Good Lifestyle

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, my doctor stated that I had two options: radiation therapy or what he called "the golden standard", which is to cut it surgically. It did not take a long time to decide. I wanted my prostate sitting in a pot on someone's shelf - not in my body.

One of the best urological surgeons in the country is working in Boston, not far from home in Concord, New Hampshire. I read his "nerve techniques spared" who claim to preserve sexual functioning, so I visited him. He was not the most visible guy, but he told me that he cut prostates out of 200 men with prostate cancer a year.

I told myself, I'm not trying to make a friend - I want a guy who is really good at what he does and is well paid for that. I want a guy who lives on the north coast in the most expensive house and leads the most expensive car and is the best technician.

It was my guy.

The operation took 6 hours. He opened just below the belly button. I remember wake up at the hospital with a catheter, I do not feel very well. I was hungry, and they feeded me intravenous. They would not let me eat solid food until I track.Peter and you can eat, I continued to think.Pet and you can go home.

When my catheter finally came out, I was totally incontinent. I had to wear a layer for the next 5 months. It was miserable. I am a lawyer; Some days, I would be in front of a court doing a dispute and I could feel fleeing. It was horribly distracting.

My sexual operation has also suffered. I took Viagra for 4 or 5 months, and it did not work. I returned to the surgeon and told his doctor's assistant: "I'm ready to go back to the saddle" and he said, "Let's see if that stuff works."

He took out a bottle of a powerful vasodilation medicine and showed me how to give me an injection into the stem of my penis. Now it's a scary moment on your organ with a hypodermic needle in your hand. It was not painful and it worked well. I was still 18 years old. The disadvantage is that your erection lasts 4 hours.

I am much older now and back to my old me. My brother Mark also had a prostatectomy. Our doctors told us that our sons are at increased risk of prostate cancer. So, so that I can encourage them to have the PSA. I never guessed my decision. This means that I will see that my children will continue to live. From my point of view, there is no reason not to have a PSA test.

For more importance to the importance of PSA and prostate cancer test, read about theNon-routine tests You should always ask your doctor.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in a 2005 issue of the Best Life magazine.