i had mine removed by laproscopic surgery 14 yrs ago,still kickin today!!

Everyone's situation will be different, but I elected to have mine removed 12 1/2 years ago. Don't remember the exact number but the Gleason rating was high in one area. One of the reasons, I selected removal is because I could do radiation if I had any problems down the road. About 4 years ago, my PSA started to rise, so I did two months of radiation and the PSA has dropped down to almost zero ( knock on wood ! ). Still hanging in there !

I forgot to mention that I was told when I made my selection that if I selected the radiation seeds that if that didn't work there was no other alternative due to the radiation destroying the tissues around the prostate gland
Re my brother in laws choice

That appears to be true and is a huge part of the equation to me. I’m getting closer to my decision but not there yet.

When i did the "seeds" nothing like that was ever brought up with me.
Never was brought up in conversation with my doctors, and never found any information like that, when i was doing my own research, on the internet web sites, so i wasn't knowledgeable in even asking about that issue.

Wait until you get Dr. Walsh's book and read it completely before you make your decision. With a Gleason score of 6, waiting a few weeks (or even a few months) to make the correct or best decision is much more important than making a quick or hasty decision. Dr Walsh's book will give you a tremendous amount of information, from one of the most knowledgeable doctors in the world when it comes to treating prostate cancer. You have been diagnosed early enough to take the time to make an informed decision.

Good luck. My prayers go with you.

Started reading the book yesterday. Does seem to be a wealth of good information. Thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks to dfsmopars for bringing up this subject. As many can see, there are a lot of your fellow car brothers that have been affected by prostate cancer and it shows that it is not just an "Old mans" diesese. It appears to be showing up younger than it used to, maybe people are just getting checked more. I worked in a refinery for 37 years, we were required to get a company physical every year. We had to fight with the company to get them to include a PSA test(not expensive) for the men, even when they had been offering Breast exam/mammograms for the women for years! When you have a physical done, please get a PSA done..Thanks again to DFS for bringing up the subject and raising awareness about it! And best of luck and prayers for him on his decision.

That is awesome. The response to my post was “just what the doctor ordered”. I debated posting it for about three days because I didn’t want to be a Downer but the information and props received have been invaluable.
The more I read the more it is apparent there is a huge lack of clear information out there for men. There is so much that it is unknown. What is known is that a simple blood test is all it takes to be put on top of this deal. My work has a health fair annually and my number was around 3.5 for four years then this year it jumped to 4.7. A handful of other men at work or women’s husbands have been alerted and treated over the years.
Thanks to all who have offered up personal experiences, you may never know how much it has meant to me or someone else just reading this post.

Ejaculating prior to a PSA test can cause a jump in numbers

Bruce.
That's to much information to read about, early in the morning.

From Thursday’s medical news abstracts:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-genetically-virus-combats-prostate-cancer.html

Seems like an approach similar to how Jimmy Carter’s brain cancer was successfully treated.

Today was 10 days post surgery follow up. Cancer gone with the prostate. PSA test confirmation in three months. I’m glad the first week and a half is behind me. Now I have to focus on the next few weeks to few months working on recovery and getting things to work again the best they can given the circumstance. The replies to my initial post have been a tremendous help. Thank you God, the surgeon and Moparts compadres.

had mine removed 14 yrs ago,no problems

Congratulations on your decision and successful surgery. As I mentioned before, I felt fine and ready to go after the catheter was removed. But after a 1/2 day at work I felt lousy. My body was using more energy to heal internally, running me down. This was not from physical labor, I mostly sit at a computer all day. I should have taken more time off. Over the next few months you will feel a lot of different things, I never had any pain, but sitting at the computer or TV for hours can give me discomfort. When I am up and moving around I feel fine. I said to the doc that I still wasn't feeling 100%, he said you are 100% of what you are going to be from now on.

DFS......thank you for starting this thread. I've got a feeling I'm going to be posting in it off and on for the next few months. My PSA has been creeping up for the last few years. I had a biopsy 2 years ago, and all 16 samples came back negative. I had a PSA test come back higher than the one 3 months previous, so now I'm scheduled for an MRI on the 10th. The results of that will determine whether I have to have another biopsy. I'm 62, my wife is 60....and we still a LOT. That's the part that's bumming me out I guess......but I had a whole lot rather be alive! I'll check back in after the MRI. Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences.

You had 16 snips.
Holy s#*t.
You must have loved that.
Why 16? I thought they did 12, like each position of the clock.

I 'blacked out" between snip #5 and snip #12, and didn't feel a thing after snip #4.
Just remember more or less waking up hearing someone say "were done"
Didn't like feeling those first 4 snips, and i'm glad that i blacked out, during that biopsy procedure.

That’s the crazy thing about this disease and that is how every situation is different.

HemiSportFury posted a reply and said “get a copy of Dr Patrick Walsh's "Guide to Surviving Prostrate Cancer"“. It has been invaluable. Maybe you’ve already read it but if not you need to get it.

There are a lot of things that will bother you but the one that affects the wife and you is a big one. It’s too early for me yet to know what I’m going to do.

I have done a lot of reading, talking and listening and now have some experience so if I can help in any way PM me. My dad went through it at the age of 65.

Take are of it! Take care of yourself.

Thanks guys. I plan on getting the book, and it sounds like it will be a valuable resource. Jim.....maybe it was 12 instead of 16? They numbed me a lot, so it really didn't hurt. The worst part was the numbing. All I could feel was a "CLICK" every time they took a bite. My wife keeps telling me not to worry about the so much....that we will figure it out together.

I just realized I never did update my story in this thread. I had another biopsy in October, and they put me to sleep for that one. They took 24 samples, and they ALL came back negative. Had another PSA 3 months later, and it had gone up a fraction more since the prior one. My Doc sent the samples from the last biopsy to some DNA lab in California to be analyzed, and those results came back that next time I had a biopsy, there was a 44% chance that it would return positive samples. My doctor is a Urological Oncologist, and said we needed to do another biopsy, but go about it in a different way. It was called a Peroneal biopsy, and that is where they stick the needle in that 2 or 3 inch space between your rectum and your scrotum. Thank God, I was asleep for that one too! In and out with the needle 24 times! Well, my luck ran out this last time, and 6 of the 24 samples came back positive for prostate cancer. The tumor was hiding on the bottom side where they had not gotten a sample coming from the other direction. Doc says it's a small tumor, but is an aggressive one as far as prostate cancer goes. We went over all the options, and I have chosen the surgery because the tumor is so aggressive. He is very well versed in the DaVinci surgery, and does 8 to 10 per week. He says due to the placement of the tumor, it is on the backside of the prostate away from the 2 nerve bundles he tries to save, and that gives him a very good chance at providing me with a better outcome as far as incontinence and ED are concerned. He told me right up front that I would need Viagra or Cialis for the ED. He sent me for a bone scan, just to make sure the cancer hadn't spread, and that came back good. My surgery is on Wed morning, and I guess I'm as prepared as I'm gonna be! I'm not so much worried about the surgery, as I am about getting Corona'd while I'm in the hospital. It isn't too bad here where I live, but it is still concerning! I'll try to update again when I get home and used to the catheter.