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need some advice for comfort after surgery

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Posted 10/3/2011 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
 

I need some advice.  My husband is going to be scheduling his surgery soon.  I want him to be as comfortable as possible when he gets home.  I don't know much about catheters.  Is it easier to take a bath, shower, or other during the time that he will need to have this catheter.  Also, did most of you sleep in the bed or in a chair.  Give me some ideas about comfort please.

 

Posted 10/3/2011 2:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Firecracker

The catheter bag is water proof so taking a shower is not a problem.  I took my first shower the day I came home from the hospital and it felt really good. The week I had my catheter in I found sleeping on my back in our bed was just too painful so I slept on our couch with my head and shoulders supported in an upright position. After the catheter was out I was able to return to the bed and sleep on my side. He will be unable to sleep on his stomach for several weeks. Good luck on your husbands upcoming surgery.

TWG

Posted 10/3/2011 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, Firecracker. I slept in my bed, both on my side and on my back with no problem. I could only sleep on my left side, though, to prevent the tubing from becoming tangled.

Your husband will quickly find out what works for him, but my first choice for a good night's sleep would always be the bed, if possible. Be sure the bag is always positioned lower than his abdomen so it can drain properly and so it won't back up.

When showering I would set the bag on a clean towel just outside of the tub. Good luck to both of you. Care of the catheter can be a team effort.
Posted 10/3/2011 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
The shower was no problem for me, although I did get a shower stool just in case (did not need it). I got a big suction hook (wal mart variety) and put it on the shower wall to hang the bag on. That way the bag remains upright, and you can close the shower curtain/door. Have an extra towel or three or four around just is case.

By the way, my surgeon said NO BATHS until the cath was out - too much opportunity for infection. Also, he wanted no baths until the sutures were healed, again because of potential infection.

I slept in the bed (don't own a recliner, no space for it). I got a couple of cheap fiberfill pillows to use as blocks so that I would not roll over on the tube, and could throw them away if there was a major leak.

Get or use a stubby bucket (short/squat, won't tip over easily) for the night bag. It gives a way to carry the bag, keep it upright, and avoid the almost guaranteed "did not close the drain completely" flood on the floor.

We have a list of useful "stuff" - give it a quick review -

Prostate Cancer: The Really Useful List made by HW people for HW people.
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=1717641
Posted 10/3/2011 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Definitely no sit-down baths or hot tubs with a catheter in place.

In the shower, you can routethe bag outside the shower curtain, or take it in with you, or even disconnect it while showering, won't hurt anything. Or you can buy a plug for the cath, disconnect, put on the plug, shower, and then take it off and reconnect when through.

i spent most of my time lying flat on my back in the early recovery stage, as I had open surgery. couldn''t get comfortable on any kind of chair.

if i had to do it again, would have bought a riser for the toliet seat. as it was hard to get up and down from the toilet for a couple of weeks or so

good luck on your husbands upcoming surgery

david in sc
Posted 10/3/2011 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Taking a shower I hung the bag on the soap dish. At night I put the bag in a bucket my wife bought me.I got the idea from this forum and it worked great for me.I had to sleep on my back for the week of the cath.
Posted 10/3/2011 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
Careful about the soap-dish idea. The bag needs to be below the height of the bladder, so that it drains. I'm not tall enough for that to work at my house sad

Also, my nurses at check out very strongly said do NOT disconnect the cath unless you are connecting a new bag, and go through the cleaning process for the connections. They suggested a midnight run to the ER for a bladder infection / UTI was just not worth it.

Posted 10/3/2011 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for this good information. I am feeling beside myself already and we haven't even scheduled surgery yet. I guess I better make my address line soon, as I think we are going to become a longer term member of this group.

9/12 PSA=50
9/20 biopsy 12 of 12 samples positive, 10 samples Gleason 8 and 2 samples Gleason 7
surgery to be scheduled
Posted 10/3/2011 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
My soap dish is one tile up from the tub.
Posted 10/3/2011 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Fire. I am certainly not qualified to give anyone medical advice. But, given the information in your signature line -- psa of 50, 12 of 12 cores positive, Gleason 8, have you discussed with your doctors the statistical probability that the cancer is fully contained within the prostate, and compared the prospects of success from surgery to other options, such as radiation (including a combination of seeds, IMRT and potentially hormone therapy)? Have you discussed these options with a radiation oncologist as well as a urologist? Given your numbers, I think it would be worthwhile to have this conversation, before you decide, definitively, on surgery. Maybe you will still decide on surgery, but it would be worth the extra due diligence, in my layman's opinion. Best wishes, Medved
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