Hi all, I've monitored this site for a while whilst my diagnosis has been on going. There seems to be a lack of good sites in Aus for support!?
My story so far.
I originally had my first PSA test back in UK around 2008. This was after my Uncle had been diagnosed with prostate Cancer. Although he was on my Mothers side I still proceeded with the test and so the rollercoaster ride of this disease began.
Thankfully at the time I just had an elevated PSA, but was advised to monitor it with checks every 6 months. So from my first initial test of 2.5 it slowly increased throughout 2008/9 until I was advised by my GP to see a Urologist. He decided it would be an idea to have a biopsy examination, so in February 2009 I had my first and very painful Biopsy. This took 8 cores and thankfully they all came back negative.
Over the next couple of years my PSA elevated to 4.8 and stayed there for around a year. By this time we were in the throws of emigrating to Australia for my wife's job, so as soon as we arrived in Aus I instigated another PSA test.This was again around 4.8 and so again the actively watch approach was undertaken. By 2013 there was no sign of it dropping so my GP advised seeing a Urologist, who tried drugs for BHP along with an ultrasound of Prostate/bladder/etc.
By now we are in to 2014 and PSA had elevated to 5.2. Still low by all accounts and slow rising, but my Urologist believed there was an undercurrent of something going on and sent me for MRI and CT scans. Finally the MRI picked up something within the Prostate and so my Urologist performed a TURP's with 15 cores being taken. This showed Cancer within 5 cores and a Gleason of 3+4.
Due to my age, size of Prostate and relative good health he advised that my best option would be to undertake Surgery. Now being in Aus the Public system tends not to be as accessible as the NHS ( they prefer private health to pay for most procedures) but they were undertaking trials in Robotic Prostatectomy at a Hospital within the Brisbane area and so he managed to refer me to a Surgeon undertaking the trials on the Public Health scheme.
I was surprised after visiting the Consultant in October 2014 that I wouldn't be having surgery until after Christmas and possibly late January 2015?. This made it a very long and fretful Christmas, but finally received my surgery date in mid January. This was then cancelled twice! and eventually I underwent the procedure on Feb 25th 2015.
So to bring you upto date if I haven't bored you to tears! I am now in recovery after spending two nights in hospital. The catheter was removed within a week!! which surprised me even more than the delay on surgery! and I'm now coming to terms with pads, nappies and sitting down whilst I have a wee!!
The good news is hardly any pain from the op, apart from Gas retention in my back and ribs from the CO2!!, but I'm apprehensive about incontinence and obviously penile dysfunction. Early days yet and finding it hard to relax until I get the results of the Histology and get my first PSA test out of the way.
If anyone has been through any of this I'd like to know how your recovery went and when it's advisable to start some sort of exercise regime to get mobility back around the abdomen etc. The best I can do at the moment is Pelvic floors, but I'm dry at night so it must be working! Good luck to all who may be on this Journey!