Prostatectomy or Not

@sriddle1

He can use a pump with same results - less expensive and less painful. My husband got Cialis prescription for daily use to increase blood flow in the area and stimulate recovery. He was also told to buy a pump and is using it for rehabilitation. And no, it is not late at all. You can find a LOT of posts addressing this issue on this forum - just type any term that interests you in upper left field for "search". Also, keep in mind that it is usually needed up to 24 mos for nerves to completely recover , so patience is the "name of the game" at this point. Some men have faster recovery.

This video is very helpful :

This is exactly what my husband just did. Cancer was at the margins, nothing showed that until it was out.
Three years of watch and wait, biopsies, constant psa blood draws.
This decision to get rid of the culprit saved his life and sanity.
It was the best option for him and recovery for him has been nothing terrible like they described.
Being cancer free is the best feeling!

@ jmhabo

in my experience that seems like overkill. Ive had 2 Pelvic Floor therapists and neither had me doing more than 3 sets of 10 Kegels for 5-10 seconds each day and 3 sets of 10 for the 1 second Kegel.

I recommend finding a GOOD pelvic floor PTs and working with them to establish a program. While there is a lot of info online, i found each therapist had valuable insights. They are hard to find, and often booked weeks if not months in advance. I had to wait over 3 months to see a highly regarded one.

One thing inparticular - its very hard -at least for me - to isolate the pelvic floor muscles. it seems insignficant, but you get the hand of it with a little practice. a good PT will be able to help you. its hard not to engage your core and gluts when clenching the pelvic floor muscles.

PS stopping urine flow was a good practice for me, taught me what muscles to use.

its 5 months for me, and I am largely continent at this point. Still a few dribbles, but just one light pad a day, more for peace of mind than actual use.

Good luck!

I 100% agree, surgery provided me with peace of mind going forward. I was unwilling to gamble the rest of my life on imperfect imaging devices. I wanted the prostate and seminal vesicles removed so that a physical biopsy could be performed to define margins. If you do your upfront homework and pick a center of excellence for the surgery, the radical prostatectomy is not a bad surgery. For me, I chose Mayo-Rochester and Dr. Igor Frank - What an amazing hospital and doctor/staff. I did all of the pre surgery work and followed the post surgery recommendations for Kegels, etc... There were no side effects with continence or erectile function. I do realize that everyone is unique, so outcomes do very (age, weight, health, ...), but by doing your homework and choosing the best possible surgical center/doctor, you can minimize potential negative consequences.

I believe there is not one treatment that fits all - Everyone is unique and has unique expectations and goals, thus he should to pick a treatment plan that fits his life goals.

Good luck and I pray that all of you have good outcomes from whatever treatment is chosen.

Jim

@hammer101

For me it was Dr Gettman at Mayo. Best hospital in the world!