Hi Henry,
One thing I would say is that you'll feel a lot better after the catheter is out. Having your dodger tied to your leg isn't the greatest of experiences. Well I didn't find it so, at any rate.
Once it is out, that will almost certainly put you into the ballgame of wearing incontinence pads for a period while you regain urinary control. How long that takes is variable and some people don't actually achieve it and there are a number of solutions to that problem if that occurs. Generally though, most people regain their urinary control, but I would mention that doing the pelvic floor exercises really helps that process.
As for erectile dysfunction, well again it varies and again sometimes erections aren't regained and again, there are a number of solutions / approaches to all the issues around that.
But what I would say is that as you cross each bridge on this journey, you're likely to come to realise that things that you were anxious about and expected to be nightmares have suddenly managed to move from the "worry about" to the "sorted" pile and usually didn't turn out to be nearly as bad as you thought they might be.
But - sadly - there are no absolute guarantees about any part of it. For example, most people are a bit edgy (or perhaps even terrified) about the catheter removal, but most people actually have very little, if any, problem with it. For sure, a few people don't have a pleasant time with it.
In my view, one of the dangers of travelling this journey, is fearful of things that don't actually truly warrant the fear. It's really easy to do, and I've done it myself, but in the longer term, the fear and anxiety could become a bigger problem than the problems themselves.
I mean now coming up to the 6 month post op PSA myself, the op and that catheter (and all my worries about both) now seem a very long time ago.
Best wishes for your post-op recovery.
Life is a journey. You can't move forward on a journey AND stay in the same place. |
User
Henry
you figured the first bit out by signing up and making your first posts. The best way of using the site is to just use it whenever you can. Effectivey there are subject matters you can post under but if you get it wrong nobody will take offense they will just explain where best to post to get the responses you might need. Most of us just fumble our way around and over time we find a way of using it that suits us best.
One thing is for certain with a coversation header like "Manhood" you are going to get people looking for sure!
Joking aside, 3 weeks is a long time post surgery to have a catheter still, have you asked your surgeon or his secretary/clinical nurse why?
What were you told after your operation and before you were discharged from the hospital?
Post back on here with a bit more information and I am sure someone will be able to give you some pointers on what and where to seek help.
xx
Mo
User
Hi Henry,
When my partner originally had a catheter, he was discharged with out any clear guidance so we were forever chasing up the consultant's secretary or anyone for some guidance. It turns out they should have referred us straight to the local District Nursing service for catheter after care and the District Nurses were pretty unimpressed that they didnt !! May be worth querying on your behalf. Best of luck,
Fiona.
User
The 'normal' time span for catheter removal after RP with my surgeon is approx 2 weeks...
My TWOC was arranged on discharge from hospital....
A friend of mine had a RP at a different hospital to me and because their was a complication in successfully reattaching his urethra to the bladder his catheter was kept in for approx 4 weeks.
Maybe Henry had complications that we are not aware of?
If that is not the case I would certainly be contacting the specialist nurse to make sure he has not been somehow overlooked.
Luther
Edited by member 02 Mar 2015 at 16:32
| Reason: Not specified
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User
Three weeks seems a long time to have the catheter in.Poor you!
User
Why have you had the catheter in so long?
Is that just what your surgeon does?
When is it being removed? Bet you can't wait!!
User
Henry
you figured the first bit out by signing up and making your first posts. The best way of using the site is to just use it whenever you can. Effectivey there are subject matters you can post under but if you get it wrong nobody will take offense they will just explain where best to post to get the responses you might need. Most of us just fumble our way around and over time we find a way of using it that suits us best.
One thing is for certain with a coversation header like "Manhood" you are going to get people looking for sure!
Joking aside, 3 weeks is a long time post surgery to have a catheter still, have you asked your surgeon or his secretary/clinical nurse why?
What were you told after your operation and before you were discharged from the hospital?
Post back on here with a bit more information and I am sure someone will be able to give you some pointers on what and where to seek help.
xx
Mo
User
Good afternoon Henry
Welcome to the site.
As already mentioned, three weeks does seem like a long time for the catheter to be in, mine was only in for 10 days, and I suspect that others will have different experiences, but I think from most of the literature that I have seen, 10 days to two weeks is the general rule.
Hope its sorted for you soon, chin up mate.
Trevor
User
Hi Henry,
When my partner originally had a catheter, he was discharged with out any clear guidance so we were forever chasing up the consultant's secretary or anyone for some guidance. It turns out they should have referred us straight to the local District Nursing service for catheter after care and the District Nurses were pretty unimpressed that they didnt !! May be worth querying on your behalf. Best of luck,
Fiona.
User
My appointment for catheter removal was made at discarge from Christie's after my op - about 11 days if my memory serves me correctly.
Paul
Stay Calm And Carry On. |
User
Sean's catheter remival was 7 days after op, we were given it with discharge papers.
User
The 'normal' time span for catheter removal after RP with my surgeon is approx 2 weeks...
My TWOC was arranged on discharge from hospital....
A friend of mine had a RP at a different hospital to me and because their was a complication in successfully reattaching his urethra to the bladder his catheter was kept in for approx 4 weeks.
Maybe Henry had complications that we are not aware of?
If that is not the case I would certainly be contacting the specialist nurse to make sure he has not been somehow overlooked.
Luther
Edited by member 02 Mar 2015 at 16:32
| Reason: Not specified
User
Why catheter is for 3 weeks in you?
Also how do you feel after operation?
User
Hi Henry,
One thing I would say is that you'll feel a lot better after the catheter is out. Having your dodger tied to your leg isn't the greatest of experiences. Well I didn't find it so, at any rate.
Once it is out, that will almost certainly put you into the ballgame of wearing incontinence pads for a period while you regain urinary control. How long that takes is variable and some people don't actually achieve it and there are a number of solutions to that problem if that occurs. Generally though, most people regain their urinary control, but I would mention that doing the pelvic floor exercises really helps that process.
As for erectile dysfunction, well again it varies and again sometimes erections aren't regained and again, there are a number of solutions / approaches to all the issues around that.
But what I would say is that as you cross each bridge on this journey, you're likely to come to realise that things that you were anxious about and expected to be nightmares have suddenly managed to move from the "worry about" to the "sorted" pile and usually didn't turn out to be nearly as bad as you thought they might be.
But - sadly - there are no absolute guarantees about any part of it. For example, most people are a bit edgy (or perhaps even terrified) about the catheter removal, but most people actually have very little, if any, problem with it. For sure, a few people don't have a pleasant time with it.
In my view, one of the dangers of travelling this journey, is fearful of things that don't actually truly warrant the fear. It's really easy to do, and I've done it myself, but in the longer term, the fear and anxiety could become a bigger problem than the problems themselves.
I mean now coming up to the 6 month post op PSA myself, the op and that catheter (and all my worries about both) now seem a very long time ago.
Best wishes for your post-op recovery.
Life is a journey. You can't move forward on a journey AND stay in the same place. |
User
Hi Henry.
My husband had his catheter in for three weeks too. I very strongly suspect that the surgeon kept it in that long to make him rest and force him to do nothing. It worked
User
Hi Henry after my op surgeon said two weeks and catheter out , but I got a appointment for four weeks after , I rang my urology nurse who chased it and got mine removed at 3 weeks and what a relief found coping with pads easy, so ring and ask all the best Andy
User
Great post DoikISO - so true.
Thanks.
Dl
User
Hi Henry .. Mine was in for around 10 days. It was removed and my consultant performed a flow test / ultrasound. He determined that my bladder was not fully emptying and suggested that the "joint" made when he removed the prostate was still swollen and restricting flow. The catheter was put back in for another 7 days. No problems after second removal and I was free to go. Cheers John