4 days ago
John's story: A lighter look at life after losing your prostate
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Senior reader John Morris.
So, I have recently joined the ranks of prostate-free men.
There are a couple of downsides and quite a few upsides. To start with, at my regular health check-ups, there will be no need for the doctor to digitally examine my prostate.
For some reason in the past, I seemed to annually get the doctor with exceptionally large hands for this procedure.
But I digress, the beginning of this story was a couple of years ago when a slightly elevated PSA score had me sent off for the least elegant procedure a man can do (and yes, I know that women are clear leaders in the Inelegant Procedure Stakes).
A biopsy where multiple core samples are taken from the area just behind the testes - it is done under a general anaesthetic so that the biopsy recipient is not awake or aware of the awkward positioning required for access.
The initial results were good, and so this was followed by a lengthy and indulgent holiday in France, whereupon our return, I thought it wise to have my bloods tested.
Having consumed by body weight of croissants, cheese and baguettes, my concern was the cholesterol score might be somewhat raised.
The tests came back surprisingly clear in the cholesterol score, but not so fortuitous in the prostate area.
So once again, I enjoyed the delights of a digital examination, followed by multiple scans, another biopsy, and then a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Accordingly, I joined the ranks of the many thousands of men with this condition.
Interestingly, when telling male friends of this diagnosis, every single one had a friend or colleague also with prostate cancer, or had had it themselves! Interestingly, this is a "good" cancer to get and given the successful treatment and recovery statistics, it definitely falls into this category.
The main problems with prostate cancer are twofold. One is the location - it is basically intertwined with the launch pad for sexual function and, as such, can interfere with said function in a variety of ways, ranging from "not very much" to "it wasn't getting much use anyway".
The second problem is incontinence - again, the results vary widely and often this is related to how much you exercise and strengthen your pelvic floor pre-prostatectomy. Full disclosure - I didn't even realise I had a pelvic floor prior to my diagnosis.
At one end of the incontinence scale is being as dry as the Sahara Desert and at the other end is doing a reasonable impression of a sprinkler in your pants.
Be aware that once you look up "Incontinence" online, your social media will be flooded (excuse the pun) with ads for Depends and other adult incontinence products. In my case, I have a stronger empathy with women who, after childbirth, report mini leaks when laughing or sneezing.
The operation itself is an unusual experience as it is robotic and known as a Radical Robotic Prostatectomy.
The surgeons are in the same room but nowhere near you as they sit at computer screens showing them their little magnified robotic pincers as they go about the job.
Waking up is not your gentle ease-back-into-the-world experience you might think, it comes with an overpowering urge to pee, even though your bladder is empty (it is confused post op and doesn't know it is empty).
Then you notice the medieval torture device known in medical circles as a catheter, exiting your manhood, which given its condition should probably be renamed your infanthood for the next week.
As a constant companion it is fairly noticeable with most movements being somewhat restricted and, accordingly, when it is removed, this is normally accompanied with beams of heavenly light and the Hallelujah chorus sung by angels.
Recovery takes time, but does happen.
The seven to eight torso wounds from the operation gradually healed and the post-op shuffle with catheter in place gives way to tentative walking and then regular striding.
Erectile function for most men moves from a memory to a reality and your recent exercise strengthened pelvic floor ensures leakage is at a minimum.
Considering the worst potential outcome, the experience and results for the vast majority of men who experience prostate cancer are pretty good.
Life post op can be relatively close to normal, and you join an ever-expanding cohort of prostate-free men and, so long as you have a self-deprecating sense of humour, quite a few stories to tell family and friends.
While there is not much you can do to prevent prostate cancer, rest assured that while most men die with it, very few men die of it, and the treatment success rates are incredibly good, with the ten-year survival rate being 98 per cent.
Do yourself a favour and take steps to ensure you identify any potential cancer early with regular check-ups - and PSA tests are invaluable tools in this area.
There are around 130 support groups nationwide who are affiliated with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). All are run by volunteers, the majority being men and their partners who have been directly impacted by the disease. To find one near you, visit:
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Senior reader John Morris.
So, I have recently joined the ranks of prostate-free men.
There are a couple of downsides and quite a few upsides. To start with, at my regular health check-ups, there will be no need for the doctor to digitally examine my prostate.
For some reason in the past, I seemed to annually get the doctor with exceptionally large hands for this procedure.
But I digress, the beginning of this story was a couple of years ago when a slightly elevated PSA score had me sent off for the least elegant procedure a man can do (and yes, I know that women are clear leaders in the Inelegant Procedure Stakes).
A biopsy where multiple core samples are taken from the area just behind the testes - it is done under a general anaesthetic so that the biopsy recipient is not awake or aware of the awkward positioning required for access.
The initial results were good, and so this was followed by a lengthy and indulgent holiday in France, whereupon our return, I thought it wise to have my bloods tested.
Having consumed by body weight of croissants, cheese and baguettes, my concern was the cholesterol score might be somewhat raised.
The tests came back surprisingly clear in the cholesterol score, but not so fortuitous in the prostate area.
So once again, I enjoyed the delights of a digital examination, followed by multiple scans, another biopsy, and then a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Accordingly, I joined the ranks of the many thousands of men with this condition.
Interestingly, when telling male friends of this diagnosis, every single one had a friend or colleague also with prostate cancer, or had had it themselves! Interestingly, this is a "good" cancer to get and given the successful treatment and recovery statistics, it definitely falls into this category.
The main problems with prostate cancer are twofold. One is the location - it is basically intertwined with the launch pad for sexual function and, as such, can interfere with said function in a variety of ways, ranging from "not very much" to "it wasn't getting much use anyway".
The second problem is incontinence - again, the results vary widely and often this is related to how much you exercise and strengthen your pelvic floor pre-prostatectomy. Full disclosure - I didn't even realise I had a pelvic floor prior to my diagnosis.
At one end of the incontinence scale is being as dry as the Sahara Desert and at the other end is doing a reasonable impression of a sprinkler in your pants.
Be aware that once you look up "Incontinence" online, your social media will be flooded (excuse the pun) with ads for Depends and other adult incontinence products. In my case, I have a stronger empathy with women who, after childbirth, report mini leaks when laughing or sneezing.
The operation itself is an unusual experience as it is robotic and known as a Radical Robotic Prostatectomy.
The surgeons are in the same room but nowhere near you as they sit at computer screens showing them their little magnified robotic pincers as they go about the job.
Waking up is not your gentle ease-back-into-the-world experience you might think, it comes with an overpowering urge to pee, even though your bladder is empty (it is confused post op and doesn't know it is empty).
Then you notice the medieval torture device known in medical circles as a catheter, exiting your manhood, which given its condition should probably be renamed your infanthood for the next week.
As a constant companion it is fairly noticeable with most movements being somewhat restricted and, accordingly, when it is removed, this is normally accompanied with beams of heavenly light and the Hallelujah chorus sung by angels.
Recovery takes time, but does happen.
The seven to eight torso wounds from the operation gradually healed and the post-op shuffle with catheter in place gives way to tentative walking and then regular striding.
Erectile function for most men moves from a memory to a reality and your recent exercise strengthened pelvic floor ensures leakage is at a minimum.
Considering the worst potential outcome, the experience and results for the vast majority of men who experience prostate cancer are pretty good.
Life post op can be relatively close to normal, and you join an ever-expanding cohort of prostate-free men and, so long as you have a self-deprecating sense of humour, quite a few stories to tell family and friends.
While there is not much you can do to prevent prostate cancer, rest assured that while most men die with it, very few men die of it, and the treatment success rates are incredibly good, with the ten-year survival rate being 98 per cent.
Do yourself a favour and take steps to ensure you identify any potential cancer early with regular check-ups - and PSA tests are invaluable tools in this area.
There are around 130 support groups nationwide who are affiliated with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). All are run by volunteers, the majority being men and their partners who have been directly impacted by the disease. To find one near you, visit:
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Senior reader John Morris.
So, I have recently joined the ranks of prostate-free men.
There are a couple of downsides and quite a few upsides. To start with, at my regular health check-ups, there will be no need for the doctor to digitally examine my prostate.
For some reason in the past, I seemed to annually get the doctor with exceptionally large hands for this procedure.
But I digress, the beginning of this story was a couple of years ago when a slightly elevated PSA score had me sent off for the least elegant procedure a man can do (and yes, I know that women are clear leaders in the Inelegant Procedure Stakes).
A biopsy where multiple core samples are taken from the area just behind the testes - it is done under a general anaesthetic so that the biopsy recipient is not awake or aware of the awkward positioning required for access.
The initial results were good, and so this was followed by a lengthy and indulgent holiday in France, whereupon our return, I thought it wise to have my bloods tested.
Having consumed by body weight of croissants, cheese and baguettes, my concern was the cholesterol score might be somewhat raised.
The tests came back surprisingly clear in the cholesterol score, but not so fortuitous in the prostate area.
So once again, I enjoyed the delights of a digital examination, followed by multiple scans, another biopsy, and then a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Accordingly, I joined the ranks of the many thousands of men with this condition.
Interestingly, when telling male friends of this diagnosis, every single one had a friend or colleague also with prostate cancer, or had had it themselves! Interestingly, this is a "good" cancer to get and given the successful treatment and recovery statistics, it definitely falls into this category.
The main problems with prostate cancer are twofold. One is the location - it is basically intertwined with the launch pad for sexual function and, as such, can interfere with said function in a variety of ways, ranging from "not very much" to "it wasn't getting much use anyway".
The second problem is incontinence - again, the results vary widely and often this is related to how much you exercise and strengthen your pelvic floor pre-prostatectomy. Full disclosure - I didn't even realise I had a pelvic floor prior to my diagnosis.
At one end of the incontinence scale is being as dry as the Sahara Desert and at the other end is doing a reasonable impression of a sprinkler in your pants.
Be aware that once you look up "Incontinence" online, your social media will be flooded (excuse the pun) with ads for Depends and other adult incontinence products. In my case, I have a stronger empathy with women who, after childbirth, report mini leaks when laughing or sneezing.
The operation itself is an unusual experience as it is robotic and known as a Radical Robotic Prostatectomy.
The surgeons are in the same room but nowhere near you as they sit at computer screens showing them their little magnified robotic pincers as they go about the job.
Waking up is not your gentle ease-back-into-the-world experience you might think, it comes with an overpowering urge to pee, even though your bladder is empty (it is confused post op and doesn't know it is empty).
Then you notice the medieval torture device known in medical circles as a catheter, exiting your manhood, which given its condition should probably be renamed your infanthood for the next week.
As a constant companion it is fairly noticeable with most movements being somewhat restricted and, accordingly, when it is removed, this is normally accompanied with beams of heavenly light and the Hallelujah chorus sung by angels.
Recovery takes time, but does happen.
The seven to eight torso wounds from the operation gradually healed and the post-op shuffle with catheter in place gives way to tentative walking and then regular striding.
Erectile function for most men moves from a memory to a reality and your recent exercise strengthened pelvic floor ensures leakage is at a minimum.
Considering the worst potential outcome, the experience and results for the vast majority of men who experience prostate cancer are pretty good.
Life post op can be relatively close to normal, and you join an ever-expanding cohort of prostate-free men and, so long as you have a self-deprecating sense of humour, quite a few stories to tell family and friends.
While there is not much you can do to prevent prostate cancer, rest assured that while most men die with it, very few men die of it, and the treatment success rates are incredibly good, with the ten-year survival rate being 98 per cent.
Do yourself a favour and take steps to ensure you identify any potential cancer early with regular check-ups - and PSA tests are invaluable tools in this area.
There are around 130 support groups nationwide who are affiliated with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). All are run by volunteers, the majority being men and their partners who have been directly impacted by the disease. To find one near you, visit:
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Senior reader John Morris.
So, I have recently joined the ranks of prostate-free men.
There are a couple of downsides and quite a few upsides. To start with, at my regular health check-ups, there will be no need for the doctor to digitally examine my prostate.
For some reason in the past, I seemed to annually get the doctor with exceptionally large hands for this procedure.
But I digress, the beginning of this story was a couple of years ago when a slightly elevated PSA score had me sent off for the least elegant procedure a man can do (and yes, I know that women are clear leaders in the Inelegant Procedure Stakes).
A biopsy where multiple core samples are taken from the area just behind the testes - it is done under a general anaesthetic so that the biopsy recipient is not awake or aware of the awkward positioning required for access.
The initial results were good, and so this was followed by a lengthy and indulgent holiday in France, whereupon our return, I thought it wise to have my bloods tested.
Having consumed by body weight of croissants, cheese and baguettes, my concern was the cholesterol score might be somewhat raised.
The tests came back surprisingly clear in the cholesterol score, but not so fortuitous in the prostate area.
So once again, I enjoyed the delights of a digital examination, followed by multiple scans, another biopsy, and then a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Accordingly, I joined the ranks of the many thousands of men with this condition.
Interestingly, when telling male friends of this diagnosis, every single one had a friend or colleague also with prostate cancer, or had had it themselves! Interestingly, this is a "good" cancer to get and given the successful treatment and recovery statistics, it definitely falls into this category.
The main problems with prostate cancer are twofold. One is the location - it is basically intertwined with the launch pad for sexual function and, as such, can interfere with said function in a variety of ways, ranging from "not very much" to "it wasn't getting much use anyway".
The second problem is incontinence - again, the results vary widely and often this is related to how much you exercise and strengthen your pelvic floor pre-prostatectomy. Full disclosure - I didn't even realise I had a pelvic floor prior to my diagnosis.
At one end of the incontinence scale is being as dry as the Sahara Desert and at the other end is doing a reasonable impression of a sprinkler in your pants.
Be aware that once you look up "Incontinence" online, your social media will be flooded (excuse the pun) with ads for Depends and other adult incontinence products. In my case, I have a stronger empathy with women who, after childbirth, report mini leaks when laughing or sneezing.
The operation itself is an unusual experience as it is robotic and known as a Radical Robotic Prostatectomy.
The surgeons are in the same room but nowhere near you as they sit at computer screens showing them their little magnified robotic pincers as they go about the job.
Waking up is not your gentle ease-back-into-the-world experience you might think, it comes with an overpowering urge to pee, even though your bladder is empty (it is confused post op and doesn't know it is empty).
Then you notice the medieval torture device known in medical circles as a catheter, exiting your manhood, which given its condition should probably be renamed your infanthood for the next week.
As a constant companion it is fairly noticeable with most movements being somewhat restricted and, accordingly, when it is removed, this is normally accompanied with beams of heavenly light and the Hallelujah chorus sung by angels.
Recovery takes time, but does happen.
The seven to eight torso wounds from the operation gradually healed and the post-op shuffle with catheter in place gives way to tentative walking and then regular striding.
Erectile function for most men moves from a memory to a reality and your recent exercise strengthened pelvic floor ensures leakage is at a minimum.
Considering the worst potential outcome, the experience and results for the vast majority of men who experience prostate cancer are pretty good.
Life post op can be relatively close to normal, and you join an ever-expanding cohort of prostate-free men and, so long as you have a self-deprecating sense of humour, quite a few stories to tell family and friends.
While there is not much you can do to prevent prostate cancer, rest assured that while most men die with it, very few men die of it, and the treatment success rates are incredibly good, with the ten-year survival rate being 98 per cent.
Do yourself a favour and take steps to ensure you identify any potential cancer early with regular check-ups - and PSA tests are invaluable tools in this area.
There are around 130 support groups nationwide who are affiliated with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). All are run by volunteers, the majority being men and their partners who have been directly impacted by the disease. To find one near you, visit:
