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Posted 5/31/2007 2:48 PM (GMT -6)
Bluebird caught me on the Forum. Thanks for the welcome back.

Well, here is my story so far. I went into the hospital on Tuesday for my 10:45AM appointment and had to wait in the nursing station for 2 hours while they got the operating room rearranged after the previous DaVinci. I really didn't mind so much as it was like being at the circus with all sorts of activity going on around me. At one time there were 6 patients in queue. I had my surgery done at a teaching hospital, so I had visits from lots of folks from different functional areas prior to surgery. When they finally wheeled me in, I got a quick look at the machine and then was off to La La Land.

The surgery lasted for 3 1/2 hours. My surgeon came down to speak to my wife and 3 girls and let them know that it went extremely well and that at least initial indications were that the cancer was contained. He could however definitely feel the tumor. Since it was concentrated in one lobe near the edge though he did a partial nerve sparing on one side and total sparing on the other.

I woke up in recovery and had a hard time of it for a while, not so much I think from the pain as much as the disorientation. I say that to those that follow as informational as I don't know that you can really prepare for it. I just had a hard time of it for a while.

After recovery I was wheeled up to my private room, which was a total luxury. I have shared before when I had my blood clot episode and it is no fun being in pain or trying to sleep while your roomie is watching TV etc. The hospital was amazingly quiet and I slept pretty well between all the usual visits you get while in the hospital. I did experience quite a bit of soreness, which was largely alleviated by a couple of percocets. My wife and kids came up to visit and I called my Mom and they all said that I was hilarious although I remember little of our conversations. I did however get my butt out of bed and take the walk down the hall, which was pretty tough, but I was determined to do it.

The following morning I continued to feel a fair bit of pain, which was again alleviated with a couple of percs. I walked twice more each time a bit further. The night before I got a soft diet, but a normal one for breakfast and lunch. I did pass a tiny bit of gas, which they said was great and then was told after lunch I could go home. The ride home was very scary as the hospital was in the city and my wife is scared to death of driving in that kind of traffic and typically rides the brake way too much. I would like to say that I was a good sport, but did give her a bit of a hard time, which she didn't really deserve....sorry, I was feeling a bit miserable.

This is now my second day at home. I have had a fair bit of pain on and off, but am walking all over the house. I have taken up the bucket routine as my leg needs to be elevated due to residual damage from the blood clot situation, so the small bag is often not low enough. I am sure that this has been said before, but the most important thing I had to do when I got home was to find a comfortable place and position between walks. I was in bed a good bit of time yesterday and then had a tough time sleeping through the night as my back really started bothering me. I tried the lazy boy downstairs and that was no better. What ended up working well was to get on the couch situated with pillows that put me on a slight angle with one leg propped up. I had a nice pain free nap this morning which was great.

The only downside so far has been that I have not had a BM yet .... last one being Monday. I forgot to mention that I was put on a liquid diet all of Monday and then ate and drank nothing from Monday night on until my surgery. A buddy who had open radical a few years back didn't have to fast so much. I have tried to eat normally, but not stuff myself. I felt a bit bloated this AM, but am OK this afternoon. I am taking the stool softeners as prescribed so we will have to let nature take its course. I suspect that the percs didn't help matters much, but sure did make me more comfortable.

It is nice to be back in the land of the living. I will try to update as I go along, particularly after the catheter comes out, which is just about as much fun as I though it would be, but not unbearable.

Thanks for all your support.

J
Posted 5/31/2007 3:08 PM (GMT -6)
Welcome home, J !
Take it easy.

Curt
Posted 5/31/2007 3:15 PM (GMT -6)
Hi J,

Welcome to the "other side". Its great to have it behind us and get started on recovery. Your experience seems about typical for surgery. I too entertained everybody in sight in the hospital although I think my wife and daughter made up most of the stuff they said I did.

Take it easy, treat the catheter well and it will treat you well in return. You are on the way to healing!!

Congrats...

Jim
Posted 5/31/2007 3:24 PM (GMT -6)

Survivor,

I really like Mike's new name for you:  "With your positive attitude, I think you can safely change your name to survivor_gonnabe!
Mike."

You sound great!  Keep walking - and napping!  I of course recommend bananas and plums for your return to normal constitution after fasting..... but then, I am biased.  :-) (My crew and I sell over ten tons of bananas a week....)

I always recommend drinking a lot of WATER now, while you are still catheterized, to flush the anesthesia out of your system.  Along with the trauma of a radical prostatectomy, the anesthesia can cause some depression for months after surgery.  KEEP WALKING!  Cry whenever you feel like it but otherwise: Keep Smiling.   "With your positive attitude, I think you can safely change your name to survivor_gonnabe!

(Like I do for everyone else here on this forum,) I'm adding your recovery to perfect health to some prayer chains at my church.  One is a group of 4th and 5th graders doing silent prayer by candle light every Sunday.  (Check out I Peter 2:1-10  You are "... called into His marvelous light....")

ICTHUS!

CCedar

Posted 5/31/2007 3:47 PM (GMT -6)
Welcome to the other side J!! You sound like you came through just fine. Always good to have that cancer gone and be on the "right side" of this journey. Keep us posted and remember .. . .when you are feeling stronger . . .NO overdoing!!!!
;o) Linda & Bob
Posted 5/31/2007 4:07 PM (GMT -6)
Welcome home J. The cath will be out and you will be feeling better in no time. Take lots of small walks around the house, helps with the pain and BM's.

Cheers,
Joe
Posted 5/31/2007 5:18 PM (GMT -6)
J - So glad to see your home on on the mend. Sounds like you're doing well and that will continue as long as you don't over do.
Geeze we sound like a bunch of mother hens don't we?!

Take care of yourself,

Susan
Posted 5/31/2007 6:16 PM (GMT -6)
Good to "hear" from you, J ... you will be surprised how much better you will feel in a couple days :)

Keep taking it easy!

Tanya
Posted 5/31/2007 7:12 PM (GMT -6)
J- welcome home. So glad your surgery went well. I experienced same disorientation. But that's over and your home and well.
Congratulations!

Vet
Posted 5/31/2007 8:50 PM (GMT -6)
Hey J!
Welcome to the world of recovery! A little patience, and a lot of rest should be "Priority One!" I think you might have even gone past Survivor_Gonnabe to Survivor_Gottabe!
Best,
Mike
Posted 5/31/2007 9:26 PM (GMT -6)
Sounds like things are going in a "normal" way. Whatever normal is?

As far as the bm's, some pain pills can cause constipation. I suggest you take a stool softener for a while. A laxative probably is not necessary unless your problem is long term. The stool softener is often recommended by docs for post PCa surgery patients. I still take occasional stool softeners as I need percocet for back pain problems.

Good luck with your continued healing.
Posted 6/1/2007 6:34 AM (GMT -6)

survivor_wannabee said...
Bluebird caught me on the Forum. Thanks for the welcome back.

Well, here is my story so far. I went into the hospital on Tuesday for my 10:45AM appointment and had to wait in the nursing station for 2 hours while they got the operating room rearranged after the previous DaVinci. I really didn't mind so much as it was like being at the circus with all sorts of activity going on around me. At one time there were 6 patients in queue. I had my surgery done at a teaching hospital, so I had visits from lots of folks from different functional areas prior to surgery. When they finally wheeled me in, I got a quick look at the machine and then was off to La La Land.

The surgery lasted for 3 1/2 hours. My surgeon came down to speak to my wife and 3 girls and let them know that it went extremely well and that at least initial indications were that the cancer was contained. He could however definitely feel the tumor. Since it was concentrated in one lobe near the edge though he did a partial nerve sparing on one side and total sparing on the other.

I woke up in recovery and had a hard time of it for a while, not so much I think from the pain as much as the disorientation. I say that to those that follow as informational as I don't know that you can really prepare for it. I just had a hard time of it for a while.

After recovery I was wheeled up to my private room, which was a total luxury. I have shared before when I had my blood clot episode and it is no fun being in pain or trying to sleep while your roomie is watching TV etc. The hospital was amazingly quiet and I slept pretty well between all the usual visits you get while in the hospital. I did experience quite a bit of soreness, which was largely alleviated by a couple of percocets. My wife and kids came up to visit and I called my Mom and they all said that I was hilarious although I remember little of our conversations. I did however get my butt out of bed and take the walk down the hall, which was pretty tough, but I was determined to do it.

The following morning I continued to feel a fair bit of pain, which was again alleviated with a couple of percs. I walked twice more each time a bit further. The night before I got a soft diet, but a normal one for breakfast and lunch. I did pass a tiny bit of gas, which they said was great and then was told after lunch I could go home. The ride home was very scary as the hospital was in the city and my wife is scared to death of driving in that kind of traffic and typically rides the brake way too much. I would like to say that I was a good sport, but did give her a bit of a hard time, which she didn't really deserve....sorry, I was feeling a bit miserable.

This is now my second day at home. I have had a fair bit of pain on and off, but am walking all over the house. I have taken up the bucket routine as my leg needs to be elevated due to residual damage from the blood clot situation, so the small bag is often not low enough. I am sure that this has been said before, but the most important thing I had to do when I got home was to find a comfortable place and position between walks. I was in bed a good bit of time yesterday and then had a tough time sleeping through the night as my back really started bothering me. I tried the lazy boy downstairs and that was no better. What ended up working well was to get on the couch situated with pillows that put me on a slight angle with one leg propped up. I had a nice pain free nap this morning which was great.

The only downside so far has been that I have not had a BM yet .... last one being Monday. I forgot to mention that I was put on a liquid diet all of Monday and then ate and drank nothing from Monday night on until my surgery. A buddy who had open radical a few years back didn't have to fast so much. I have tried to eat normally, but not stuff myself. I felt a bit bloated this AM, but am OK this afternoon. I am taking the stool softeners as prescribed so we will have to let nature take its course. I suspect that the percs didn't help matters much, but sure did make me more comfortable.

It is nice to be back in the land of the living. I will try to update as I go along, particularly after the catheter comes out, which is just about as much fun as I though it would be, but not unbearable.

Thanks for all your support.

J


Welcome home and glad all went well. I was uncomfortable for the first couple of days and I was in hospital for 3 days.

Take it easy. Each day is easier.
Army45 yeah
Posted 6/3/2007 10:15 AM (GMT -6)
Thanks for the kind words from all of you and I guess I am starting to feel like a gonnabe vs. a wannabe. I am now five days out from surgery. My BM woes are behind me, while the catheter removal lies in front of me (sorry, couldn't resist a little recovery humor as nothing seems to be so private anymore). In those 5 days I did once experience a tiny bit of weeping of the largest wound, right above the belly button after the 2nd shower. I think the first one I was a bit too afraid to use a lot of water and on the second, I started to worry that I wasn't keeping everything clean enough. That completely subsided, but I have had a couple of other things happen to me that weren't deal breakers, but worrisome none the less.

The first of which involves my lazy boy chair, which I used often early on before we got an HD TV with DVR at which time that chair has largely become the province of my wife and a daughter who still live at home. At any rate, I felt a bit too sore to sit up at the table for dinner, but needed to be a litlle upright to eat so got in the lazy boy instead. It was tremendously comfortable, but almost impossible to exit once pushed back. I pulled a muscle in my back trying to do so, but it doesn't come into play much getting in and out of my couch or the soft computer chair I am now using. Lesson learned in terms of places to sit/lie is that if it isn't easy to exit, don't use it. I am 6'5'' and although I lost 5 or so pounds (and continuing to lose), I am no match for my wife who is 5'4'', so I really have to do everything myself.

The second issue had to do with sleeping. I have always slept to my side and found it at first awkward to lie on my back and then over a long period of time found it hurt my back. I was able the last couple of nights to get to my side, but that position cramped my catheter and we know how great that feels. Nevertheless, I was able to get to sleep for the last couple of nights very well with some Tylenol PM assist, but woke up this morning with the lower part of my penis in a major state of bruise. Now I have lots of bruising from the surgery and also from shooting myself in the stomach with Lovenox prior to surgery (blood clot issues, which worry the hell out of me as I heal). All of these bruises however came right after surgery while this one came 5 days out. I will try to adjust my sleep habits (toyed with the idea of adjusting the statlock for the catheter and quickly dismissed that idea). I was wondering if anyone else experienced this bruising downstream of surgery and whether it was cause for worry.

Otherwise I am a relatively happy camper. Can't wait for the catheter to come out, which is scheduled on Friday. Am not looking forward to starting the regimen of Lovenox shots in a somewhat tender stomach on Tuesday, but only have to do that for a week until my Coumadin comes up to speed. I hope that the surgeon and my hematologist came to the right compromise on my blood thinners. As you might imagine the former wanted me off blood thinners for another week in order to heal, while the latter wanted less time off to lessen the risk for clots. Its a ***** getting old, but like Reagan used to say, it beats the hell out of the alternative.
Posted 6/3/2007 12:08 PM (GMT -6)
J,

I'm a side sleeper too. I found that if I put a spare pillow under my knees while I was on my back that I stayed pretty comfortable and my back stopped hurting.

Another thing I did was to alternate the leg I used for the cath strap and the side of the bed I slept on. That way I could alternate the side of my body that I slept on. I would sleep on my back and left side one night and then my back and right side the next night.

Cheers,
Joe
Posted 6/3/2007 12:49 PM (GMT -6)
Joe, that's some great advice. I'll give both of those suggestions to work. The hospital gave me an extra statlock that is basically a wide piece of tape with a swivel lock that holds the catheter in place to minimize tugging (have no idea if that is used univerally). I could see putting the extra one on the other leg and switching when necessary. There is nothing like near real time advice. I wish you the best in your recovery as well.
Posted 6/3/2007 7:43 PM (GMT -6)
Hi J and welcome home.  Man, after

several months of reading about other guys and their surgery, I get to tell someone welcome to the other side. I finally had mine on May 30th.  I had the open type and so far I could not have been more pleased with the outcome.  Was off pain meds thursday evening and walked a quarter of a mile around the ward thursday and a half mile on friday.  Also got out of the hospital friday stayed in the hotel across the street and came home on saturday.  Pain even in the recovery room was only a 2-3 out of a 10 and went down from there.  Everything is just sore like you were punched hard down there.  Gas has been pretty tough but am having BM's.

Good luck to you and may God bless and keep you.

mvesr

Posted 6/4/2007 6:31 AM (GMT -6)
Thanks mvesr, I was told multiple times that open or robotic were more or less equally effective long term (as much as they don't have clinical tests to prove otherwise) and that the more important variable was the experience of the surgeon in that particular procedure. I only had surgery a day before you and although I came home the next day, recovery seems to be similar. I went off percs about the same time and six days out am still sore, but feeling much better. I did not however have the gas issues you mentioned, which might be more related to open. My wife had terrible issues with a ceasarean with her first child, but not so bad the second.

I can see a bunch of us rolling through late May. Maybe we are all trying to get things done and have a bit of summer left. I wish there were some common factors that could forecast continence, but they seem to be all over the map. I did kegels for the month preceding the surgery, but have no idea what to expect. The fact that I won't have a catheter though makes having to use multiple pads seem not exactly trivial, but let's just say pretty appealing at this point.

Good luck with the rest of your recovery.

J
Posted 6/4/2007 7:08 AM (GMT -6)
Hello j,

I have read your posts, and have also had your concerns. Most of my worry was of coarse fear of the unknown. My surgeon for the DaVinci procedure had done about a thousand before it came to be my turn. 7 days after my surgery he removed the catheter, and I was not going to be one of the lucky few. The doctor did instruct me to do my Kegels religiously, and walk as much as posible; then he added: "I expect to see you dry in ten weeks". I did as he instructed, but it was uncanty how exactly on the mark his prediction was. Within 9 weeks time (plus a day or 2) I was 98%+ dry! It was as if someone had fliped the "off switch". I did continue to wear a Serenity pad for men each day, but it wasn't really necessary.

I wish you good luck when you have the catheter removed, and hopefully you'll be one of the lucky 5%ers that are dry from the get-go; besides doing the Kegels wasn't that much fun.

Glen
Posted 6/4/2007 7:12 AM (GMT -6)
Welcome Home !!! Nice updates ….. we are glad to see things are going well for you. Keep healing and recovering...  In Friendship ~ Lee & Buddy   Threads by: J *SW aka SG (Direct Link ~ just click on the title below and a new window will open!   Reminder … click on the REFRESH icon once you get there)   J's Journey J's Home from Surgery
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