcohol in 2019 after going into liver failure. I still miss it. I gave up sex 2 years ago, and damn it! I still most assuredly miss that!
How many things can a guy give up before coming to the conclusion that perhaps life is no longer worth living? Truthfully if I did not have 5 rescue cats to care for I'm not certain I'd want to stick around.
But I do have some responsibilities and so I am scheduled for a PET Scan next week. I don't know enough to select either radiation or chemotherapy if it comes to that. But I am certainly not simply following what the urologist who talked me into having prostate cancer surgery says I should do.
Good luck to you.
Replies to "Based on what happened to me, I think it is very important to get a second..."
You sounded like you needed a hug. I am 74 and done with radiation. Sex is gone because wife 72 had a stroke and breast cancer and is on an anti-estrogen so she has no interest. We still drink a gin n tonic on Friday night out at our pool and firepit and that makes it worthwhile to keep going. Take care of those cats.
I just turned 70 last October, at my annual physical & blood tests, my PSA had jumped from 4.47 6 months earlier to 6.62 so my Primary Care Doc referred me to Urologist who ordered MRI and 4K score test. Multi parametric MRI showed 12mm lesion and PIRADS 4, the blood test marker 4K score was maximum at 95 I am scheduled in a week at Mayo for Fusion perineal needle biopsy. Prostate size was 50 cc and I've had BPH symptoms for last 4-5 years, also ED for the last 10 years, but Viagra worked until the last 6 months, now take 2 blue pills and it's barely enough. I found out that 5mg Cialis actually is prescribed for BPH & ED been on a week, it has definitely helped the BPH, haven't tried for ED but just doesn't seem powerful enough. I too quit drinking 2 years ago, no drugs, not even a cigar, so I know the feeling about giving up all the things we love. I have been overweight for 20 years and it is contributing to my ED, as well as a factor in PCa, so now will have to give up enjoyable food. I told the Urologist at Mayo, I'm not interested in surgery or radical radiation that has a chance of taking away what little potency I have left. The bible say we should live to 3 score & 10 so 70 years old, I have got my time in. Hopefully the biopsy will be 3+3=6 Gleason so Active surveillance will be the plan. My Dad had PC and RP at 64 back in 1984 left him impotent for the rest of his life, the PC had escaped during surgery, but with drugs from Mayo, he lived to age 90 when it finally went into the bone. He lost his wife ( my Mom) at 82, he was always in a good mood, played golf until 87, so there is life after sex.
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Hey, So sorry to hear about your situation but you could be writing about ME!! Same age, hotshot NYC surgeon to the stars, found out he only removed ONE lymph node. Rising PSA got me to Sloan ASAP. Had MRI, which showed nothing unusual and they've been watching PSA, which is now nearing the .2 threshold for salvage treatment.
You didn't mention - or perhaps I didn't understand - what kind of cancer was found in your nodes by your doctor. It might not be PCa but the PET scan is supposedly specific for that type of cancer so you should know soon enough. But hopefully it is confined to your glands and pelvic radiation combined with hormones - what they've laid out for me - should do the trick.
I'm totally pissed off about the loss of sex as well - limp as a noodle no matter the type of pill. But I DID tell the surgeon that I wasn't coming to him for any other reason but to get the cancer OUT and if he had to damage nerves not to hesitate. His female assistant remarked, "Gee, I've never, ever heard a man say that before!" He replied, "He is no dummy - he wants to save his life." But when I heard about the single node being removed it almost caused me to want to sue him but I subsequently did some searching around and saw that some other surgeons also used this technique so as to prevent lymphadenema down the road. Sloan disagrees, however, so that's that. Please let us know how you make out and I'll do the same. Best of luck, bud!!
AL