Ed (and everyone)

Just got back from Duke, and had a long conversation with the doctor. Reviewing my logs, he decided that the cystoscopy & urodynamics were not necessary.

He'd been in contact with AMS, as well as several of his colleagues from the clinical trial for the AdVance sling, and so far, there has been one man who went five weeks, and one that went six weeks with a retention problem. With that information, and the increased volume on my own, and the decreasing (sort of, more anon) residual volume coming out when I catheterize, he felt I should not go through the invasion of the cystoscopy now.

Dr. Webster has cleared me for all my normal activities, and even suggested I do some stretching and twisting to help get things moving.

Well, we don't know how things have come back together, but IIRC from the articles linked from the Advance web site (www.amsadvance.com), most of the docs are now limiting activities for 10-14 days. Several, if not most, of the trial docs, started out with a 6 week restriction, but have been lowering that based on feedback.

I'm not a super active person (my physical exercise was, even before the prostate surgery, pretty much limited to walking & golfing), so I don't think there will be a problem. I'll be paying attention to how I feel, that's for sure

Absent any information to the contrary (in other words, "darn it Jim, I'm a computer guy, not a doctor"), yes I would.

The self catheter is easy to do.

There is a little discomfort as you go through the sphincter, but it is not painful.

No antibiotics necessary.

There are some medical conditions that require folks (men & women) to do self-cath for a long time.

Good luck!

That's great news.

It looks like you didn't break the record, so there's hope for me, also. I see the Uro on Tuesday.

Congratulations!

Ed

This will probably be my last hemi-semi-demi-regular update.

Things are going well, to the point where this is something I'd be happy with. I am still getting some very strong urges, with an occasional drip with the urge, but still no stress leaks. Frequency is decreasing, volume is increasing (albeit slowly). I can go through the night without getting up to pee. I couldn't do THAT before my prostate surgery!

If you're having incontinence problems after prostate surgery, I recommend looking into this. Do try to get a surgeon that has done a number of these (20+, IMO)

It seems to vary by doctor. Since this sling is scarred in place, not screwed into bone, they want to make sure that there is time for healing. It seems to me, reading various discussions, that the activity limitations of all sort are being shortened as they learn more.

Dr. Webster says two weeks for sexual activity. Other doctors, IIRC, say 3 or 4.

Continued improvement. Volumes are continuing to increase slightly, and frequency is decreasing to the 2 - 3.5 hours. I'll get strong urges, and some drops with some of the strong urges.

Played 18 holes of golf last week (pretty poorly - it had been 8 weeks since I'd played, and the lack of practice showed. Felt good during and after, though.

No leaks other than the urge leaks mentioned before (and those leaks are better than a few weeks ago), and ....
NO PADS!

I suspect this will be my final 'progress' update.

Went to the doc for my post surgical followup on Oct. 14. Discussed how I was going, volumes & frequency (which I was still measuring). He was pleased with the progress, and laughed when I told him I felt I could stop keeping logs, as he said he was going to bring that issue up next.

Since then, I've gone on a 4 day golf trip (two days with 36 holes played), the urges have subsided, and I really have reached the point where I hardly think about going to pee. No leaks, no pads, and I'm probably doing as well or better than a 52 year old guy that didn't have PCa.

The 'average' response to the Advance sling is probably still moving. It took me a while before I could pee well, but I also have been completely dry (other than a few urge leaks in the early going)

I'll be happy to answer any questions. I'm very glad I did it.

Drewboy, I am very, very pleased with the outcome. I don't have to plan my activities around peeing anymore! I can easily to nine holes of golf without running into the woods (well, except for looking for errant shots). Like the old Rust-O-Leum paint commercial ... no runs, no drips, no errors!

This surgery made a tremendous improvement in my life.

You have a Foley catheter in until sometime after you wake up from surgery (which for me, was done with an epidural). They take it out before you leave.

If you can't pee on your own, you'll have to self catheterize, which isn't that bad (although it's not very high on my list of fun things.) It was several days before I could pee at all, but I wasn't walking around with a catheter in; you just put one in a few times/day. After I started being able to go on my own some, I'd use the catheter when I went to bed, & when I got up. IIRC, it was about 10-14 days before I stopped using the catheter completely.

However, my doctor has had no other patients that went that long with retention problems. Looking back, if I knew about it going in, and also knew I would be completely dry, I'd have no hesitation.

It's really nice not having to wear tight spandex underwear to keep the pads in place while I golf. Also nice not to have squirts at the top of my backswing (I'm reasonably flexible for a geezer, and get a really good shoulder turn.) Even though the UnderArmour boxer briefs held the pad in place really well, feeling the squirt often made me flinch, and having something that snug in a 90F day wasn't great, either.

Dr. Webster was my surgeon, and he was one of the surgeons involved in the clinical trial. I'm in Winston Salem, NC, less than 90 minutes from Duke. Feel free to ask anything

No runs, no drips, no errors ;-)

I haven't had to use a pad since the AdVance sling was put in. That has been truly great.

I wish I could say that it improved my golf game, too.

also, if you're considering the AdVance, I'd get a doctor that had done at least 50 of them; maybe even 100. It's not that complicated a surgery, but it's got to be done right, with confidence. (My opinion as a patient)