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My prostatectomy experience

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User
Posted 17 Jun 2023 at 17:52

Exactly 2 days ago I had my prostrate out by Da Vinci method. I'm 57 had a psa of 60 which in the space of three months had climbed to 69 before beginning my Treatment with hormones last year. I don't know if my PC is truly localised as I don't have the results back from the lab and of course and the coming 12 months will reveal a bit more. This truly is a journey, a step at a time.

Please read my profile for my pathway over the last 9 months and some helpful advice, I hope.

Anyway about the event itself. What I wasn't prepared for was the blasted pain from the gas they pumped into my abdomen so the robot could do it's thing. It was so bad that for the rest of the day after the early morning surgery, I could barely hold a cup of tea and had to use two hands. I believe the gas irritated the nerve endings in my shoulders. But they damn well didn't tell me or prepare me for this beforehand. Now 2 days later it's getting better and the nausea is less pronounced. The pain in my abdomen from the surgery isn't as bad as I'd thought, but it's definitely tender and I'm moving slowly. The catheter is okay and will apparently have this out after about 10 days at the local hospital.

The strange thing was the surgeon didn't come to meet me before being taken to the theatre to discuss what was going to happen nor did I even meet him in the theatre! He did make an appearance after I'd been moved back to the ward and the next day before I was released.

I'm surprised they didn't prescribe any antibiotics just in case. Is this normal? Also I didn't ask and wasn't advised about the plasters covering the 6 incisions across my abdomen.  I assume I can't shower until these are removed and secondly, who removes them and when? Would love to hear from you about this.

How do I feel about the future, well to be honest when I'm not trying to ignore what's happening I'm scared as even though scans showed nothing as regards spread or node involvement, I know nothing can be taken for granted as with any type of cancer. 

 

They sent me home with:

Day & night catheter bags

Codeine 30mg x 28 (1-2) every 4 hours. If I take two every 4 hours then it covers me for 3 days which I hope will be enough.

Dalteparin injection x 27 (once a day) stops blood clotting

Ibuprofen and Paracetamol

Laxido Powder (laxative), boxes of the stuff!

User
Posted 19 Jun 2023 at 08:42
You are doing well and I can relate to everything you have said so far - once that catheter is removed everything becomes much easier. Interesting about washing out the night bag as they gave me sufficient to be able to replace both the day bag and night bag every day. I guess that's the difference in the French health care system and the NHS - each will have slightly different approaches. Does your night bag attach to the day bag? My bags (Hollister) weren't one way valves so again maybe that's a difference.

Great news about the bowel movement - I had a little discomfort as I had been constipated but after the first one it was fine.

So glad your shoulder pain has eased - yes it's a ****** and no-one really tells you about it beforehand.

Are you changing your own dressings? Day 3 and 5 were the days that I was told to and not to replace any that had showed obvious healing but to let them air. If any are leaking pus then obviously they need attention.

Get yourself a urinal bottle for when the catheter comes out to keep by the bed as you will have little control for a few days until you get the hang of it. When you are sleeping there is very little leakage normally, but as soon as you stand up, gravity takes over and it flows. So my technique is to swing my legs off the bed, grab the bottle and drop my penis into the neck and then stand up. It avoids any accidents that way. Eventually you can work out which muscles can control it but at 2am in the morning, I'm not always awake enough to work it out LOL

Good luck with the progress - you are doing OK.

User
Posted 18 Jun 2023 at 08:24

Best of luck with the recovery - be patient with yourself and listen to your body. I am nearly 9 weeks post op and although have improved considerably I am still a long way off recovery. For the 1st couple of weeks I felt permanently jet lagged - no energy and limited mobility. I didn’t need much pain relief after a week or fortunately any laxatives - it came naturally after a few days much to my relief!

My dressings were removed after just over a week. I removed them as they had come loose after a couple of showers. I had my 1st shower a couple of days after coming out of hospital and then every other day as it was a lot of effort initially. 

I have to say the care I received in hospital was good not that I have anything to compare it with. The surgeon came to see me before the op and explained things again and then a team saw me just before the op explaining what was going to happen and injecting me antibiotics and other things.

A week or so before the op I had to attend a meeting in which it was explained what was happening and how your recovery would be - covering practical matters etc. It was helpful but still did not fully prepare me for the shock post op! 

My shoulder was sore for a couple of days and then the wind kicked in! It was like the scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original!) where they have to burp to escape the tower. For several days I was constantly burping - funny at 1st but very tiring. At least it did not come out the other end!

Most important thing to remember is everyone is different and experiences will vary so don’t compare 

User
Posted 18 Jun 2023 at 14:41
Your experience was almost exactly the same as mine - 5 weeks ago for me.

Shoulder pain is the most painful part and will last 3 -4 days - I took tramadol as the paracetemol wouldn't touch it. It does go.

Sleeping on my back gave me a lot of back pain as I am a side sleeper so was very grateful when the catheter came out. That by the way was a non-event - no pain just weird feelings :)

You can shower now but may need to replace the dressings afterwards - don't leave them wet. The stitches are dissolvable so just a case of keeping them clean and dry. As soon as they look to be healing and the redness starts to dissipate, stop using dressings so they can breath and I used E45 cream to keep them supple.

Make sure you keep the catheter where it enters the penis very clean and sterile - get some sterilising solution from your pharmacy. Also the valve at the bottom of the bag. The night bag should attach to this and leave the valve open at night, then close it in the morning and empty the night bag. Empty the day bag when 2/3rdds full and again sterilise the valve afterwards.

I used a senokot tablet after the first night to get things moving - just let it happen naturally and don't force it.

If you have any questions, just ask :)

User
Posted 19 Jun 2023 at 00:43

Well it's day 3 post op and I'm in a better place than I'd thought I'd be. The pain from the gas they pumped into my abdomen has almost gone thank God, that was a b@st@rd! 😂    Shifting around in the bed is still tricky but I've figured out how to use my leg as a cantilever to raise my upper body and pivot using my arm to get out of the bed. No issues with the catheter as of yet and I believe the valves are one-way so there should be no backflow up the urethra to cause any infections. Think I can manage without the codeine now as that makes me so heady and aimless and I believe it was making me nauseous when looking down trying to read. Fine looking at a computer screen. Finally after 3.5 days I've managed to have a bowel movement but I wasn't even getting any discomfort from this. I can just about sleep on my side but it isn't as easy as there is obvious discomfort from the op. I've wedged the catheter stand between the matress and base with the bag hanging down supported so it doesn't fall over in the night. The only cleaning I've been doing is using sterilising gel on the tip of the penis. I normally rinse out the night bag with some soap and water ready for the evening. I managed to have my first shower since Thursday by using a section of cling film held in place by two bungee cords above and below the dressings and I think this worked 🤔 The E45 cream is a great idea so will use this.

You made me laugh about the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference. I think mine found the route of most resistance 🤬  You are so right everyone's experience is different. Thank you guys for the well wishes it is most appreciated as I have had my down moments over the last few days.

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 16:53
As a tea addict, my view would be that caffeine is worth some minor leakage.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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User
Posted 18 Jun 2023 at 08:24

Best of luck with the recovery - be patient with yourself and listen to your body. I am nearly 9 weeks post op and although have improved considerably I am still a long way off recovery. For the 1st couple of weeks I felt permanently jet lagged - no energy and limited mobility. I didn’t need much pain relief after a week or fortunately any laxatives - it came naturally after a few days much to my relief!

My dressings were removed after just over a week. I removed them as they had come loose after a couple of showers. I had my 1st shower a couple of days after coming out of hospital and then every other day as it was a lot of effort initially. 

I have to say the care I received in hospital was good not that I have anything to compare it with. The surgeon came to see me before the op and explained things again and then a team saw me just before the op explaining what was going to happen and injecting me antibiotics and other things.

A week or so before the op I had to attend a meeting in which it was explained what was happening and how your recovery would be - covering practical matters etc. It was helpful but still did not fully prepare me for the shock post op! 

My shoulder was sore for a couple of days and then the wind kicked in! It was like the scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original!) where they have to burp to escape the tower. For several days I was constantly burping - funny at 1st but very tiring. At least it did not come out the other end!

Most important thing to remember is everyone is different and experiences will vary so don’t compare 

User
Posted 18 Jun 2023 at 09:42
I can't offer much advice I'm afraid Gerry, except to echo the sentiment to take it slowly and give yourself time to recover - it won't happen overnight!

The good news is that the op is behind you and you can focus on recovery. Best wishes for the future and hope it all goes smoothly.

User
Posted 18 Jun 2023 at 14:41
Your experience was almost exactly the same as mine - 5 weeks ago for me.

Shoulder pain is the most painful part and will last 3 -4 days - I took tramadol as the paracetemol wouldn't touch it. It does go.

Sleeping on my back gave me a lot of back pain as I am a side sleeper so was very grateful when the catheter came out. That by the way was a non-event - no pain just weird feelings :)

You can shower now but may need to replace the dressings afterwards - don't leave them wet. The stitches are dissolvable so just a case of keeping them clean and dry. As soon as they look to be healing and the redness starts to dissipate, stop using dressings so they can breath and I used E45 cream to keep them supple.

Make sure you keep the catheter where it enters the penis very clean and sterile - get some sterilising solution from your pharmacy. Also the valve at the bottom of the bag. The night bag should attach to this and leave the valve open at night, then close it in the morning and empty the night bag. Empty the day bag when 2/3rdds full and again sterilise the valve afterwards.

I used a senokot tablet after the first night to get things moving - just let it happen naturally and don't force it.

If you have any questions, just ask :)

User
Posted 19 Jun 2023 at 00:43

Well it's day 3 post op and I'm in a better place than I'd thought I'd be. The pain from the gas they pumped into my abdomen has almost gone thank God, that was a b@st@rd! 😂    Shifting around in the bed is still tricky but I've figured out how to use my leg as a cantilever to raise my upper body and pivot using my arm to get out of the bed. No issues with the catheter as of yet and I believe the valves are one-way so there should be no backflow up the urethra to cause any infections. Think I can manage without the codeine now as that makes me so heady and aimless and I believe it was making me nauseous when looking down trying to read. Fine looking at a computer screen. Finally after 3.5 days I've managed to have a bowel movement but I wasn't even getting any discomfort from this. I can just about sleep on my side but it isn't as easy as there is obvious discomfort from the op. I've wedged the catheter stand between the matress and base with the bag hanging down supported so it doesn't fall over in the night. The only cleaning I've been doing is using sterilising gel on the tip of the penis. I normally rinse out the night bag with some soap and water ready for the evening. I managed to have my first shower since Thursday by using a section of cling film held in place by two bungee cords above and below the dressings and I think this worked 🤔 The E45 cream is a great idea so will use this.

You made me laugh about the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference. I think mine found the route of most resistance 🤬  You are so right everyone's experience is different. Thank you guys for the well wishes it is most appreciated as I have had my down moments over the last few days.

User
Posted 19 Jun 2023 at 08:42
You are doing well and I can relate to everything you have said so far - once that catheter is removed everything becomes much easier. Interesting about washing out the night bag as they gave me sufficient to be able to replace both the day bag and night bag every day. I guess that's the difference in the French health care system and the NHS - each will have slightly different approaches. Does your night bag attach to the day bag? My bags (Hollister) weren't one way valves so again maybe that's a difference.

Great news about the bowel movement - I had a little discomfort as I had been constipated but after the first one it was fine.

So glad your shoulder pain has eased - yes it's a ****** and no-one really tells you about it beforehand.

Are you changing your own dressings? Day 3 and 5 were the days that I was told to and not to replace any that had showed obvious healing but to let them air. If any are leaking pus then obviously they need attention.

Get yourself a urinal bottle for when the catheter comes out to keep by the bed as you will have little control for a few days until you get the hang of it. When you are sleeping there is very little leakage normally, but as soon as you stand up, gravity takes over and it flows. So my technique is to swing my legs off the bed, grab the bottle and drop my penis into the neck and then stand up. It avoids any accidents that way. Eventually you can work out which muscles can control it but at 2am in the morning, I'm not always awake enough to work it out LOL

Good luck with the progress - you are doing OK.

User
Posted 27 Jun 2023 at 23:29

Have had my catheter out last Friday morning and struggled with incontinence on the day, lots of dribbling, difficulty urinating and some pain/discomfort. By that evening, then the next day and Saturday I saw a big improvement to the point I mistakenly stopped doing the pelvic exercises thinking I was out of the woods, that was a mistake. In total I had the catheter in for 8 days, the last 4 of which I had almost continual discomfort from what felt like a UTI about an inch up from where the catether exits. Since removal, this has continued almost constantly with the exception of 2 days earlier this week when it subsided. It feels like a burning and at brief times the need to frequently urinate. Sometimes keeps me awake at night and is beginning to really pi@@ me off.

My GP gave me Trimethoprim 200mg about 6 days ago but it's done nothing so it'll be back to the surgery where they will do a dip test to see if there is any infection. My partner suffers from UTIs but is often shown to be negative for any infection so I'm not overly confident.

The other thing I've noticed over the last few days is pain or discomfort in the perineal. And of course I stopped taking the laxatives thinking after I finally had successes after 4 days of no bowel movement. I'm now finding it painful and difficult so I'm back on the laxatives. (I was wondering why they gave me such a big box! Now I know)

 

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 01:28
Everyone, men and women, should do pelvic floor exercises for the rest of their lives.

Is it possible that you have an allergy to rubber? Do you itch if you wear rubber gloves?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 16:02

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Everyone, men and women, should do pelvic floor exercises for the rest of their lives.

Is it possible that you have an allergy to rubber? Do you itch if you wear rubber gloves?

Not that I know of. Personally, I'm convinced it's a UTI because I do have a history there. But it could be a reaction to the catheter as you are suggesting.

What I notice is when I drink my morning coffee I do experience very minor leakage shortly afterwards. My problem is if I go cold turkey with coffee I'll end up getting head splitting migraines for about a week. I normally have one coffee a day in the morning but I also try and drink plenty of water.

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 16:53
As a tea addict, my view would be that caffeine is worth some minor leakage.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 17:15

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
As a tea addict, my view would be that caffeine is worth some minor leakage.

Ha ha agreed as long as it doesn't do lasting damage.

 

User
Posted 28 Jun 2023 at 17:41

I didn’t have surgery but a full caffeinated coffee is a MUST for me, one a day mind you, but I find it doesn’t seem to irritate my bladder….and it gives  me such a buzz. I drink DECAF tea/coffee the rest of the day which I enjoy but find the tea makes me run to the loo more than the Caffeinated Coffee…very strange!

User
Posted 29 Jun 2023 at 18:16

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I didn’t have surgery but a full caffeinated coffee is a MUST for me, one a day mind you, but I find it doesn’t seem to irritate my bladder….and it gives  me such a buzz. I drink DECAF tea/coffee the rest of the day which I enjoy but find the tea makes me run to the loo more than the Caffeinated Coffee…very strange!

How strange that tea has more of an effect than coffee. I drink one coffee in the morning and a tea in the afternoon and the rest of the day it's Red Bush tea for me.

 
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