Two years post op

Bit of a milestone this week really as it will be two years since I ditched my prostate.
I was dx in November 12 with a T2bm0n0 Gleason 6 tumour...PSA hovering around 20 and 8 out of 12 cores positive.
I had the usual consultations with urologist and oncologist...researched and asked for a referral to a highly experienced surgeon who had done over a 1000 of these ops. He agreed to do my op. My only regret was the first surgeon dismissed a referral to Addenbrookes for a robotic procedure. I wish I had challenged that..I had the op the first week of February 13. The op was done laprosopically ie keyhole.

I have since wondered if full nerve sparing was the right call as I had to have follow up RT. My post op histology showed a focal breech and was upgraded to 3+4 g7. All 15 lymph nodes removed were clear as were seminal vesicles. PSA was 0.06 and this raised slightly over the next few months so we decided to zap it in August/Sept 2013.

Following my op I made a good recovery and was fully continent within a few months. My flow has been effected but I am living with that as no big deal...We decided against a bladder neck incision due to possible side effects. I got through the RT unscathed and continued working throughout.

I still have erectile function difficulties but Viagra does help. I couldn't get on with Cialis.

My pre RT PSA was 0.087. 6 months after RT it was 0.048. A year after RT my PSA was 0.037...in a few weeks or so I will know my 18 months post RT PSA. They told me it continues to work for two years so hopefully the PSA will continue to drop.

Hope this is helpful to any newbies

Good luck to all going through their treatments but particularly my friends who were dx'd at the same time as me. We are still sharing a journey...see you in 8 years Davy

Bri