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PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

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George Lesnikoff and Kathy live in California, USA. He was 60 when he was diagnosed on April 1, 2008. His initial PSA was 1.5 ng/ml, his Gleason Score 3+3 was and he was staged T2a. His choice of treatment was Laparoscopic surgery. Here is his story

Diagnosis

During my annual physical exam, the doctor noted a "nodule " on my prostate. He suggested I see a urologist. My PSA was very low at 1.5, so I wasn't very concerned. Still, about 8 months later, I did go in for a closer inspection. The urologist confirmed the presence of this small nodule and scheduled a biopsy. Twelve cores were taken. Two of the twelve had cancer cells, with a Gleason of 3+3. After consultation, I decided to wait while I considered my options.

Considerations

The Internet has so much data, that it is difficult to sort it out. Much of the information is contradictory, as many of the articles are self-serving. I bought three books on the subject, which were thorough and objective. It boiled down to this: pay me now, or pay me later. The cancer was not going to get better, so watching/waiting until I was 70 didn't make any sense. Articles on radiation treatments, while now quite advanced, discuss bladder and anal morbidity rates. So I opted for surgery.

Surgery

The laparoscopic surgery was performed at the Stanford Medical Center. The surgery lasted about 4 hours. I wish to thank the surgeon, Dr. Gill, as well as my nurses, Brian and Julia, for taking such good care of me. I had the surgery on Friday, and was released on Sunday, after the drain stopped draining.

Post Op.

When I regained consciousness, I experience pain from a corneal abrasion as well as from the catheter insertion. This despite the fact that I was still sedated. This is apparently a frequent occurrence.

The next morning I awoke with gas pains. Again, a common side-effect of prolonged anesthesia. I started walking the halls at 6 am to relieve the pain, until finally the nurse called me back in. They have a great approach to pain management at Stanford, so I was able to sleep at night despite the gas problems. The gas pains started to abate after I started eating soft foods such as apple sauce. They finally went away on Monday.

The catheter is a major nuisance. I cut out the pocket in the pyjama pants and stuck the line through that opening. The catheter stayed in for two weeks. I used the large "overnight" bag throughout. I want to thank Kathy for taking such good care of me at her home for two weeks.

Prognosis & Side Effects
The biopsy of the removed organ showed that 1.2cc of 39cc was cancerous. 80% of cells were G3, while 20% were G4, G5. Margins and seminal vessels were negative. That means they got it all and my prognosis for non-recurrence is very good.
It has been six weeks since the surgery and I still suffer from incontinence (except while laying down or reclining). It's getting better but it's hard to get used to this problem. When I regain full bladder control, I'll start "working" on the erectile dysfunction.

Tips

Get into the best shape you possibly can before surgery. It will make it easier to get out of the bed, the chair, the car, etc.

Feel free to contact me at the e-mail address given.

 

UPDATED

September 2008

 

 

Three months after surgery I got the results of my first post-op PSA test. The level was below the detection limit, so I am very pleased. Still doing my Kegels. Incontinence remains an issue, but it is getting better. I am able to do weight training without any problems.

George's e-mail address is: glzin@aol.com