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Anne
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- Perth, WA
- Australia
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Anne's Discussions
Anne's Groups
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Vizualization Techniques
6 members
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ED and incontinence po...
137 members
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Surgery
146 members
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Coping with Prostate C...
43 members
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Biopsy and Other Tests
61 members
Anne's Page
Latest Activity
Hi Barbara,
I'm almost seven months post -surgery and like many others here, have gone through the whole incontinence problem. I've been disappointed that I'm still having some incontinence but it has really improved over the past month. I'm usua...
Hi
This is a mirror image of myself. I had open surgery Sept 15th--cath out on the 22nd. Didn't make it home without a mess. I am a very active 43 year old and didn't expect that much trouble. It is now 5 weeks post surgery (4 weeks or so post cat...
Hi Barbara,
I'd go to a physical therapist pre-surgery if possible. I was referred to one who used biofeedback to help target and measure muscle group performance. He/she will teach your husband the proper Kegel technique. That helped my confidenc...
I just got through reading this entire conversation thread as it appears now that my husband will be opting for surgery (diVinci). He is most worried/troubled about the urinary control (or lack of it). I am glad to read that it will eventually get...
Hi, All!
Thought I'd give you a little more long range input.
I am 9 months post surgery and 1 month post pads. I could have probably shed the pads sooner, but I wanted to be a little more comfortable that I wouldn't have any "accidents". I am sti...
Anne:
I am almost 11 mos. post-op from a daVinci prostatectomy. I remain totally incontinent, plus experience complete ED.
In response to your original question about incontinence products other than pads, on some days (during the daytime only) ...
Hi Dana,
a very late post here - but I read that you are from Australia, yes?
My Dad has his catheter removed today and in the past two weeks I have become a leading expert in Male Continence Products.
There is a great info-line, if you google Con...
I had my proceedure in March and was worried about incontinence for the first few weeks In France here you get electrical stimulation as they regard Keagels as old fashioned. I had 20 sessions paid for by the state and am now totally dry. The info...
I am a poster child for Physical Therapy for incontinence. A good skilled professional will tell you that you can absolutely over do Kegels per day, and that specialized stomach exercises are almost as valuable and to do both will really improve y...
Hello Anne,
I am currently 14 weeks post RP and 12 weeks since the removal of my catheter. I am able to go throughtout the day without any leaks and it is only at night that I am going to the bathroom about every 2 hours. I return to visit my doc...
I am a big believer in the 3 D mapping biopsies being performed by Dr's Onik, Barqawi, Barzell and a few others.
I had 2 12 core biopsies.
The first showed no cancer.
The second 12 core biopsy showed 1 core positive (I think it was 20 percent of t...
Hi Anne,
I'm so sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well. I hope that's all behind you now.
Today is 12 weeks since my surgery and 10 1/2 weeks since the catheter was removed. I saw my doctor at the beginning of June and he was a little ...
Hello Anne,
There are various devices worn by divers, and the like, who are unable to visit the bathroom when they are engaged in their activities. I've no experience of these, so I don't know how bulky they are, or how efficient, but it could be...
Dear Anne:
Your and James's experience is not that unusual, and provides a nearly perfect case study of the problems associated with trying to make an "informed decision" about what any individual man should do when faced with the recognition tha...
Comment Wall (24 comments)
- At 2:06pm on July 18, 2009,
Howard Robson said…
- Hi Anne,
Just thought I would drop you a quick note since I see you hadn't posted anything for a while. I hope all is well with you and that you've been feeling better lately.You mentioned that you hadn't been well lately.
I'm continuing to improve. It's been 3 1/2 months since surgery. I'm still incontinent, but there are good signs. Yesterday, I was able to go the whole day using only two pads. The one I wore all night was dry when I got up so I kept it on untill late afternoon. I changed it when my wife and I went to dinner and it was damp but not soaked. I kept the second pad on until bedtime and changed it then. I credit a lot of my improvement with the help of the physical therapist I saw. She taught me some new exercises and used a biofeedback machine to help me control the amount of effort I was using to keep from leaking. It turns out, I was trying too hard and not really helping myself.
I saw my doctor last week and he is encouraged by my progress and feels like I will gain full control. It still may take a couple of months.
As for the cancer, my PSA test in June showed that it was undetectable. My doctor said that while that's a very good sign, he can't say I'm cured unless it stays that way for five years.
How has James been doing? Is he continuing to improve too? Again, I hope all is well with you and you'll be able to reply soon.
Howie
- At 2:40pm on June 18, 2009,
Roger said…
- Hello Anne,
Thank you for contacting me! I'm very interested to know how James is progressing because he appears to be on the same road as me, but a month or so ahead.
I'm now 14 days post-catheter and I have a marginal improvement in that when I stand up I can now make it to the bathroom which wasn't always the case in the first couple of days. I've always been fine lying down, so no problems at night, and I'm pretty good when I sit, provided I don't bend forward or wriggle a lot - the problem is when I stand, and particularly when I walk, because everything leaks out.
A few days ago I started using a Dribblestop (a Canadian-designed penile clamp). My specialist cancer nurse doesn't recommend I use it all the time because it wouldn't encourage my bladder and sphincter to recover their functions. However, I wear it for about an hour a day while I go for long walk. At least this is now possible whereas before a 20-30 minute walk would have been enough to have drenched a pad to saturation.
There have been marked improvements in the UK's health service in recent years - perhaps not as much as would be expected from the investment made - but still very significant. There is a government target that requires hospitals to begin treatment within 31 days of a diagnosis of any form of cancer and all hospitals strive to meet that deadline. I was lucky to be treated in a quite a new building with excellent facilities and very good staff - nevertheless, horror stories do occasionally appear in the British press, often in connection with post-op infections such as MRSA or C difficile, so further improvements are needed.
The weather has been good in Hertfordshire, thanks! We live in Berkhamsted which is on the edge of the Chiltern Hills.
Best wishes, Roger
- At 8:04am on May 12, 2009,
peter augustinus said… - Good morning Ann,
Thank you so much for all the info, your Dad sounded a "True Sportsman" and yes PCA treatment has certainly advanced since his unfortunate passing. I will keep you in the "loop" and thank you so much for your interest and all the interesting info posted. Take Care,
Best Regards
Peter Augustinus South Africa
- At 3:54am on May 8, 2009,
peter augustinus said…
- Hi Anne, Thank you for your message, very kind of you, and yes would greatly appreciate the contact details. How is your father now, is he still under treatment ? Nice of you to "drop in " have a good day further !
Peter Augustinus South Africa
- At 4:22pm on May 1, 2009,
Jim Tucker said… - Sorry to hear things are stressful for you guys at the moment.
Thanks for your kind comments about the blog. It's a cathartic thing to write about it all.
The death of my neice was a helluva thing for the family to go through. Made big headlines here for a while because it was such a bizarre thing to happen.
Lin and I are heading back up to New Plymouth this weekend to stay with my brother and his wife and we're hoping to find them in a better space.
Regards JT
- At 11:59pm on April 30, 2009,
Jim Tucker said…
- Hi Anne
The latest chapter in my prostate cancer story was written by my wife Lin - thought you might want to have a read: http://prostablog.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/prostablog-18/
Regards JT
- At 6:34pm on April 24, 2009,
Jim Tucker said…
- Hi Anne
We would certainly encourage you to head over and see the scenery. The South Island is unearthly in parts. It is like Tasmani in terms of the pace of life.
Why to Kiwis head to Oz? More opportunity and better pay, and the chance to spread their wings in a bigger community that is not too different from home. I've visited many times (although never to Perth) and especially love Melbourne, but I've never had the urge to depart the shaky isles.
My followup has been a visit to the impotence clinic (unfortunate name, that) this week (I'm writing about it in today's episode, so I'll leave the details) and then nothing until August, when I see the surgeon. A week prior to that appointment I have to have a PSA test to see what that's doing. Prior to the op it was only .77, but theoretically it should now drop to zero. It's the final hurdle. I'll be explaining all that in the episode after the next.
Best wishes
JT
- At 7:01pm on April 23, 2009,
Jim Tucker said…
- Hi Anne.
I want to begin by saying there is no truth whatsoever in the cruel myth that Aussies and Kiwis are in a fractious relationship.
Except in rugby, of course, and maybe cricket and league.
My grandfather was an Aussie from Natimuk in Victoria, and recently my niece married a Melburnian and has become an Oz. We love you guys.
Really nice to talk to you. I hope your friend gets some encouragement from the long and gruelling account of my operation. I'm feeling back to normal now and it's all starting to seem like a dream.
Stay in touch (and sack Mitchell as the Force coach if you want to do any good in the Super 14 - send him home to Hamilton).
Warm regards
Jim T
- At 12:29pm on April 20, 2009,
Roger Rooney said…
- No worries, Anne, I'm still feeling my around here.
There wasn't a great deal of TV coverage here, but the Geraldton Guardian did a good piece in today's paper, you can see it here:
http://geraldton.thewest.com.au/regionals.aspx?MenuID=267&ContentID=137043
Just copy and paste it into your browser. There is apparently a better coverage coming in Wednesday's paper. There is a photo of Pete Staples included in the piece.
Also I was incorrect in stating that there were eleven starters, there were ten. The Aud Eamus will be departing this wednesday. I believe it has a crew of eight. I'll try and find it tomorrow and see if I can get a photo.
Yes, Geraldton has changed. There's a new Marina, also new berthing docks, so the marine side of things have grown. The road system has also changed with the ongoing construction of the Southern Transport Corridor.
The first time I passed through Geraldton was on the way up to Port Hedland back in the '70s, though a first cousin was here around 1960 and spent a week with the crayfishers (he was on HMS Tenby) after hearing that his wife had given birth to twins. He was told to get lost for a week.
Keep well, and all the best to James.
- At 3:44am on April 19, 2009,
Roger Rooney said…
- Hi Ann,
Unfortunately I didn't make it to the start of the race. According to my friend, the whole foreshore here in Geraldton was packed. Apparently there are some crayboats leading them as far as the Abrolhos. Eleven boats started.
Here's the url if you want to keep track of the race:
http://www.indianoceanrowingrace09.com/progress/
I'm not sure how often the positions are updated, probably once a day, and a boat can be tracked individually if you scroll down below the map.
My e-mail is: roger.rooney@bigpond.com
Keep well.
Profile Information
- Have you been diagnosed with prostate cancer?
- no
- What brings you to the New Prostate Cancer InfoLink social network?
- My close friend of 42 years was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in January 2009
- Would you help us grow the network? Would you tell others about it?
- Yes
- About Me:
- This is the second time in my life that I've been directly affected by Prostate Cancer. My father was diagnosed with PCa in 1989 and died of the disease in 2003.
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