A Special Edition to THE QATSPY® SATURDAY’S SPORTS PAGE for YOUR LIFE
Importance of Physical Fitness Pre/Post Prostate Cancer: The role physical fitness played in shortening recovery time from my Prostatectomy. There’re several side effects after Prostatectomy (1) Incontinence, (2) Lack of physical activity.
First Guys FIRST and FOREMOST, a PSA Test saved my life; DO NOT skip your PSA Test if you are over the age of 40. A PSA Test is an important part of your total physical fitness just like your workout is to you.
Importance of My PSA TEST
If you have an elevated PSA, your GP will refer you to an Urologist Specialist (Dr. Runnels with Jackson Urologist Clinic was my) for follow up testing, examination, and treatment. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Cancer on December 28th, 2023 after a second PSA Test was performed to confirm the first test– That PSA Test Saved my life! DON’T PASS THIS UP GUYS, VANITY DOESN’T SAVE LIVES!
Why your annual physical is important to your overall health, DON’T put off having your physical Guys with a PSA Test. Below are my results from my November 2023 physical:
Age- 66
Blood pressure- 115/61
Blood Glucose- 109 (Non Fasting)
Total Cholesterol- 158
Waistline- 28.50″
Weight- 148 Lbs.
BMI- 18.75
PSA- 6.2
NOTE: A Healthy PSA number is ≤ 4.0.
My Stage 2 Prostate Cancer
We decided in early January 2024, after a biopsy (done in late December) to have a Prostatectomy (the surgical removal of the Prostate) on February 05th, 2024. When I returned on February 14th, 2024, was when I found out that my Prostate Cancer was actually Stage 2 Cancer. That changes your life guys hearing the “C” Word!
So guys don’t put off having your PSA Test annually and DO NOT let vanity prevent you having a PSA and then take appropriate action if your PSA is elevated. You can recover from a Prostatectomy with the proper rehab, even from incontinence and ED! Guys ED can also be treated with medication.
Guys, before I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and had a Prostatectomy (05Feb2024), I would take a COLD PLUNGE (water temperature between 62 to 58 degrees F) after my workout sessions.
DO NOT EXCEED 12-to-15 minutes submerged in a COLD PLUNGE bath. Build up your endurance gradually.
On 21Mar2024, after my first COLD PLUNGE after my workout, I discovered that my incontinence decreased significantly. Then by the third COLD PLUNGE, my incontinence had stopped completely. That was 10- weeks after my Prostatectomy. It can take up to 6- months to eliminate incontinence after surgery using Kegel and Yoga exercises alone.
NOTE IMPORTANT: If you haven’t ever took a COLD PLUNGE before guys, start off with water from the COLD TAP ONLY until you get acclimated to colder temperatures later in your treatments. The COLD PLUNGE is also helps with back issues, muscle and joint soreness, and can firm up your abdominal area reducing that stubborn belly fat. This is called Cryotherapy. You can also take COLD showers if you don’t want to draw that much water in a tube or tank.
Now the Reason why Maintaining Your Diet and Physical Fitness is Important to You
If you want the best Age-Defying procedure not to just look years younger, but to look decades younger, then start a physical fitness regimen that includes strength training. Your fitness regimen should include Cardio-Aerobics-Strength Training with Yoga (CASTY). A great full body Cardio-Aerobic work out element is working out on a punching bag. This also great to maintain balance and cognitive function. Matter of fact, boxing bag workout is use to treat Parkinson’s patients.
You don’t know when you will have to make a withdraws from your health and fitness program that you made deposits on over the years. You can’t withdraw on something that isn’t there when you need it. Maintain your Health and Fitness pays off in the long run.
And DON’T be persuaded that because your over 50 that you can’t maintain the health and fitness that you had in your 30’s, it ONLY just takes a little more time to recover after your 40’s, but you can still remain active. I’m proof that you can guys and gals! This is the only reason I posted the feature photograph of me at age 66 taken on the morning of Wednesday, April 18th, 2024 in our hangar with a P-40 Warhawk in the background.
My Medical Procedure for my Stage 2 Cancer
My pre-and-post diet and fitness program after my surgery has allowed me to have a quick recovery from my Prostatectomy that was performed by the robotic da Vinci robotic procedure. The robotic da Vinci procedure is where the surgeon makes 7 incisions in the abdominal area to access the Prostate.
They pumped CO2 into your abdominal cavity to help the surgeon maneuver the robotic arms during the procedure, taking about 2.5 hours to perform. The only noticeable incisions made was the one that’s just above my navel in the feature photograph. I’m also getting back my definition in my abdominal area with help from my Cryotherapy.
The CO2 will finally be absorbed by the body, but you will be sore in your abdominal area, especially for the first week or two. You will need to walk and move around during the first 6- weeks of recovery. I was able to cut my recovery by three (3) week where I got back into my Mojave Gym on 21Mar2024.
Starting Back to my Active Lifestyle
I started out with light bike exercises for just half a mile for two weeks before gradually picking up my intensity to 8- miles per workout session by the second week of April. I am now doing my full workout routine. This included strength training, working out on my boxing bag, and rowing. My fitness routine is 60- minutes per workout session. The reason I call my gym the Mojave Gym is because my gym doesn’t have air conditioning; temps can reach 112 F during the summer months.
The feature photograph was taken yesterday morning (18Apr2024) at our hangar where I’m featured without my shirt at age 66 to show how a healthy diet and physical fitness that played an important role in my recovery. Guys, one thing that completely stopped my incontinence (along with Kegel exercises) was my post workout COLD PLUNGE bath that I always did after my workout sessions, before my surgery.
Normal recovery that includes eliminating incontinence can take up to 6-12- months, I was able to do it within 8-weeks.
Now for the Good News– I had a follow-up PSA Test on March 21st, 2024 to see if my PSA was under 0.02; my was ZERO. I will have another follow-up PSA this coming June. We hope and pray that it as well is ZERO.
In addition to working out in my gym, I also started back working on my farm, working in my welding shop, and in aviation at age 66. Dr. Runnels, with Jackson Urology Clinic and the Grace of God has given me this opportunity to enjoy what some call RETIREMENT, but I call it my second career of life. I haven’t hit the golf course yet; but plan to in the coming weeks.
I can’t wait to do my Orange Bucket Challenge that is part of my coaching and practice sessions