I am now 12 months on, almost to the day, from my RARP. My PSA is undetectable, although I have resisted the urge to request the more sensitive test. My surgeon advises that this simply causes unnecessary anxiety and that further treatment would not be offered until the PSA has risen to at least 0.2, whatever the results of the sensitive test.
My continence is to all intents and purposes back. The only time that a small drop escapes is when I am very tired or when a very hard sneeze or cough takes me by surprise. I have not felt the need to wear pads or any sort of shield for about 6 months.
On the ED front, I can now “function” without chemical or other assistance, although not entirely rigid and not for long. However 100mg of Viagra easily bridges the gap, although I find the optimum time is about 2-3 hours after taking it, not the 90 mins or so recommended in the instructions.
Apart from the inevitable anxiety of the 3 monthly PSA checks, life has for the most part returned to normal. Whilst the possibility of a reoccurrence is always at the back of my mind, the surgeon is confident that the likelihood of this is quite low based upon my path. rpt etc. As such I am trying to take his advice to “stop worrying and get on with your life”.
I am in a much better place than last year when I was first diagnosed and I hope that this update will provide some reassurance to those who have recently received a similar diagnosis. I would also like to thank those who responded to my posts at that for there support and advice, which was much appreciated then and now.