OCTOBER SURGERIES

The August surgery post went so well I thought I'd set one up for October. This thread is for discussion/support for this month's RP surgeries. We know of the following members with surgeries planned:


Tim(pipedream) 1st

chefboz 4th

inwm 6th

Ger42 12th

2 time survivor 12th

Highwayman 22nd

TinFoilHat 23rd

Pocketman. 29th

Post Edited (Ger42) : 11/25/2010 1:22:45 PM (GMT-7)

Date and time set Oct 12 at 3PM. Our son will be coming in on the 23rd and staying for a week. Our 2 dogs go in to the kennel the morning of the 12th. Wife will get them out the morning of the 19th. Wife is planning to take the 12th through the 22nd off.
I'm worrying more about how Gracie and Mojo my 2 dogs will take all of this than I am about the surgery. I was actually considering radiation not because I thought it was the best course of action for me but because it would be less disruptive to the dogs.
This may sound strange but the thought of dying of cancer is being out weighted by the thought of me possibly having to wear diapers for a year or more.
The Thursday ramblings of a man who is getting older by the minute.

Only 2 of us for October?

You know, I like the idea of having a monthly surgery group, it does help keep all the rest of the threads uncluttered and unconfused. Just my input as a member. It does produce a feeling of shared experience for the people invloved, feelings that will carry forward as long as they hang here- part of a special group,you know?

I called the surgeon's office today to talk to his nurse with some questions as I felt that they had done almost nothing to prepare us for the upcoming surgery. She was friendly and somewhat helpful but still the information she provided left something to be desired.

I asked her if my husband should begin doing kegel exercises prior to surgery - she said, "No, those aren't necessary until after your first post-op visit". That seems to go against what I've read here and what my brother who recently had his bladder and prostate removed told me. So which is it? Helpful, or not? She did say it wouldn't hurt....

I asked what if we needed to have anything other than depends and loose fitting sweat pants on hand when my husband comes home from the hospital. "No....you won't have any problems until after the catheter is removed." Which brings up another question I have been embarrassed to ask....when talking about pads (as is often mentioned as how many pads guys use a day....), are they sanitary pads...or something else?

In answer to other questions: The Doc has two RRP's scheduled for that day and one small procedure. There will likely be a two-night stay - surgery on Friday, Oct 1st, probable discharge Sunday, the 3rd. No stats as to incontinence or other side effects...."It is individual". My husband can't get his wedding ring off - even with help of soap and water - "We like to have all jewelry removed but no need to cut it off - they will tape it or something."

When asked about the discrepancy between the surgeon being confident he can cure the PCa with surgery and our local urologist who seemed less confident she said the surgery wouldn't have been scheduled unless they thought it would cure my husband.

All in all, I estimate we have received <15% of the information we've learned about prostate cancer and potential treatments from the doctors and >85% from books and this forum. PCa is a strange disease - we never had such a sense of "being on our own" with my husband's colon cancer surgery, chemo & radiation. I mean, we had to make choices but it was not so unguided and unstructured as PCa has been. The colon cancer docs were far more willing to tell us what they would do or what they would recommend if it was their dad or brother. It has been disconcerting to say the least.

Pipedream, some advice that may help you prepare for your husband's surgery:

The pads used for incontinence are not the same as sanitary pads...most large supermarkets and all the drug store chains sell incontinence products: Poise, Depends, Tena are all product names. My husband likes Depends Male Guards ... they're similar to a sanitary pad except that they "cup" the parts and provide more coverage and comfort. I think Tena makes male guards as well, but Poise doesn't.

Don't worry about the wedding ring...my husband couldn't get his off either and the nurse wrapped his ring finger in surgical tape to keep it from falling off (doubt that it would fall off since it's been on for 30 years but better safe than sorry).

I bought my husband a pair of sweatpants one size larger for him to wear with the catheter. He was so concerned about anything tugging on that baby and the fact that he could wear very loose pants helped him considerably. He wore them home from the hospital and whenever he went out of the house with the catheter.

Kegel exercises won't hurt...in fact, I know a fair number of folks who do them simply to keep the pelvic floor muscles toned (and allow better urinary retention). Our surgeon said do 'em - they won't hurt anything either before or after the surgery. But, you need to do them right so make sure you have proper instruction. I bet if you do a Google on Kegel exercises, you'll get alot of information and instruction.

Was kind of surprised to read that your husband's surgeon had two prostatectomies scheduled that day...wow, that's gonna be along for the surgeon! Unless he's back-up for the other surgery, which is often the case when the operation is long. My husband's surgery started at 4:00 in the afternoon and the surgeon came out to talk to me at 9:15 that evening.

A couple of weeks before the surgery, the doctor's office sent us an info kit in the mail which described the procedure and what to expect before and after. It talked about what would happen in the pre-op area, the anesthesia, emergency contacts, etc., and gave us a brief outline of what would follow including when to schedule removal of the catheter and staples and the first PSA test. The hospital also called a few days before the operation to see if we had any questions, concerns or special requests.

When your husband comes home from the hospital, have a small pillow for him to sit on for the ride home (or wherever you're going). He'll be given supplies for the catheter, and will have two catheter bags: one is a smaller, more discreet daytime bag that straps to the thigh but doesn't hold as much urine. The larger bag is for home and overnight use. The bags are very easy to empty and disconnect from the tube. You can take them in the shower with you...my husband would lay the larger bag on the floor of the shower while he soaped up. The surgeon encouraged showering every day and gently washing the area where the staples were (yuck) but said don't let the shower spray directly hit the staples. He suggested using a washcloth to cover the abdomen when rinsing off in the shower, and squeezing a wet washcloth or sponge over the sutures to rinse the soap off.

We were given bacitracin ointment to use on the sutures and the surgeon also recommended applying a little bit around the area of the penis where the catheter went in. This helped keep the area from drying out, or becoming irritated and/or infected. Worked fine for my husband.

Pipedream,

I did Kegel's from the day I scheduled surgery (about two months pre). Increased the number I did each day .... slowly increased. I also changed diet, and started to walk more. Lost about 15 pounds. I'm not sure any of this helped, but it did give me something to focus on besides the operation.

After the cath was removed, I had no need for pads. Can't say this was due to the pre-op Kegels .... could have been the skill of the surgeon .... most likely I was lucky.

Like Sunbird, I ended up long on Pads, Diapers, etc. ... which made me happy.

Best wishes and good luck.

Welcome chefboz to the October club. Let us know how it goes.

Hi Ger ~ I just had to come by and see if you had your date yet, and I see you do.  Finally... I know how difficult it was for the postponement.  Remember about the suggestion of getting a smaller soft pillow in case you cough?  It really does work!  Well, that same pillow prevented our two year-old Granddaughter from climbing on Ron's lap.  So, I am wondering if that would help with your dogs? 

Pipedream, I bought the pillow for at Kohl's; 50% off -  paid $8.99.  I put a smaller pillow case on it, and Ron still uses it.  Ger,  maybe your wife can get the pillow and start preparing the dogs not to jump on you with the pillow?  Just an idea.  I am happy to hear that your son will be able to help you.

It's been six weeks since the surgery, and  Ron has been dry at night for 3 weeks.  He choose to wear the Depends rather than pads.  Now, he's down to one a day, sometimes two.  For him, this part has been a little slower than some of the other guys.  No one can guarantee when this will be back to normal.  One thing, Ron didn't do the Kegels and I think that may be why he's a bit delayed.  Now, he does them regularly.  Your ramblings are fine, Ger.  That's what this thread is for.

Pipedream, I am trying to comment to Ger, but there may be advice that you may find helpful.  I am sorry you have to go through this journey, and it is one both you and Tim share.

It was recommended here that we purchase the Depends adjustable.  You should have seen us at Walmarts looking at 6 different ones.  We got the right ones.  It was very hot during Ron's recovery, so I bought some pajamas that are knee length.  Also, I bought knee length (basketball style) shorts in a bigger size.  That worked out real well.  He wore them to and from the hospital.

Sephie has provided good advice!  If it is cooler than sweat pants would work.  Oh, Ron's surgery was at 10:30 AM; I finally saw him at 5:30 PM.  His surgery was less than three hours.  No staples, just a heavy glue-like material.

Oh, I can't forget the most important suggestion I found here!  Buy an oval bucket 12 quart size.  This was so helpful to Ron.  Now, in his case, he decided to use the overnight bag (the bigger one) rather than changing back and forth.  So, he laid the catheter bag in the bucket.  Also, he used it when he began his walks in our yard, side yard, and drive-way.  Can you just picture this?  He had the cath for 13 days.

There was so much good advice that I printed everything up for Ron to read.  We got the items we needed ahead of time, except the Depends.   I hope there is something here that will be helpful.

Best wishes,

Aimzee

To all of the graduates thank you for all the information. This site is like having a mommy and daddy helping you through a difficult time. All of those who are sharing their experiences deserve a big group HUG. You that have gone through could just as easily stopped coming back here but you didn't and I for one am grateful.

The magnesium citrate is not as brutal a prep for colonoscopy. It is not fun, but it is not intolerable.

Pipedream,

I worked at the office the day before surgery, perhaps 2 hours, just to get all of the stuff that had to be up to date on the laptop sorted out, and to get my desk clear and co-workers up to date on where things were. By the end of that I was wiped out (from the clear diet), and wanted to be closer to a men's room that I knew would be available.

Thanks, everyone, for all the great information. I'm not on the October list, and probably won't be. I'm going to see the man next week to schedule my surgery, which probably won't be before November.

I had a lot of the same questions that were asked here. I'm sure there are others who aren't on the October list who wondered about these things as well. And I'll probably ask more questions when the November list is announced.

This is such a valuable forum, and people we don't even know are probably lurking and gaining a lot of valuable information. Thanks for sharing your hard-won wisdom with the world here. You guys are the coolest...

hi all:

i know the subject of this thread is "OCTOBER SURGERIES", and i don't have one, but just wanted to share my good news..

i've had hernia repair on BOTH sides, several years before my open RP, so now i have 3 cute scars up my front...i was having the familiar pulling, burning sensation, and assumed i probably had another hernia problem needing repair (apparently not uncommon after RP)....the surgeon says it appears to be a groin pull, and NOT a hernia problem, so i DON'T HAVE an "OCTOBER SURGERY" (!!) rah!!

i guess the point is; don't assume the worst, just go get it checked, and let the doc tell you what's up...

anyway, thanks for listening, and CHIN UP!

bob