It all started after my PSA level came back elevated, the world I knew changed.
A dull uncomfortable feeling right where I sit down, standing for minutes waiting for the pee to come, frequent trips to the bathroom, prompted me to bring it to my doctor.
After the PSA came back 5.
1 just a few point over the normal reading, my doctor gave me a antibiotic to see if the symptoms would go away.
He called it prostates.
Six months later I was still feeling the same, I brought it up again and he suggested a biopsy.
Here's how that works.
Once you get over the fact that a piece of you is going to be taken, you then find out it's really about 19 pieces, needle biopsy does not feel like needle, it feels like a knife.
You'll lay on your side, naked, the doctor (or assistant) will place a rounded probe into your anus.
It is long and has a needle to numb you with a local shot; it has a camera to take photos for the doctor to evaluate, and the biopsy needle.
It is a spring loaded instrument that the doctor pulls back and cocks like a gun.
Then in an instant he pulls the trigger and it rips of a piece of prostate.
This is a little painful and a lot scary.
19 times he locked and loaded.
Once the biopsy was process and the cancer was visible, if you have a real doctor he will call you as soon as he knows and move forward fast to correct you cancer.
I did not get the right doctor at first, I was hung up on during calls to ask about the results and then told he will call you next week, this after a week of waiting.
Find an experienced doctor, get a referral from your doctor and if it does not feel right find another.
Once I was in front of a real doctor at Highland Park Hospital in Illinois, The doctor talked straight and before I left I had an appointment set to have my cancer removed.
It would be a complete removal of my prostate.
The bowl prep the day before clears you totally out.
You drink a gallon of Go-Lightly and spend several hours on the toilet.
The surgery is a cut from your belly button down to the top of your pubic bone.
In my searching for a doctor it was explained to me that robotic did not give the doctor that same nerve sparing advantage.
It would be the difference between having hands on and working through a machine.
I went into surgery without the catheter and I was happy I did not have to experience the inserting of that.
The surgery took about 3 hours and I did loose some blood, but a transfusion was not necessary.
I came out with a bag for urine, a bulb with a small hose for collecting fluid from my abdomen.
I had medication in an IV that was administered by a button I chose to push when I felt pain.
Four days later many bags of urine later I was ready to leave.
The bumpy ride home was painful; moving around the house to change the urine bag and keep up my hygiene was a bit of a task, but not so bad.
A week later the tube came out (Catheter) and I was on my own to control my pee.
I started right away stopping the flow when I urinated so I would begin to build the new muscle control taken away with the prostate.
Some blood for several weeks in my urine and several clots, all the time wearing a male diaper.
Slowly I was healing and doing more, my second follow-up the doctor told me sex was ok, but not to expect much.
He also said he would try Cialis at a later date when my strength was back to normal.
Today is one month after the surgery, I cut the lawn, and I have been back to work for two week, no sex, still wearing the diaper with minor dribble from time to time.
My next doctor visit should be the move toward the Cialis (?) if he thinks everything is normal.
I have a very hard time with bowl movements and have been taking a stool softener to produce a movement.
I will need to ask about that.
Cancer caught early, lots of prayer, and a very good doctor.