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Andrew's Story

Ethnicity
White British
Age
60-69
Work
Office
Sexual Orientation
Prefer not to say
Geography
Yorkshire
Relationship status
Married/In a Civil Partnership
Listen

Radical Prostatectomy (Surgery)

Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment

This has been the side effect that has caused the greatest sadness for me. I was reccomended to take regular Viagra typre medication every other day but my own PC practice would only prescribe an inferia product, 6 tablets each month. I also got a vacum pump on the NHS but this is a very mechanical devise and takes all spontinaity out of sex. Still I would rather be alive without sex than live with the prostate cancer.

How this treatment impacted my life the most

I had a radical prostetectomy at. Treatment in hospital and surgery went very well and was carried out at the end of June 2022. I was diagnosed end of April 2022. Slight incontenance but this has got a lot better. I did regularly pelvic floor exercises as soon as I was dignosed and still do them today but not as regular. I have very occaisional stress leaks on standing up but this may only happen once or twice a week. Lack of erections is the worst side effect, 50% of the nerves around my prostate had to be removed. Still makes me feel sad almost a year later.

If I had to do it all over again, would I choose the same treatment?

Yes

Why did I give this answer?

My cancer was at Stage 3 when the prostate was removed. I would have been worried leaving the cancer inside my body even with alternative treatments. I didn't fancy hormone theropy and radiotheropy due to the length of time it was going to take and the hormone side effects.

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