Other treatments

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Hello all, I have been reading about post prostate surgery treatments- does everyone need to have some kind of post treatments? Or can you just have the surgery and move on with your life? Some of the post treatments sound like they extend the agony. Side effects etc.

 

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Greetings Puka,

Having a radical prostatectomy is a traumatic shock to your body. It will take some recovery time to regain continence. How long will differ with each person. There are those on this forum who had very mild incontinence issues and regained control quickly, while others have taken much longer, and there are those who never regain full control. I've been on this forum for a long time and no one has yet defined what a "normal recovery time" is. It will vary for each of us.

Abide by your doctors orders, do your kegel exercises and walk frequently are the most often heard recommendations. As you recover try and get back into the normal routine of your presurgery lifestyle as you can making accommodations for your current recovery status.

 

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Hi Puka,like Greensleeves351 said do your Kegel exercises,also if you are a smoker,stop it or cut down,also stop drinking pop ( pepsi,coke etc,,,) also coffee or tea but decaf is ok,2 to 3 cups a day and stay away from hard liquor for now,like our friend said each person is different,also don't pick up anything not more than 10 punds also,it has a strainon our pelvic floor muscles,also acid drinks like orange juice take it with half water and half juice,take care

 

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I was wondering about why would you need to do treatments like ( I think it’s called ADT treatment also why would you need Radiation treatment or hormone or testosterone treatment after RP surgery- sorry there’s so much info out there and sometimes confusing -

 

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I don’t have a follow up until week 8 and my first blood test for psa count? If my psa is low/good does that mean I’m free to go on with my life? And just deal with incontinence - the thoughts of Radiation treatment scares me

 

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Ask, repeat ask, the Doctor. Post-surgery treatment (or not) can vary, can vary with after-tests, etc. Yes, go on, but check annually or more, if Doc says. They monitor the first year closely.
18 years after my prostatectomy and they still want a yearly PSA, all have been negative. Not sure how works with Medicare, or if it is the Insurance or what that pays, but it is part of my Annual Physical, maybe was prior to the diagnosis. In other words, whoever/whatever is paying for your Annual, it probably covers it. The PSA wasn't what clued them in, initially, on me. As an old fart, I suspect they will stop bothering to tell me to get it. Once you reach 75, I guess they figure it doesn't matter, since you can drop dead tomorrow.
Under the "new" standards, I'd be dead if I hadn't had the tests/exams until waiting for the "recommended age". To use an unfortunately appropriate phrase, that new standard pisses me off.

 

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I believe other treatments are only done when you have a PSA remaining after surgery and or to treat severe inconvenience. To soon to worry

 

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Other treatments are normally done only if the surgery doesn’t get rid of all the cancer. Your psa should decrease to 0 or undetectable a few weeks after the surgery. If it doesn’t, other tests are done to see if there is still some cancer. If so, radiation and hormone treatment are normally done. But every individual case can be different, so you have to consult with the doctors to decide what to do if there is a problem.

 

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Thank you all for the straight up answers. Appreciated - stay safe and take care