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The 55+ "male issue"
 

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Alenhoff
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 240
Location: Detroit, MI

7/21/13 1:18 PM

The 55+ "male issue"

I'm not talking about those TV spots with "manly men." You know, the cowboy and the guy who starts fires without matches. It's the other male issue: Prostate. Knowing that there are lots of 55+ guys on this list, I continue...

Last year, riding a bike was extremely uncomfortable (especially on my road bikes with Flite saddles), and I was on this list looking for suggestions for cutout saddles. I had all the classic enlarged prostate symptoms, plus a few that indicated the issue was fairly well advanced.

I tried the usual drugs, but they didn't seem to help. Eventually it became intolerable. I'll spare you the details of my "I've had enough" moment.

But an overnight stay in the hospital, plus about two months to full recovery and I am like a 16 year old in that region. The bike is quite comfy now. I sleep through the night. I don't spend much time in rest rooms any more. I'm also drug-free.

For those who are still with me, this is one of those, why didn't I do this a couple of years ago situations. When the surgeon's bill for his services (after insurance reimbursement) arrived last week, I paid it with a smile. Worth every penny.

Here's the description of what I had done: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/turp/MY00633 There was no incision. I didn't even need any painkillers after surgery (not even a Tylenol). The recovery is uncomfortable and longer than you'd like. But the results in my case were game-changing.

Hard to say whether cycling caused any of my issues. My surgeon didn't think so. (But when I told him I was a cyclist, I'm thinking he was envisioning a once around the neighborhood kind of routine,) But surely, if you have these issues, cycling can be highly uncomfortable or even impossible.

If any of you want to know more about my experience on this, I'm glad to share -- either on the Forum or privately via email.

Alan

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

7/21/13 4:20 PM

What are the symptoms while cycling. I pee more than I would like at night, but no saddle issues for my usual 2-4 hours saddle times currently.

I think my night time issue is too much dietetic all day and even after dinner... if I drink no coffee and no fluids after dinner, I just get up in the am to go and no night time bath visits etc.

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

7/21/13 4:33 PM

My prostate is described by my doctor as "large" - he suggested I get what he termed the "laser rebore" when I last visited him, and it's pretty rare for me to make it through a night without having to get up at least once to piss, but I don't have any problems with multi-hour rides on the bike.

I did notice a few years ago that narrow racing saddles were getting uncomfortable, and I've always used Brooks B17 on most of my bikes, so now I use women's racing saddles (Selle San Marco Squadra) on the racing machines.

I don't like saddles with cutouts.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

7/21/13 6:54 PM

"too much dietetic all day"

diuretic?

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

7/21/13 7:16 PM

TURP and IP Nightly

TURP (trans-urethral resection of the prostate) has been around a long time. Tons of studies and info on the web. Generally a pretty safe and uncomplicated procedure.

Regarding the "Rusty Bedsprings by IP Nightly" issue, it is often said that for an endurance athlete if you are not getting up once per night you probably are dehydrated. That certainly has been my experience.

My dad died of prostate cancer so I am pretty vigilant about getting checkups and so far, so good. I've outlived him by 8 years and counting.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

7/21/13 10:42 PM

"diuretic"

yes, no reading glasses on [speaking of 55+ issues] when I typed that one...


Last edited by Sparky on 7/22/13 11:20 AM; edited 1 time in total

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Alenhoff
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 240
Location: Detroit, MI

7/22/13 7:44 AM


quote:
What are the symptoms while cycling. I pee more than I would like at night, but no saddle issues for my usual 2-4 hours saddle times currently.


As the Mayo Clinic link indicates, it's common for prostate issues to cause a collection of secondary conditions. In my case, it was bladder stones, which develop because of the failure to properly empty the bladder. Last year, those stones started causing small amounts of blood in my urine after cycling. I also found that increasingly the pressure of a saddle -- and hitting bumps in the road -- was creating a strong and annoying urge to pee. (Which went away instantly if I stood on the pedals -- and came right back when I sat down.)

As both issues kept getting more frequent and annoying, the doctor suggested a CT scan, and then advised a TURP.

I suspect my situation was worse than the average male plumbing issues that come with age, but in hindsight I should not have waited so long to get things straightened away. And Kerry's suggestion to get regular checkups to watch for prostate cancer is good advice, too.

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rickhardy
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 1492
Location: Needham outside of Boston - the hub of the universe

7/22/13 9:40 AM

A hospital tale

If you have ever been admitted to a in a trauma wing (not wishing that on anybody) you know that you don’t get a lot of sleep. Besides all the ambient noise of a hospital and the frequent visits constantly over the course of a night you don’t get a lot of sleep. During my 5 day hospitalization after my accident a typical situation is being hooked up to an IV . The staff is diligent in watching the amount of fluid you are taking in by IV and of course a serious interest in how much you “discharge”. Normally I sleep through the night at home without having to go to the bathroom. In the hospital invariably one of the many interruptions in my sleep was a duty nurse asking if I peed yet. Now remember I had 18 rib fractures a collar bone broken in three places a scapula fractured and a lung bruise. I was just happy to lie still. By 4:00 am the nurses would wake me up and tell me I haven’t peed and I would have to do so and if I didn’t they threatened to catheterize me. I would patiently tell them that even at home I don’t have to get up till morning and to just let me get some sleep. I am still hazy with my memory but I think they did an ultrasound or something one night and told me I was something like 60% capacity and I would have to pee. They gave me the “bottle” but for the life of me in the state I was in I could not go in bed, so it was necessary for me to get out of bed and stand to pee, remember I had 18 rib fractures and a busted collar bone. As you might guess with the associated pain and the fear and anticipation of the pain getting to stand and while standing it was kind of hard to concentrate on the task at hand so it took a while to get going. I had one duty nurse a Russian nurse Ratched who kept telling me I needed to see a urologist because it was taking me so long to go. I kept telling her you try to go with 18 busted ribs!!!…She went to go so far as to have the discharging physician prescribe Flomax! (I never filled the prescription obviously but would be reminded of this later when I would get calls from the pharmacy asking if I needed a “refill” 

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

7/22/13 9:55 AM

Jeez

Verging on TMI, when I was in the hospital one night with my hip surgery and again with the punctured lung, hooked up to an IV, I had no trouble peeing frequently. No one had to ask. At least I was familiar with use of the receptacle by the time I was admitted with the lung and ribs.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

7/22/13 10:03 AM

Much more TMI

Try self catheritization sometime, you'll be glad you can pee on your own and frequently.:)

Its not really all that bad after the first time, but the psych up necessary to do it the first time is, um, interesting, particularly when there is a 20 something hot nurse coaching you thru the procedure.

Happiest day of my life, well the second, was being able to finally pee on my own, first was being able to use my legs again.

I take my over 50 issues with a grain of salt.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

7/22/13 11:21 AM

"I take my over 50 issues with a grain of salt."

With a touch of potassium ?

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

7/22/13 4:19 PM

Over 50 issues?

Dudes, I'm looking at 63 in a few weeks. 50 is nothing.

Anyway, don't despair, there is another way of looking at the aging process:

http://www.gocomics.com/tankmcnamara/

BTW, I'm glad Alan's procedure went well and, after reading the thread title, relieved that he's not going all Jimmy Johnson on us.


Last edited by dan emery on 7/22/13 4:28 PM; edited 1 time in total

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

7/22/13 4:22 PM

Clear the pipes often, very often said my doc which I repeated to my wife.

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Alenhoff
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 240
Location: Detroit, MI

7/22/13 6:24 PM

The concierge-service hospital

As long as we're drifting into more general tales of hospital stays, a story:

One leading local hospital decided the best way to compete was to offer resort-like service. They hired a director who previously managed a Ritz Carlton hotel, and built a hospital with a fancy food court, lovely landscaping, all private rooms (with accommodations for overnight visitors), and home-like furnishings. (The latter horrified a physician friend of mine who is an infectious diseases specialist and wonders how they can have drapes in a room that needs to be disinfected between patients. I guess the hospital is so cool that you shouldn't mind staying an extra week to get over an infection.)

My surgery was done in a more traditional hospital. But they, too, have been influenced by the Ritz-like approach of their competitor. They offer concierge services: They'll run errands for patients and their families, take your car for an oil change, or find a pet sitter for your dog. And every few hours, they sent a young "guest services specialist"into my room -- whether I was awake or asleep -- to inquire whether there was any need I had that wasn't being met. (I resisted the urge to explain that sleep was my greatest need at that time.)

A week after I got home, I received a hand-written note from two nurses, thanking me for giving them the wonderful opportunity to serve me.

Pretty silly stuff... My wish: Cure me, send me home fast.

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Jesus Saves
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 1150
Location: South of Heaven

7/26/13 7:14 AM

That's becoming common in India, with Americans traveling there for treatment from American educated Indians and still a lower price tag than treatment at a traditional American hospital. one appealing thing is that you get to recover from surgery, vacation/pampered spa style.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

7/26/13 9:59 AM

"traditional American hospital V/S one appealing thing is that you get to recover from surgery, vacation/pampered spa style."

I saw a spot on the news stating that this is becoming a new trend in US hospitals. In bids for the bookings so to speak. From concierge type services to services for families such as running errands and sitting etc.

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bboston75
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 367
Location: philadelphia

7/27/13 3:34 PM

BPH meds

Been treated for BPH for at least 15years (now 71). My urologist gives me an alpha blocker, for general muscle relaxation, generic Proscar to inhibit prostate growth (keeps my hair growing too, and because it's not prescribed for hair loss, insurance covers it) and a few months ago I started on Toviaz. The Toviaz has been a real life-changer for me, can ride at least two hours at a stretch without a nature break, can even sleep thru the night. Sort of like Detrol, I guess, but about ten times more effective.

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Alenhoff
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 240
Location: Detroit, MI

7/27/13 7:59 PM

I'm glad that combination works for you. But taking three drugs for one ailment would give me pause.

I know nothing about the particular drugs you are taking, but most drugs have long lists of potential side effects. And many drugs that are prescribed today for long-term use have never been the subject of long-term testing.

Surgery is no fun. But post-surgery, I take no prescription drugs, and it's a good feeling.

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Matthew Currie
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 800
Location: Vermont

7/28/13 8:45 AM

Unlike rick Hardy, I've gotten used to getting up during the night, though I have no known problems except for preferring to get up and pee over trying to sleep with a filling bladder. Unfortunately, when I was in the trauma wing after my accident, I was under strict orders not to get up without a nurse present, owing to balance issues, and wishing to be a good patient, and not wanting to be tied down, I complied. But late at night things can be pretty slow. Once you decide it's time to go it's pretty difficult to wait and wait. I have come to appreciate the luxury of being able just to get up and go, even if one has to careen off a wall or two to get there.

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