Prostate problems for Beekeepers of a certain age

I've been suffering prostate problems for a while now and am due to have surgery on the 9th of February. All hives were treated with OA at new year and have hive cozy's on so the bees should be fine until the start of the season.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Last time I was in the Royal Surrey having gall stones removed from my bile duct (ouch) the guy opposite me was recovering from having his prostate removed by robot. The local private hospital had done the operation and he developed complications in recovery. They transfered him asap to RSCH so the NHS could sort him out. It turned our that the robot had made a real mess of him and he had almost died. It took him 3 weeks to recover and get home.......... I don't think I'll opt for robotic surgery!

I try not to criticize other/newer methods but my personal choice was traditional open up and see what's inside. Ok it took a bit more healing but there was less chance of leaving small particles behind. I'd previously known a guy had keyhole chest surgery which had been problematic and he'd also had emergency readmission.
Anaesthesia is a wonderful thing in surgery. It's best to be fast asleep while it's going on

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Just had my routine (telephone) consultation. Local surgery took a blood test a couple of weeks ago which went into my records. Consultant said the result was a psa value of 0.025 (virtually none) and I had no symptoms to report so all is well. Next blood test beginning of June. They're keeping a lifelong watchful eye on me.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Just had my routine (telephone) consultation. Local surgery took a blood test a couple of weeks ago which went into my records. Consultant said the result was a psa value of 0.025 (virtually none) and I had no symptoms to report so all is well. Next blood test beginning of June. They're keeping a lifelong watchful eye on me. ☺

Brilliant news!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just had my routine (telephone) consultation. Local surgery took a blood test a couple of weeks ago which went into my records. Consultant said the result was a psa value of 0.025 (virtually none) and I had no symptoms to report so all is well. Next blood test beginning of June. They're keeping a lifelong watchful eye on me. ☺

Excellent. Those first few minutes after you get those results are certainly something to savour. A wonderful feeling.
Great news.

 

[Arfermo]

Interesting stuff. I had a re-bore about 20 years ago but never had all the faffing about that you have been through - for good reason of course as I only had a urine retention problem. Amusing though when the nurses tried to remove the catheter the day after the op and they got the shock of masses of blood, shoved the thing back in to wait for the consultant the next day. No pain, no fuss and have have had no problems since, not a drop of leakage and I am now well over 86. So there is hope out there if you stick with it. Now the only pads I get are for my wife who has alzheimers - 'Always' with wings!!! Makes for a giggle at times.

 

[Amari]

I’m 83, down stream of a heart attack . Type two diabetes, Barrets oesophagus , verticulosis , osteoarthritis.
never felt better .
still up to the elbows in bees .
having an interest , keeping going ,being pragmatic and refusing to sit around. Waiting for Godo is truly fatal .
oh! and for good measure. trip to the loo my darling is my signature song!

Funnily, I get that only intermittently - after a few glasses of wine....

 

[swifty]

Thank you for your honest open experience John sometimes us men have issues about sharing such things. I wish you a long and health beekeeping life.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Five years (or so) on I had a routine telephone consultation at the end of February. PSA levels from recent blood test fine and nothing to report. Arranged another consultation 6 months hence. A couple of weeks later I had a pee as normal but on finishing the stream was followed by a few drops of blood. I immediately phoned my GP practice who have me listed as high risk so after speaking to triage I was called in for examination later that day. The GP said I would be referred to urology consultant.
Being personally involved I emailed my urology consultant direct which either because of the GP referral or my email I'm unsure but I received a phone call from the hospital a few days later and began a series of blood tests, CAT scan, Ultrasound and a booking for a Cytoscopy. The Cytoscopy had to be abandoned as the connection of urethra and bladder had become restricted by old scar tissue despite me self catheterization a couple of times a week over the years and the Cytoscope was thicker than the catheters.
Ultimately I had more blood tests, pre-op assessment, covid swabs and isolation before admission to Goole hospital yesterday for dilation and internal inspection. This was done under general anesthesia. I woke up and following a spell in the recovery room and return to the ward I spent a while being monitored. Around 6 pm the surgeon had completed his lists and came round to speak in turn to the days patients. He told me I had suffered a lot of narrowing but he had opened up the restriction and checked inside with no problems within the bladder to be seen. The drops of blood may simply have been a result of damage by one of my self catheterizations and it had healed naturally. I would see a lot of blood in my urine for a while following the dilation. He was right about that!
Eventually having drunk a couple of litres of fluids and being able to pass (red) water I was discharged and my wife collected me at the front door of the hospital.
Last night I woke up in discomfort and found I was unable to pass water. The remainder of the night was disturbed and I felt "Full" but attempts to pass water were unsuccessful. Around 8 am I phoned the hospital and spoke to the ward for advice. Somewhat disappointed to be told I could not be readmitted to the ward due to the bloody covid restrictions! It was suggested I go to an A&E where I could be catheterized. As that would have been a 3/4 hour drive, God knows how long a wait amongst various samples of humanity I decided to use one of my self catheterization units. With a lot of apprehension I tried and having pushed a plug of clotted blood out of the way I had the massive relief of relieving the pressure and emptying my bladder. The clot made its way down the catheter tube and away.
I never liked the self catheterization but it meant I had the equipment on hand to sort the problem myself and apart from the discomfort of being full a couple of paracetamol is all I needed.
During the time since my impromptu drain clearing job the waterworks are settling down nicely so I hope to be back amongst the bees in a few days.

 

[pargyle]

That's a relief then - in more ways than one. Good news - you could still be languishing in A & E if our local hospital is anything to go by !

 

[Erichalfbee]

Phew! What a tale. Thank heavens you could do it yourself.

 

[Amari]

Let's hope it all settles down to being livable with.
Some folk after surgery for benign prostate problems seem to do well with few symptoms. Others (me and you) have continuing problems.
Until Covid I enjoyed foreign travel but feared a blockage in some remote jungle, so my GP has given me a catheter just in case.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Let's hope it all settles down to being livable with.
Some folk after surgery for benign prostate problems seem to do well with few symptoms. Others (me and you) have continuing problems.
Until Covid I enjoyed foreign travel but feared a blockage in some remote jungle, so my GP has given me a catheter just in case.

I know I have a few minor restrictions on my lifestyle since getting rid of my cancerous prostate but it currently amounts to wearing a discreet pad and a few minutes for SIC just before bed time on a three day cycle. I'm happy with my lot. I reckon a wooden suit would have been far more inconvenient

 

[Gilberdyke John]

That's a relief then - in more ways than one. Good news - you could still be languishing in A & E if our local hospital is anything to go by !

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Unexpected extra - in preparation for a routine telephone consultation with the hospital urologist I attended the local medical centre for a blood test. Chatting to the nurse I observed it was years since I had had my cholesterol level checked. She said no problem I'll add this to the analysis list for your sample. A few days later I had a phone call from my GP and he advised I had slightly elevated cholesterol levels which ended up with him putting me on statin treatment, one tablet each evening - I'm certainly being well looked after by the NHS in this area.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Unexpected extra - in preparation for a routine telephone consultation with the hospital urologist I attended the local medical centre for a blood test. Chatting to the nurse I observed it was years since I had had my cholesterol level checked. She said no problem I'll add this to the analysis list for your sample. A few days later I had a phone call from my GP and he advised I had slightly elevated cholesterol levels which ended up with him putting me on statin treatment, one tablet each evening - I'm certainly being well looked after by the NHS in this area.

Excellent service. I'm on prophylactic statins to prevent my irradiated carotids from seizing up....you can't be too careful

 

[BitterleyBee]

Healthspan Saw Palmetto complete capsules have done me the world of good. And no, I don’t work for them. Small possibility of a massive coincidence and everyone is unique of course but my experience was:
3 yrs ago definitely enlarging prostate, some blood in urine few times over couple of months, starting to go to loo at night and hard to get out dribble at end of urination. Researched and got onto this product and after a month everything settled and no issues since. Definitely reduced size, no discomfort or toilet difficulty or needing to go at night. I don’t take it every day but most. Fifty yrs old and realising need to look after the body I used to just expect to work whatever I threw at it!

 

[victor meldrew]

I was irradiated over a ten month period when ending my service with the Royal Air Force . This was at St. Athan .
in the next bay to me, engines from aircraft that had been flown though the atomic mushroom clouds at Woomera and Christmas Island were being decontaminated.
I got radiation sickness . The effects of which lasted for a couple of decades . I have a daughter and granddaughter who both had to have their thyroid glands removed .
the authorities claim that a safe dose figure was unknown.
it was hinted by others that they did know ( guinea pig springs to mind )
Blackpool advertised its radon pool for your health’s sake

 

[user 20297]

I was irradiated over a ten month period when ending my service with the Royal Air Force . This was at St. Athan .
in the next bay to me, engines from aircraft that had been flown though the atomic mushroom clouds at Woomera and Christmas Island were being decontaminated.
I got radiation sickness . The effects of which lasted for a couple of decades . I have a daughter and granddaughter who both had to have their thyroid glands removed .
the authorities claim that a safe dose figure was unknown.
it was hinted by others that they did know ( guinea pig springs to mind )
Blackpool advertised its radon pool for your health’s sake

My Dad insists that National Servicemen were used as guinea-pigs for all sorts of things; he's had a form of chronic leukemia for several decades which he blames on the RAF.

 

[victor meldrew]

Not only National Servicemen.
I was a regular.

 

[Norton]

Not only National Servicemen.
I was a regular.

Yes, agree there, just wonder what they were "vaccinating" us with.