Hi eveyone,
I’ve been reading through the thread and thought I’d share my “that wasn’t in the plan” experience. I was diagnosed in Jan this year and was told from the scans examinations etc my cancer was localised. Following the relevant consultations and advice I opted for a robotic radical prostatectomy rather than external radiotherapy- these were the only options offered.
I was initially due to have my operation in mid April but following 2 cancellations I eventually had it on 27 May. I was in hospital for 2 days and returned home with relevant catheter in place. I returned 2 weeks later and had it removed on 10 June. Absolutely no problems.
On the following Monday I started to feel ill, I lost my appetite and I was constipated. I wasn’t sure what to do so hung on till the following day when I called my urology support team. They said it was normal and to take laxative for my constipation. To cut a long story short this went on until the weekend, me calling the urology saying I feel worse and them saying stick with it. Over the weekend I just had to bat it out as there was no way I was going to sit in A&E for 10 hours. Eventually On Monday morning, having not eaten anything since the previous Monday I contacted the urology support team again, by which time I was clearly very ill and they cottoned on. They told me to go to the hospital straight away.
I was eventually examined and admitted to hospital where tests and scans showed a lymphocele in my abdomen in the pelvic area. This fluid had filled my abdomen so much that my bladder had been squashed almost flat and the blood vessels to my kidneys and other organs were being squeezed causing some failure in kidney function. I was on drips and antibiotics and I had to have a drain inserted to drain the bacterial fluid accumulated in my abdomen. I remained in hospital for 17 tortuous days.
When I left hospital I was unable to walk due to the pain and was completely immobile. That was on 8 July. Fortunately I am recovering well but I am still having pains in my groin and abdomen area and unable to return to work.
Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with my consultant who did the operation. The first contact with him since the operation. He told me that my cancer was in fact locally advanced and not localised which was quite a shock and that he had to go “far and wide” to remove all around including all nerves and lymph nodes where it may have spread.
The histology has shown no cancer in the lymph nodes. My PSA test on 20 July was less than 0.01 so not detectable. He wants another at end of October.
So my original plan to was to have robotic surgery and get back to work a few weeks later. Instead I am still signed off work until end of August and might now face further treatment in the future. As I say that wasn’t in my plan.