I can't cope after my prostatectomy

I had the operation in 2022 and am cancer free for now but I can not cope with the side effects. I am impotent and I have shrinkage issues as well as bladder leakage. I have no physical relationship with my wife of 37 years. I wish I had never had this operation.

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  • But what was the alternative?

    I was too old for the surgery in 2021 so had the ERT over 28 days and pre-  and post- hormone treatment. Obviously, ED  and some urinary issues. My GF and I work around the "problem". Do none of the medicinal and mechanical aids help?

    No doubt easier for me to accept aging at well over 70, but comes back to "not the only thing that matters" in a relationship.

    Persevere?

    Regards, Dave 

  • The aids do not work. I do not want to loose my wife all of this is not her doing. I should have been stronger. When the surgeon came to see me just before the operation I had been told it was a nerve  saving procedure but in our talk he said he would maybe save 3 percent of the nerves if I was lucky. I should have stopped the whole thing then. A good surgeon could have saved at least 33 percent. I asked him to save more but he did not bother.

    Later after many issues I confronted him about it and he said his directive was to get rid of the cancer.

    I was weak and stupid I should have looked at other options.

  • Oh. A procedure I know nothing about then. My sympathy but I don't think you should beat yourself up, you took the best advice available to you at the time.

    Dave.

  • Thank you it is good advice but hard to do in practice. My doctor says I am now suffering from ptsd, I don't sleep, it goes around and around in my head. I can not get passed how foolish I have been trusting people.

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