Many Thanks!

I wanted to thank all of you for your support, kindness and insight even though you may have no idea how many like me have benefitted. I have been lurking here as a silent member of the club nobody wants to join since my diagnosis last September. I learned a great deal here as well as by reading Dr Walsh’ book (which was a result of numerous recommendations I found here as well). 

After much internal debate (with me acting as my own personal moderator locking mental threads when I got too heated or preachy), I decided on robotic surgery and never looked back. I know some here would believe strongly that I may be have been ‘overtreated’ or too quick to act, but I feel just as strongly that I weighed my options and made the right choice for me. While I don’t agree with many of the opinions stated on this board, I found
numerous threads that proved invaluable in this very personal and important decision.

My surgery on Jan. 24^th was textbook from what I can discern and I have been recovering well now at almost six weeks. The catheter is becoming a distant unpleasant memory and I’m almost embarrassed to share that I have been almost completely continent after 3 days ‘post hose’. As I have healed, I had a couple small stress related leaks that caught me a little off guard, but feeling very blessed with the pace of that. Again, I feel that this forum contributed somewhat to that success in coaching, but I know that surgical skill and a great deal of luck also play into that. On the ED front, it’s still too soon to say, but the little guy and I are at least on speaking terms and he’s starting to respond to my lectures and pep talks.

Next milestone is a mid-March blood test and getting back to the gym so that I don’t embarrass myself on the softball field in a few short months! I’d like to thank Healing Well for all that they do to help people who need it most and provide forums for all of us to learn such valuable lessons when we don’t know where to go or who to ask. I’d like to thank the moderators for what must be a labor of love (and test of patience). And especially, all of you who post, debate, share, support and lurk! God Bless us, everyone! Life is good!

Great post and great results as well. Lurk no more, gotta love that name as most of us began as lurkers. Thanks for posting.

Michael

Lurknomore - first and foremost congratulations on making your decision on treatment, getting it done, and now already on a successful road to recovery!!!!!

Nothing wrong with lurking as you try to get a handle on this beast and how best to address it - but now that you've come up "on the other side" I'll be the first to challenge you to stay out here, and help the newbies that will unfortunately follow you/us - and help them out as you have been helped. Your initial post is excellent, so please, stay here and "Pay Back / Pay Forward!"

Continued best to you and your soon to be indoctrination into the "Zero Club!"

Hi Lurknomore,

Glad to hear everything went so well for you. Sounds very much like my own DaVinci experience.

Here's hoping your PSA is zero and your batting average is 1.000!

Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & slowly getting a bit stronger.

Lurk, we all choose our own treatment options. I like you chose Robotic surgery and have no regrets. Good luck to you going forward.