YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Kearfott Bob and Donna live in Longwood Florida USA. He was 50 when he was diagnosed in February, 2008. His initial PSA was 7.2 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and he was staged T1c. His choice of treatment was Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (Da Vinci) . Here is his story.

This is my first post. I am 50 years old and I am in "good" health. I did not have a clue that anything was wrong. I went to a regular check up and had a routine blood test. My doctor checked my PSA level and it was elevated from my blood test two years prior.

In 2006 my PSA was 2.2 and in early February 2008 it had elevated to 7.2. I immediately made an appointment with a urologist and he scheduled an ultrasound and a biopsy. The results became back with a Gleason score of 6 and my doctor put me at a stage of T1c. I was in total shock. How could this happen to me? Well it does, there is no cause for prostate cancer. This was the biggest thing I have ever had to deal with. My mind was crazy and I had to get a handle on this.

My doctor had me schedule a CT scan and a nuclear bone scan to see if it had spread anywhere else. I made my appointments and had the tests and thanks to the grace of God they all can back clear. So it was appeared that the cancer was localized in my prostate. So what do I do now?

My original urologist recommended an open surgery and I put my faith in him that that was the way to go. So I scheduled my surgery and donated two units of bloods. Then I spoke to an mentor that my primary physician referred me to and he insisted I get a second opinion for the Da Vinci method.

I made an appointment with the doctor he had and based on the discussion we had I decided to go with the Da Vinci method. The Da Vinci method is as thorough as the open procedure but it is less invasive and the recovery process is a lot better. Please if you get anything out of my posts please get a second opinion for procedure alternatives. I am going to be scheduled for surgery for in about a month.

Please read up on the Da Vinci method, if you are fortunate enough to have that available near you please look into it!

Well this is where I am in my journey. I will keep you posted.

 

UPDATED

May 2008

 

 

Well I'm back. I'm sorry it has been so long since I posted last but my life as been a whirlwind. Let me pick up where I left off.

I was waiting for a surgery date; well I was scheduled for Monday March 24th so it has been a month yesterday. I guess the hardest part was the waiting. My wife and I arrived at the hospital Monday morning and they prepped me for surgery. The last thing I remembered was "Can you feel the happy juice yet?" The next thing I remembered I was in a hospital room.

The surgical staff was excellent; they kept my wife posted on my surgery. I was in surgery for about an hour and 45 minutes and in recovery for about three hours. The only pain I really experienced was the gas pains and the bladder spasms. I truly have a deeper appreciation of the pain women experience now. I never had surgery before so I didn't know what to expect. I was up and walking that night. I was walking like a 100 year old, because of the gas, but I was still walking.

The catheter (a.k.a. Mr. Foley) took some getting used to. Make sure you tape the rubber tube to your leg to relieve the stress on your bladder. I think that is why I had the bladder spasms. When I walking the tube was just hanging there without any strain relief, when the doctor came in he taped it to my leg and that helped a bunch. The doctor said the surgery went well and he was able to spare the nerves and the preliminary findings looked good. He would not know for sure until the lab results came back which would take a couple of days.

On with the recovery, the gas was the worst part. It just sat there, I didn't want to eat or do anything. I came home on Wednesday and started trying to get the gas out. I would lie on the floor and bend my knees to chest in hopes of moving the gas out. I then drank some Ginger Ale; that would either blow me up or blow it out. By Thursday the gas was moving out, what a relief. After the gas started leaving I felt like eating and I started eating everything insight.

I started working from home on Thursday afternoon. I would work for a while, then walk for a while, then hit the couch and start over again. Now that the gas was gone I had to get used to Mr. Foley hanging around. He was literally a pain in the drain. But I know it was temporary so I dealt with it. I was worried about the incontinence after my catheter was removed. My wife bought some pads and Depends. You will experience some leaking while you have the catheter in place so I cut a pad in half and wore it to keep my clothes dry. Let me tell you I was counting the days until Mr. Foley and I parted ways.

Tuesday finally came and we went to the doctor's office. The nurse injected the dye and took the x-rays. The results looked good and they said Foley could leave. With a deep breath and an exhale the nurse pulled out the catheter. It did not hurt there was a sensation for a minute but it was relief to get that outta there. I put on a pad and got dressed. My doctor came in with the lab results and my margins were clear. Thanks God!!
I really thought I would not be able to hold my pee but it wasn't a problem. I made it home (about a 30-45 minute drive) without an incident. This has not been a problem. A good friend of ours works in the medical supply field and she sent me some pads made for men. They are called Conveen by Coloplast. It is like a shower cap, this is the ticket. I don't know if you can buy them in a pharmacy or if you have to get them at a medical supply store but I highly recommend them. Guys do your Kegel exercises as early as possible before your surgery.

I went back to work full time a week after my catheter was removed. Don't worry if your pee is cloudy, bloody or things come out that is all part of the healing process. It freaked my out when I saw things after I peed but the nurse assured me it was normal. You will also experience a burning sensation but that is normal too. You had a rubber hose in a place that is not normal so it will take time for you body to adjust back. I am still experience some pain in my "taint" area but that is normal also. That is where my prostate was. It should be gone in about 4-6 weeks. It is not constant just every now and then. Listen to your body and take it easy. Don't over do it.

Guys, if you are my age, please don't delay on the surgery. The Da Vinci method is the way to go. When I was diagnosed in early February I was a stage T1c, when they removed my prostate in March it had advanced to T2a. So please don't wait around. Get it out and get on with your life before it advances.

I go back to the doctor for my follow up blood work on May 6 to check my PSA. I will let you know the outcome of that. I feel like I have a new lease on life and I am trying to live better and I appreciate things more. Please contact me if you have any questions, I really want to help.

Later:

Well I went back to the doctor a week ago for my follow up visit and blood work. The doctor said I looked great and we talked about my "uncomfortable pressure" downstairs and he said that was perfectly normal. It is all part of the healing process. He said I could resume my normal duties but to stay off the bicycle for a while.

My incontinence is almost over. I stopped wearing the Conveen "shower cap" last week and I just keep a little toilet paper there to stop the occasion dribble. Kegel exercises do wonders. I can sneeze and cough without any problem. So please don't worry, it does get better.

Well for more good news, I got my PSA results back yesterday and it was less than 0.1. Thank God!!! I go back in August for another test but so far so good.

I feel the need to reinforce if you are going to have surgery go with the Da Vinci method. If you live Central Florida, go see Dr Patel at Winter Park Urology. I attribute my success to Dr. Patel and his ability to use the Da Vinci machine. He is a true blessing. I understand those machines are not everywhere but try to find one close to you and go there for the surgery. I am working with someone whose father had the open procedure a year ago and he is still having problems. Please get a second opinion your quality of life depends on it.

That's all for now, please contact me if you have any questions.

Bob Kearfott's address is: bkearfott1@aol.com