I write this in the hope that my recent experience may be helpful to someone else, as indeed I have been helped by several of the reports published here.
My prostate experience began back in April 2018 when a PSA test, done to check some urinary symptoms I had been having came back as 10.2. In May I had an MRI scan followed by a transrectal biopsy at the Great Western (GW) in Swindon. The results were inconclusive, the consultant thought there was something going on but the results didn’t confirm it. It was decided I should have a template biopsy to check. The GW didn’t have the equipment to do this and they looked west to Southmead Hospital, Bristol for support. This was 2 hours drive away, and as my wife was facing an eye operation and being unable to drive for a couple of months, I decided to look to Oxford, half the distance away and within taxi range and at the same time to use the private insurance I had paid into for years. The process of switching hospital systems took much longer than expected but in July I had the transperineal template biopsy done in Oxford. Recovery was quick and the results came in a couple of weeks. I had prostate cancer of the anterior lobe and a Gleeson score of 7. The diagnosis was not really a surprise given the earlier email correspondence between consultants and the anterior lobe explained why it had been difficult to spot.
I saw my consultant just before the holiday slow-down, he recommended a robotic prostatectomy but to cover the options referred me to an oncologist so I could consider hormone treatment and radiotherapy. I had a couple of work colleagues who had had brachytherapy, one quite recently, with successful results, so I wanted to explore this least invasive option. Because I had been having some urinary symptoms brachytherapy was quickly ruled out, as it would most likely have made matters worse, months of hormone treatment plus a month of radiotherapy remained an option but it was all agreed that surgery was the best way forward. The consultant stressed that there was no great urgency but that he would like to have it done by the end of the year.
That was early August, I went on to the waiting list at the Churchill and was given a date (October 10) just before I went on holiday in mid September. The lead up to my operation didn’t really go as planned. The holiday was good but the Spanish weather disappointed. I caught a cold on my return, that went quickly enough but I was left feeling tired and achy. Eventually I suspected something else was at play and under a week from my operation I had a bad infected wisdom tooth root removed and was put on a course of antibiotics. Two days before surgery I still didn’t feel right so I spoke to my surgeon who assured me there was absolutely no risk on cross infection and that the antibiotics were not an issue. I might feel slightly worse after the op but they would go ahead unless I had a high temperature on the day. I was glad I had told the surgeon and he expressed gratitude at being told. I was very relieved that the operation was still on. At the same time as I was feeling off colour I was under some pressure trying to arrange for a few friends to look after my classic car business for a month in my absence.
The day came and I went into hospital mid morning to be told by the anaesthetist that the robot had broken down the day before, the first operation had been cancelled, but that the engineers had promised it would be fixed in time for my procedure that afternoon. I heard the same from the surgeon but all was fixed and we went ahead.
I walked down to the operating theatre where the anaesthetist got to work, followed by the robot, in the skilful hands of my surgeon. I don’t remember anything till I was back in my private room on a busy transplant ward attended by nurses. I felt remarkably good, no pain, the only issue I had was my blood sugars went very high – I am Type 2 diabetic and hadn’t by then had any tablets for over 24 hours – but that came back under control over the next day or two. The overnight nurses seemed rather surly and slow but were probably busy and the ones next day were great. I saw my surgeon first thing next morning, I felt very good and he was happy with everything. I got up later in the day, ate, had the drain removed and was enlightened into the delights of the catheter and injecting myself with blood-thinners – something I don’t like doing. It has proved easier to cope with the catheter than I expected, emptying and changing bags is not an issue and its presence is a good way of discouraging over-activity. I thought sleep would be a problem but have found I can lie on one side as well as my back and aided by a little drowsiness from painkillers I have slept as well (or badly) as I would normally expect. The first bowel movement three days later was a challenge and a relief aided gently by some Movicol I had been recommended by the physiotherapist who had started me on Kegel exercises some weeks before.
I go back to the hospital on Saturday, ten days after my operation to have the catheter removed, and then I start the next stage of rehabilitation