Enlarged Prostate?

[coachgrd]

I had 2 biopsies that were clear, finally into the hospital for a saturation biopsy and a TURP ( transurethral resection of the prostate ) "ream it out".

Vernon

"Reaming it out" does not strike me as the most comfortable thing in the world. How would you describe the process?

 

[texbaylea]

"Reaming it out" does not strike me as the most comfortable thing in the world. How would you describe the process?

In my case it was done under general anesthesia. There was no particular "discomfort" afterwards. The biggest problem for me was that blood clots blocked the catheter. The standard process was to back flush the catheter with saline.

When your bladder is already full an additional 50 cc of fluid is extremely painful. I had an "attack" in the middle of the second night and had to call my son to come fight for me to get them to replace the catheter. I was a very "uncooperative patient" until they replaced the catheter. The nurses did not want to call the doctor in the middle of the night!!!

I had a standard Foley catheter but found out afterward that a version exists with a third passage that facilitates flushing.

I don't know how common this problem is as I tend to be a slow clotter.

Hope this helps you to know what to expect.

Vernon

 

[LostInTheWoods]

"Reaming it out" does not strike me as the most comfortable thing in the world. How would you describe the process?

I think he's referring to the TURP (Transurethral Resection of the Prostate). For a TURP, you're usually placed in the hospital for a couple of days. While you are under anesthesia, the urologist inserts a device through your urethra. He/she uses said device to remove a decent portion of your prostate tissue. After the TURP, you generally will need a catheter for a couple of days.

 

[grnspot110]

As for the "reaming out", after my prostate cancer surgery, I was supposed to have a catheter in for 6 weeks. Did that, plugged up with scar tissue, "roto-routed" me. Plugged up again, another roto-router (these were under anesthesia), with more catheterization. Third time the urologist DILATED me without any pain killer or anything!! My fingerprints are still embedded in that table!!!! From there, insert catheter myself twice daily for 4 more weeks ( not something I would recommend for recreation)!! Total time with catheter in = 10 weeks instead of 6. ~~ grnspot110

 

[Chuck52]

I need to get a ream job, too, due to a stricture rather than enlarged prostate. I have four nurses in the family and they are all onto me to get it done before, as DW who is nurse #1 says, "You don't want to go in for your heart attack before you get that done." Seems the procedure you might get in an emergency if they can't insert a catheter the normal way is no fun at all. I just wish she wasn't so casual about the "When you have your heart attack" part.

Chuck

 

[Pilot]

I got reamed out in 1999. Done under anesthesia, the last thing I remember was the technician saying "Here come your happy drugs" and after that they woke me up as the doc was finishing, but I was pain free because they gave me a spinal.

Spent an hour or 2 in recovery, then to a room which I shared with some old guy who was a very loud snorer. I slept for maybe half an hour that night, but I am a lousy sleeper anyway and this was my first hospital experience, so it wasn't a good place for me to sleep.

Went home next day with a catheter. Didn't take any pain drugs other than Tylenol which I took for arthritis anyway.

Back a day or 2 later for them to pull the catheter. I had been following an online forum and most guys said pulling the catheter was no big deal. Not for me; I think blood had clotted gluing the catheter to the urethra. Anyway, when the nurse pulled the catheter it felt like she was pulling out 20 feet of barbed wire. My wife said I turned very pale & she thought I was going to pass out. Worst pain I ever experienced. Don't want to scare anyone--no one else I have talked to had a similar experience.

Had to use a catheter at home for a few days or a week, each night at bedtime to be sure the bladder was fully emptied. No big deal. Just keep things sanitary to prevent infection.

I don't exactly remember how long it took for full recovery, a couple weeks maybe 3.

If you are a data freak like me, count off the time it takes to empty your bladder now. Actually you won't empty it, that's the problem with BPH, you can't empty it, just partially, relieving the pressure. Before surgery, if I needed to go to town, I would hit the bathroom, then need to pee again by the time I got to the end of my 1/4 mile long driveway. Then after recovery--I could pee for 40 seconds with an impressive flow and last for hours between bathroom stops. That's when you wish you had done the surgery earlier.

 

[beppington]

Don't want to scare anyone

Good God. Too late man.

 

[Chuck52]

Good God. Too late man.

Look on the bright side. At least he has a comeback when some woman says no one knows pain unless they've given birth!

Chuck

 

[beppington]

Look on the bright side. At least he has a comeback when some woman says no one knows pain unless they've given birth!

True, but given the choice (not that he was) I'd sure rather just say, "That's true", & try to win the argument some other way :laughing:

 

[grnspot110]

Not for me; I think blood had clotted gluing the catheter to the urethra. Anyway, when the nurse pulled the catheter it felt like she was pulling out 20 feet of barbed wire. My wife said I turned very pale & she thought I was going to pass out. Worst pain I ever experienced. Don't want to scare anyone--no one else I have talked to had a similar experience.

Kinda what it was like when the urologist dilated me, wife said about a tablespoon of blood came out & Dr. made a remark about a 75 mile helicopter trip (to his home hospital). He thought he had busted me! ~~ grnspot110

 

[LBrown59]

1*There's a lot of questioning of the value of a PSA test,
2*but my understanding is that the number itself isn't as important as the rate of change. A friend had a reading of about 4 & they rechecked in something like 3 months & got a couple points higher. So they did the biopsy, checking about 16 points and found cancer. The number of sample points because they are throwing darts without knowing where the bull's eye is, so the more sample points the higher the chance of finding any cancer if it's there. The questioning of the PSA test is a money saving thing;
3*they get a lot of false positives that lead to more testing.
4*But I would rather have the unnecessary tests than the cancer; prostate cancer is a bad way to die.~~~~

1*I've found out it's value twice.
Once in 2005 before having my prostate removed due to cancer and again in 2008 before having radation treatments to mop up a few remaining cancer cells.
2*This is 100 percent correct.
In 2005 when I was diagnosed my PSA was 2.63 which is well below the normal 4.00
What tipped of my doctor was the fact it had consistenly keep gradually creeping up over a period of a year or two
After I had prostate surgery in 2005 my doctor wanted to see my psa stay under .500 but by 2008 it had crept up again to .0504
Agan it was the consistent creeping up rather than the the number .
So in early 2008 i took radation for forty days.
The last 4 psa test have come back .008.
The fact that it's been holding steady this long is a good sign .
The last time I saw my radiologist he said there are no signs of cancer and said you're cancer free.
3*That's a good thing because if it hadn't have been for the more testing I'd have been dead by by Feb to Aug of 2006.
4*In my case and in thousands more like it the extra test are life saving not unnecessary !
Thank God for give the doctors and the medical staff the wisdome to properly care for me.

 

[hawkeye08]

Well thank you all for the reassurance that this was indeed a topic both OK for here and one you were willing to help with.

I'll try to answer some of the questions...

I initially mentioned the weak stream to my then Dr. 7 years ago. He examined me & referred me to a Urologist for the enlarged prostate. I saw a HUGE Polish accented Dr. Before I could translate what he was saying, he was in the process of a full blown prostate massage. And for those of you who have had the experience, don't let "massage" fool you, there's nothing pleasurable about it...at least not for this camper.

He determined that in addition to the enlarged prostate, I also had prostatitis, which is an infection of the prostate...one that many men have and do not even realize. My PSA was normal.

I think I will make an appointment with my Dr. to just discuss what I feel are worsening symptoms. (I got some advice from some of you via PM's and I will try them as well.) Perhaps it's as simple as the infection has returned. Either way, I would just like some piece of mind. Thanks again everyone and I welcome the thoughts of others...

Yep, doc treated my infection and prostate took care of itself. PSA is normal.

 

[Rockin RK]

As for the "reaming out", after my prostate cancer surgery, I was supposed to have a catheter in for 6 weeks. Did that, plugged up with scar tissue, "roto-routed" me. Plugged up again, another roto-router (these were under anesthesia), with more catheterization. Third time the urologist DILATED me without any pain killer or anything!! My fingerprints are still embedded in that table!!!! From there, insert catheter myself twice daily for 4 more weeks ( not something I would recommend for recreation)!! Total time with catheter in = 10 weeks instead of 6. ~~ grnspot110

Man I feel your pain, I was "roto-routed" once then dilated the first was with full anesthesia the second the Army Capt doing the procedure decided I was tough enough to go with "limited anesthesia" not fun. That was in 2006, in 2009 they had to interrupt my knee surgery to dilate me agian making my surgery last an hour longer and 7 more days in a catheter. Ireally hope this is the last time

 

[rescuebob]

Flowmax did not work for me so Dr. prescribed something called doxazosin.
Works much better. Good Luck.

 

[texbaylea]

Flowmax did not work for me so Dr. prescribed something called doxazosin.
Works much better. Good Luck.

I have been taking doxazosin also. NOTE: that is the generic version of Cardura. It has helped plus it works with any blood pressure medication you may be taking.

Vernon

 

[coachgrd]

I have been taking doxazosin also. NOTE: that is the generic version of Cardura. It has helped plus it works with any blood pressure medication you may be taking.

Vernon

Do the two of you find that you have lesser symptoms during the day? I take the Flomax right before bed and it seems to do the trick during the night. It's during the day that I find the increased urgency.

I have an appt. for Sept. 9.

 

[texbaylea]

Do the two of you find that you have lesser symptoms during the day? I take the Flomax right before bed and it seems to do the trick during the night. It's during the day that I find the increased urgency.

I have an appt. for Sept. 9.

In my case it shifts slightly with time but generally I have good control during the day but not at night. I take doxazosin during the day and flomax at night plus it is somewhat positional at night. I have better control sleeping on my side than sleeping on my back.

Vernon

 

[rescuebob]

Do the two of you find that you have lesser symptoms during the day? I take the Flomax right before bed and it seems to do the trick during the night. It's during the day that I find the increased urgency.

I have an appt. for Sept. 9.

For me the improvement is pretty much overall. Only pee one time
at night (usually) and feel much better during the day.

Robert

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The first thing is we can't talk about man stuff then we've all got a problem. I'll bet a lot of the wives are like mine and determined to stay on top of stuff that affects the health of her man.

My dad had prostrate cancer some years ago so I have a small worry about it. Awhile back I had some serious pain in the testicles and went to an urologist. What I had was the same thing as vericose veins but in the testicles, comes from strain. Amazing thing about that was as soon as I realized it wasn't something to really worry about the pain went away.

I look at conversations like this as being just like our conversations on tractors, gardens, pets, and Eddie's love life. We all learn from each other and we're all better off for it. (Eddie is a good sport and I wouldn't have said that if we weren't friends)

 

[dmccarty]

...
I look at conversations like this as being just like our conversations on tractors, gardens, pets, and Eddie's love life. We all learn from each other and we're all better off for it. (Eddie is a good sport and I wouldn't have said that if we weren't friends)

Agreed. :thumbsup:

This thread though. WOW. :laughing: Reaming here. Reaming there. Cath this. Cath that. I was getting a bit more paler than usual.

It is good information though I wonder if I would better of being ignorant on HOW some of these problems are fixed..... :laughing:

I would really like to continue to think that Rotorooting was for house plumbing. Not MY plumbing. :confused2::ashamed:



Later,
Dan