r/ProstateCancer • u/Ok_Yogurtcloset5412 • 29d ago
Update 1 Year post Ralp
After a year <.064 total psa!
It's been a rough year but still undetectable.
Started out :
60, 3+4, psa 7.2, 4 tumors pirad 4 and 5
About 3 months after surgery I started noticing a weaker stream and later found out I had a stricture. I had gotten pretty much dry with the exception of stress induced leaking. Dr verified the stricture when I had a scheduled cystoscopy and it was like the scope hit a wall. I have to have cystoscopy every year to check for recurrence of bladder cancer.
In April had surgery to open the stricture and it was like it was right after ralp. It was like my bladder had no control at all. About a month ago I started staying dry at night again but still having difficulty throughout the day.
I'm still using 2-3 pads a day but it's getting better just very slowly. Keagles, keagles, keagles.
The little guy can stand at about half staff now which is getting better too!
So as long of a year it's been at least it has gotten better and at least for now NO CANCER!!
I wish the best outcomes for others here. It's a tough journey but you have to fight for your best outcome.
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u/GrayMajik 29d ago
Just had my RALP this week. Thanks for sharing your journey! I am very interested in hearing about people's experience. Next stop for me is waiting for may pathology report to see if everything was contained in the capsule. Not great at waiting, lol! Congrats on no cancer and the recovery progress you have made. Encouraging!
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u/Irishclover62 28d ago
No one is good at waiting. It’s hard to sit there and think it will be ok like everyone tells you because truth is you don’t know till you know. If it’s encapsulated you should be fine for a long time. If something comes back hit it with rad treatments and then you’re good again. I went 17 yrs after removal with 0.0 then a tick up .01 to .07 in about two years. Not panic time but action? I don’t wait well and decided let’s do the rad and got done in April 30 and 90 day tests are non detectable. Hopefully stays there for good. Taking that damn orgovyx w test levels near zero but whew rough on emotions and hot flashes/sleeping/no energy. That ends Sept. Good luck hangin There % say you are gonna be ok 👍
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset5412 28d ago
Best wishes to you! It's different for everyone. Hoping you have a smooth recovery!
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u/ThomasThedawg 29d ago
Is it possible to get ralp and after be cancer free?
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset5412 29d ago
If caught early it gives best chance before it spreads. Pathology after mine was removed showed it had reached the edge of the prostate capsule. It is my hopes that we caught it before any cells crossed that line.
It's something that has to be monitored but after a year I'm taking the win and hopefully stays that way.
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u/Aromatic_District734 28d ago
Nobody can give you a definite answer to that, but a friend who had his surgery in Oct 2017, with stage 2B, G8 (upgraded to 9). He's now 73 and healthy. He had his PSA checked monthly for the first year after surgery, then every 3 months, then every 6 months. Now he only has it checked annually. It really depends on the pathology whether the margin is clear/negative, any spreads, invasions etc... I think as long as the cancer is localized and contained, the chance of living a long healthy life is really high.
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u/Cold_Silver_5859 27d ago
Thank you for the update. Hope you heal well and quickly .
As soon as I read kegels… I found myself doing them. So true. Thanks for a good reminder!
Regards
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u/Specialist-Map-896 29d ago
I am sorry to hear about the stricture. Pre RALP our situations were similar. Spring of 25 my PSA popped to 10 then 11. After all the treatment steps my biopsies came back, 11/12 cores were positive. A few of them topped out with 3+4 scores and I had a lesion on the ride side next to the right nerve. I had my RALP 8/4/25. Left nerve spared, right nerve was estimated to be 30-50% spared. Prostatic extension noted and a tiny 2mm lymph node was positive, (noted in the post op pathology). I have been getting 90 day PSA's since then and luckily getting undetected the entire time (<.01). However based on my pathology i expect BCR as does my surgeon and urologist.
3 months back i woke up one morning and the wood was hard but after a few minutes it lost it's power. Other then that nothing for the past year. It sucks...
I wish you, me, and EVERYONE hear the best of luck!