So it’s been 78 months since my radical prostatectomy. How am I doing?

Apparently, forgetful. I just noticed that I didn’t do an update at the 72 month mark. Oh well.

Status

Regular readers of this blog already know that my PSA has been bouncing around like a yo-yo in the year since my last update, with the most recent reading in April 2017 coming in at 0.08 ng/ml—a tie for the highest post-surgery PSA reading. I’m set up to go for my next PSA test the first week of August.

Emotions

When the PSA crept back up in April, my frustration and anger did more than creep—they skyrocketed. I just wanted this stupid cancer to make up its mind and to quit jerking me around. Either come back or go away. (My preference, of course, is for the latter and not the former.)

Incontinence

I remain “dry” 98% of the time. There have been a few very long days at work where my body tired and, combined with the physical exertion at the end of the day, I was a bit more prone to leak. Rarely do I need to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night—I can last 6-7 hours most nights.

Sexual Function

I continue to do so-so in the ED department. Remember, I have only one nerve bundle remaining, but I can get an 80%–90% erection most of the time. Some days are better; others are worse.

I do find that my libido is still there, and there are times through the day where I can feel things stirring down below. Not enough to obtain a natural erection—those days are gone—but enough that with a little stimulation, it would be much easier to achieve an erection.

Summary

It’s certainly been a roller coaster ride with my PSA doing what it has been, and I’m really not trying to get too far ahead of myself at the moment. In the grand scheme of things, my numbers are low and I’m far better off than many other prostate cancer patients. Still, being the researcher and planner that I am, I have been focusing more on salvage therapies, side effects, and decisions about quality of life versus quantity of life.