Weaning off Testosterone UPDATE

[Hmac]

I wouldn't make any potentially life changing med decisions based anecdotes to be sure and would not recommend others do so either. I would however listen to experiences, then follow up with docs to see if it potentially applied to me and my situation, and weigh the info and make my decisions.

Yes. It's fine to ask the internet for opinions as long as the inevitable anecdotes and lay-published articles are not taken too seriously. Rather, use them as a framework for developing the questions to ask of an expert in the field, and preferably more than one.

[WillBrink]

Yes. It's fine to ask the internet for opinions as long as the inevitable anecdotes and lay-published articles are not taken too seriously. Rather, use them as a framework for developing the questions to ask of an expert in the field, and preferably more than one.

So the YT vid claiming olive oil enemas cures prostate and brain cancer is wrong?! Damn

[Hmac]

So the YT vid claiming olive oil enemas cures prostate and brain cancer is wrong?! Damn

I can tell you with certainty that those are occasionally among the questions that any surgeon who treats cancer may get.

[ABNAK]

Radiation can be curative, but if it's not, your subsequent options are limited and problematic. In the hands of a skilled urologist, a laparoscopic or robotic prostatectomy will have very limited side effects and still leaves subsequent options open. I have a close friend that had a biopsy Gleason score of 7. At surgery it was upped to 8 and had lateral extension. He starts radiation in about a month. His chance of a cure now is excellent. If he'd opted for the radiation alone, he would eventually be in deep shit.

Did they find the metastasis as a result of the surgery?

[Hmac]

Did they find the metastasis as a result of the surgery?

Not metastisis, but more locally invasive than the core biopies indicated, found at surgery after the prostatectomy. Biopsy Gleason vs specimen Gleason...the Gleason score will be increased on the specimen Gleason score about 8-10% of the time when the biopsy Gleason is 7. Biopsy Gleason of 6 will up-stage to 7 about 3-4% of the time. My friend was in that 8-10%. If he had chosen radiation as a primary treatment...an option that was offered to him at the Mayo Clinic...he'd be facing a somewhat more difficult future.

[ABNAK]

Okay guys, first day post-op. Surgeon was Dr. Joseph Smith of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he's also a professor of Urologic Surgery. It was done robotically. Dr. Smith pioneered robotic prostate surgery. He's done > 7000 prostatectomies. He's in his late 60's so I consider myself privileged to have gotten his services before he inevitably retires. This dude walks on water as far as I'm concerned. Demeanor and bedside manor is great. Very positive guy too.

I feel like a boxer has worked over my abdomen. I've never been this sore in my life. The catheter I'll have for 10 days is a minor irritation compared to the soreness. 3 incisions on the right abdomen, two on the left, and one longer one dead-center below the belly button where they pulled out the prostate from. My whole abdomen is swollen too so that doesn't help. Haven't eaten solid food since Monday for breakfast (the day prior to surgery). Thought I'd be hungry but I'm not. Suspect some of this pain is gas, as it was a 4 hour procedure and that long under anesthesia puts your bowels to sleep too! Being as the procedure was done robotically, he feels the "nerve sparing" part went quite well. That, coupled with my age, makes him feel that eventually I'll regain full function "down there", i.e. I'll get a hard-on and not piss myself. It will take time but he thinks it will be 100%.

Dr. Smith will have the pathology report on the prostate in 3-4 days (so it might be early next week). He said about 75-80% of the time there is more cancer on direct exam of the prostate than the biopsy showed. In my case I have a Gleason score of 6. He said he didn't see anything fishy while in there and given the score of 6 he *expects* it to still be encapsulated within the prostate. Obviously the report will tell the tale but he's confident at this point we got it all. PSA's will be checked for the rest of my life. Fingers crossed.......

Any of you who've read any exercise threads I've posted in know I'm pretty religious about my workouts. Cardio 5x per week and lift 3x. Other than walking (which is highly recommended) I can't work out for 6 weeks!!! Even cardio, which I thought would be good to go is not (at least strenuous cardio, which if it isn't it ain't cardio in my book!). Concern is hernias forming in the abdomen until the fascia totally heals. So I'm going to walk as much as I can, but certainly do not relish the idea of losing all these years of strength and endurance. It will basically be back to square one after 6 weeks.

I told my wife that this will all be worth it if the pathology report indicates it hasn't spread. That is my fervent hope.

[WillBrink]

Okay guys, first day post-op. Surgeon was Dr. Joseph Smith of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he's also a professor of Urologic Surgery. It was done robotically. Dr. Smith pioneered robotic prostate surgery. He's done > 7000 prostatectomies. He's in his late 60's so I consider myself privileged to have gotten his services before he inevitably retires. This dude walks on water as far as I'm concerned. Demeanor and bedside manor is great. Very positive guy too.

I feel like a boxer has worked over my abdomen. I've never been this sore in my life. The catheter I'll have for 10 days is a minor irritation compared to the soreness. 3 incisions on the right abdomen, two on the left, and one longer one dead-center below the belly button where they pulled out the prostate from. My whole abdomen is swollen too so that doesn't help. Haven't eaten solid food since Monday for breakfast (the day prior to surgery). Thought I'd be hungry but I'm not. Suspect some of this pain is gas, as it was a 4 hour procedure and that long under anesthesia puts your bowels to sleep too! Being as the procedure was done robotically, he feels the "nerve sparing" part went quite well. That, coupled with my age, makes him feel that eventually I'll regain full function "down there", i.e. I'll get a hard-on and not piss myself. It will take time but he thinks it will be 100%.

Dr. Smith will have the pathology report on the prostate in 3-4 days (so it might be early next week). He said about 75-80% of the time there is more cancer on direct exam of the prostate than the biopsy showed. In my case I have a Gleason score of 6. He said he didn't see anything fishy while in there and given the score of 6 he *expects* it to still be encapsulated within the prostate. Obviously the report will tell the tale but he's confident at this point we got it all. PSA's will be checked for the rest of my life. Fingers crossed.......

Any of you who've read any exercise threads I've posted in know I'm pretty religious about my workouts. Cardio 5x per week and lift 3x. Other than walking (which is highly recommended) I can't work out for 6 weeks!!! Even cardio, which I thought would be good to go is not (at least strenuous cardio, which if it isn't it ain't cardio in my book!). Concern is hernias forming in the abdomen until the fascia totally heals. So I'm going to walk as much as I can, but certainly do not relish the idea of losing all these years of strength and endurance. It will basically be back to square one after 6 weeks.

I told my wife that this will all be worth it if the pathology report indicates it hasn't spread. That is my fervent hope.

All sounds positive from what I gather above. Heal up, drive on hopefully. 6 weeks off does suck, but you don't start from 0 when you return. I can assure you of that from personal experience my friend.

[ABNAK]

All sounds positive from what I gather above. Heal up, drive on hopefully. 6 weeks off does suck, but you don't start from 0 when you return. I can assure you of that from personal experience my friend.

And given your background I'll take your word for it! Thanks Will.

[WillBrink]

And given your background I'll take your word for it! Thanks Will.

Don't despair too much on that one. Not fun at all, but 2-3 weeks back to it, once doc gives you the full steam ahead, and you'll be GTG.

[ABNAK]

Got the call from the surgeon a little while ago. It appears we have the result we were hoping for! The cancer occupied 14% of the prostate, which the doc said is no small amount so it's good we got it out of there. Of more significance is the fact that it's margins were not on the periphery. He feels we are well on the road for it being considered a CURE. PSA will be checked at the 6 week mark and he said it should be nearly undetectable. I have to see my PCP every 6 months for my BP and cholesterol med renewal/bloodwork so will just have the PSA checked semi-annually for the rest of my life. Given my history of prostate cancer I don't see my insurance not paying for that test but even if they balked at some point I'd pony up my damn self for it.