Leakage Update

Hi Guys....

Closing in on 10 months post prostatectomy and my leakage
problems still persist. I really don't see much change in leakage
then I had seen in the early months post surgery.

Still no erection, although I can achieve an orgasm (go figure).
Dr. suggested my taking Cialis twice a week to possibly move
things along in the erection department.

Regarding the leakage... my Dr. suggested I consider the
"Sling" method surgery. Of course I would consider that if I
knew the leakage would stop 100%.

My question is to you... am I still be impatient with all of this?
Is this a normal thing? Is the sling method worth looking into?
Anyone else taking medication to help erections?

Thanks guys!
Next PSA is this month. Last one was less than 0.01.

Tony

TonyPA wrote:

> Hi Guys....
>
> ... My question is to you... am I still be impatient with all of this?

10 months is awhile ... but how much do you leak?

If you have not seen improvement since your surgery, if the Kegels are not
improving things, and if your situation is not tolerable for you, then it
might be time for you to do something about it. I'm wondering if there
aren't things you should think about before the sling, though? One of the
things about the collagen injections that I think is good is the temporary
nature of them. So, if your bladder control is destined to improve over
time, the injections may act as an assist there. If they don't work, then
the sling might be the next step.

That's my plan, anyway. When my uro brought up the injections, I told him
that I did not want to think about it until at least a year had gone by --
but I'm dealing with the occasional squirt after a cough, a sneeze, or some
heavy lifting. If my situation never improves, I'll be content to manage
it with a pad.

--charlie

--
6/2006 PSA 5.2
DRE suspicious
7/2006 Biopsy
2 of 10 positive
Gleason 7(3+4)
11/2006 LRP
Clear margins
1/2007 PSA < 0.01
3/2007 PSA < 0.01
6/2007 PSA < 0.01
so far, so good

TonyPA wrote:

> Closing in on 10 months post prostatectomy and my leakage
> problems still persist. I really don't see much change in leakage
> then I had seen in the early months post surgery.

The pertinent question, IMO, is, "Is the problem so bad you're willing
to risk making it worse to *try* to fix it?"

> Regarding the leakage... my Dr. suggested I consider the
> "Sling" method surgery. Of course I would consider that if I
> knew the leakage would stop 100%.

Anyone who would promise you that belongs in prison.

> am I still being impatient with all of this?

IMO, yes.

> Is this a normal thing?

Pretty common, I'd guess.

> Is the sling method worth looking into?

Sure. So are supplements, Kegels, prayer, support groups, lots of
exercise, red underwear, consultation with incontinence experts (my uro
sent me to a nurse who is a nationally recognized expert ifield),
voodoo, buying stock in Serenity, and buying Serenity for Men pads by
the case, none of which risks worse complications. Beyond that point I
fall back on my opening question.

After my surgery, my surgeon thought I'd be dry quickly. At 32 months
post-op, I'll have some fairly dry days (i.e., just one pad in 24 hours)
but most days *demand* 2-3 pad changes and my bladder is plumbed
directly to the outside world during unconstrained sports (e.g., fine in
the gym, total flood during something like volleyball). I'd rather spend
my next 30 years like that than experience any of the not uncommon
downsides of a sling or even collagen, but other men have risked it all
to avert three stray drops a day.

I.P.

Since I still leak at 48 months post-op, I have more than a passing
interest in all plumbing issues. I gradually went to fewer and fewer
pads over a period of almost 3 years, well after the 18-month limit
for improvement often cited in the literature. I hit a plateau of 1+
pads/day at the three year mark. I now am at 3+ pads/day due to a
couple of things. First off, Depends changed their pad design so that
they became less absorbent and Tena Serenity pads do not do as well as
the old Depend pads although they are much better than the new Depend
pads. I would guess this pad stuff accounts for about half of my
increase. The rest is unfortunately, a problem with my own plumbing.
Neither I nor my docs know why - I just leak more now than a year
ago. Maybe I'm getting careless and ignoring the regular trips to the
can every two hours.

As for the sling, I've put that on a far back burner mainly because
I'm opposed to any kind of elective surgery, especially one that can
only promise "Most men experience improvement." Also, one guy on this
newsgroup who had his prostate removed the same month I did in 2003
tried the reservoir/cuff thing which didn't work and then tried the
sling which made things even worse. So, until the technique is
improved to the point that success is comparable to filling a tooth,
the sling will stay on the back burner.
Dave Perry

On Jul 3, 11:37 am, "I.P. Freely" <fuhgheddabou...@noway.nohow> wrote:
> TonyPA wrote:
> > Closing in on 10 months post prostatectomy and my leakage
> > problems still persist. I really don't see much change in leakage
> > then I had seen in the early months post surgery.
>
> The pertinent question, IMO, is, "Is the problem so bad you're willing
> to risk making it worse to *try* to fix it?"
>
> > Regarding the leakage... my Dr. suggested I consider the
> > "Sling" method surgery. Of course I would consider that if I
> > knew the leakage would stop 100%.
>
> Anyone who would promise you that belongs in prison.
>
> > am I still being impatient with all of this?
>
> IMO, yes.
>
> > Is this a normal thing?
>
> Pretty common, I'd guess.
>
> > Is the sling method worth looking into?
>
> Sure. So are supplements, Kegels, prayer, support groups, lots of
> exercise, red underwear, consultation with incontinence experts (my uro
> sent me to a nurse who is a nationally recognized expert ifield),
> voodoo, buying stock in Serenity, and buying Serenity for Men pads by
> the case, none of which risks worse complications. Beyond that point I
> fall back on my opening question.
>
> After my surgery, my surgeon thought I'd be dry quickly. At 32 months
> post-op, I'll have some fairly dry days (i.e., just one pad in 24 hours)
> but most days *demand* 2-3 pad changes and my bladder is plumbed
> directly to the outside world during unconstrained sports (e.g., fine in
> the gym, total flood during something like volleyball). I'd rather spend
> my next 30 years like that than experience any of the not uncommon
> downsides of a sling or even collagen, but other men have risked it all
> to avert three stray drops a day.
>
> I.P.