Did not snow overnight or when we left the house, so made it to the hospital on fine. 2 hours of prep/waiting, 1 hour surgery, and 2 hours plus recovery time. I met with my surgeon first, to go over some last minute thoughts/strategy.
When I woke up in recovery, was in major pain, easily 8-9, also woke up to find out that I have two catheters again, ouch. I had to stay longer because they had to give me morphine 3x to get the pain stabilized.
Dr. said I was basically close up entirely, but since I was put under, he got me opened fully, using all of the dialatio tubes. He said since the SP hole (suprapubic cath) was 5 months old, he needed to kind of ream it out, and clean the edges. He wasnt originally going to put a foley (penis) cath back in, but in the opening process this time, there will be a lot of oozing and bleeding for a few days and thought it would be better. As soon as I recovery some and heal some from that, he gave my wife the ok to remove the foley.
I will see him again on the 15th, and will start testing the bladder neck, by blocking the SP cath. If my own flow doesn't work or work well enough, I will be able to switch the SP back on again at home.
Once again, the pre-o, operating room, and recovery room nurses are true saints there at St. Francis in Greenville. The OR nurse said that I was extremely raw from radiation damage. So that is a concensus of opinions from all those that have been able to see up in that region. It also explains the unusual amount of pain I have been going through the past 5 months.
My surgeon spent some time with me after in recovery, he has spoken to a collegue of his in Atlanta, that has dealt with some really bad chronic stricture cases. No decision is being remotely being made, as we are all hoping that today's fix, when healed, does the trick, but if it doesn't, his friend advised basically to perm. by pass the bladder neck in the future, and instead of having a perm SP tube, to have a more complex op done, where they use some part of me (will have to ask for details later, as I was under morphine when we spoke), and they would create a by-pass around the bladder neck, and I would perm. urinate to a removable bag. Not the same as a catheter. The other dr. said it eliminates the chance of bladder cancer from long term cath time, and would allow me a more normal life, i.e. could take baths, hot tub ,ride bikes or motorcycles, etc. But it would be a lifetime change.
He did say it would be less risky and dangerous in compared to another of complex methods. I would rather hope this today ,fixes me, at least for a few months at this point.
So I introduce you to catheters #13 the foley, and #14 the SP, but co-existing inside my boxers as I write this, lol.
Got plenty of meds to take as needed, and was told to stay off my feet mostly the next 48 hours.
The reccovery room nurse, who happend to be the entire hospital's systems Nurse of the Year, told me that my uro/surgeon, is probably one of the most compassionate doctor's she has ever worked with in her nursing career.
Thanks to all my supportive brothers here and our dear sisters too.
David in SC