Bob
Waterstone and Carol live in Georgia, USA. He was 58 when he was diagnosed on
April 1, 2009. His initial PSA was 0.5 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 3 plus 3 =
6 and he was staged T1c. His choice of treatment was Robot Assisted Laparoscopic
Radical Prostatectomy. Here is his story.
Hello, My Name is Dr. Bob Waterstone,
and my story is a little unique, and I hope it well help others to be active and
diligent in their own Health decisions. I am an oxymoron, a Chiropractor with
a bad back, but I found IDD internal disc decompression that has helped me. My
father had prostate cancer, and I always kept up with PSA's and DRE (Digital Rectal
Examination).
A few years ago, had some increased urgency at night, and
for a while went on Flomax, and Uroxatrol. The symptoms abated, and I was fine
until December of 08, I started to have some urethral pain, and hesitancy, like
a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). I went to my urologist who started me back on
Uroxatrol, but the symptoms never went away. There was no infection, and even
though my PSA was normal 0.5 and my digital exam just revealed a slight BPH (Benign
Prostate Hyperplasia), and a slight firmness. He did not think anything was wrong.
So I asked for a biopsy. And on April Fools day, I got the call that they found
in only 1 of 12 cores 5% cancer, with a Gleason of 3 plus 3.
I felt that
because of my symptoms, I wanted it out. I consulted with Dr. Nikel Shaw at St.
Josephs Hospital in Atlanta, Ga, who has performed over 1,500 of these procedures
with the Da Vinci Robot.
He at first suggested HDR - (High Dosage Radiation
Therapy), because he said my urethral problems may become worse with surgery.
I explored not only HDR, but also ProstRcision® with the combination of seeding
and beam radiation. And both oncologist thought that I would have more problems
with the urethra with radiation, than with surgery. So I opted for the surgery
on May 25, 2009.
Usually a person is released to go home within 1-2 days,
but when they do the surgery, they fill you up with gas in order to see. This
causes a lot of pressure on the intestines, and a lot of pain.**1
And they do not let you go home until you can pass gas.
Unfortunately
in my case, it took close to a week, before my bowels started to move. I would
recommend to all RP patients to only ask for Tylenol rather than pain medication.
It slows down the bowels, and the pain for that pressure on the bowels trying
to move, was worse than anything. So simply start to walk right away, so you may
be released.
I came home with the catheter for 9 days, and had it removed
last week. I started to pee right away, and in only one week, am only wearing
a light pad during the day, and depends during the night, but am already dry at
night, and can go every hour or so.
I am on no pain meds, and it is getting
easier every day.
In five more weeks, I shall return, when we will talk
about starting on some ED enhancing drugs, & the pump, so that we may hopefully
wake us the sleeping midget! Yes I too seemed to have lost some length. But it
is too soon to tell.
Health & Wealth,
Dr. Bob Waterstone
Bob's
e-mail address is: wetrock@bellsouth.net
**1: One of the leading Da Vinci surgeons
in California goes to some lengths to explain to his patients that the gas used
in the surgery is not the cause of the discomfort in recovery. He says that discomfort
is due to natural intestinal gas being trapped because of the position in which
the body is placed during surgery. [back]
