Early days after surgery. Some questions

The day after my op I was completing a lap of the dining room table every couple of hours, after a week I was managing to the end of the garden and back, after two weeks the end of the road and back (about 1/2 mile) and by six weeks I was walking 5 miles every day. Build up slowly a little more each day.   Good Luck

Just take it easy and comply with the instructions from the hospital!

Oh and have lots of sex  it before the op cos it aint gonna be the same after!

As the surgeon has stitched his urethra onto his bladder it's better to take it easy and not do anything to strain it.  Using the stitches on his stomach as a guide to how healing is going.

Having a catheter allows experiences you don't normally get.  You don't go to the loo, you do it when needed.  Even when sitting in a neighbours having a cup of tea.  I haven't told any of the neighbours so it seemed a bit amusing to me.

Going out for a walk just after removal of the catheter I thought I was doing well till there was a very wet feeling down my leg.  You don't realise you leak while walking in the early days.  I hadn't got a spare pad so we put a plastic bag on the car seat and went home.  My wife did the driving for a few weeks.  

There was never any leaking at night.  The leaking started later and later in the day till it went away and it went quite suddenly leaving me with a lot of pads.

Continence was the biggest thing and after 6 months was very good.  Although after two years and eight months ED is improving but not over clever.

Me and my wife don't talk much about it and I live as if it didn't happen, and have told no-one.

Would recommend getting hold of some Laxido and start taking straight after the operation. Better to take it before feeling constipated and be prepared for it to take a few days before his bowels settle down.

The nursing staff stressed the importance of being mobile after the op. Walk a little every day, and every day try to walk a little further. First few days was just walking around the house, but it's worth it.

I found a (sensible) combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen sufficient to control the pain/discomfort. But be prepared for some discomfort in the stomach and shoulders - something to do with pumping the stomach full of gas.

Best of luck!

Cheers, John.

https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t16224-Retzius-Sparing-Laparoscopic-Radical-Prostatectomy

Hi there 

I hope the operation went well for your husband. Also hoping that you are coping as well as can be.

 Please remember to ask the nurses tomorrow for some spare catheter Velcro straps, because when your husband has a shower you can swap them for the dry ones and then put the wet ones out to dry.

if you haven’t already done so, get a memory foam orthopaedic donut seating cushion which will help enormously when husband is sitting down. 

Reading the posts, it looks like you’ve been receiving lots of good advice.

keep your chin up and keep positive. 

Best wishes to you both 

hi

all the very best.   hopefully he's up and about and not in bed during day.  Do keep hydrated , water is ideal. ie not excessive caffeine, co2, alcohol. 

also laxative , I took no pain relief as didn't need it . worse experience was constipation. 

Do keep  wounds, dressings ? dry.   yes although I was actually quite mobile, I moved incredibly slowly for 2 or 3 days.  it's getting up and down was the most awkward. I sat on a cushion  on a high kitchen stool rather than low down in a sofa.

I'm sure you are doing well,  you will soon find things improve dramatically ..  especially when catheter is removed.  

finally.   urine colour should .. be like white wine.. 😀 a good indicator that throughput is ok.   again it depends on how hot and exercise he's doing.

there's should not be much leakage or anything around catheter..  the tubes. ensure at night they are free and urine can flow easily..     I remember one night my night bag was completely full when we woke up and when emptied the ordinary bag soon filled.. so obviously my bladder was filling also.  

I can't think of much else or tips.   I had no swelling other than belly which was distended for 2 weeks and a few bruises appeared on back and side of thigh. I assume from moving me in/on operating table.   

Bending to get socks on took me a while.. 

Gordon

I would suggest that he should already be taking laxatives. I was given some in hospital. Lactulose for more liquid motions and Senokot senna tablets for moving it forward. The hospital prescription was 20ml Lactulose morning and evening, and 2 tablets just before bedtime. I am now 12 weeks after the operation and still suffer from constipation- I didn’t before. Initially it got better, then it was terrible so back on the laxatives. My current balance is 5ml morning and evening and1 tablet at nighttime. This after some experimentation. Initially you won’t want to stray too far from a toilet in the morning until you find how your body reacts. Everybody is different.

I am still fairly incontinent, but am learning to cope with it. Sitting and lying down is fine, but standing or walking is just constant dribbling. I am drinking a pint of water at each meal time. I was leaking fairly heavily down the side of the catheter before it was removed.

Good luck!

On day 4 post surgery I was taken by surprise by the swelling around my penis and my scrotum which caused some discomfort - but I’ve noticed that it reduces by each morning after lying flat each night - I hoping this will dissipate in the next day or so - the whole groin and lower abdomen area is now various remarkable shades of yellow and blue !! I’m having a Cystogram on Monday followed by my catheter removal ( I hope assuming the Cystogram shows no bladder leakage).

Keep your pecker up and never feel shy about seeking help here 🖖

??

We decided to change the catheter bags a day earlier and this seems to have done the trick 

??

what do you mean by this ? 

can you clarify ?

I just connected night bag about 9pm.   only one morning had the whole lot filled up to capacity. 

if  I remember correctly the 500ml ?  leg bag was always  in circuit.  ie I linked the night bag.  probably 2000ml at least to the end of it.

I kept the small bag with a few ml. left in after opening and perfectly clean tap/hands etc to ensure no bacteria could go 'back up into bladder'.  probably a bit overkill..    

Edited by member 09 Aug 2019 at 23:38  | Reason: Not specified

I used to worry about the night bag not filling. To some extent you just have to trust to gravity and let it work. You might be surprised how much fluid is resting in the tubes, so it can look like nothing is happening but it is. Just make sure that the nightstand is on the floor. I kept worrying about it and ended up getting so tired I fell asleep, and presto the bag was full when I woke!

The catheter removal is painless - will definitely need some snug-fitting pants, the pads need to be held in place.

Tell your OH not to be too worried about what happens immediately after the catheter comes out. The first couple of days without it are just weird, no idea how much is going to come out & when.

hi

How much has been leaking then ?  a small pad should more than suffice .    nighttime bag on floor at side of bed there shouldn't be much horizontal tubing.   It's obviously awkward moving off back or onto side.

the tubes shouldn't tightly  loop. 

The inflated balloon should seal catheter at base of bladder. Has OH made sure he's not been pushing or pulling catheter in penis ? pants should support yet allow easy and comfortable  flow , ideally minimal or zero leakage.   Maybe a few drops on bowel movements etc.   Urine of any quantity shouldn't be bypassing. 

I assume you have an appointment for catheter removal soon and no longer an issue.  A decent sleep awakes.  

all the best 

Edited by member 10 Aug 2019 at 23:19  | Reason: Not specified