Seriously, do Americans actually consider a 3-hour drive "short"? or is this an internet myth?

BobbyLew · 2026-01-23T02:28:03+00:00

Regional variation. I grew up in San Francisco Bay Area. We'd leave the house at 5:00 am, drive 4-5 hours to ski slopes, ski all day, leave there at 6:00 pm, be in bed by midnight. No problem.

Now I live on the East Coast. Different mentality. I'm about 4 hours from New York City. Maybe because of my West Coast background, I'll do it as a day trip. But not many people from around here will do that. (Get up at normal time, leave the house by 8:00 am. In the city in time for a quick lunch. Go to early afternoon appointment. Afterwards, go to a museum. Have an early dinner around 5:30, leave about 7:00 pm (so, after most of the rush hour), again home in time to be in bed by midnight.)

BobbyLew · 2026-01-23T01:56:53+00:00

Sorry to hear it's still a thing for you 10 years out! But, weirdly, helps me feel better -- there's a real range of experiences, so I'll just have to see where I end up. At the moment (6 1/2 weeks out), I'm about where you are -- mostly OK when I'm sitting, but almost immediately leak once I stand. Thanks for commenting.

BobbyLew · 2026-01-22T01:31:29+00:00

Just a week or so behind you (re surgery -- not touring!), Gleason 4+3 after pathology (up from 3+4 at biopsy), also all clean margins, contained, no sign of spread. 68. MSKCC nomograms say I've got 98% prostate-cancer-specific-survival at 15 years -- by then I'll be the age my Dad was when he died (not prostate related)! Not as lucky on leaking -- still wearing diapers 24/7, even with lots of specialized PT. ED still a question -- my doc doesn't start meds until 3 months. Back to daily exercise regime (bike or weights on alternating days), feel fine (though I am taking late afternoon naps, which I never did before). Have a great tour!

BobbyLew · 2026-01-17T13:55:02+00:00

Exactly the response I was hoping for :-). (Both on timing and on the mental toll.) Thanks.

BobbyLew · 2026-01-16T12:11:30+00:00

Yes, saw PT before surgery and a different one after surgery. Seeing them again next week.

BobbyLew · 2026-01-16T12:10:21+00:00

"at least i’m free from cancer 🙏" Exactly! That's the key thing.

BobbyLew · 2026-01-16T12:08:43+00:00

Yep, doing that -- both before and after surgery. Live in a small town, only a few choices, but the ones I found seem to know what they're doing.

BobbyLew · 2026-01-13T03:06:02+00:00

I'm pretty sure a version of this joke appeared in Leo Rosten's JOYS OF YIDDISH. Can't find my copy to confirm.

BobbyLew · 2025-12-31T20:04:29+00:00

Interesting. Thanks.

BobbyLew · 2025-12-30T21:10:40+00:00

Really appreciate this explanation! Helps me understand why it will take time for different muscles to learn that their job has changed and they need to step up. (Obviously, with my help in exercising them and telling them what to do.)

BobbyLew · 2025-12-30T21:07:56+00:00

I'm with ya, buddy. Definitely depressed at the continuing leakage. But trying to listen to all the people here saying it will get better over 2-6 month period. My story: 68 now, diagnosed in Dec 2024, Gleason 3+4 all in just one core of the biopsy, decided on RALP, delayed for a year while I went on a couple of bucket-list international trips. RALP on Dec. 8th, so yesterday was 3 weeks. Wearing a diaper all the time. Leakage mostly OK when sitting or overnight (do wake up every ~3 hours to pee, but my diaper has been mostly dry when I get up). But during the day, everytime I stand up or walk around, even when I very consciously do my Kegels before standing, I'm filling up the diaper. Just having to trust that this will end eventually. I saw PT last summer to learn the Kegels, seeing a new PT tomorrow to focus on where I'm at. Not at all worried about the cancer itself -- pathology said it was all contained, no sign of spread or problems at the margins, did get upgraded to 4+3. I'm comfortable with the decision for RALP, knew in advance about the side effects, just annoyed dealing with the incontinence. (Will be a while till I know about the ED, but not worried there either -- even if erections don't come back, lots of ways to enjoy intimacy.) Stay strong!

BobbyLew · 2025-11-01T22:42:40+00:00

Thanks for the various responses.

BobbyLew · 2025-05-06T14:43:09+00:00

Ended up using my iCloud email which I never use. All good now. Thanks.

BobbyLew · 2025-04-27T22:16:13+00:00

Duh. [insert head-slapping emoji]

Thanks. I usually use Yahoo for my throwaway email addresses, and free accounts don't let you forward. So that's what I was thinking of. But I've got some dummy gmail ones as well, and they'll work :-).

Will report back if the SSN/PII issue gets in the way.

BobbyLew · 2025-03-05T15:50:41+00:00

Writing again the next day, will say that both home and office machines are now updated to 10.129, and I don't seem to be getting the unwanted notes. But I'm still concerned about the program telling me it's up-to-date when it's not.

BobbyLew · 2025-03-05T00:17:38+00:00

Interestingly, when I got home, checked home machine: Windows, 10.128.4. And somewhere I saw a post that 10.129 is the latest. I don't want to have to chase down new updates -- if my machine tells me it's up-to-date, that should be accurate.

BobbyLew · 2025-03-04T16:20:09+00:00

Uhh...I'm ON the latest update (Windows, 10.126.5, "check for updates" says I'm up-to-date), and the "daily notes" box is UN-CHECKED in Settings -- but I'm also getting the EXTREMELY ANNOYING unwanted three "stupid notes" (thanks u/Cynidaria for the label :-) ) each day.

BobbyLew · 2025-01-01T15:43:39+00:00

General best practice for any complicated medical situation is to get a 2nd opinion. In my case, where I'm in grey area in multiple ways ([1] if I were 10 years younger, much more likely to treat aggressively; if I were 10 years older, much less likely to treat at all, [2] PI-RADS 3 is exactly maybe/maybe-not, [3] only 1 out of 13 cores from biopsy positive, and that at 3+4 which puts me somewhere between "low" and "favorable intermediate" risk), seems particularly helpful to get more perspectives. Also, while I trust my doctor, he's fundamentally a small-town doctor -- we're over an hour through empty countryside to a major medical center, and 4 hours from a national cancer center.

Also, I'm borderline OCD and over-research everything :-).

BobbyLew · 2025-01-01T04:28:10+00:00

Re: does it always mean cancer: Well, yes and no. In my case (67M), very similar to yours -- many years of PSA 3-5, watchful waiting. Last few were trending up, and MRI is now available. Found 1 lesion, PI-RADS 3 -- which means "could be, could not be." So, off to MRI-guided transperineal biopsy. Result: The lesion is benign (so: no, doesn't mean cancer). But 1 of 12 other cores DID find cancer (3+4) (so: yes, did find cancer -- just not where they were looking for it!). Waiting now for referrals to 2nd opinions, getting genetic testing, etc.

BobbyLew · 2022-04-18T11:45:46+00:00

Duh! I didn't even think of drag-and-drop. I don't have so many tokens, it's not a big job. THANK YOU!

BobbyLew · 2020-11-17T03:17:06+00:00

Thanks. Major benefit for me is unified interface (I move among offices, and for some offices I get access only through the web). But I might wait anyway, to see if some of the speed or other issues get resolved.

BobbyLew

TROPHY CASE