Connect
Going for Tulsa Pro
I've posted here a few times over the last year and have read most of the posts from others. I was diagnosed in January 2024 through an ultrasound biopsy (it should have been MRI guided), followed by a PSA test CT scan, MRI, and Decipher test. My cancer is not aggressive, but there are three growths in my prostate. My doctors recommended a full ablation, and I’ve decided to go with the Tulsa Procedure at UCLA with Dr. Steven Raman.
I’ve waited until now because I believe Medicare will begin covering the procedure on the 1st. of 2025. Earlier this year, I switched from a Medicare HMO plan (Blue Shield) to Original Medicare with a supplemental plan, where Medicare covers 80% and the supplemental plan pays the remaining 20%. It’s been incredibly difficult to determine whether Medicare will actually cover the procedure, as I’ve received conflicting information. However, I think they will.
I considered going back to an HMO with United Health Plans, which includes UCLA physicians as in-network, but no one could guarantee that they’d cover the procedure either.
Anyway, I thought I’d document this journey. It begins on January 5th, when I’ll check into an Airbnb hotel near the procedure location. This is two days before the procedure. I’ll have to fast those 2 days and completely empty my stomach (I’ll spare you the details). In the best-case scenario, I’ll wake up with a catheter and a “burned out” prostate. I’ll need to wear the catheter for at least two weeks. Hopefully, they'll get it all 🙂
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Connect
I think it could be the tissue. Not a lot of volume/pressure to flush that thru at this point. I know that happened to me. I could see a little bit of the tissue and just pulled it out. Flow was then back to what it had been prior.
One factor could be what you eat, though it seems they really removed catheter early on you so you need to be extra careful what you do and eat. Be sure you are focused on anti-inflammatory foods at this time, inflammatory ones could potentially swing you to a bad day.
Google anti-inflammatory foods vs inflammatory
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionMy condition took a turn for the worse, down to a dribbles again. I was expecting a linear improvement. Any of you guys have good days and bad days with flow early on?
The Tesla had to make more stops - lol
My stream is a little better today. Still painful but flow has improved a little. As the Beatles sang, "It's Getting Better All the Time".
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThey kept my catheter in for 16 days after the TULSA procedure, so my experience might be different, but I would describe my peeing as a slow flow, not a dribble, and there was never any pain with urination. I'm assuming that, like me, after they removed your catheter they performed an ultrasound to confirm that your bladder was emptying sufficiently.
We made a five day road trip one week after the catheter came out, and the Tesla required more stops than my bladder.
I was pretty much like you, but I had to drive home after catheter out, and home was 22 hour drive. I think that was the hard part, but I learned to stand in a stall and that helped to pee, that rather than sit which seemed to restrict a bit. Maybe it was odd 22 hour drive so use gas station bathroom or fast food bathroom with stalls, go in a stall and then stand and lean forward a bit, perhaps others in these bathrooms were wondering, but it was what I needed and basically no way standing at a urinal would do it for me as you mention it was slow. So just do what you need to do.... I think your catheter was out earlier than mine so you might need another week here, but after I got back from my drive it was not so bad and things improved fairly easily with all the flomax and so on. Not sure on AZO if that would help, I had some in my bag but I never used it. I think Boswellia did help as I got home I had some for when my wife gets joint pain so that and flomax did the job, but again I was further out.
That's encouraging, and happy for you. As I said, I'm still peeing like an eye dropper. Every time I go I'm afraid that "this time I'm going to be obstructed" but then with pain it dribbles out. I'm taking the shot gun approach now with meds. Flowmax, Terazosin, AZO, ibuprofen. I think part of my problem stems from the catheter where the anchor point was too high, injuring the exit point. If I knew for sure that this temporary, it'd be no big deal, I can take a few more days or even weeks, but I wouldn't want to live the rest of my life like this. You guys that had trouble at first, how bad was it? Hearing you stories of improvement are encouraging.
I was on Flomax for one month following my TULSA-PRO procedure. I had a large prostate (100cc) and BPH had significantly reduced my urine stream. The doctor ablated 60% of my prostate in addition to addressing the cancer lesion. 3 months out from the procedure, while I still have some discomfort due to ongoing healing, I'm peeing like a race horse..........exactly like the doctor said I would.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionBobbyGene, are you also taking Flomax? I decided to take .8mg today, fingers crossed. I think an eye dropper could flow more liquid than my system today. Luckily, I am able to void my bladder so far, just takes forever. I guess it's to be expected especially since they had to put 2 different probes in me and the extra time I was under anesthesia. You guys are giving me hope!
Since my Nov. TULSA treatment my stream has gotten better and now normal. It was weak following treatment for a few weeks but steadily improved. There was occasional blood but nothing drastic.