my prostatectomy

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 271

I am posting this as a GENERAL "what it's like" guide for people who are considering or who are scheduled for prostatectomy. Everyone's experience differs, and I invite others who have had the surgery to post here. This is only about the experience--not my PSA, Gleason, etc.

BEFORE SURGERY, I had some rather rosy ideas about what recovery in the hospital would be like. I went on the web to see what TV channels the hospital had, figured I'd catch up on a little reading... I bought a decent robe for all the hallway walking I'd do. I pre-registered at the hospital and filled out a medical power of attorney and living will. I also donated blood for myself (autolygous donation) in case I needed it.

THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY, I went through the preparation. This was very unpleasant. If you've had to drink the "Go-Lyte" solution before, you know what I mean. Besides cleaning out your entire digestive tract in a rapid fashion, it gave me a lot of nausea. I managed to keep it down. I was exhausted and managed to get some sleep afterwards.

THE MORNING OF SURGERY, there was about what you'd expect as far as checking in. I'd already done 99% of the paperwork a couple of weeks before. I got into the gown, they got an IV going, and then we seemed to wait for a long time. I was still having to go to the bathroom as the Go-Lyte was still exiting. I was pretty dehydrated and felt better with the IV delivering some liquids. My surgeon came by and said hello, and the anesthesiologist talked to me. I was pretty worried about being one of the ones who has some awareness during surgery. He explained that that phenomenon was rare, but that he had a brainwave monitor that he would use if I wanted. It would give him some indication of consciousness if that occurred. My wife was amused by this. ("He's probably putting his wife's garter on your head.")

When they were ready, they gave me something in the IV (Versed, I think) and I don't remember anything from that point until the recovery room. However, the doctor told my wife I was very interested in all the equipment in the OR as they took me in, especially the Da Vinci robot.

AFTERWARDS--7 or 8 hours later--I awoke very foggy, uncomfortable, feeling terrible all over. The lights seemed very bright. I felt the catheter. I had other tubes and wires attached. My legs were kind of confined in these inflatable things that prevent blood clots. I started to panic. "I'm dying!"

"No, you're not dying. You're in Recovery."

Then they wheeled me up to my private room, where I soon found myself facing a gallery of relatives. I was not good company. I wanted lights out and lots of pain meds. The catheter was a very annoying companion and I had a very hard time getting used to it. Drugs helped. I had a button by my head and that night, whenever I felt any discomfort or pain, there was someone there with relief right away.

Over the next couple of days, pain wasn't a big issue except for trying to sit up in bed. I was not comfortable most of the time, though, mainly because of the catheter. I didn't read, watch TV, or call anyone. I was depressed, now that I think about it.

Later during my stay, a nice nurse found a big catheter strap (one that went around my whole leg) that kept the darn thing from pulling on my penis and things went a lot better after that. I stayed in the hospital the whole weekend (one extra day at my request--I didn't feel ready to go home with the catheter yet).

At home my wife helped me with the catheter, especially at night. It became just an annoyance, although a major one. I had some bladder spasms but had medication that controlled them.

10 days or so later (maybe two weeks) I went to the uro's office and a nurse removed the catheter. The removal wasn't painful. It didn't feel good, but it was over quick and boy, was it great to be free of it.

I didn't have any problems from the incisions but my skin reacted badly to wherever they put tape. Kind of weird--I developed blisters from that.

For a couple of weeks after the catheter was removed, I'd pass occasional clots in my urine. Startling, but harmless and painless.

And that's the story of my prostatectomy.
_________________
Replicant

Dx Feb 2006, PSA 9 @age 43
RRP Apr 2006 - Gleason 3+4, T3a, N0M0, pos margins
PSA 5/06 <0.1, 8/06 0.2, 12/06 0.6, 1/07 0.7.
Salvage radiation (IMRT) total dose 70.2 Gy, Jan-Mar 2007@ age 44
PSA 6/07 0.1, 9/07 <0.1, 12/07 <0.1, 4/08 <0.1, 11/08 <0.1
http://pcabefore50.blogspot.com

BR Lav · New User Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

I find this information very interesting. I am scheduled for removal 1 May and have read other experiences in the net. My doctor expects I will be in the hospital 48 hours - sound right ? Also, there has been no magic clean out juice given to me for the night before. They did not give me any thing for my last biopsy either saying it is not a proven requirement. I go for final lab work in the 30 April - blood/urine.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 271

Yes, that sounds right. 48 hours and you should be fine to go home. Fortunately for me, home was only 5 minutes away.

Lucky you--no clean out juice!

If I were you, I'd buy one of these straps (link below shows an example--I know nothing about the brand) at your nearest medical home supply store. Larger drugstores might have them too:

http://www.imed.com/shop/detail.cfm?sku=KB109&rfr=FRG&zmam=1000941&zmas=21&zmac=102&zmap=KB109

Maybe that's what the hospital will give you anyway. But in my case they tried securing it with little stick on pads and tape. Didn't really work. Wouldn't hurt to have one of these on hand.

Getting used to the catheter was the worst thing--for me--about the surgery. Securing the catheter properly was the key to mobility, relaxation, and recovery.
_________________
Replicant

Dx Feb 2006, PSA 9 @age 43
RRP Apr 2006 - Gleason 3+4, T3a, N0M0, pos margins
PSA 5/06 <0.1, 8/06 0.2, 12/06 0.6, 1/07 0.7.
Salvage radiation (IMRT) total dose 70.2 Gy, Jan-Mar 2007@ age 44
PSA 6/07 0.1, 9/07 <0.1, 12/07 <0.1, 4/08 <0.1, 11/08 <0.1
http://pcabefore50.blogspot.com

sanjis · Regular Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 35

Surgery from the wifes point of view.

Surgery was scheduled for 3:00 pm. Husband did fine on all the clean out stuff and not eating since midnight before hand. That was a hard one for him to go without food from midnight before until 3pm. Preregistration and bloodwork and EKG were all done ahead of time. Surgery ran a little late taking him back, not until 3:30. Surgery was taking longer than expected, so wife worrying to death. Finally doctor came out and said surgery went fine but a little problem on sewing the bladder neck back together, apparently sometime he had prostitis and one side of tube was bigger than the other. Taken to recovey and said should only be about an hour. Well it was more like 2 hours, asked and they said they were having problems controling his pain, so I should be able to go back in another 30 minutes. That rolled around, the receptionist lady was going home for the night and I was the only one left in the waiting room. I asked her to check again and she came back and said hopefully would only be another 20 minutes or so. Finally nurse came out and took me back, husband was still in a lot of pain, but they had just given him more meds for it and it took effect about 10 minutes after I went back. His face was swollen quite a bit from the anesthia. Told sometimes that happen. Finally at 9 pm he was taken to a room, bumps even hurt him while on the gurney being taken. Had pain button right beside him also in his room. He was in and out most of the night and you could tell it still hurt quite a bit. He had been approved already for a second night stay, he was due another antibiotic drip at 1pm but at 12:30 they were pushing him out the door it seemed like. He just had to pass gas or have a bowel movement, and as soon as he did it was like lets get him out of here. I felt he should stay another night, an actually when the doctor came in that morning he was going to have him stay another night. Don't know when it changed. So he went in for surgery at 3pm and was sent home the next day at 12:45. Not even 24 hours later. It was the DaVinci Surgery. I liked the surgeon but not the staff at the hospital. Ride home was 50 minutes, advise try to take a pillow to sit on, every bump they feel and it hurts. Catheter was left in for 14 days because of it requiring a little more stitching to reconnect the tubes and it was the worse thing for him to get use to. My husbands face was something else when they removed it. Yes it did hurt and was not just uncomfortable. I guess all have different responses. It stuck somewhat to the skin. Husband was sore for quite a while. It is just now not hurting so much and it has been 4 1/2 months.

So that is our story.

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