surgery scheduled!

The uro's office called to inform me that my robotic prostate removal is scheduled for Monday morning November 11th. My urologist is fairly young (finished urology residency in 2009 and completed a two year Oncology Urology fellowship at M.D. Anderson.) He has done over 500 robotics so I feel he is over the learning curve. He does several robotic prostate removals a week. I did specify that I wanted him to do the entire surgery an not any of 4th year residents.

I know it is a little rough going after surgery, but I had a lap gallbladder removal a little over a year ago and was out mowing grass the second day after surgery.

My biggest fear is incontinence, and the possibility of positive margins.

Hopefully I am doing the right thing!

Nick

stats:
parametric MRI showed nothing
biopsy 13 cores of which 6 positive cores, 5 out of 6 G3+3 (10% except 1 core at 60% at base), 1 out 6 G3+4 (10%)

Good luck with your upcoming surgery. Start learning how to do Kegels and prepare for the fight of your because it will be.

I would not suggest mowing your grass for about 6 weeks if you want to avoid staying OUT of the hospital after your surgery. Be sure you have some beltless pants to lounge in. I had a hard time wearing pants with belts for 2 weeks post-op. They irritated the incisions.
Drink lots of water and walk during recovery and you will be back to normal in no time.

Bill from Florida

Note to LAPilot's Homeowner's Assn

Gentlepersons:

One of our members, known to us as LAPilot, will be having surgery next month and, dring the first six weeks of the recovery period, he will be unable to perform his usual lawn maintenance activities. He has selected a time of year for his surgery during which the grass should grow slowly but his lawn may get a bit shaggy.

We appreciate your understanding aduring this period as he will have other things to worry about than his grass. If the state of his lawn becomes unaccceptable to you during this period please contact us rather than LAPilot, and we will provide you instructions on how to bite us.

Respectfully,

GFMPH members assn

All the best to you!

Best of luck , Nick - I'm sure you'll do great. Prostate surgery is great for getting out of all kinds of household chores - do try to put off the heavy lifting as long as you can, tho. I was back at my desk working part-time after 2 weeks - wouldn't have been my first choice, but for me it was completely doable.

By the way, my wife found those snap-up basketball pants by calling one of the big local sporting goods chains and having them special ordered - they even sent them right to the house. There is a good list on this site of some other things you might want to have around the house when you get home from the hospital - I particularly liked having a little plastic garbage can to hold the big cath bag at night - made it easier to carry it around. Other than that (and the aforementioned beltless pants), you don't need much - just a nice comfy place to rest!

Be sure to get up and walk at least 4 times a day - that REALLY helps move the gas through you after the surgery - they fill your abdomen with gas when they operate, and it takes a little while to find it's way out.

Oh by the way, I was continent from the day the catheter came out - basically no leaks right from the get-go. That isn't everyone's experience, unfortunately - but I'm here to tell you that it does sometimes happen - and I have no ED either. Do your kegels religiously - they help with everything - if you haven't already started, there's no time like the present...!

Doug

Best of luck and a quick recovery to you.

Tom

Yes, the pants are a great tip. Here's another that was good for me...

It will be hard to bend over to put-on/remove your shoes. Before surgery, I made a 3-foot long shoe-horn: Drill a hole in the end of a 3-foot wooden dowel, attach a standard metal shoe horn using a simple bolt/washer/nut.

-Gedman

Nick,
I am all about incontinence and when the catheter came out that first and second day I peed everywhere I had no control I was crazy enough to think if this is how it's going to be I'm going to end my life. I am 6 weeks out and now leak .5 ounces a day thats about 2 tsp. I went back to work today and showed minimal leaking at .234 ounces for the whole day I have an active job am on my feet walking >85% of the time. You will not be incontinent for long 98% of men regain it in the first 6 months mine gets better all the time hang in there, learn to do Keagles not to many though. You will do great.

Krugzz

hi lapilot,

 I had my surgery on sept 26th and my cath removed 9 days after, like you I was wondering if I should buy some supplies but then thought if I need them i'm sure the uros office will have samples, so I didn't. when the nurse pulled out the catheter nothing leaked I was shocked when she said ok you are all set I asked her if I needed a pad or something she said no you're done. so I left a little nervous that I might have an accident but never did (I lost a few drops after a sneeze the second day  but that was it) anyway hope for the best, I don't think they would let you leave without protection if you need it. I should also add that I have been walking 2 miles a day for as long as I can remember but stepped it up to 3 for the month before surgery and since, a lot of the guys here said that walking was good for continence, anyway I figured it couldn't hurt.

see you on the other side

hope you have a speedy recovery 

carl  

I'm weird and measured/weighed both of them and let me tell you they hold "A LOT", so much so that you will never fill them before you change them.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Again thanks for the information! I have to tell you that this is the greatest forum with tremendous help, tips and insight into prostate cancer. I have read at least a half a dozen books, and read probably hundred latest published papers on PC, but I have also learn so much from this forum.

As an engineer, I am known to over analyze everything. In fact when I first met my urologist I had a spreadsheet with my PSA plotted versus time. The first thing the urologist said was, "you got to be an engineer." My wife and I laughed.

Thank to everyone from the bottom of my heart!
Nick

I view my surgery scheduled for Veteran's Day as a major offensive battle against the cancer war. First will be a surgical strike and if that doesn't kill the enemy, then a decisive nuclear strike would be next.

Nick

Best of luck, Nick. Everyone's experience is different, but I had my RP on Oct 2, was at a college football game 150 miles away on October 5, cheering my brains out, was back to work October 7 (still had the cath "Anyone need a Bio break?" "I don't know, let me look"), I mowed my grass on October 9, got the catheter out October 11, and have been dry since. Immediately after getting the catheter out I drove 200 miles to meet my new grandson who was born the day before and had no trouble with my Pee during the long drive. Except for not being allowed to ride my bicycle for a couple months, I feel totally back to normal.
Once again, everyone is different, and I don't want to mis set expectations, but it's possible to get through this relatively easily. I had a lot of people praying for me and I'll be praying for you! See you on the other side!
Mike