Just got back from the clinic to have the "cats new toy" removed.My biggest fear was there would be something wrong with the xray and they would have said "lets leave the little sucker in a little longer". I would have croaked at that point. Anyway glad thats over and done with. Hard to tell how the continence is doing. I know that sounds stupid. Got my sample packs for ED, had been using levitra before surgery and will be interested to try the cialis and viagra.No pathology report yet, should have tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

  Daveed!!!!!

Daveed!!! Good for you now onward and upward!! Anyone!!!!!! This might be premature but I relized I had not had a colonoscopy in about 5 or 6 years. Do I need one? Can I get one this close to surgery? 10/12/06. Am I being paranoid I just don,t want to think about cancer in me for a while. I mean my insides are alittle tender now. Shepla

Daveed,

I am envious as Foley and me are a twosome until Monday. It has not been too much of an issue until today when I had to remove the Statlock clamp because my skin is really irritated from the adhesive. I decided it was time to improvise. I got a head sweat ban and pulled it up on my thigh and then looped the short end of the Y in Foley over it to hold the tube up. Seems to work just fine. I will try this and let my skin recover. Glad to hear you are doing well. Let me knnow how the leaking comes along so i can compare to what I will be experiencing.

Tamu

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Diagnosed 7/6/06

Shepla

That was one of my questions today at the clinic regarding the colonoscopy. They said to wait for 8 weeks after surgery to havew it done. My wife already scheduled mine. Know that I think about it she scheduled my PSA and I ended up with PC. HHHHHHMMMMM???? Just kidding good thimgs the wives look out for us

Daveed

Tamu

Why Monday for the Foley? We had the procedure the same day.

Is something wrong?

 

Daveed

Daveed,

No problems. My surgeon believes is leaving the catheter in a little longer then what I have read on this forum. I was going to get it out tomorrow and they had provided a permission slip for the local urologist that had referred me but he has since moved out of town and I wanted to go back to Vanderbilt to have it done which is two hours away. Well, that ran in to a scheduling conflict on their end so it had to be Monday. Everytime I have been to the Vanderbilt Urology Clinic there have been bewteen 25 and 30 people in the waiting room for three doctors so they are very busy.

Tamu

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Diagnosed 7/6/06

I know this is Daveed's thread, but I read where Tamu had a reaction to the adhesive tape on the thigh.  So did I.  Didn't know I was alergic to surgical tape adhesive.  I had a nasy rash when I removed the tape when the foley came out.  Took a couple of weeks with a prescription ointment for it to resolve completely. 

Daveed - YEAH! another stepping stone accomplished. now to work on the continence. maybe you won't have major issues with that. the most pads Jeff ever wear was one a day, but I know some guys need several a day for a little while. isn't it wonderful to feel almost normal again?

I didn't realize they used tape. Jeff had a velcro strap that worked really well.

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Husband Jeff 56 years old
diagnosed July 27, 2006
PSA 6.5
2 positive areas in biopsy, Gleason 3+3=6
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy August 30, 2006
pathology report - all clear - cancer gone
1st post-surgery PSA test 0.1
no more pads Oct 12, 2006

Daveed! Great to get this far, isn't it? We were panicky over the X-rays, just like you - it was time to get that thing out! Then, we showed up at the hospital (where it was scheduled) and we weren't on the list. Someone in booking had gone on vacation and noone was checking their e-mails. Our surgeon no longer uses that particular place, but it's a lesson we've learned over and over - always followup with a phone call to confirm appointments like this kind. We did finally get it in but it was a very long and frustrating day - after driving for 5 hours, too!

Tamu - keep an eye on the "Y" part of the Foley tube - it seems to be weaker than other sections. We had done an attachment and just from a little wiggling, nearly wore that part in half. It showed stress right at the crook part.

Shepla - same here as for Daveed. Surgeon said hernia procedure and colonoscopy would be fine after 8 weeks. Have to get serious about the hernia, first. It was there before the surgery and starting to cause some pain.

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Husband age 65

daveed,

What a relief for you!  My husband was so relieved to get that thing out, he was like a new man!  I can't blame him, or you or any of you guys.  Just revel in your new found freedom for a while.  The continence will soon follow!

Tamu - My husband's foley was held in place with a velcro strap the hospital supplied but when he showered, he too used a sweat band to hold Mr. Foley in place because he didn't want to get the regular strap wet.  Funny what we can come up with to improvise sometimes.  The sweat band worked well so maybe others who are reading this thread and are using tape can benefit with this info!

As for the colonoscopy, our release papers said not to put anything in the rectum, such as an enama for constipation or a tube for a colonoscopy, because the prostate is so close to the bowel and when removing the prostate it may thin the bowel wall a bit and also it looses the support against it from the prostate making it more vulnerable and may be easily punctured right after surgery.  

Best wishes to all,

Great news. (no don't have the pathology yet). When I went to have the catheter taken out they said to plan on being there a couple of hours because they want you to pee before they will let you go. Boy is that optomistic!!! I asked if I was a gusher did that constitue peeing and I would not have to wait? Well, I gushed. At first I was somewhat depressed. Went home and proceeded to go through about six pads. Then I started a schedule to go to the bathroom every half hour. I was going to dictate this game not my bladder. When leaking on the toilet I practiced starting and stopping. I then had my wife go out and get me some diapers and a waterproof mattress pad because I had no idea how the night would go. My wife said not to call them diapers they are "undergarment protectors". She is very anal.I told her pride is not an issue and I have no qualms calling them diapers. During the night I was suprised that I got up 4 times with my bladder telling me I had to go. Today on only one pad and have minimal leakage, still on my half hour routine. This seems to work really well.

Daveed

Hey letty,

Why'd he need a sweat band? Foleys are short and seperate from the bag, capped then he'd be free to shower. No 45 minute showers but a regualr one is fine. Sweatband is an comfortable idea I will admit...soft!

Everyone,

Apparently there are different versions of the Foley. I will describe the one that I have. I believe that all of them have the Y where the connection to the balloon is at. I would guess that the part coming out of my penis is about 10 to 12 inches long. When I woke up from surgery they had applied what is called a Statlock clamp to the thigh of my left leg. This is attached via the adhesive back and it is circular probably about 3 inches in diameter. The clamp itself is located in the center of the Statlock and swivels. The Y is mounted into the clamp and this holds the Foley and keeps it from hanging or pulling on the penis. The leg bag or the night bag is then connected to the Foley. In my case the first day back from the hospital I had to take off the one they put on and place a new one on a different place because when I sat down the Foley was pulling. I wore that one for a couple of days then my skin became irritated and I had to take it off and put another one on in a slightly different spot. That lasted for about three days and the same thing happened so that is when I came up with the head sweat band idea. Sounds like to me the velcro would be the better way to go. In fact I already had some velcro ready if the sweat band did not work. When I take a shower I just let the Foley hang lose.

Tamu

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Diagnosed 7/6/06

Daveed,

Your wife is not anal!  And if she is, I must be too!  For some reason I hated my husband referring to the "undergarmets" as diapers!  I guess your wife and I just think that diapers are for babies and undergarmets are for adults!  It's really not a big deal, just the difference in our way of thinking I guess. 

I did lay down the law though when my husband at first referred to his penis as "limpdick" after the surgery!  Now that was to much.  Besides breaking my heart to hear him refer to himself as that, even in jest, I felt it would be detrimental to him psycologically in the long run.  Fortunately, it did not stay that way for long! 

Swimom, my husband used to take the velcro strap off because he didn't want to get it wet.  But...he was to afraid that he might somehow accidentally pull the tube out of his penis while showering.  He just felt more secure having the tube strapped to his leg in the shower as well.  He also didn't like the unsupported weight of the tube pulling on his penis either.  The sweatbands worked great because they stretch to make for a good fit on the thigh and they were comfortable for him.

Letty, now "limpdick" is a new one. I'm sorry to laugh, but when I think of all the names I've heard and said, it's just too funny. I have to laugh or else I'll cry. :) kat

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Husband Jeff 56 years old
diagnosed July 27, 2006
PSA 6.5
2 positive areas in biopsy, Gleason 3+3=6
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy August 30, 2006
pathology report - all clear - cancer gone
1st post-surgery PSA test 0.1
no more pads Oct 12, 2006

Hey Daveed sounds just like my situation. Leaked and gushed all over right after the catheter removed 5 pads the first day. It is now 3 weeks since my catheter was taken out and I am pad free no runs drips or errors even when I sneeze I can control it. Don't forget that our little guy is really "pissed off" at us for doing what we did to him. I'll never forget the expression on his face the first time I looked down there after surgery and he looked like a big swollen up sea cucumber stuck between two majorly swollen sea anenomes with a  hose stuck in him. Trust me he will calm down and he will get over it in time. Mine actually half way stood up a saluted the flag tonight with help from a very loving willing wife. I think he is almost ready to forgive me. I am very optomistic about a total complete recovery in every area. Sounds like you are on the road to recovery and I hope you are very optomistic too.  

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mama bluebird - Lee & Buddy… 53 on surgery day

RRP April 3, 2006   PSA 4.6 Gleason  3+3=6  T2a   Confined to Prostate

June 29th PSA Less than 0.1 Non-detectable