Thanks for the note. All is well. It has been 19 days since surgery (robotic) and the catheter was removed on day 15. Pathology report was very encouraging (cancer was less than 5% of prostrate, no cancer in lymph nodes or other surrounding tissue) and continence was achieved on day 2 after removal of catheter. I am now working on penile rehab with some response already. First post-op PSA test is still a couple of weeks away. My exercise program (running, stretching, weights) has taken a hit, but I expect to gradually return to this program starting the end of January with the goal of skiing in the Rockies in March and running my next half-marathon in mid-May.
My learnings from this situation
- pre-op fitness level is important
- doing kegels several weeks in advance of surgery is necessary (and helps after catheter removal!)
- do kegels after catheter removal
- really listen to your body - treat recovery as a training program
- talk to your doctor - ask questions and know what to expect
- stay positive.
Cheers
GB
Age 47
PSA 4.9
Gleason 3+4 = 7