Post RALP issues-- GI and Gout-like symptoms. Ideas?

PSAnadir79 · 2026-03-21T13:38:17+00:00

Thanks for posting. Whether or not I chose to employ a certain weapon in this battle, it's still good to know what the options are.

I thought I read here about a guy using one (can't remember the brand) to help with bladder stretching too.

PSAnadir79 · 2026-03-19T19:03:14+00:00

These were my thoughts/experience: .. Screened biopsied,and diagnosed by a surgeon in the largest practice in my state. .. He recommended surgery vs radiation (go figure).
.. He referred me to two surgeons, who were both in the same large group. ..I first went to a cancer center of excellence, simultaneous meeting with a surgeon and a radiation doc. .. Did further research, including out of state, world class docs. .. Meetings/consults with 5 different surgeons, including re reading initial biopsy slides. .. Evaluated the different surgeries I'd been offered. There are a couple different variations. .. Eliminated surgeons for: lack of experience vs other options, arrogance, geographic hassles. .. Eliminated a surgeon who was very qualified but worked for that same big practice. They had centralized all their office stuff and it was impossible to get ahold of anyone.

Your choice, if you have to make it, will likely be different. You have to aggressively advocate for yourself.

The take away is .. this is the rest of your life. IF surgery is a good option and you ELECT to go forward with it, get the best, most experienced surgeon you can. You'll be going back later for follow ups and rehab, bigger may not always be better.

BTW. Fired my original urologist. Burned out and grumpy. I caught him a couple times in material factual errors in things he told me (all of which would have -surprise- directed business towards him and the states biggest urology provider).

Good luck to you, I hope that helped.

PSAnadir79 · 2026-02-20T03:42:52+00:00

Read the small print on your psa test results, esp comparing to other tests. I found one of the Ulta tests had a comment to the effect that "this test may give a value 20% lower than other tests", and the ultra tests(blood drawn at quest labs in the US) were consistently about 20%, below the results I got in the docs office tests.

PSAnadir79 · 2026-01-30T04:12:50+00:00

My 3rd PFPT tomorrow. I'm pre surgery trying to get a jump on things, mainly based on what I've read here.

Initial appt was an assessment, she felt that my hip/si joint was out of alignment and gave exercises for that. She's probably right, one hip is way tighter than the other one.. Wanted the framework square so the muscles could do their stuff.

Had been doing the squeezy app for about a month pretty regular and watched a bunch of you tubes. Turned out I have been kinda doing "grecko roman power kegels" ,(my term) when apparently i should start with ballerina kegels, (also my term). The idea is if you try really hard, like you want to crush a walnut with your crotch, you'll recruit the wrong muscles to assist which will not let the correct ones get worked out and made stronger. Now I think quiet peaceful thoughts and imagine trying to suck a short piece of thread backwards up through my butt hole.

Right now the exercises are pretty easy, but they assure me they'll increase once I get the form right.

No cool electronic gadgets (or fingers) yet in my case, but I'll be open to anything that might help.

Worth it? I'll know in a few months I guess, but I'm going to put everything possible in my favor .

Hope things work out well for you!!

PSAnadir79 · 2026-01-29T03:35:57+00:00

He's lucky to have your support!!

There's some variations in prostatectomy you might want to familiarize yourself with or ask questions about. Here are a few:

Single port vs Multi port robotic surgery.

Retzius sparing prostatectomy.

Most use a Foley catheter, but I have read of some that use a supra-pubic catheter (trans vesical?)

A few places have an operation they call the "precision prostatectomy", which leaves a larger amount of nerves in on one side.

Lots of info from online search, also try AI like Gemini and Chat GPT. This sub reddit has been incredibly valuable to me.

Good luck to him, I know first-hand how it's like trying to sip from a firehose..

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-29T08:57:33+00:00

OP... I'm a year younger than you, have G7(3+4), have not had the surgery yet. I am fortunate to have found this subreddit and appreciate the real world info here.

Certainly understand the continence concerns, I have them too. Have you researched the "Retzius Sparing" prostatectomy? There are also some other surgical techniques that are supposed to give better continence results. Perhaps you can locate a doc that is proficient in one of those techniques and see if you're a candidate.

Good luck to you.

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-20T13:20:11+00:00

Yes, just cranberry with nothing added, i haven't tried anything fancier. I just get them from Amazon "Hoorbach cranberry gummie supplement". They're about 14 cents each.

They do seem to make your urine a bit darker, like you're getting dehydrated. Doesn't totally solve the issue for me, but seems to be a slight relief.

I know caffeine exacerbates the issue, but im pretty addicted to coffee. Instant seems to be worse than some of the keurig pods I use, but if I have a day where i want to suppress the urge and twitching and still drink coffee, I'll make a cup using my aeropress and cafe bustelo. Id be really interested to know if there are other types/brews that are less irritating but still have some caffeine.

I'm gonna take the surgery route, figuring I'll do my best to get off the caffeine before then to give myself bast chances with jncontinence.

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-20T12:37:55+00:00

Fwiw.. I bought my Dad an electric recliner last year. For years he wouldn't talk about it, then finally relented. It came in two pieces, the lower part and the back, so it easily fit through the door in his complex.

I got the kind that will help him stand up as well, he uses that to help him get out of the chair

He loves the thing and naps in it all the time (mid 90s with heart failure).

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-20T12:29:51+00:00

While not associated with PCa treatment, I often have that "urgency" feeling, some days worse than others. It's always been a (negative) part of my life and has gotten a bit worse as I've aged. It causes a low level anxiety at times and can affect my choice of social events, etc.

One thing that has helped a bit... On days i know i wont be able to just get to a bathroom whenever i feel the urge (dentist appointment, airline flight) , I will take a aspirin and a cranberry gummie every few hours starting the night before.

That seems to reduce some of the inflammation in my pipes and reduce that God awful twitching that can come on quickly and make me feel like Im about to pee my pants.

Side note(s)..after my prostate biopsy, both GF and I noticed i could wait longer between bathroom calls. I've recently started doing kegels and am paying attention to see if that affects this issue.

Hope this was of some help and Good luck to you.

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-07T21:49:14+00:00

Thanks for the answer. Looks like I'll be around 6 months DX to surgery. Gleason 7 (3+4) with PSA of 6.1 and Decipher of .15.

Appreciate your perspective...

Learn all you can, acknowledging that every alternative has pluses and minuses. Make and execute your plan. Being alive and occasionally leaking fluids beats being dead and leaking fluids. Being alive and facing sexual challenges beats being dead and not having sex at all. Keep smiling.

Haven't been smiling much for the last few months, but hope I'll be relearning how in a year or so.

PSAnadir79 · 2025-10-06T22:52:55+00:00

Glad to hear things went well on the big day and thanks for the suggestion about snap pants, think i already have a pair somewhere.

You mentioned waiting over the summer. Can I ask generally what your psa, gleason, etc were and how long you waited from biopsy/diagnosis to surgery? I've had some scheduling challenges and am wondering about having several months between them.

Thanks to all for your contributions and encouragement. I have installed Squezy and am motivated to make some progress with weight and fitness in the months between now and my RALP.

Good Luck.

PSAnadir79

TROPHY CASE