The Summer of My Enlarged Prostate

THE SUMMER OF MY ENLARGED PROSTATE.pdf

Title

The Summer of My Enlarged Prostate

Identifier

THE_SUMMER_OF_MY_ENLARGED_PROSTATE

Creator

Jacob Schlitt

Description

"I used to look forward to summer."

Date

2016-08-27

Coverage

2016

Format

application/pdf

Type

text

Text

THE SUMMER OF MY ENLARGED PROSTATE

I used to look forward to summer. Warm days, cool evenings. Vacations. Relaxing, swimming, hiking, reading, listening to music, spending time with friends, eating wonderful, fresh fruits and vegetables—blueberries, strawberries, peaches, watermelon, corn, juicy tomatoes, drinking cold beer, and vodka tonics. Not this summer.

This is the summer of my enlarged prostate, and it is not over yet. A few years ago, my “Primary Care Physician” (PCP) Dr. Taylor, observed that I had an enlarged prostate and a climbing PSA. He sent me to a urologist who put me on a medication call Finasteride which was supposed to reduce my prostate. Unfortunately, it did not. For several months now, I have been having peeing problems. I assumed this was the case with most men my age. I figured I’d roll with it. As it got worse, I felt it was time to see a urologist again.

As summer began I made an appointment with a urologist, Dr. Steinberg. We met on June 24. I described my symptoms, he examined me, and prescribed an additional medication, Tamsulosin, an alpha 1 blocker, whatever that is. He explained it is supposed to work with Finasteride to help shrink my enlarged prostate. It didn’t. In fact the problem seemed to be getting worse. When I saw Dr. Steinberg the following month, July 22, he said I should consider surgery. I asked about an alternative. He said we could try another alpha 1 blocker, Alfuzosin. We tried Alfuzosin. The problem continued to get worse. I will not describe the increased difficulty I was having “going to the bathroom.”

Dr. Steinberg then ordered a CT (cat) scan for the morning of August 9, and said he would perform a cystoscopy that afternoon. I did not realize the cat scan required my drinking barium and having an IV. It wasn’t so bad. I lay down on a table, something was attached to the IV, the table moved me inside the machine, the machine told me to hold my breath a couple times, was over. The afternoon cystoscopy required me to first pee in a bottle, get undressed, have a nurse “prep” me, put gel on my penis to numb it, and then Dr. Steinberg took an instrument, a cystoscope, a tiny tube with a light and a camera, inserted it in my penis and looked around. It only took a few minutes and did not really hurt. But the after effects were awful. Since I was going on a cruise the end of September, he suggested a surgical procedure called TURP (Transurethral Resection of the Prostate) in October.

Very uncomfortable night. Needing to pee every 20 minutes, but unable. When I did, blood in urine. Constipated. Called Dr. Steinberg in the morning who saw me and said my condition might get better, worse or stay the same. He said I should take an enema for the constipation. Dr. Taylor, who had seen the cat scan said it did not show cancer, which was good. I told him Dr. Steinberg said I should have surgery; Dr. Taylor agreed. We both felt it should take place before the cruise. The following week, Dr. Steinberg said he was able to schedule the surgery for September 8.

From that memorable August 9, it seems I have been going downhill. My enlarged prostate has been squeezing my urethra and blocking my rectum. Is it getting larger? I was told that a normal prostate is the size of a walnut, and mine is the size of a lemon. It has not been fun. Dr. Steinberg kindly offered to insert a catheter. No thanks. I asked if we could move up the surgery. Unfortunately, no. Some days are worse than others. I have learned that my condition is called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Its symptoms are my symptoms: problem starting to urinate, reduced flow, frequent urge, unable to empty bladder completely. And constipation.

The TURP is apparently the most common procedure to deal with the problem. I will have general anesthesia, a resectoscope is inserted into the penis, extended through the urethra into the prostate area. It will trim tissue from inside the prostate gland, irrigating fluid will carry it into the bladder, and it will be removed at the end of the operation. (God willing.) I read several descriptions. Some said the hospital stay would be from one to four days after the surgery. Dr. Steinberg’s assistant said I would go home the same day. Some said recovery might take one to two weeks, maybe longer, and painful urination would end in six to eight weeks. Wonderful.

The situation has been complicated by our planned cruise. The ship leaves from Montreal on September 23, but we arranged to spend two days in Montreal before the cruise. We have airline and hotel reservations for September 21. Will I be fully recovered? That is the question. Stand by for the latest developments.

This has been one hell of a summer. I haven’t enjoyed the weather, spending most of my time indoors, or going to medical appointments. We went nowhere on vacation, and there certainly was no relaxing, swimming, hiking. I was not even able to take pleasure in eating or drinking. Maybe next summer.

8-27-16

Original Format

application/msword

Citation

Jacob Schlitt, “The Summer of My Enlarged Prostate,” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed February 10, 2025, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/424.