Another Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol Success Story
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:39 am
I'd like to relate my story to encourage others that there is indeed plenty to be hopeful about. After experiencing extremely debilitating chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome in 2004, I've spent the last year and a half focusing all my energies on getting better. And I've now reached the point in my recovery where I can say, yes, I have my life back and feel very good most of the time, with only a little discomfort the rest of the time--not tormented anymore by my condition, but merely mindful of it and willing to make relaxation and stretching as much a part of my daily regimen as showering and brushing my teeth.
Here's my story:
In late 2003, I started developing scrotal discomfort and hesitant urination, which my urologist wrongly diagnosed as a prostate infection. I was otherwise healthy and in my 40s. He put me on Cipro and Bextra, and over the next five months, my symptoms waxed and waned, gradually worsening. In May 2004, all hell broke loose in my pelvis--horrific pain in the rectum, tip of penis, lower abdomen, and my urinary system nearly shut down entirely, with ferocious electrical pain running up and down my urinary tract. My urologist responded basically by shrugging and upping my dosages.
I started working the phone, calling various clinics around the U.S. that dealt with prostatitis. Through this website I learned about the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol. I talked to Dr. Wise, read his book, and felt--based on what my body was telling me--that his approach made sense. I attended the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol clinic in June 2004 and found the experience invaluable. To those of you who are hesitant about attending his program, my advice is to go.
From July 2004 through January 2005, I launched into the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol regimen full bore and experienced a fair amount of improvement, punctuated by occasional severe and debilitating setbacks. Three steps forward, two steps back. One particularly nasty setback in early Jan. 2005 had me nearly back to square one, and I was very depressed that I had lost all the gains that had taken me a half year to accrue. Amazingly, however, I managed to shake off that flare-up after only about three days as if it hadn't even happened. During those setbacks, I was doing as many as four or five relaxation sessions a day. I'm not sure if it helped to do that many, but it at least made me feel like I was doing something.
Starting in February 2005, I noticed that the flareups seemed less frequent, less severe, and less prolonged. Fom that point on, I began having steady though incremental improvement on a month to month basis. One step forward, no steps back. The pain gradually lessened, going from chronic to occasional jabby twinges that would strike once of twice a day, and then less and less often. I noticed that my urine stream began getting stronger and I was peeing less frequently.
In October 2005 (16 months after my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome first went nuclear), my urinary ability suddenly returned to near normal (say, 90 percent of normal) and has maintained that improvement ever since. That was a major event for me, because I could finally stop worrying whether I could find a bathroom when I needed one. Now, I have a normal urine stream, normal urinary frequency, and only occasional mild urinary urgency. I notice a slight sputtery hesitance with my first pee in the morning and the last one before bed, and also whenever I try to pee when my bladder is less than half full. But most times, I pee just like a normal person again.
Since October 2005, I've continued to experience incremental improvement from month to month. During the daytime I would characterize my symtoms as virtually absent, unless I'm under stress. At night, starting around 7 p.m., my symptoms invariably crank up a bit, to a pain level of about a 2 out of 10--nothing awful, but enough to be a nuisance. My urination even at night is normal. But I do have some mild perinneal and rectal discomfort (I wouldn't even really call it pain.) Each morning, like clockwork, it's gone and doesn't come back until about 7.
What's been my strategy in achieving this improvement?
1. I've followed the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol unwaveringly--typically doing three relaxation sessions a day rather than the recommended two. I've never missed a day.
2. I do the SP-recommended stretching exercises.
3. I do external and internal trigger-point therapy. For much of this period, I used a Theracane to do the external work on a daily basis. I underwent internal therapy once a week. For the last few months, I've dropped that frequency for both external and internal down to about once every three weeks, but I'm still doing it and still find it helpful.
4. Psychological counseling. At Dr. Wise's suggestion, I found a therapist who uses a technique called EMDR. This particular therapist mixes the EMDR with cognitive therapy, and I've found this combo approach extremely helpful. I've been seeing this therapist for about a year and a a half and plan on continuing the sessions probably through 2006. Without it, I'm sure I wouldn't have made as much progress.
5. Valium. I take a half pill, no more frequently than once every three days. It makes my evening symptoms completely vanish. When used sparingly, I've found it helpful. The few times I've used it more frequently than once every three days, valium loses its kick. So I've been scrupulous about using it sparingly.
6. At various times, I've also tried a variety of different supplements--some seemingly helpful, some not.
In my opinion, the SP relaxation, stretching, trigger point, and psychological therapy are responsible for the improvement. I've also taken some drastic steps to reduce stress as much as possible. For the last year and a half, my wife and I have been living on her salary exclusively so that I could take time off work and focus on getting better. She's been an incredible source of encouragement, and also lends a hand literally when it comes to the trigger-point sessions. Her help has been crucial.
The main message that I want to pass along is that of hope and patience. You guys out there who are currently suffering, listen up: You will get better. You will get better. You will get better.
But as Dr. Wise rightly says, his approach is a slow fix, not a fast one. In my mind, I initially assumed that a year of SP would do the trick. Not for me it didn't. It really took closer to a year and a half, and I'm still diligently working toward whittling away those naggging evening symptoms. But given where I was in May 2004, I measure the progress I've made thus far in light years.
Best wishes to all of you who are just beginning the journey that I started in 2004. Hang in there. You will get better.
Here's my story:
In late 2003, I started developing scrotal discomfort and hesitant urination, which my urologist wrongly diagnosed as a prostate infection. I was otherwise healthy and in my 40s. He put me on Cipro and Bextra, and over the next five months, my symptoms waxed and waned, gradually worsening. In May 2004, all hell broke loose in my pelvis--horrific pain in the rectum, tip of penis, lower abdomen, and my urinary system nearly shut down entirely, with ferocious electrical pain running up and down my urinary tract. My urologist responded basically by shrugging and upping my dosages.
I started working the phone, calling various clinics around the U.S. that dealt with prostatitis. Through this website I learned about the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol. I talked to Dr. Wise, read his book, and felt--based on what my body was telling me--that his approach made sense. I attended the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol clinic in June 2004 and found the experience invaluable. To those of you who are hesitant about attending his program, my advice is to go.
From July 2004 through January 2005, I launched into the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol regimen full bore and experienced a fair amount of improvement, punctuated by occasional severe and debilitating setbacks. Three steps forward, two steps back. One particularly nasty setback in early Jan. 2005 had me nearly back to square one, and I was very depressed that I had lost all the gains that had taken me a half year to accrue. Amazingly, however, I managed to shake off that flare-up after only about three days as if it hadn't even happened. During those setbacks, I was doing as many as four or five relaxation sessions a day. I'm not sure if it helped to do that many, but it at least made me feel like I was doing something.
Starting in February 2005, I noticed that the flareups seemed less frequent, less severe, and less prolonged. Fom that point on, I began having steady though incremental improvement on a month to month basis. One step forward, no steps back. The pain gradually lessened, going from chronic to occasional jabby twinges that would strike once of twice a day, and then less and less often. I noticed that my urine stream began getting stronger and I was peeing less frequently.
In October 2005 (16 months after my chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome first went nuclear), my urinary ability suddenly returned to near normal (say, 90 percent of normal) and has maintained that improvement ever since. That was a major event for me, because I could finally stop worrying whether I could find a bathroom when I needed one. Now, I have a normal urine stream, normal urinary frequency, and only occasional mild urinary urgency. I notice a slight sputtery hesitance with my first pee in the morning and the last one before bed, and also whenever I try to pee when my bladder is less than half full. But most times, I pee just like a normal person again.
Since October 2005, I've continued to experience incremental improvement from month to month. During the daytime I would characterize my symtoms as virtually absent, unless I'm under stress. At night, starting around 7 p.m., my symptoms invariably crank up a bit, to a pain level of about a 2 out of 10--nothing awful, but enough to be a nuisance. My urination even at night is normal. But I do have some mild perinneal and rectal discomfort (I wouldn't even really call it pain.) Each morning, like clockwork, it's gone and doesn't come back until about 7.
What's been my strategy in achieving this improvement?
1. I've followed the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol unwaveringly--typically doing three relaxation sessions a day rather than the recommended two. I've never missed a day.
2. I do the SP-recommended stretching exercises.
3. I do external and internal trigger-point therapy. For much of this period, I used a Theracane to do the external work on a daily basis. I underwent internal therapy once a week. For the last few months, I've dropped that frequency for both external and internal down to about once every three weeks, but I'm still doing it and still find it helpful.
4. Psychological counseling. At Dr. Wise's suggestion, I found a therapist who uses a technique called EMDR. This particular therapist mixes the EMDR with cognitive therapy, and I've found this combo approach extremely helpful. I've been seeing this therapist for about a year and a a half and plan on continuing the sessions probably through 2006. Without it, I'm sure I wouldn't have made as much progress.
5. Valium. I take a half pill, no more frequently than once every three days. It makes my evening symptoms completely vanish. When used sparingly, I've found it helpful. The few times I've used it more frequently than once every three days, valium loses its kick. So I've been scrupulous about using it sparingly.
6. At various times, I've also tried a variety of different supplements--some seemingly helpful, some not.
In my opinion, the SP relaxation, stretching, trigger point, and psychological therapy are responsible for the improvement. I've also taken some drastic steps to reduce stress as much as possible. For the last year and a half, my wife and I have been living on her salary exclusively so that I could take time off work and focus on getting better. She's been an incredible source of encouragement, and also lends a hand literally when it comes to the trigger-point sessions. Her help has been crucial.
The main message that I want to pass along is that of hope and patience. You guys out there who are currently suffering, listen up: You will get better. You will get better. You will get better.
But as Dr. Wise rightly says, his approach is a slow fix, not a fast one. In my mind, I initially assumed that a year of SP would do the trick. Not for me it didn't. It really took closer to a year and a half, and I'm still diligently working toward whittling away those naggging evening symptoms. But given where I was in May 2004, I measure the progress I've made thus far in light years.
Best wishes to all of you who are just beginning the journey that I started in 2004. Hang in there. You will get better.