Surgery booked

Hi Carlos,

I'm 57 and had my RP March 23rd this year. Like you I was really anxious and tbh tried not to think about it too much  until the day of the operation. There is only a certain amount of preparation you can do-staying fit and healthy the most important. There is lots of really good advice on here. Good luck and hope all goes well

Hi Carlos53, it’s understandable to be apprehensive and nervous.

Do your pelvic floor exercises, keep fit, stay positive that this operation will rid you of your cancer. 
Hospital staff from cleaners, nurses, doctors are so professional. Trust your team.

Take loose fitting trousers, joggers are probably best for when you are coming home.

You will probably come round In high dependency depending on your hospital before transfer to a ward. 

It takes a bit time to get used to having a catheter but it is very manageable.

The days after the operation don’t sit for too long, reclining is probably best it takes pressure of your nether regions! I found out to my cost and pain I had sat upright in a chair too long the day after the operation. Start gentle moving as soon as you can, I walked up and down the ward periodically and then round the garden or house when I got home. I started gingerly walking down the street and back on day 4 gradually increasing distance.

I had a plastic stand for my night catheter bag but a plastic bucket will also accommodate it. 
Let people help you, don’t overdo things.
Best of luck, hope all goes well.

General exercise is also good, the fitter you are the better.

Down load the tool kit from this site. There's loads of other info downloads too.

Day after the op I was told to walk the corridor (about 40 metres) 25 times before being discharged at lunch time. Not easy but the surgeon kept emphasising to keep moving but gently. It helps bowel activation and stops everything seizing up.

Buy some jogging bottoms for getting home.

Get some pads but not to many, you may not need them for long.

Depending on the type of bag you have it will have just a hook or a frame to hang it on, get a bucket or similar to hang it over. I used a cat litter tray underneath it.

My night bag was reusable but had to be washed and flushed daily. It will connect to the leg beg. Shower and do the whole lot at once. Have some way to hang the night bag in the shower to dry ready for next night. And wash the leg bag outer at the same time.

I had anti blood clot stockings for 28 days and same for injections which are with a very fine needle and painless.

I had two types of laxetives but fybergel drink also helps.

Eat healthy and exercise gently at first.

I had an hour taxi drive to the airport then flight home three days after the op. The drive was the worst, you need a slow smooth careful driver, mine wasn't.

All in all its not actually as bad as you might be thinking.

Good luck with the op and recovery

Cheers

Bill

Do take stool softeners such as Fybogel for a couple of days before you go into hospital. A side effect of the opiate painkillers such as morphine that you'll be given is severe constipation and that's NOT a nice thing to deal with when you've had your abdominal muscles cut by surgery. I found that out the hard way! I couldn't move my bowels for over a week after my surgery and ended up being taken to hospital by ambulance to have an enema. It solved the problem, but far better to avoid it in the first place.

This is major abdominal surgery and it'll take you a long time (several months) to fully get over it. Be as active as you can, but listen to what your body tells you with its pain signals. You won't be able to lift anything heavier than a bag of sugar for a month after surgery. Don't try or you'll regret it! I nearly passed out when I stupidly tried to push a supermarket trolley around Sainsbury's a week after I came out of hospital. Don't do it 😄. I could walk, but pushing uses those abdominal muscles you won't have for a while.

Very best of luck with your surgery,

Chris

Edited by member 21 Jun 2020 at 18:46  | Reason: Not specified

Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery. My husband has his first telephone consultation with surgeon this Friday.

I'm 68 and had my RALP on March 9th. I didn't stress out much, but I did do my best to prepare.

I used existing (old) tracksuit bottoms (my newer ones are slim-fit, so unsuitable) while I had the catheter, but didn't buy anything special. They were fine, really don't need to be that loose, just so nothing catches. Personally I also found trunk-style pants a help as they give support.

I found that I was most comfortable on the sofa (it is a very comfy sofa) for the first few weeks after the op. Didn't like lying down, but my office chair was definitely a no-no. Cushions are helpful. Do get some exercise - you should walk regularly for 5 minutes while you're awake.

My wife stopped me doing any lifting until the surgeon said it was OK - been pushing supermarket trollies since (and other stuff). Just don't do stuff too early - follow instructions. It took a while for all my stitches to come out, but I never had any real problems. Just a few small scars now; nothing compared to the one I have from melanoma.

While the anti-clot injections lasted 28 days for me, I was told I could take the stockings off after 14. Personally I found the stockings more of a pain than the injections, so was glad about that.

Apart from a bit of urge incontinence (which is apparently down to me having had a very large prostate for a dozen years) not really needed any pads (dry at night from day catheter came out). Definitely do the pelvic floor exercises - I find the NHS Squeezy App helpful. You can also get a pack from this site, which I would recommend, that includes some pads/pants.

I did get a urinary tract infection for which I had to take a course of antibiotics. Since been told that Cranberry Juice helps ward against this, so if you are OK with the taste, I would recommend drinking it (I dilute it 50/50 with water, not having a sweet tooth). Drinking plenty of liquid is also good for your bowel movement.

Hi Carlos. I had my surgery last Thursday and walked a mile today.

I think the advice you been given covers it all. I have been pleasantly surprised about the after affects of the surgery. Really not much pain and wounds healing quickly. 

I think advice around fitness and diet are key. Keep to easily digestible meals before and after surgery. I had a really slow bowel response after the surgery and this has been my biggest issue. Not fun being constipated with 6 holes in your abdomen. I took a while to get over the GA and had no exercise on the first day. Try to walk if you can.

This link is from one of the other posters and is very good.

https://www.santishealth.org/prostate-cancer-information-centre/top-10-tips-for-patients-considering-a-robotic-radical-prostatectomy/

All the best,

J

And great to hear J

OK Carl well here's another positive one for you then...

Surgery 12th June 2020. 4th night after surgery I felt "nocturnal stirrings down there", which I took to be an early indicator of successful nerve sparing. 😀 (Subsequently confirmed once catheter properly out). It was a bit uncomfortable though with a catheter in.

I've had a really good recovery so far with the one bad thing being that I had bad pain after TWOC1 (TWOC = trial without catheter), so they retubed me for another few days (not a common occurence though). But after TWOC2 it was fine and I used a total of 2 pads over 2 days and have been going padless with zero accidents for 6 days now (today is the 7th).
I've also been gradually increasing the walking. 2.9 miles today (day 21 post op).

Wounds, I had dissolvable stitches and glue. That's all gone now and the wounds are a little bit red but basically healed. No pain relief required any more and a pretty much full range of movement.
One more week of injections and compression socks to go and then I can start some more vigorous exercise, but still 3 weeks before I can ride a bike.

I hope your experience proves to be as positive or more so than mine. But as others have said. Waking up in recovery, it's like "phew - still here then. Oooh and I can see too. I'll take it." And then they told me I'd been trying to take out my canula while I was out of it. 😂

Edited by member 04 Jul 2020 at 17:29  | Reason: clarification of TWOC

Hi Peter my surgery is booked for 7:30 am ..... Hope your well and not to worried about the psa roulette

Carl..

Hopefully Carlos had a successful op this morning.

Carlos, hope all went well yesterday. I had surgery 18 months ago , and living in Belfast the hospitals did not offer Radical Prostatectomy so my wife and I took a flight a day before the operation at Cambridge. We took a few extra days after the operation in the hospital and then at a local hotel before flying back to Belfast. I can say that having surgery worked very well for me. I was told to exercise everyday after the operation and as others have mentioned was only allowed to leave the ward  once I had completed 50 laps of the ward! 18 months on and I am grand. First few weeks needed to watch how long I was out for a walk to avoid being cut short , but this steadily got better as the weeks progressed. Pelvic floor exercises are essential, and these help considerably , but need to be continued on a regular basis to provide that extra help and confidence when you are out. ED is work in progress, and you need to be patient , thankfully I was lucky that  I nerve sparing, which helped. Not easy going through what you are doing , during these bizarre times , but hope you are coping well and my best wishes to you. 

regards 

Keithyboy

Keithyboy 

Hope you're starting to feel better soon Carl 

Did the surgery all go well ?

Hi Carlos, 

Good to hear that. I had some leakage too which seems to be normal. Make sure you keep the area clean though, and Instagel is always recommended on here.

Kev.

Glad the surgery went well

If you feel the urge to empty your bladder just try and relax and the catheter will do the work. The moment you try to empty your bladder you will get some bypass and leakage. My guess would be this is what you are experiencing

Once you are having bowel movements a level of bypass/leakage is inevitable

You will feel so much better once that catheter is out-not long now

Carlos 

Good to hear all went well, take it easy but not too easy. Think the previous posts have covered keep Catheter clean and have some instilagel or hydrocaine in case of soreness. Make sure the catheter joints are tight. I attach my night bag tube to a strap around the ankle reduces the risk of pulling things apart. Make the most of some undisturbed nights.

I showered  using non scented soap or gel, wash the end of the penis and the first bit of the pipe. A couple of days in and you will get more confidence in feeling and washing the area.

Prior to showering I drained the leg bag removed the bag straps and tucked the bag tap under the thigh strap. Once  I had dried myself I would fit a new/ dry strap to the other leg and transfer the catheter to the that leg, refit the dry leg bag straps. Alternating legs was recommended and it means you can dry the leg where the strap was.

Thanks Chris

Edited by member 13 Jul 2020 at 21:51  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Carlos,

Looking good, you will find massive changes each day now.  (ie effect of major op and drugs being cleaned out etc). Feel free to check my profile.  I'm post op +5yrs now and much older than you !

Are you booked in this week for catheter out them ?  Plenty of great advice from posters already , basically 'listen to your body'.      

All the best   Gordon

Glad to hear catheter is out. 😃Feels good doesn't it?

Re. continence, it might depend a bit on how your internal stitching is. Sometimes the stitching can hold the valve a bit open, but will eventually dissolve away. Are you still taking painkillers? If not, it might be worth taking them so that you can do the pelvic floor exercises more easily?

Hi Carlos,

Glad for you that the catheter is out. Don't worry at all about any leakage at night. I leaked at night a bit for at least 6 weeks- probably not helped by a glass or 2 of wine. I'd be dry through the morning then start leaking a bit as the day progresses also or bending over or something. Just relax, don't stress and it will continue to improve I'm sure. It just takes a while for you to heal and for your brain to readjust