Ron
Valdes lives in New York, USA. He was 39 when he was diagnosed on April 15, 2008.
His initial PSA was 4.2 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and although he does not
give his staging it seems he would have been staged T1c. His choice of treatment
was Surgery. Here is his story.
I was having some trouble with my urinary
flow so I went to the doctor to have it checked out. It turns out my PSA was a
6.7. We tried to go straight for a biopsy but it ends up that when the day came
for it, I had an infection in my urine. My urologist thought I was way too young
for anything to be wrong and he placed me on Levaquin for two weeks thinking it
may have been a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). After two weeks it dropped to a
4.2. That was when we decided to actually go ahead with the biopsy. When the time
came, he tried to back out. He felt that I was way too young for cancer and wanted
to place me back on Levaquin for another six weeks. I said that I needed to go
ahead with the biopsy for my own piece of mind. He took eight samples and truthfully
it was pretty painless and the discomfort was minimal.
A little less than
two weeks later I was told the samples came back positive. They found cancer in
five of the eight samples and my Gleason Score was set at six. My next step is
a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis and a Nuclear bone scan on Tuesday.
My
only worry is that I have an arthritic type of pain in my lower back; pretty much
across the whole thing. It could be in my head, but it just seems strange that
I have had this pain for about three months now and now this news comes out.
The
CT scan and bone scan came back negative. My first appointment with the Oncologist
is on Wednesday, May 7th. My urologist and I both feel it is best to go for the
robotic surgery. I would imagine (and hope) that the oncologist agrees. His name
is Dr. David Silver and from what I have heard and read about him he is a pioneer
in the Robotic surgery so I think I will be in pretty safe hands. I just want
to get it done ASAP. This back pain is pretty unbearable sometimes.
Later:
I
met with the Urologic Oncologist on May 7th. Dr. David Silver of Brooklyn, NY.
I feel really lucky to have him as a surgeon. He is really the most professional
and sympathetic doctor I have ever met. He really made me feel at ease, explained
all my options, and made sure I understood everything that was happening and will
happen to me.
I
now have a date for my Robotic Prostatic procedure, May 19th. It also helps that
this will be done fairly quickly. I just want it cleared up so I can move on with
the rest of my life. I have a pretty good attitude about this now and I feel that
finding the right doctor makes a huge difference. The next time I write will be
after my surgery. Wish me luck.
Later
(May 21): It is now two days since my operation. I went in on Monday morning,
May 19th, and was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon, May 20th. It is
now Wednesday and I am at home.
I
am very bloated and have not had a bowel movement since right before the procedure.
The catheter is fairly uncomfortable, although my urine has turned from red to
yellow during the course of today.
I
have been trying to take it easy like the doctor instructed. I am walking around
the house with some discomfort in the groin and stomach but that is to be expected
I suppose. The doctor told me that everything went really smoothly and the bleeding
was minimal. I have to return to the doctor's office on Tuesday morning and have
the catheter removed. Then after 6 more weeks I have to repeat my PSA test. That
will coincide with the pathology report of the prostate and hopefully all will
come out clear and I can move on without worry.
I
can not stress how important it is to find the right doctor. Dr. David Silver
is one of the finest doctors I have ever come into contact with in my life. If
any of you can have the opportunity to get to Brooklyn, NY and see him I strongly
recommend it. He is a wonder.
It
is now June 3rd and it's been two full weeks since my RL surgery and one week
since the catheter came out. I must say that I am having something of a miraculous
recovery. My pain has been minimal and I am getting back to my normal walking
speed and have been finding it easier to bend and move around without any aches
or pains whatsoever except for the occasional gas pain.
I
went to the local drug chain the day the catheter came out (it didn't hurt, just
felt very weird) and bought a huge pack of Depends; better to have them and not
need them than need them and not have them. I wore one each day for a week and
the only incontinence I had was a tiny leak in the early morning of the third
or forth day getting up to urinate. That was it. Now I don't wear one at all.
I feel strong urges to urinate and don't have any problems with leaking or accidents
of any kind (knock on wood).
As
far as ED, the doctor gave me a prescription for 100 mg Viagra and I was told
to take a half a pill every other night to "kick start" the my erection. The first
night I took it I achieved about a 40% erection of what I used to have and am
now up to about 60%. The way things are going I feel that I could be back to normal
in no time (again knock on wood). I have to say though that the "phantom orgasms"
are weird; definitely something to get used to. The doctor said I may see some
seminal fluid but so far I haven't seen a drop of anything.
Now
I just play the waiting game. I have my first post-op PSA test at the end of the
month and my Dr's appointment to discuss everything is on July 9th, two weeks
before my 40th birthday (and yet again knock on wood).
I
wish you all luck with your choices. Please email me if you have any questions
about the procedure or recovery.
It
is July 7th, 2008. My Dr.'s office called me yesterday and moved my appointment
up one day. They then call me back and say that they haven't gotten my PSA results
back. Luckily I took the the PSA at a hospital three blocks from my job so I walked
there after work and they immediately faxed the results. I had a hard time sleeping
thinking of what was waiting for me.
Now
it's the next day. I wake up early and get to the Doctor's office about 10 minutes
early. I wait in the waiting room for a while and go to the examination room.
One of the doctor's give me a full examination, asks me questions about everything.
I am then called into Dr. Silver's office and we sit down for a talk. He gives
me a copy of the Pathology report and says that thankfully everything went well
and the cancer was not aggressive. It stayed within the prostate and did not spread.
My 6 week PSA was .03. Great news all around. I now wait six months and repeat
it. Looks like all is well.
I
can't tell you how weird it is to finally feel free and clear after such a long
struggle. It really feels like I've been given a new lease on life. I am going
to cherish each day from here on in as if it were a gift.
If
any of you need any advice or guidance please feel free to email me. I will do
my best to help in any way.
So
- it is now early August. All is really well.
I
am starting to lose my ED. I am still at about 50-60% of where I was prior to
the operation. They have been coming even without Viagra (obviously not nearly
as easily as they used to) so things look promising.
I
feel a lot better physically. I am pretty much back up to my normal routine and
walking speed. The only thing I would say is that I have been getting just generally
"worn-out" easier. I used to be able to walk miles and miles with no problems
and now after probably about 2 miles I start to get tired, not sleepy but just
tuckered out. I just need to take it easy for a while afterwards. Everyone I talk
to is telling me it's to be expected just two months after a major operation.
I'll agree with that and just keep trying to get some exercise.
My
next PSA is in January. It's another plus that the Dr. didn't feel I need a three
month check up.
E-mail
me with any questions or concerns you may have about your health. I am here to
help in anyway I can.
Ron's e-mail address is: rvaldes344@yahoo.com
