Recovery

Oh, also what about a bit of dizzines?
TeddyG

Thanks for the reply. Tomorrow is the catheter removal day. Any suggestions?

Cath removal is a piece of cake...

Since you'll be at the Doc's office, ask him about the insomnia and dizzines.

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Age 54   - 5'11"   205lbs

Overall Heath Condition - Good

PSA - July 2007 & Jan 2008 -> 1.3

Biopsy - 03/04/08 -> Gleason 6 

06/25/08 - Da Vinci robotic laparoscopy

Catheter in for five weeks.

Dry after 3 months.

10/03/08 - 1st Quarter PSA -> less then .01

01/16/09 - 2nd Quarter PSA -> less then .01

Surgeon - Keith A. Waguespack, M.D.

Teddy,
One thing to note about catheter removal procedure is the Doc/PA/intern will be watching to see if you can "hold it in" after the removal (Even tho they give you the urine bottle to use). And they will ask you to start and stop once or twice to see if you can do that. Do all that well and you get a gold star or something even better -- like some samples of Cialis or Viagra or something.

While we are talking about post-catheter times I suppose this is a good place to bring up The CUP idea again. Yeah the guys here always laugh when I describe it but here goes anyways.

Because you will want to be walking a good amount every day, you will no doubt be leaking during that whole time unless you really really concentrate on holding it in, and even then you can only hold for so long. What I have used (and actually am still using while Jogging In Place indoors) is a disposable (but durable) plastic cup strapped to my left thigh with Willy going over and into it. I recycled the latex rubber strap from the Leg bag to hold it on.

Good only for at home use of course where you can wear a bathrobe or something loose, but I am sure I have saved a hundred pads by using this idea. Also it allows you to get a good idea of how much you are really leaking and when as you monitor it.

At 9+ weeks out I am only collecting a little bit in The Cup when I jog in the evening (I jog in place while watching TV or playing with the cat). (Evenings are the last to go for IC as people here will attest to -- when your muscles are the tiredest -- if not for the jogging I would not be leaking at all in the evening so is good and the bad of it).

So that's something to try -- I am sure your wife will have a good laugh about it too -- watch it when you sit down tho .. Tilt that sucker up!!

jim

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Age 58, 195lbs, 6'4", 57 at DX, PSA Aug2008 7 4 ... June2007 4.7 (BPH + LUTS)
Biopsy Nov2008 1 of 12 cores 5%, Gleason 3+3 - Sona showed 140+ cc (110 grams post op) prostate size.
02/03/09 open RRP surgery , Nerve sparing both sides, 1 day in hospital, Day 4 first BM,
Pathology Report: All margins clear - No Invasive spread - no change in Gleason score.
02/18/09 Cath out, passed a 1cm STONE within hours.
Using pump (encore) daily since catheter out - working good with 2 rings.
04/01/09 Was Oxalate stone -- usually from kidneys -- X-ray Kidneys @ next PSA).
03/06/09 Started Levitra 20mg rehabbing -> no real effect yet (04/01/09) . (Same for Viagra @ 100mg)
04/01/09 PSA <0.1 (And starting Cialis rehabbing @ 5mg). @ 1 pad/day on IC side.