preparing for post-surgical period

I am going to have robotic surgery in two weeks, and am trying to 
prepare for what happens when i come home after surgery.  I know i 
will have a catheter for a period of time.  What kind of pads and 
pants should i get?  Would appreciate if you would tell me how to 
prepare for this post surgical period.  Do i need to have people close 
by? Thanks for your help.   

I would encourage you to go to "urologyteam.com" - this is the website of Dr. Randy Fagin. He has a book available for patients and it tells everything step-by-step. The information or book is available on-line. Now, your doctor may be a little different, but most of the routine is all quite similar, and certainly what to expect and do after surgery is going to be the same. I found the book to be very helpful, and tracked exactly with what happened to me.

I would also tell you that my experience was not that eventful. Sure you have the nuisance of the catheter, and you have to modify your eating habits for a while etc., but for me it was no big deal. Loose cloths, neo-sporin, pads, stool softener, gas-X, tylenol (your doc will probably give you something). Be prepared to take it easy - watch lots of tube, or read. It will pass fast!

Here's some links to info and discussions by folks who have gone before.

Tips before surgery:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=1070160

Shopping List before surgery:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=586391

Supplies-post surgery:www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=961219

What is the first day home like?:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=934032

www.healingwell.com/community/?f=35&m=1258414&g=1259037#m1259037

the thing to remember is each person had an individual course of recovery, and not like anyone else's, and so will yours be. However, there's enough common things that you can learn from and prepare for by reading these threads. Hope this helps.

All the above recommendations are great and I would add one more item that may help.

You'll want to have pants on while at home. To get around the catheter and tube issue, my wife bought me the nylon warm-up pants with the tie up and elastic waist. They also had a small zip up pocket on the side just below the regular pocket. In that pocket she slit the inside pocket lining. When you put the pants on, empty the catheter, fold it once or twice and slip it through the hole in the pocket lining. Be sure to have the tube taped to the side of your leg! With the bag on the outside, there is no problem having pants and walking around.

  hey Bank....I'm with Dirt on this. I picked up some new sweat pants to wear the first few days, never put em' on. I just wore regular gym shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts.....taped the cath tube to my leg, put the bag in a nice little canvas shopping type bag and I was walking down the street.

 I did sleep in the recliner for the first three, four days or so....my girlfriend stayed with me for three days....I took one Depends pad with me when I had the cath removed, not a big issue for myself either....you'll do fine.

 While waiting, have some fun..do some stuff you really like to do, have a little sex....but above all dont get too anxious about the process(I know that's easy to say, we all for the most part did)

 the waiting game is the hardest.......you do great my brother. Hang in!

i am 7 days out on my davinci surgery, some abdominal swelling, is this normal?

Hi Banker,
I had my robotic surgery on Feb 4th and got the catheter out yesterday. Prior to my surgery I made sure to do all the chores around the house that I thought would be necessary for the week after the surgery so that I wouldn't have to worry about doing them while recovering, such as emptying the trash, cleaning up the house, etc. Another thing to consider is to put all the heavier items that you think you might need at countertop height so that you don't have to bend over and pick them up off the floor. One other consideration to think about is to keep yourself as healthy as possible before the surgery so that you don't end up having a cold or infection of some kind that causes you to cough or sneeze. You'll find out right away that for the first 3-5 days you won't want to cough at all because of the stress it puts on your abdomimals, so I made extra sure to try to stay away from people who had colds and I used hand sanitizer if I thought I needed to.
For sleeping and sitting I had two old plasticized tablecloths and I put one on the bed and one on the couch where I planned on spending most of my time. I also had two small plastic trash cans and set one by the couch and one by the bed for hanging the catheter bag in so that if it leaked it wouldn't be a problem, but I found out that those bags are very robust and don't leak at all save a drop or two when you empty them.
As for the catheter, this for me was the least enjoyable part of the surgery but it wasn't painful and is generally something just to be endured. Be sure to use the lidocaine jelly they will give you and that will help. When they removed it after 8 days I thought it would hurt but it was virtually a non-event and went quickly and easily, and Oh the relief!
I found it very helpful to have someone around, especially the first few days after surgery. My wife took off from work during that week and made things very easy for me in many different ways. She had also pre-made a giant pot of chicken soup which went down real easy those first few days and cut down on the need for cooking all the time.
I remember well how as the days got closer to the surgery I got more nervous about it, but I tempered that with the knowledge that I had picked what I thought to be the best solution to the cancer that was within me and tried to concentrate on that. I'm sure that you too will get through this just fine, and I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming surgery and recovery.

Mark

My brother-in- law loaned me his set of Foyle's War. http://www.foyleswar.com/ (WWll mystery series) This provided many hours of high quality entertainment while I recuperated. You will actually be up and walking around very quickly.

You asked about needing someone. Yes for at least two or three days it would be a good idea though probable not absolutely necessary. Good Luck!

I found it easier to roll onto my side, then slide my legs over the edge of the bed, then push myself up to a sitting position with my arms, then use my arms to push myself up from the bed.  hurts less then trying to use your abs to get out of bed. 

I found it easier to sit in a office chair with armrests while watching TV, it is easier to get out of a taller office chair because you can push off the armrests than trying to get out of a couch or recliner.

I found it easier to get a toilet chair with armrests that sits over the top of your regular toilet.  it is taller and has the armrests to push yourself off of the toilet. 

do take the stool softeners.  I did not have a BM for 6! days after the RPP, very uncomfortable.  I finally got so desperate I had to use Milk Of Magnesia  (sp?) and it opened the floodgates so to speak. 

when I had to go out I would take a large paper shopping bag and cut a slit in the bottom of the bag to pass the Foley catheter through and carry the catheter inside of the bag so no one could see it as easily.  all that was visible was a short piece of the plastic tubing coming out of the bottom of my sweat pants.  a lot easier than messing with the smaller capacity catheter that you strap to your leg. 

try to keep a sense of humor throughout everything  (the nurses did not seem to find it very amusing when I told them I was in for a Lobotomy when they asked me what operation I was having during the admission process).  I would search out comedies to watch to lift my spirits during the recuperation process.  I must admit I worried too much before the operation and recuperation period as it was not all that bad once it was done and over. 

grab a pillow and hug it if you need to sneeze, cough, or laugh really hard.

do drink plenty of fluids post op to keep yourself hydrated and flush your bladder.  this helps flush out the blood clots and will also help with your BM's.  do moniter the color of your urine, if it is dark, drink more fluids.  I would try and get up and drink 8 to 12 oz of water every hour and walk around a bit.  I read that coffee and sodas irritate your bladder so I stopped drinking them post op.