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Posted 10/21/2010 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, everyone! My name is Alex and I am currently recovering from DaVinci done October 1. Had my cath and JP drain pulled out this past Friday (10/15).

My wife and I celebrated that evening with dinner after the cath extraction. I was not warned that bladder spasms could knock me down for several hours. My wife became upset when she found that nothing could be done to alleviate the incredible pain. Doctors suggested I take spasm meds (again) and a pain pill. I had stopped taking meds because all was going so well.

I have found a new sense of love and respect for this incredibly strong lady.

Today, Oct 21 I feel better and my "plumbing" has seemed to improve since yesterday. Can't wait to tell my wife!

Here is my biggest challenge right now: I am waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Just my head and chest. And really bizarre dreams ( I'm not on meds except Cialis). I wonder if anyone has experienced this and what they have done to get over it?

Many thanks!
Posted 10/21/2010 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
Alex, I'm certainly not the best person to respond to this query, as I am sitting here waiting to schedule my robot op in a few weeks.

First, like a few people did a week or so ago when I joined, welcome to the site. It is replete with good info and even better people able and willing to lend support and advice.

My seemingly endless research indicated that intense night sweats were a very common reaction to the surgery. The vivid dreams could also be a reaction to medicines and the obvious hormonal changes your body rapidly experienced. Both situations are supposed to minimize in short order.

On another point, when I met with my Da Vinci surgeon yesterday, I expressed tremendous anxiety of his skill level (he knows his stuff I now know), but I remain terrified over stuff somewhat out of his control

Power surge causes robot to go out of control.
Surgeon get hiccups....or sneezes

He laughed and told me I worry too much.
Posted 10/21/2010 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
I was having similar instances to the sweats,but mine were at different times.It was explained to me as being like a womans hot flashes. It is uncomfortable but mine had subsided after about two weeks to just once in a while. Hope this helps.
Posted 10/21/2010 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Alex,

I didnt have the sweats and flashes but I agree with GTO Dave. Your body has undergone a major operation so anything is game at this point. Sorry to hear about the bladder spasms but it seems to me the paperwork they gave to me pre-op did mention that. Glad your cath is gone and it sounds like your doing well. Thanks for posting.

Michael

Posted 10/21/2010 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had bladder spasms while catheterized, but not after the removal. The urologist gave me a prescription that quieted the spasms, and I took the pills for about two weeks, even after the catheter was removed. I would get an overwhelming urge that I had to urinate, even though the catheter was keeping the bladder empty (supposedly), and I would finally have no choice but to give in to the urge to urinate, which was borderline painful/pleasurable. It was even worse than the overwhelmingly urgent need to urinate that I had experienced with the enlarged prostate.

I haven't had any night sweats or hot flashes.

GTODave...I asked my surgeon prior to the DaVinci what woud happen if the machine crapped out, crashed, or otherwise went haywire. He said they would simply transition to open surgery. He was doing those long before the robot came along.
Posted 10/21/2010 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Al,  If you take the pain meds regularly for several days then stop suddenly you can go through withdrawls and the sweating is part of that.  How about anxiety?  That would also be a sign of withdrawl.  Usualy after a few days they will go away.

Ed

Posted 10/21/2010 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Alegar,

I also had the spasms, they lasted 6 weeks after surgery. I was usually fine until around noon and then I had the spasms until bedtime. The only relief came when I laid down in bed, so I learned how to download movies and watched more than I care to admit, lying in bed. I took no meds, (doctor said no) then after 7 weeks I woke up one day and they were gone, what a relief.

I suspect this delayed my improvement in the continence department as everytime I did a kegel it would bring on spasms so I had limited improvement.

Hope all goes well and the spasms disappear.

r

 

Posted 10/22/2010 12:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all your responses! It took some anxiety away before bedtime.

Last night was the first night I didn't suffer from the sweats. I took a Benedryl (sp?) to help me sleep and it worked great, waking only twice to urinate. Now I have a red urine...go figure? My wife asked me if I had eaten Beets and I had—yesterday for lunch. So I will wait and see.

GTODave: Thank you, sir! I asked my Dr. the same question and he told me that there exists about a 1% chance of the DaVinci crapping out. They will ask you to sign a form in the pre-op room (one of many as they hook you up to about 3 I.V's). It is a consent form that gives him the nod to proceed with an "open" type surgery. I gave consent because of my confidence in him (he has over 500 open type and over 450 robotic surgeries under his belt).

Everything he did went well. My anatomy is a little different, so I had a little complication and had to stay 3 days before going home with a cath AND a JP Drain.

I hope this helps you.

Alex
Posted 10/22/2010 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
I regularly have the car brakes won't work dream too, how weird, and my Robot was July 2009! And always at slow speeds and in slow motion. And I guess I feel like I am not in complete control of my life anyway so maybe that figures.

I have heard of vivid dreams as being very common in the week after a general anaesthetic. (All those drugs mess up a lot of normal bodily functions)

Also if the blood supply to the brain increases, improves or is more oxygenated you can have vivid dreams. (Well known after things like bypass surgery) Clearly the blood supply to brain as well penis can get changed by some ED drugs.

Alf
Posted 10/22/2010 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Alex,
Welcome. Sorry you have to be here. You will be surprised how much better you'll feel each day & how quickly the healing comes, I promise. In the meantime, there's tons of great advice and support right here.
Hang in there!
steve
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