https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gdN_8quar-s/XaWbUQMhgQI/AAAAAAAAE_4/ofmiL5NxF-4ot78WMjIQbHbF1CmpqbgQQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/pilates%2Bpelvic.jpgI have not felt like updating the blog until now so will attempt to do 3 updates today
The day after being diagnosed with the cancer I spoke to a Prostate Cancer UK nurse who was explaining the need for building up your Pelvic floor muscles. That after I ended up by chance at a Pilates lesson which included lots of Pelvic floor work. I continued for the weeks following right up to the Monday before the op on the Wednesday morning and so glad I did.
During this time I did experience a lot of different emotions and the last two days before the op I was very tetchy experiencing worry and fear.
The realisation of what was happening and seriousness of it almost made me not want to function but I did and got through.
Obviously you have the fears of the unknown some, the majority of which have been unfounded as you will see in the later posts.
Finally the day of the operation came about and we had an early night as our appointment was at 7am
The day of the operation
Having woken at 5.30am I did 10 mins on the cross trainer for my “brisk walk” you are advised to take.
My wife took me to the hospital and we arrived at the ward around 6.45 and were almost immediately taken to a small room to wait. As we found out later my neighbour on the ward was also there but he was left in the waiting room! He was not operated on until the afternoon after my appointment.
Once in the room we had a series of nurses come in and do various checks and take bloods. This all took a good hour plus and then we saw one of the doctors yo sign the consent form and to ask an final questions.
After this the anaesthetist came in and explained what was going to happen and at this point my wife went off to work and I was taken to the anaesthetist theatre.
I passed my consultant on the way who did come and have a very brief chat while I was on the bed going through the anaesthetic process.
This was actually all very straight forward with a couple of jabs and then breathing oxygen at which point you remember nothing else until awakening to a nurse in recovery.
Recovery from the operation
Having woken in the recovery theatre I was very surprised how little pain I was feeling and was able to make jokes with the nurse looking after me.
This was a case of waiting for the bed space to come free as I found out later.
I had a drink and bourbon biscuits as I had not eaten since 7pm the night before and it was now around 4pm.
Around 4.30pm the bed had come free and three nurses wheeled the bed from the recovery area up one floor in the lift to the ward.
The first night
I should make clear the patient is not me, but this is the angle I was asked to sleep. I had a drain coming out of my right side and a catheter both linked to collection bags, so I was going nowhere!
Unfortunately although I was resting the level of activity and nurses coming to check various patient’s including myself meant it took ages to get to sleep.
My blood pressure was all over the place on the low side for me and that slightly concerned me and lying down my pulse was to low at 92 and needed to be 95 so I was asked to rest in a raised position.
The bed was very comfortable and could be moved to all angles.
I also had a pain relief button that put a small amount of morphine into you. I did use this on a number of occasions through the night as the anaesthetic wore off.
I probably got 3-4 hours sleep that night and woke up for breakfast.
Day 1 after surgery and going home !
The picture is pretty much how the ward round felt from my perspective and was so short!
I was very keen to get out of bed but it was not happening. Around 9.30am the ward round took place and my bed became surrounded by a surgeon, doctors and nurse.
I was expecting to be examined but no they was a 2 minute conversation mainly wanting to know how much my drain has let out - 295ml and on that basis I was told I was free to go home that afternoon! I had not even been out of bed yet!
I asked if the 295ml was normal and told it was slightly higher than they would like but happy that I could go home.
I checked if getting out of bed had any issues I could stay and that was confirmed and at the end of the Ward round the consultant did come back to check I was happy with his decision.
Around 10am the nurse was able to get me out of the bed much to my relief.
We ordered lunch and then went walking around the wards we were in. We were meant to do 160m and walking with my neighbour we easily achieved that before lunch.
We had lunch then went for a longer walk. When we got back I was tired and went to sleep for an hour in the chair.
Even as I write this I find it astounding that once I woke it was not to long before my wife turned up from work.
At this time I still had the drain inside me and yet I was being released within 90 minutes as it transpired.
Once the nurse has the paperwork from the doctor he took me to the bed and redressed all of the wound bandages and removed the drain.
At the end of this I was able to get dressed just over a day after waking up from the surgery.
We waited to be discharged and were provided with extra dressings, clip removers, a discharge letter, 28 Cialis which becomes a repeat prescription, 28 days of Fragmin injections and a disposal case for the injections, Extra catheter day and night bags and extra relevant attachments, extra TED stockings which again you need to keep on for 28 days. Also some notes on how the catheter works.
We were told we would be contacted regarding catheter removal and for me it will be 2 weeks and 1 day after surgery first thing in the morning.
We had to book up the wound dressing check with our local district nurse who conveniently is at our surgery. That took place 5 days after surgery.