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I'm following all the threads here and they have been very helpful and many of them have taken the words right out of my mouth. Had I been able to experience the side effects of a radical prostatectomy prior to the surgery, I believe I would have opted out and taken my chances. I often wish there was a way whereby I could take my cancerous prostate back and go back to the way I was.
Yet,I know i'm doing better with regaining my continence, but sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough. Its been 58 days since my surgery. I don't need any protection at night, though I do wear pads for getting in and out of bed, when I'm likely to leak, and of course, pads all day. I've started measuring my pad weight and find I'm leaking about 5 ounces a day, though yesterday was 7 ounces. I have no idea if weighing the pads tells me anything, though I think if I see it decreasing over time, maybe that will be the tipoff that its getting better. I'm using 3 to 4 pads a day, but they aren't filling up. It just feels uncomfortable walking around wet. What I find most annoying is when I step out of the shower all clean, and then drip urine down my legs as I'm drying myself before I can step into my underwear and put in my pad, or doing my kegels and not being able to stop the dribbling before I can get to the toilet.
Here are the things I've cut from my diet: Nicotine (nicorette turned me into a gushing spring), citrus fruit, chocolate, herbal tea (no more tea with honey before bed), diet root beer, anything carbonated, extra salt, cheese, most snacks.
I drink about 32 ounces of water a day. I eat watermelon and more watermelon and other non-citrus fruits everyday. I am getting alot of water intake. I do overeat now, since i have hypogonadism and am off of androgel and my testosterone count last week was 38. Low Testosterone leads to increased appetite, osteoporosis(which i've had), higher cholesterol (which I now have for the first time ever), weight gain (now 15 pounds overweight, that 15 pound gain in 2 months), depression, loss of muscle (my muscle is now fat). I'm absolutely miserable and the cancer being gone doesn't fix my depression. I live alone and cutting my friends out of my life hasn't been helpful either, but I'm not going to socialize while I'm still leaking urine into my depends, even if it takes a year to regain continence. If I never do, then I don't know what happens to my friends after that.
When I see my doctor next month, I will demand a prescription for Androgel. Numerous articles point to Testosterone replacement therapy for men with hypogonadism as effective in fighting a return of prostate cancer and improving continence. I just want to feel normal again without this constant brain fog. And I will get a prescription for Androgel one way or another. But my VA doctor will not prescribe it without approval from the surgeon. I feel like I will have to beg to get the approval, or find a doctor who has written articles about the efficacy of TRT on prostate cancer survivors. (I already found one at NYU).
I guess this is mostly a rant. I'm not happy with the choices I've made; but here I am and I have to deal with it.
Can anyone tell me if 5 ounces of urine a day is alot 2 months after RP? a sign of improvement? Anyone with hypogonadism back on Androgel? Have I cut everything out of my diet? (I don't even enjoy eating anymore). Anyone figure out how to eat a sodium free diet? Salt seems to be in just about everything. I generally don't eat or drink anything after dinner. Yet, its rare that I'm not still waking up several times a night. Generally, I sleep about 2 hours before I wake up with the urge. Does anyone know if drinking less water will hinder recovery of continence?
Yet,I know i'm doing better with regaining my continence, but sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough. Its been 58 days since my surgery. I don't need any protection at night, though I do wear pads for getting in and out of bed, when I'm likely to leak, and of course, pads all day. I've started measuring my pad weight and find I'm leaking about 5 ounces a day, though yesterday was 7 ounces. I have no idea if weighing the pads tells me anything, though I think if I see it decreasing over time, maybe that will be the tipoff that its getting better. I'm using 3 to 4 pads a day, but they aren't filling up. It just feels uncomfortable walking around wet. What I find most annoying is when I step out of the shower all clean, and then drip urine down my legs as I'm drying myself before I can step into my underwear and put in my pad, or doing my kegels and not being able to stop the dribbling before I can get to the toilet.
Here are the things I've cut from my diet: Nicotine (nicorette turned me into a gushing spring), citrus fruit, chocolate, herbal tea (no more tea with honey before bed), diet root beer, anything carbonated, extra salt, cheese, most snacks.
I drink about 32 ounces of water a day. I eat watermelon and more watermelon and other non-citrus fruits everyday. I am getting alot of water intake. I do overeat now, since i have hypogonadism and am off of androgel and my testosterone count last week was 38. Low Testosterone leads to increased appetite, osteoporosis(which i've had), higher cholesterol (which I now have for the first time ever), weight gain (now 15 pounds overweight, that 15 pound gain in 2 months), depression, loss of muscle (my muscle is now fat). I'm absolutely miserable and the cancer being gone doesn't fix my depression. I live alone and cutting my friends out of my life hasn't been helpful either, but I'm not going to socialize while I'm still leaking urine into my depends, even if it takes a year to regain continence. If I never do, then I don't know what happens to my friends after that.
When I see my doctor next month, I will demand a prescription for Androgel. Numerous articles point to Testosterone replacement therapy for men with hypogonadism as effective in fighting a return of prostate cancer and improving continence. I just want to feel normal again without this constant brain fog. And I will get a prescription for Androgel one way or another. But my VA doctor will not prescribe it without approval from the surgeon. I feel like I will have to beg to get the approval, or find a doctor who has written articles about the efficacy of TRT on prostate cancer survivors. (I already found one at NYU).
I guess this is mostly a rant. I'm not happy with the choices I've made; but here I am and I have to deal with it.
Can anyone tell me if 5 ounces of urine a day is alot 2 months after RP? a sign of improvement? Anyone with hypogonadism back on Androgel? Have I cut everything out of my diet? (I don't even enjoy eating anymore). Anyone figure out how to eat a sodium free diet? Salt seems to be in just about everything. I generally don't eat or drink anything after dinner. Yet, its rare that I'm not still waking up several times a night. Generally, I sleep about 2 hours before I wake up with the urge. Does anyone know if drinking less water will hinder recovery of continence?