In recovery right now....
 

Yeah, got a new bike sitting in the garage and can't ride it and its driving me nuts.

About 18 months ago I noticed that when I was active, like riding my dirt bike or golfing, (I golf a lot when the weather permits) I had a hard time peein'. Felt like I had to go a lot but nothing would come out. It was painful to say the least. But then again sometimes I would pee all the time.

To give you an example, a riding buddy and I had made plans to ride one Sat. morning. I got the bike loaded and got my gear together and headed out. I went to the bathroom just before I left and before I got 7 miles from my house I needed to go again....bad. I had to pull off the road and hit the bushes. I went another 5 or 6 miles and needed to go again, luckily there was a McDonalds close and went there. But I realized I couldn't drive any long distance that day so I called my buddy and canceled the ride.

Anyhow, I went to my regular doctor and told her what was going on. She perscribed some Avodart and checked my prostate and said it wasn't really enlarged. I tried that for awhile but it wasn't really working. The symptoms would seem to come and go. Some days I'd be good, some days I would be hitting the bathroom every 15 minutes!

I went to a urologist this past fall and he ran some tests on me. One test was to pee into a computer....well not really but a container attached to a computer that would measure the stream and capacity of which I peed.
He said I had a weak stream and not much capacity. He then ran a tube with a camera on the end up my penis! Yooowwww, no fun at all...going in or coming out. But he saw that the prostate had constricted the urethra. He explained there are several procedures to treat this condition. One was a stint but he said this was ok for like an 80 year old man that really can't take an operation and it is temporary. Next is microwave treatment which is a little longer lasting and less invasive but still not a "total" fix. Third, was going in with a micro scalpel thru the penis and cutting away the prostate. It required a nite in the hospital because they put a catheter in after the procedure. He told me to think about it, this was before Thanksgiving, and if I wanted one of the procedures to let him know.

I decided after the first of the year to get the third, more longer lasting, "prostate resection" procedure.

I had the procedure last Wed. morning. The procedure went fine, I was out, didn't know a thing. Spent the nite in the hosp. which is a first for me. I had never, in my life, spent a nite in the hosp. But I had the catheter in which was a bit uncomfortable but not bad. Thurs afternoon they removed the catheter and I peed just a little. I had heard that the bladder would spasm.
I immediately started getting these spasms. It doesn't really feel like its in the bladder, it feels like your giving birth to a 10 pound baby thru your penis!
It hurts BAD!!!! The hosp. released me but on the way home, I was getting the spasms continuously. I got home and spent 2.5 hours on the toilet trying to pee but couldn't. I called the ambulance and they got me to the emer. room where they put another catheter in and that was immediate relief.
Went home with the catheter in and everything was good until Friday and I guess a blood clot blocked the catheter tube. I drove myself to the urologist and he irrigated the tube and everything was good. He showed me how to do it myself so the weekend went fairly well. Had some more spasms but they weren't near as intense and didn't last too long.

Well yesterday, I had an appointment at the urologist's to take the catheter out. The nurse was supposed to fill up my bladder by injecting saline solution thru the catheter tube and see how much I peed out. Well, she started and immediately got a spasm that would not stop until she removed the fluid she had put in. The doctor came in and said they'd remove the catheter and let me pee on my own, which they did and I did. Peein' ok now and the spasms are much, much milder now.

One thing that I thought was interesting the doc told me. I asked him how much he removed when he was doing the procedure. He said he removed 95% of the prostate! I asked him what exactly the prostate did. He said it was a lot like the appendix, not really of any use. He said at one time thru the bodies "evolution" the prostate might have been used to "mark" the pee'ers territory, like a dog does but that was eons ago. Interesting, huh????

But anyway, I am recovering now and feel much better. Just thought some of you guys might need to be aware and interested in the whole nine yards....

Good luck with the recovery,, IT HURT READING IT! I feel a little light headed as I have had issues lately.. and being in my 40's now I really dont want to go through this..

Man that hurt reading. Glad you are on the mend!

Get well. How long before you are able to ride? Oh, when you get back on the trail don't get the catheter and hydration pack tubes crossed....

Oh man I do feel for you bro. I had to cross my legs half way through your post.:eek::eek:

Get well soon and just think your bike will be there when the time is right.

http://www.cafehusky.com/smilies/cheers.gif

Alan,

Sorry to hear of your problems...Last year I took two trips to the emergency room for kidney stones and after three months of an 8mm stone stuck in my ureter they sent a camera and laser up the ol' plumbing and blasted it out. Needless to say, I know how you feel! Good luck and don't worry: Riding was easy shortly after the procedure (2 weeks or so).

Eric

Alan I'm glad your OK, thank God it was not cancer. My dad fought prostate cancer for 14 years and it finally killed him back in '05. I've seen all the gory details.:(

Plumbing problems are frightening. On a more humorous note, I had a wreck diving buddy a few years back. We did some real dangerous crazy stuff together. Deep, dark, real spooky penetrations in Atlantic wrecks like the Andrea Doria. Guys would get killed doing this every year. He went on to become famous and has had a show on the History Channel for a few years now. He was also a combat medic in Vietnam, so a fearless guy, big balls. I asked him once what he fears most. He said "When I get old and something goes wrong with my blow hole.":D

WOW, OWE!

I feel for ya. Here's to a speedy recovery.
I'm sure you will be glad when this is behind you and a very distant memory.

Roscoe

Thanks for all the well wishes guys! I went to work today and doing pretty well.
Dave wrote...
Now that made me laugh!

Alan,
I think you misunderstood what your doctor told you. It would be impossible for him to have removed 95% of your prostate in a TURP procedure. What he most likely said was that he removed 95% of the blockage.
Also the prostate is not a benign organ. It is a part of the reproductive system. Sperm that are produced in the testis are transported to the prostate by tube like lines called vas deferens. The sperm is mixed with fluid in the prostate that nourishes and protects the sperm. The fluid and sperm mix is expelled as semen. Without a prostate a man cannot reproduce.