YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

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Carlos Stevens and Brenda live in Ohio USA. He was 43 when he was diagnosed on July 29, 2008. His initial PSA was 0.97 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 3+3=6 and he was staged T2b. His choice of treatment was robotic surgery. Here is his story.

My story started in March 2008. After trying to pull a horse trailer out of the mud, I started having pain as if I strained something. A week later the pain seemed to be getting worse, spreading from my lower left abdomen down into my groin. I tried to get in to see my family doctor but could only get an appointment with a nurse practitioner.

After examining me, he could find no signs of a hernia. He told me that I was probably suffering from epididymitis which can be brought on by heavy lifting. He also checked my prostate just as a precaution and found nothing out of the ordinary. After 10 days of antibiotics, there was no change so I saw my family doctor. He said sometimes the antibiotics take longer so he put me back on them for a month. A month went by and still no change so, back to the doctor again. This time he found microscopic traces of blood in my urine. He decided that maybe there is a problem with my prostate and started treatment for BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia).

Another month goes by and still no change. The pain seemed to move around and some days wasn't there at all. This time my doc seemed worried. He said I need to see a Urologist. In June 2008 I saw the Urologist. When he checked my prostate, pushing extremely hard, he felt a small lump and scheduled a biopsy. He also said he would have to run a scope into my bladder to find out why I have blood in my urine.

My next visit was the biopsy. My PSA results had come back and only being 0.97 I figured I had nothing to worry about. I was awake for the biopsy which really wasn't all that bad. A couple weeks later I returned for the bladder scope. When the Urologist walked in to start the procedure he informed me that my biopsy showed that I have prostate cancer. I was in shock, I couldn't believe it. A very low PSA, no family history and only 43 years old. This just isn't possible. As he scoped my bladder he found a tumor. At this point I figured "Oh great, now I have bladder cancer too".

The ride home with my wife was extremely quiet. We were both in shock. A week later I had the bladder tumor removed and the biopsy came back negative. Thank God for that. Now I just have one cancer to deal with. Next was the CT and bone scans. I had myself convinced that the cancer had spread because of the pain I was having, then both scans came back negative. They did find arthritis in my hips and spine. Turns out this is where all the pain was coming from.

Thinking back, I was very lucky. I only went to the doctor because I aggravated the arthritis. He wasn't going to start checking my prostate until I reached 50. This in addition to an extremely low PSA and the Urologist barely feeling a lump, the chance of catching this was almost zero. After my consultation with the Urologist I decided on the robotic surgery. I met with a surgeon in the same Urology group on Sept. 4th and figured he would go over the procedure and schedule it within a week or 2. Wrong. At 5'9" and 200 lbs. I had developed a little bit of a belly. He scheduled the surgery for Oct. 21st and told me I had to lose at least 25 lbs. and flatten out my stomach by then. They have to expand your abdomen with air when they do the surgery and mine was already expanded. Another hurdle to get over!

I had spent 4 years in the Marine Corp. and knew what I had to do. I immediately went on a diet and started running and biking everyday. I pushed myself to the limit and more. I was determined that I was going to give my surgeon the best chance to perform a successful operation. By surgery day I weighed 174 and lost 5 and a half inches off of my stomach. I used the South beach diet which worked very well for me. (If you need to lose weight let me know. I will send you a copy of the diet and some advice on what worked for me.)

Oct. 21st finally came and the surgery went perfect. Exactly 3 hours, no complications and all the nerves were spared. The surgery was on a Tuesday, came home on Friday and returned to have the catheter removed the following Tuesday. The catheter was a little awkward but bearable. It has now been five weeks since the surgery. The incontinence is still there but seems to be slowing up. The surgeon said at least six weeks. Erections are about 75%. That will take up to a year.

The lab report on my prostate came back good. The cancer was contained. I am very thankful for all of the Doctors involved and for this website. I spent a lot of time searching for answers on the internet and found out there's a lot of bad information out there. I finally came across the YANA site and to be honest, that's what got me through. If you have just been diagnosed you have a lot of questions and you're scared. We've all been there. Don't be afraid to contact the guys on this site.

 

UPDATED

April 2009

 

 

It's been slightly over 5 months since my surgery and things are going fine.

The incontinence really slowed down exactly 6 weeks after the surgery. A couple weeks later I was brave enough to switch from Depends over to a pad. I currently wear a light pad just in case of an accident (sneezing, lifting something heavy, etc) but it's really not much of an issue anymore.

Impotence is still an issue but has improved slightly. Works but no where near 100% yet. Doc says it takes a while. Could actually take up to 2 years. Tried Viagra and Levitra but just couldn't deal with the side effects. Levitra worked better than Viagra but the pressure in my head, sinuses and the headaches were a little too much. Suffered from the side effects for up to a week.

I've been back to my surgeon twice since the operation and he says I'm doing great. My PSA remains clear.

As far as physical activity goes, I'm back to doing everything I did before the surgery. The important thing is to accept it, educate yourself, pick a treatment and once you are through it, get on with your life.

Good luck and God bless you all.

 

UPDATED

November 2009

 

 

It's now been one year since my surgery and things are going good. I've been back to see my surgeon every 3 months since the surgery and since my PSA is still clear, he said I can now change to annual check ups.

I still wear a light pad just as a precaution. I may get a very slight leak here and there but no big deal. Doctor says after hitting the one year mark, the incontinence is as good as it's going to get, which I have no complaints.

As far as erections, nowhere near 100% but it works without drugs. Doctor says the nerves will continue to heal for one more year so it will continue to improve.

After a year I still believe that surgery was the best choice for me. I made my choice based on the fact that at my age I just wanted it out of me. I also like the fact that there is no other treatment or drugs necessary. When I first heard the word "cancer" I thought my life was over. Now I hardly ever think about it. Hang in there, it will get better.

Good luck and God bless you all.

Carlos' e-mail address is: cstevens@aswservices.com