THE QATSPY® Quapaw Aviation Tiger Sports Performance Yukan
My personal Prostate Cancer journey of detection, surgery, and side effects from stage 2 Prostate Cancer. This is a update to keep men informed about the impact of Prostate Cancer on your life and the need to get PSA Test for early detection. Early detection is KEY to your survival. I have a sportswear & performance business, but Prostate Cancer Awareness is my mission with my prostate updates.
By: Charles W. Boatright, President of THE QATSPY®
What You Don’t Know can be Detrimental– We usually make decisions on what we know more then what we DON’T know that can be a health risk. You need to take into account what you DON’T know as much as what you DO know in regards to your health.
First, I would like to touch on my symptoms that lead up to my Prostate diagnoses. In July, my blood pressure started to elevate where my blood pressure was 165/95 that was unusual. My blood press typically runs 118/60. Since I didn’t have an enlarge prostate, discomfort in urinating, or weak stream wasn’t a factor. I had no blood in my urine either.
I want to emphasize that while this is a pretty low pain robotically prostatectomy with soreness procedure the recovery is over weeks to possible months with certain side effects over these weeks to months. The side effects include having to wear a catheter for a week, where after the catheter is removed you will experience incontinence, and limited sexual function for weeks to months.
30Aug2023– I moved up my annual physical from late December to late August of 2023 where my numbers were normal except for my blood pressure, that I mentioned, and my PSA reading of 6.2 where normal reading is 4.0.
22Dec2023– I had a biopsy. This is similar to a colonoscopy procedure where general anathemas is administered.
Now for my Update
04Jan2024– We received results from the pathological report from my Biopsy done on 22Dec2023. The Gleason Scale indicated a (3+4) which meant a non-aggressive Prostate cancer that was barely Stage 1 Cancer. We were offered three options- (1) Monitor my condition. (2) Radiation treatments. (3) Prostatectomy.
We know a biopsy is just a small sample of the status of one’s actual condition. It doesn’t offer a full picture of the actual status. That was a huge factor of not actually knowing the actual condition of my prostate cancer. This is where you have to, or need to consider the unknown factor.
That eliminates option ONE from consideration. Option TWO- If you seek radiation at my age of 66, it eliminates the option of surgery later because of the fact that radiation leaves the prostate fragile. If I was over 75, radiation could have been a viable option.
That lifts us with Option THREE, a Prostatectomy. The reason you can’t determine the progression of cancer is due to indeterminate factors. We decided to have a Prostatectomy on 05Feb2024. This is classified as a Same Day Surgery done Robotically. I spent one night in the hospital for observation with a catheter. I went home with the catheter.
NOTE: In order for the surgery to be perform by robotic method, they fill your abdominal cavity with (CO2) carbon dioxide gas in order to assist in maneuvering the arms down to the prostate. It will take time for the gas to be absorbed my the body and be removed and return your abdominal area to normal, I’m 3-weeks out, and I still have some gas in my abdominal cavity. Guys it will recede over coming weeks especially if you walk for exercise and recovery.
14Feb2024– I returned to the Urology clinic to have a Cystogram performed before the catheter was removed to see if where the prostate touches the bladder that might have caused a leak in the bladder. Thankfully my catheter was removed that day.
14Fed2024– I visited my Urologist to get the pathological report on my prostate. This is why what you don’t know can be detrimental to your long term health. What we thought that my cancer was barely stage 1 cancer; but actually it was stage 2 prostate cancer but the tumor was contained within the prostate. Naturally we were shocked at the stage 2 status, but confident that we took the correct action of a Prostatectomy and that it was contained!
I am performing Kegel Exercises to help eliminate my incontinence that you will experience over a period of time from a period of a few weeks to few months. This is where your prior fitness workout will be a huge advantage for you to gain control of your bladder. But DO NOT let incontinence stop you from having a Prostatectomy. Your life depends on having a Prostatectomy if you have an aggressive cancer and mid to high stage cancer.
22Mar2024– I’m scheduled to return to my Urologist to have my follow up PSA Test to see if my Antigen has dropped below 0.8 reading. If my Antigen is elevated, I will have to have radiation treatments.
Summary– I experienced only level 1 pain from the robotic Prostatectomy that subsided to only discomfort and soreness that night before being discharged from the hospital the next day. I was handling my pain/discomfort with only Tylenol. I could walk and maneuver with only some discomfort that has subsided now on 21Feb2024. I have six incisions in my abdominal area in addition to 4 others I had with a prior abdominal surgery to repair damage from a prior injury.
Future Updates will follow. I hope these updates will help other men. DO NOT use Vanity from getting your PSA checked or seek treatment, especially if you are over the age of 45. I’m writing these updates to help other guys to avoid cancer and get treatment early. I call into Paul Finebaum show periodically to keep viewers Prostate Cancer Aware. (I’m Chuck from Mississippi).