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Tony Jupp and Sarah live in Horsham, West Sussex, England. He was 53 when he was diagnosed in March 2005. His initial PSA was 15 ng/ml. his Gleason Score was 5 and he was staged T2a for reasons that are not clear from his story. His choice of treatment is laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Here is his story:


Well, after reading this website for two years, mostly when decisions are pressurised on us males at the time of the frightening "you've got cancer " moment then doing watchful waiting with all the soaking up of information relating to diet until the doctor says it's not holding back your PSA anymore.

Oh yes! Introduction: my name is Tony Jupp and I live in the UK - West Sussex. I was diagnosed in March 2005, My 15 ng/ml PSA was primarily due to an infection in the urethra. So then my doctor recommended a biopsy this revealed a Gleason Score of 5 and I was staged T2a.

I went with my wife to the consultant - a Mr Swinn who advised to have surgery but after leaving his room I decided to read everything about the cancer. Prostate Cancer by Sheldon Marks helped as indeed did Professor Jane Plant for her excellent diet guide which I followed rigorously and my PSA went from 15 ng/ml to 3.6 ng/ml - the tomatoes also helped.

The PSA of 3.6 ng/ml happened in December 2005 and my consultant recommended me to an oncologist a Mr Monykyryle - a delightful fellow who went along with my notion that what you eat and what you don't can have an affect on some cancers though I have to say the medical hierarchy scoff or so it seemed. Anyway I got lazy and by the end of 2006my PSA went up to 5.1 ng/ml, so he recommended treatment whereupon I panicked and started gorging tomatoes the small ones (just like 'em) also back to a stricter diet. It worked in one month when my PSA was 4.6 ng/ml .But the only problem is I am now scheduled for a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy or whatever it's called.

The fugitive has all but given up running away from the scalpel never for sure knowing how our continence will fare or potency under a Mr Chris Eden and he for sure never let out any guarantees for the outcome of an operation.

 

UPDATED

July 2007

 

 

Well Mr Eden performed my op on the 13th May 2007 at the Royal Surrey hospital Guildford, and I was hoping this surgeon was worthy of the praise accorded him from numerous sources.

The op: firstly the keyhole incisions made rising out of bed extremely difficult as no above head apparatus was allowed for safety reasons, but a week later wounds got better. Lots of pills followed also an antibiotic drip placed in my left arm. The drain in my abdomen taken out after one day. Within one day I was encouraged to walk, speeding recovery etc, but they never said how much, a vagueness that seems prevalent in the journey of a PCa sufferer. Anxious to prove my recovery superior to others I over did it! So pain relieved with tramodol.

Surprisingly I was released from hospital the next day in a state physical uncertainty, especially seeing lots of empty beds in our ward - a contentious issue in the UK. Anyway was met with an infection in the urethra. I don't know why but for me it's painful, pills to the rescue, scrotal sac thickened and trebled in size, yes walking difficult, but did eventually subside as doctor who I woke said it would. It would be nice if somebody explained possible post op problems likely to occur.

The catheter is every bit as bothersome as told and at times I frantically tried to design a comfortable placement whilst walking. By the time it came out Mr. Willy was pretty raw. Twenty one days lapsed before the catheter came out. It was meant to be fourteen days but Dr. needed a holiday (I know the feeling), the nurses said drink lots of fluid, which was to see if my bladder was emptying properly. This part I did well in but hasten to add I visited the toilet forty times that day.

Now whenever I went onto yananow`s website I would skip the op and post op I wanted to know whether the sex life was ok. Well possibly in time my nerves will recoup and function will return but only a 10 to 30% erection was happening and believe me you are working overtime due abstinence from post-op fragility to restore pre-op state. Now and again things happened which resemble your old self but eventually it levelled out to about 20 to 30% but orgasms just as good -weird!

Well on June 26th I went to see Mr Eden again for the pathology report surprisingly no PSA given. This is where the doctor emphasised my cancer located in the periphery or was it on the periphery the nerves play havoc whilst listening to these reports so take a recorder with you. The Gleason was upgraded to 6 - tumour volume 20%, after he had told me this he mentioned the possibility that I was cured but from what he had just told me I felt the opposite.

I explained my confusion whereupon he said he saw no cancer evident elsewhere during the op, again I was still confused, after all cancer can evade visual detection reluctantly he went to his laptop put in my original readings then looked up and announced 93% could have been 98% but you will be watchful waiting for two years. I think from reading the yananow`s stories I expected the doctor to say margins and other similar expressions anyway I know my next PSA reading will eliminate the confusion and a part of me would rather not know that!

 

UPDATED

August 2007

 

 

I had my appointment on 14th August exactly three months after my operation,which was to tell me my first post op PSA reading which came back at 0.1 ng/ml. Mr Eden mentioned a PSA reading of 0.1 ng/ml equated to a cure, something which I hoped was true.

Then he asked me how my continence was faring. Here I had to say I'm lazy in this department no Kegels etc. Although I do get the odd leak I don't find it a problem and never used a pad, kind of hoping my bladder will strengthen naturally.

The Erectile Dysfunction ,is still an issue but there is progress I told him, although some days it can be stubborn,whereupon he prescribed Cialis - one to be taken once a week.

After coming out of my meeting I realised I had returned to a partial normality and I guess it was made possible by this great website and the people who share their Pca journey Also I thank the Pca groups in Woking, Purley and Horley and their selfless organisers.

 

UPDATED

January 2008

 

 

I had my appointment in November with Mr Eden armed with my PSA result of 0.1 and a slow but recovering erection and to his credit he listens very attentively. The Cialis certainly reacts favourably prior to sex roughly 2 hours before. I have noticed over fatigue and overuse can give dissappointing results so a couple of days off helped, maybe I'm still in the recovery stage and Mr Eden mentioned 2 years healing is not abnormal.

Meanwhile life back to a routine to which I must be grateful.

 

UPDATED

September 2008

 

 

PSA 0.10. As a veteran prostate cancer survivor life returns to it's normality, work and growing older. The panic of the effects of the surgery has given way to apathy or is it wisdom?

The bladder recently has been a bit unreliable no matter how long I wait after the finish I still get a wet leg. Also every now and again I will get a visit from ED, but normally my erections vary from 60/70%. My diet is still anti dairy with lapses occurring, the odd bar of chocolate, milk or a cake, but the drive to try eat healthily is still a good battle tool against the return of PCa.

My next appointment is in December as Mr Eden has now put me on 6 monthly visits.

 

UPDATED

June 2009

 

 

I went for my 2 year report at Mr Eden's request to which I listed problems which were a result of the operation, but alas I was directed to his Registrar and all the post-operation problems were swept under the carpet.

The anal sphincter is only 90% - urine can leak whilst yawning occasionally. Also when trying to make certain you have finished weeing a disappointing dribble can occur. The testes can raise up in the scrotum like in a cold day making walking a bit weird, yes a tug down sorts it out.

Also the brain is not able to connect to the penis so physical stimulation is a must and erections 90% - that's ok! - and the registrar said taking Cialis could improve the mental connection. We will see.

Anyway the bottom line is I can live with these hiccups and all the concerns before the op were much too dramatic compared with how I feel now. Probably unless my cancer returns this will be my state now, so thank you to this website for the wonderful insight the case histories provide in evaluating a choice of treatment, and hope many benefit from Terry's initiative.

 

Tony's e-mail address is: tonyjupp@live.com