Well, I have just ventured out for a 2 mile ride. My cycle now equipped with a much better quality saddle than the cheapo original, with central cut-out and gel padding, £20 from Amazon. Certainly puffed a bit but no discomfort (or leakage) from this short trial. I now intend to wait a few hours or until tomorrow to take another short ride, all being well, and weather permitting.
It turns out (after many calls and finally speaking to someone in the hospital) that my Consultant has been off sick for his own operation, and no estimate available as to when he will be back to his clinics. The others' clinics are all booked up to the hilt of course. But he did tell me before my op that nerve sparing was not an option, so less to lose by earlier exercise perhaps. The morning after surgery he firmly coached the ward staff that 'robotic patients' should be up and about within hours, and no oxygen (I was discharged later that day). That did feel a bit harsh at the time.
If we patients were to take the most cautious approach with exercise during recovery how much more would general fitness deteriorate? I am no expert but the feelgood endorphin hit and stimulated circulation to the lower body from gentle cycling might well outweigh any hypothetical damage to nerve structures which are probably already lost beyond practical recovery in any case. Besides I feel that if cycling were such a no-no in general (of course there may be specific reasons for individuals to avoid it) more would be made of it in the hand-outs.
Yes, easy to dwell on what might have beens, our possible pasts. Whatever, it would be nice to be sure of being able to proclaim at the end 'je ne regrette rien'.