Waking Up the Sphincter: And Other Things Nobody Tells You About Prostate Cancer

Nobody tells you about the sphincter.They tell you about the PSA test. They tell you about the biopsy, the Gleason score, treatment options, surgery, and pathology reports. What they don't always tell you is what it actually feels like to live through prostate cancer-or what happens when you finally come home from the hospital with a catheter, a collection of new bodily concerns, and a suddenly very important relationship with muscles you barely knew existed.In Waking Up the Sphincter, Buck Dungan tells the story of his prostate cancer journey with candor, practical wisdom, and an irreverent sense of humor.What began with a routine PSA test became four years of active surveillance, repeated biopsies, scans, difficult decisions, and eventually robotic prostate surgery. Buck takes readers through the experience from diagnosis to recovery, including the subjects men often wonder about but may be reluctant to discuss: urinary control, Kegels, catheters, intimacy, erectile dysfunction, fear, relationships, and the strange indignities that can accompany recovery.This is not a medical textbook, and Buck isn't pretending to be a doctor. It is one man's account of what happened, what helped, what surprised him, what frightened him, and what he wishes someone had told him before he started.Along the way, Buck shares the practical lessons he learned, the mistakes he made, and the moments that made him laugh when very little about cancer seemed funny.Whether you have just received an elevated PSA result, are living with prostate cancer, are preparing for surgery, are recovering afterward, or love someone who is going through it, Waking Up the Sphincter offers something that can be difficult to find in a medical office: The perspective of someone who has actually been there.Prostate cancer changed Buck's life. It didn't take away his sense of humor.Life happens. Watch your step. And if you do step into it, Buck hopes this book helps.