Returning to work

 

 I was very lucky in that I was 100% continent at 4 weeks after surgery and able to lift my 65lb water machines without leaks. Returning to work for me was  no problem.  A lot will depend on how quickly you can get dry, but if you have to use a couple of pads during the day that shouldn't get too much in your way. Just keep live wires away from the damp area  

I did find that for the first 4 to 8 weeks I got really tired around 2 or 3pm each day so I tried to limit my heavy work to the mornings.

Terry TWG

Sparkit,

What kind of work do you do? What is your profession? It would help to know that. Most men that have "desk" jobs seem to adjust back to work better, those that have real physical jobs can have a longer time getting back into their type of work. Also would depend what physical shape you were in before surgery, and after surgery, of course.

david in sc

I did robotic surgery on a Thursday - I took off that Friday and the whole next week.

Since I'm a desk jockey it was a piece of cake. Had my cath in for five weeks and my surgeon wouldn't let me push a lawn mower till the cath was out.

sparkit

Congrats on getting on the other side of surgery and hope your healing is progressing nicely. I had an open RP at the end of April of this year, so I probably had more extensive surgery. I was going to take six weeks off, but started to go stir crazy and after three weeks I went back to work and got in about 30 hours for a couple of weeks and then full time after that. Not sure what kind of a job you have, but I have a desk job.

Fortunately, the rest room for our floor is just outisde my office door which was very convenient when the urination urge would hit. In the weeks returning to work I would go through 8 pads and about four Depends in a day. Had a couple of embarrasing accidents on two occasions but you just have to laugh about it. Dark color pants became my best friend and I found out that if I changed my pads frequently, I had no problem. It was when I was in a 3-4 hour meeting, that things got a little tough. But I was honest with everyone about my cancer and the surgery I just went through and they were more than patient putting the meeting on hold while I took care of business in the bathroom.

I did find that I had to lay down and take a nap around 2:30 or 3 every day because I was too exhausted. I probably rushed going back to work, but I am a Type A personality and it is hard for me to sit around. I need to be productive which work was a great distraction with the recovery and cancer crisis. The conference room provided a nice quite place to nap for a half hour. Your body will tell you and give you good feedback on when you are tired and need to rest so the healing can continue.

Good luck, every week gets better with energy, continence and having the surgery overwith.

Sparkit,

I just returned to work on Sept 6th after Da Vinci surgery on Aug 1st. I'm a "desk jockey" and felt good enough to return after about three weeks but I took my uros advice for a longer period. I'm glad I took that advice as I haven't felt this good at work, both emotionally and physically, in a long time which I attribute to the extended recovery period. I did do some email work from home for a few days during the recovery period.

As to incontinence, I decided on Sept 1st that I wasn't going to wear any pads and I haven't looked back. Just an occasional dribble in stress conditions like a sneeze where I couldn't squeeze that kegel muscle in time. Just in case, I do have a spare pair of underwear in my car along with a couple of pads. I haven't had to use them and do not intend to. I do focus on making sure I hit the bathroom on a more regular basis, like when I have that sensation.

For a desk jockey, not much physical activity to be concerned with. I am holding off trying golf until the eight week mark.

Good luck with your return to work and many years of zero club membership.

I can do about 90% of the non-travel part of my job remotely, so work mostly from home. I was back "at work" part-time on Monday after a Thursday surgery. But it was two months before I got to the point that I could do anything without leaking all over the place. There was no hope of going into a public or office environment, for a good three months. Then adjuvant RT hit, and ... there are the RT side effects (extreme fatigue, unpredictable bowels) that make it impossible for me to do presentations and seminars.

I've had to give up the travel part of my job (the only part I liked) and train others to do it.

So have I returned to work after almost two years? Not really.