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What to expect day of surgery?

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Posted 2/4/2013 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone.

I have an upcoming date with a prostate snatcher and I would like to know what I can expect the day of surgery, from checking in, to getting in the car to come home.

If you could tell me what will be happening each step of the way, It would be helpful.

The more I know about what happens and when, I feel I can better prepare myself for it. Not knowing what they do is scary enough, let alone the SE's.

Thanks
Posted 2/4/2013 4:07 PM (GMT 0)

iSpark,

Here's what I wrote in my journal about the morning of surgery. If you want to read more, or if anyone wants to read the journal, just email me and I'll send it to you as a Word doc.

 

August 20th:  Today’s the big day.  The alarm sounded at 4 a.m., and Beth and I were out the door and on our way to the hospital by 5:00 o’clock.  Advocate Condell Hospital is in Libertyville, about 20 miles southwest of Zion.  This Friday seemed like a Saturday, but early commuters were already on the streets.  The trip went quickly and we were soon at the surgical ward, waiting for our name to be called.


In a few minutes I was called forward and went through a set of double doors to the men’s locker room, where I was given two gowns, some non slip socks, and was told to put all of my personal belongings into a plastic bag and then into a locker.  When I had accomplished that, Beth was called in to join me, and we were taken to a curtained off “room,” where I was put into a bed to await further instructions.

 

We walked down a hall and then to the left and into a curtained cubicle with a hospital bed and a chair.  After I was assisted into the bed, a nurse started asking me questions, handing me forms to sign, and then started sticking things into the back of my hand and elsewhere in preparation for surgery.  Doctor Kahn came in and gave us a cheery hello.  Then came the nurse anesthetist and the anesthesiologist to answer any questions or concerns I might have regarding anesthesia.

 

My one worry was the process of intubation.  Would I be awake when I was intubated?  Would I be awake when the tube was removed?  They assured me I would be asleep when they intubated me, but that I might be awake when the tube was removed (I wasn't).  I didn’t like that, but obviously I was in no position to do anything about it.

 

Then the anesthetist said she was going to put something in my IV to help me relax, and……

 

The next thing I remember is waking up in a room full of other beds, tubes, medical personnel, and a clock that read 12:30.  I decided I either had died and this was hell, or maybe it was recovery.  I was groggy but not nauseated, and a nurse named “J.J.” was hovering at my side attending to my every need.  Something was kneading my lower legs as if they were bread dough.  J. J.  told me I had done well, and that shortly I would be taken up to my room, where Beth was waiting for me.

 

Posted 2/4/2013 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks clocknut!
Yes, I would like to read your journal. My email icon is active.
With the part you posted, I have another question for the anesthesiologist at my pre op appointment.
Posted 2/4/2013 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Since you asked turn

I didn't know in advance that they lower your head/aka they tilt the table you are on a whole bunch so that your head is lower...

I didn't but many people's faces get real swollen... I briefly remember NOT liking the recovery room. There, they had me tied down but in a standing position. I remember being real nasty to the nurses because I needed to pee real badly... Course I had a catheter in...but that didn't matter.

Things got better from there.

Having the nurses come in and check out you cath every few hours was weird. Poor ladies...
Posted 2/4/2013 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
One of my side-effects of surgery was that I talked like Donald Duck for a week afterwards, the result of the anesthesia gasses washing over my vocal cords..4.5 hours is a long time...So ask the anesthesiologist to please be careful when they place the breathing tubes down your gullet...

I had LITTLE appetite for a week afterwards, virtually no pain, getting accustomed to the catheter is a royal pain, get all the bag supplies out of them that you can, leg bag, night bag, tubes, extra straps..That stuff is hard to get once you are home...Bring a baggy pair of sweat-pants to go home in....
Posted 2/4/2013 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Bladder spasms for the first couple days! Don't be afraid to get painkillers if the spasms are real bad. Mine were horrible, but the dilaudid did the trick. Get yourself some sweatpants with a zipper on the lower legs. It makes for easy access to your walking urine bag for dumping.
Posted 2/4/2013 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi iSpark, we all have different experiences with many shared elements. Here's mine.

I was hungry and nervous heading to NYC. Hungry because I had to be on an empty stomach for something like 16 hours. I only got hungrier in the following days.

I arrived at the hospital, Mount Sinai, and felt like I had reached a huge bus terminal. There were thousands of people. So I started getting anxious.

I was called into an area full of nurses so i could be checked in. The asked me to strip and I told them I had a private room and that I'd rather strip there and wait there. The nurse was being a little pushy and I think I was looking for a reason to "escape". My wife calmed me down.

I went up to my room, changed into their gown and waited in the room with my wife, dad and mother. I had views of central park which was full of snow. I was looking at the path which I used to run on a few months earlier. This relaxed me.

A young lady came to get me and had me lay down on a bed with wheels and then pushed me for what seemed to be 10 minutes to the other side of the massive building. This is the moment things hit me. I knew there was no going back and frankly I was a little worried and sad. Felt very alone during those 10 minutes. The young nurse kept asking me if I was okay but there really wasn't anything to chat about.

They brought me to a pre op room where there were another 5 patients awaiting surgery. Two of them were freaking out, very scared. They were asking a lot of questions and making me nervous. I was trying to keep it together because I can get anxious but wanted to find some peace heading into surgery. Teh room had a tv with some crappy day time tv show a la Dr. Phil and that wasn't helping at all.

Then my surgeons assistant came in and started chatting with me. He knew all the buttons to push and all the questions to ask. I started to calm down immediately. We were also talking about trivial things like our smart phones. Then my surgeon walked in and we started talking about his recent trip to Israel where he taught the procedure. We talked about the country which I had also visited. He was warm and was making me feel a lot better.

Then they said "okay, let's do it, let's go tot he operating room" and they said "walk with us, no need to be pushed in, you can walk". Not sure if this is script, but I can't tell you how good that felt. I felt like I was walking into battle with my team rather than being pushed into it. Not sure if that makes any sense and if that is solely my personal reaction or something we would share.

Got into the room and was reassured by how hi-tech it was. two young nurses joined in along with another two people. They had me lay down and started to shave some parts. Made comments about my tattoos telling me that if I endured those this would be a walk int he park. Then needle went in, they said 2-3 words to me I don't remember, i got a metallic taste in my mouth and I was out.

Next thing I remember was seeing a clock on my way out of surgery. I was able to read it and realize the surgery had taken longer than anticipated. I asked something like if all wa sokay and remember hearing someone tell me all was fine.

Then no memory until the recovery room. That was truly the one and only dark part of the entire process. A dark room filled with what seemed to be dozens of moaning and groaning people who had just had surgery with a station of nurses in the middle who seemed who didn't seem caring or too interested to me. I felt like a piece of cargo in transit and to make matters worse was in serious pain and thought something was wrong. I felt like my bladder was exploding and probably hadn't been given pain killers yet. Nobody had warned me about that specific sensation. I don't think I even realized at that point that I had a catheter in me. I actually had words with the nurse and told he rot send me to my room. I wanted to be with my wife, dad and mum and remember thinking that I would get much better care from the nurses on my floor and in my room. I was right about that.

For the next 12 hours I was in and out, lectured my dad and mum about their divorce and how they handled it (you'll say a lot of stuff), and was pushed to walk in the halls as much as possible. I was sucking on ice all night long. The next morning I woke up around 6.30-7 am and saw my surgeon standing over my bed. He talked to me but I was still a little out of it, couldn't ask him all the questions I had anticipated asking him. He told me I'd be going home that afternoon. Less than 24 hours from the time of my procedure.

I started having popsicles and went off the morphine and on to tylenol xtra strength as I was told this would help prevent constipation. I was trying to fart but there was nothing there. Started feeling much better quickly but abdomen was sore as hell. Felt like a heavyweight boxer had worked me over.

A urologist walked in and took out the drain. That was the funkiest sensation I've ever felt. The catheter removal is a walk in the park by comparison.

Then i started walking up and down the halls as much as possible and was running into the other three guys that had the same surgery the previous day. I was 20-25 years younger then them all but we bonded and shared stories. I've seen them again since and we are all doing great.

Then a nurse came in and gave me a presentation on how to care for the cath bags, the big and the small one.

I felt insecure about leaving and wanted to stay an extra night. My surgeon came back and said I could if I wanted to but that it would be healthier for me to go home and that I was ready to go. I took his word, as I always do and told me dad to go get the car.

I was wheeled down to the busy street in NYC, snow and all, and sat in the car. Each and every pot hole was like a punch in my gut.

Got home, sat on my chair and for the next week I watched DVDs of European TV shows and went for walks around my house. Every hour I could walk more.

By the second day I finally farted and was then able to start eating a little more. Then the 3rd day (i believe) I was able to poo. Things got significantly better every hour during that week.

Then after a week I got back in the car and went to my surgeons office in NYC to remove cath, and learn about my pathology. This is actually the most nerve testing day for me. I went with diapers and expecting to hear it had spread. Instead, i was able to control every drop of me pee immediately and the report was clean. I was no surprised I drank about 8-10 glasses of water to test it and told my dad I wanted to sit around to make sure nothing went wrong. I went to pee twice as i always did but had a stronger stream. I still didn't want to leave but my dad convinced me to leave. We got in the car and I started getting the urge to pee, it was coming on strong from all that water. I had maybe 3-4 glasses with the nurse when she took the cath out (painless) and 8-10 later as I was testing myself. Anyway, we had to drive across town and through the Lincoln tunnel. I needed a bathroom bad and started to panic seeing all the traffic (midtown at mid day) I told my dad had to pee myself and he kept saying hold it until we cross the tunnel and see a gas station on route 3. I kept telling him that was probably unhealthy for my recovering bladder. I wa svery close to just start peeing but held it. We finally reached a gas station in NJ, I got out of the car and had the greatest piss of all time. A long long piss with gushing stream. I walked out of that bathroom with a huge smile on my face. I still wasn't sure if I was fully continent, but I knew things would be okay.
Posted 2/4/2013 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
iSpark

the only thing I'll add to this chain concerns not the day of surgery, but one-week later, the removal of the lovely Foley catheter. I too live in NY and I had to pee constantly from the moment of catherer removal. Diaper became saturated pretty quickly..My wife drove me home but Unlike Davidg i had no hope of holding it in on the drive home until we reached a bathroom.So I took a bottle of water, opened the window to empty it, and peed in the bottle in front of the wife.. had to empty the bottle twice on the way home, out the window each time. felt sorry for the people behind me on the highway
Posted 2/4/2013 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the posts guys!
Something I haven't read about before, standing up in recovery and tied?

I have read a lot of doctor's pages and hospital pages of what to expect about prostate surgery, they don't compare at all to real stories. They seem way to commercial and "It's nothing - dunworryboutit" feel good ads.

clocknut, your email will definitely help...thanks!

ahh, thanks for that keeping faith, I'll have a few bottles on hand and ready. :-)
Posted 2/4/2013 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
My arrival at the hospital is a bit of a blur. Not because of the drugs but because everything I do at 5 am is always a bit vague. There was a bit of paperwork to do. They put a couple of bands on my wrist. One had my identity and the other said I was allergic to penicillin.

Then the wife and I were sent down the hall and checked into pre-op. It was a big room with beds that had curtains you could close around them (with a chair, a table and a rack of medical instruments, too). They had me change into the drafty hospital garment and lay on the bed. Various nurses came and went, starting my IV and talking my vitals and chatting about where my wife could wait. Finally, when it was about time for the show the surgical team came in and introduced themselves. My doctor was there briefly then left to scrub up. I met the anesthesiologist, two young doctors who would assist, and a couple of nurses. Everybody was perky and upbeat. They promised to take good care of me. They seemed nice. I was scared sheetless. They unlocked the wheels of my bed and rolled me away.

That is actually the last thing I remember, the bed starting to move. I expect I saw the operating room and they knocked me out there but I don't remember it. Kinda bummed about that, actually. I've never seen a DaVinci machine in real life... that I remember, anyway.

Most of the rest of this was copied from my posting in another thread. If it seems familiar, that is why.

When I arrived in my room I was convinced that my catheter was plugged up. In retrospect it was bladder spasms but at the time it felt like my bladder was full to the bursting point.

The first couple of hours after surgery are tricky for pain control. Not all men get the bladder spasms, at least not to the same degree. Men who do will have a lot more pain. The reason those first few hours are tricky is that the best pain meds can't be given until the anesthesia has mostly worn off. If your surgery runs long and they need to give you a bit more juice to keep you under while they finish up then it starts the clock over for how long before the pain meds can start and increases the chances that you will wake up hurting.

Some of the drugs you get in surgery are amnesiacs. They prevent short-term memory from being saved to permanent memory. I don't remember the recovery room at all. I do remember the elevator, just a bit, I think. They had sent my wife ahead and she was waiting at the nurses station on my floor. She says she could hear me swearing two floors away, alternately using language that would make a sailor blush and apologizing for it.

The first couple of hours in the room were pretty rocky. I remember one nurse who wanted to get me up for a walk (they like to get patients up and walking as soon as possible). As I recall, I told her that was "not %*$&!! happening". Finally, the word came up from the keeper of the timetable that I was go for morphine and life got better.

Men who have a lot of post-op pain tend to get stuck in the hospital. When you have any sort of abdominal surgery the don't like to let you out of the hospital until they are convinced your bowels still work. They prefer that you defecate but, after a robotic prostatectomy they absolutely won't send you home until you fart for them. Opiates tend to be constipating. They quiet the motions of your intestines that tend to move things on through. You tend to bloat which adds to your pain. The drugs for the pain make the bloating worse. Eventually things will work out in the end (so to speak) but your overnight stay tends to turn into two or three days in the hospital.

But one gets through it. It doesn't happen most of the time.
Posted 2/4/2013 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
Assuming you are having robotic surgery? I had open surgery, and its very different in many ways, as I spent 4 1/2 days in the hospital during the hardest part post-surgery.

I was in a holding pattern in the pre-op, the OR my surgeon needed was running about 2 hours late, so the "la-la" med they put me on to chill me out wore off too soon. I fully remember being wheeled to the OR, and even assisted moving myself onto the operating table. I remember being very curious and talkative (don't think they were used to that). But when they put the mask over my face and told me to count from 100 backwards, I don't think I made it to 95.

When I woke in recovery, there was a beautiful angel of a nurse speaking softly too me. Least it seemed that way. I was on heavy morphine at the time, not a bad way to be. Was in recovery for a very long time, least a couple of more hours.

I remember a long bumpy ride to my room, several floors up in the hospital. The best part, was seeing my entire family (wife and kids) standing outside my hospital room greeting my return from "the other side". That made me feel wonderful.

Yeah, I remember too from pre-op, having a priest pray for me before being taken away. It was an option, being that I was in a Catholic hospital and being Catholic. That helped too.

My first 2 days were rough with lots of pain. But they did a great job between the morphine at first, than the diludid. By the 3rd day, I was much more conscious of everything, and slowly being on the mend.

With open surgery, you have one huge abdomen incision, so it really was hard to learn to walk again. Those first few walks after the first day were very hard on me, especially toting around the catheter bag and an IV stand.

I was well taken care of in every sense of the word. Considering what I went through, it was a positive experience. The first week at home, my wife stayed with me (she's a nurse, which really helped), and I spent most of the time either in bed, or making slow walks to the couch for a change of scenery. I ate very little during that time and lost a lot of weight.

The cath was annoying, but one gets use to it. I found, since I really couldn't go anywhere or drive the first 30 days, that I just kept the large night bag on most of the time. Much easier to deal with. A hard part was having to sleep only on my back, something I was not use to.

In my case, the cath was suppose to be in for 10 days, but due to surgical problems, was meant to be for 30 days. When I was told that, I was very visibly shaken and upset. Unknown to me, that was just the beginning, in the end, I had to be on the cath for 63 days post surgery. And that was before I got into an endless cycle of strictures at the bladder neck. But that is another story.

I had total faith in my surgeon, and I feel that is very important. If I didn't, I would have changed doctors at the least. He had a good reputation, and a lot of open surgeries under his belt.

All in all, my surgical experience was good, but unfortunately, looking back more than 4 years, that was the easy part in my very twisted PC journey.

I wish you the very best, and look forward to hearing how it went for you, when you get back on the "other side", the recovery side.

david in sc
Posted 2/4/2013 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
James,
I too was 47 when diagnosed. My surgery lasted around 6 hours. I was T2C going in. When I woke up, I remember loudly saying "Pain !!!!!". The nurse was right there and gave me something and I was out again. I also think they may have gave me too much antastesia because it just seemed like it took forever to really wake up good. The pain was a little more than I was expecting and I didn't feel like getting up and walking at all, although I did. It seemed like the pain also stayed with me longer than I expected for the next few days. I couldn't get any gas to come out and had to stay in there for 3 days until it did. I'm not overweight and in pretty good condition. The catheter for the next 7 days was a drag. Sometimes I would get up the wrong way I guess and the pressure would come back and felt like being shot with a bb gun! I recently had a friend who was at a worse stage and they removed both nerve bundles and he didnt have much pain when he came to..and.. got to go home like the next day. So I guess it varies with the individual.Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine.
Posted 2/4/2013 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
As far as surgeries go, mine was uneventful. I checked into the hospital at 12:00 noon, had my surgery done at 2:30 pm. I had some pain but not terrible. I was able to walk a little walking in the hospital. I was discharged at noon the next day with a prescription for bladder spasm and pain killers. I didn't use any of the pain killer but did have some bladder spasm for 2 days. By the 3rd day I was walking a mile. The worse part was the catheter. I had some blood in the urine for a week or so and some minor pain in one of my testicle. Once the catheter was removed, I started walking 3 miles.
Posted 2/4/2013 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
My experience not much different than already described. The surgeon brought in his whole team while i was laying in the prep room so they could each introduce themselves. Very thoughtful, except some of them were wearing University of Georgia pins and apparel. I requested those be removed or turned upside down which they did.

Just go ahead and remove all jewelry and watches and stuff and leave them at home. I left everything except my wedding ring and they made me take that off and give it to the wife. She kept it and never gave it back after I proved to her beyond a shadow of a doubt I did not have ED. Then I got it back.

They knocked me out right there in the little private prep room. When they gave me the shot last thing I remember is all my family prodding me to find out what I was going to give them for Christmas. Best I can remember I almost told them where they could go before I blacked out. The transition from fully awake to realizing you are in the recovery room is like turning off and turning on a light. Absolutely incredibly weird. And yes, your face will swell up like a jack o lantern. One thing that happened to me in the recovery room that I have not heard anyone else describe is that my eyes were extremely dry and itchy. Terribly so. In my recovery stupor I did not realize I was rubbing them so much and I inadvertently must have stuck myself in the eye with some of the attached paraphernalia. Cut my cornea deeply. My eye hurt way more than the place where my prostate used to be. Cost me an extra day in the hospital. But entirely my own fault. My advice is if your eyes itch, get someone to wash the crud out and clean them very first thing you do and drink every fluid you can get when you get where you can.
Posted 2/4/2013 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
funny!

not the eye part.
Posted 2/4/2013 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I should have mentioned it, I'll be having the DaVinci robot surgery. Although I had to get cardiac clearance.

While I'm no stranger to OR and recovery rooms, Mandibular surgery (jaw), Appendectomy, Laparoscopic knee surgery and coronary stent, however this is a slightly different beast, and to be honest, scaring the pee pee out of me. Not the stories, but just the thought of having to have that surgery.
So far my biggest concerns, are intubation, the gas pains and the catheter. :-\

The replies have been helpful. I'll be making a list of ?'s to go over at pre op.
I don't like getting blind sided, I like being prepared.

Thanks
Posted 2/5/2013 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I highly recommend reading this thread before your surgery There are lots of good tips and tricks.

The Really Useful List made by HW people for HW people:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=1717641

Good luck with your surgery, and let us know how you make out.
Posted 2/5/2013 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
iSpark: interesting what men remember from their surgery. Here's some info from a wife's point of view:

Hubby was a bit cranky day before because he couldn't eat. No problem. He had to be at the hospital at noon and surgery was scheduled for 4 pm. Got my husband dressed and he was grumpy...no coffee on top of no food does not a happy hubby make. A friend drove us to the hospital, and we reported to the surgical registration area. Filled out forms, answered questions, handed over the insurance card...quick and painless so far. Told to sit back in the waiting area and wait to be called. Shortly after taking our seats, a nurse came out to get us. Now it gets a bit more interesting.

Go into the pre-op area. Hubby was handed the hospital gown and shown to a bed. Of course I helped him: folded his clothes up nice and neat, took his wallet out of his pants pocket and tucked it safely away in my purse. They wanted him to take off his wedding band but we couldn't get the darn thing off (guess my cooking really is that good!). To avoid it falling off during surgery (are you kidding me), they wound surgical tape around his ring finger...nice touch. Next up, putting in the IV line...poor hubby was really getting nervous now. They got the lines in with no problem but my husband was afraid to bend his arm! He layed there in bed with his arm out like he was saluting someone. The nurse finally coaxed him into relaxing his arm. I made the mistake of saying to the nurse "the doctor said the surgery would take a couple of hours". She looked at me, with a straight face, and said "never ask a surgeon how long the operation will take. The OR is booked for 6 hours." I gasped...the surgery was starting at 4:00 and I was already exhausted.

Shortly after this, the surgeon walks in with the anesthesiologist...we've known the surgeon a few years and like him alot. The anesthesiologist explains the procedure for general anesthesia as well as the morphine line they put in. He asked my husband how he was doing..."I have a headache and I'm hungry and I didn't have coffee this morning" (geez, give it a rest fella). Anyway, the anesthesiologist assured John that it wouldn't be long before he was put "under" then all his problems would disappear. Waiting for my husband to be taken into the OR was difficult, and he was getting crankier and crankier by the minute. I finally went out to find the anesthesiologist...a compassionate and patient man...and asked if there was something he could give my husband to "make him happy." "No problem...I have a room full of drugs here". He comes into the room with a syringe, says to my husband "I hear you're anxious" (husband says "no, just hungry"), plunges the syringe into the IV line, and a peaceful calm descends over the room. My husband lays his head back on the pillow and closes his eyes. I look across the bed at the anesthesiologist, roll up my sleeve, and ask him if there's any "happy juice" left in the syringe for me! He just smiled, and walked out of the room (so much for compassionate and patient).

Since nothing in a hospital ever seems to be "on schedule," they didn't come to take John to the OR until about 4:30. While John was a happy camper (who wouldn't be with liquid Valium flowing through their veins?), I was disintegrating minute by minute because I just wanted it over with. Finally, the moment arrives, and the OR nurse (a real sweetie) came to take John into the OR staging area...I stood there and watched him being wheeled away and the tears fell. Fortunately, he didn't see them and fortunately I had a close friend and my sister-in-law there with me. We walked back to the waiting area...and sat and waited for almost 5 hours.

The OR nurse asked me for my cell phone number and told me to go out and get some dinner. She told me she'd call me when the surgery was about half finished to let me know how things were going. True to her word, she called while I was at dinner and told me that John was doing beautifully and the surgeon said the operation was proceeding smoothly.

Back to the hospital waiting room...we sat there til about 9:15 that evening when the surgeon finally came out. He told me everything went very well and that John did beautifully. My first question was "did you find any surprises" (translation: is the disease worst than you thought?). His answer, with a smile, was "no." He hugged me, told me I could see John in about 5 minutes but that it had to be a very quick visit, and then ordered me to go home and get some sleep.

about 10 minutes later, the Recovery Room nurse called me to say I could come in and see John but only for a minute or two. She then asked me if the surgeon had explained about my husband's swollen head (my first thought was which one is she talking about?) and the blood in the urine collection bag (Oh God, I don't want to see this!). Mustering up my courage I walked into the Recovery Room...the nurse pointed to John's bed and I stopped short with shock written all over my face ("that's not my husband, that's the Great Pumpkin from Charlie Brown fame"). Now I knew which head she was talking about: the one that sits on top of my husband's shoulders was twice the size of his normal head. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The nurse assured me that by the next morning, he'd be pretty much back to normal (which he was, by the way). The urine bag was a nasty sight but we wont' go there.

I finally left the hospital around 10:00 that night...exhausted but glad that this nightmare was coming to an end (I didn't know yet about surgical pathology reports!). The following morning I arrived at the hospital to find my dear John sitting up in bed, still complaining that he didn't have any coffee and that he was hungry, but in no pain. In spite of the OR nurse's caution that many men experienced abdominal pain from the CO2 that's pumped into the stomach during laproscopic surgery, my husband had none of that. The surgeon and anesthesiologist came to check on John, and removed the drain (yuck) as well as the morphine line since John hadn't used it during the night. The rest of his hospitalization proceeded smoothly (except for the lack of solid food and coffee, which he couldn't have yet).

John hated the catheter but not because of any pain...just because he didn't like having it in him.

If you want to know what happened next (the ride home, dealing with catheters, convincing my husband to take a shower, and receiving the pathology report) let me know...I'd be happy to share our experiences.
Posted 2/5/2013 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Sephie and Jazzman1

Sephie,
uhh, not looking forward to that part about the tears flowing. I've actually thought about that moment for a long time now. It's not getting any easier. I hope they have knocked me out by that time.
As much as I fear this, I know Gail will be, as much too.

Jazzman1,
Yep, found that the other day. Been reading through it.
Posted 2/5/2013 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
iSpark, I suspect that your Gail has already shed a tear or two...it's all part of the process. In my case, the tears shed at the hospital were partly due to exhaustion (I had spent the 7 weeks from biopsy to surgery worrying, thinking, researching, wondering, etc.) and partly due to pride in how well my husband was handling it all. While I had no idea what was waiting for either of us "on the other side," I was grateful to know that he was in good hands and that finally we were doing something other than waiting.

You'll do fine and so will Gail.
Posted 2/5/2013 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
Spark

My day of wasn't much different than most of the others. My surgery did take a lot longer than expected I was in the OR for 6 hours but didn't know it until later. My poor wife had to stay in the hospital waiting room that whole time. I had a complication from scar tissue from an appendectomy when I was 8 years old. Several of my organs were attached to the scar tissue and it took my surgeon 2 hours to get through the tissue. That first day was a blur but my wife made the mistake of leaving me my cell phone and I must have drunk called a lot of my family and friends that afternoon as I heard about it from them for weeks after. I had no memory o doing any of that.

The first night I was surprised when the hospital gave me a full solid dinner at about 8pm and I was so hungry. This was about the only thing I remember from that day. I was on pain meds only that first night as I had read about how scrip pain meds can make you so constipated and that was the last thing I wanted.  The next morning my son came to visit me and he helped me get out of bed for the first time and start walking the hospital halls, the more I walked the better I felt too. I was discharged at 1pm and the worst part of the whole surgery thing began, the 4 mile ride home was nothing but excruciating pain as I felt every bump and pebble my wife ran over in the car. I was so thankful I lived only 4 miles from the hospital. After getting home I never took any thing more for pain other than Advil which did a great job of pain control and I had my first BM that  2nd afternoon.  Thankfully the stool softeners I took did their job.

As I look back the surgery was not as bad as I thought it would be and the lack of pain was surprising. Recovery was a breeze and I was back doing almost anything I wanted 3 weeks after the RP. I was 100% continent and pad free on week 3 but never used more than 2 pads any day after the rubber snake was removed, and I was dry every night but still wore an adult diaper just in case. I took about 90 days before I got most of my energy back but I experienced a total energy drain about 4pm every day for a good 6 months after surgery. For my business I tried to do most of my work in the mornings and I was finished by 3pm if possible.

If you would like to talk to me in person about the surgery send me an email and I will send you my phone number. I did not find HW until 2 months after my surgery and I didn't know anybody who had a RP until then. I did a lot of reading so I knew what to expect but that personal interaction would have been nice.

Terry

Posted 2/5/2013 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
I had a fairly good time, if such a concept is possible.
I felt very odd after recovery, but that is what in was told as I don't remember it, thus it was a good idea that I had asked my wife to take a couple of photos as soon as I ws brought back to the ward. I may have looked fine several hours after surgery, but a couple of hiours afterwards I looked awful. So it works the other way too, warn your partner you may look bad, but that you wioll improve very rapidly.
I was also very dopy from the drugs. I was visited by the surgeon and spoken to about the operation, but couldn't remember any of that.
I also had a tube up my nose for extra oxygen, but thought it was my earphone from my MP3 playing and stuck it in my ear.
I also talked a load of jibberish.
I also snored while I was awake!
So make sure you have someone to be with you top stop you doing daft stuff

I was operated on between about 11 and 2.30 and back in the ward by 4. I was fine by about 5 and able to eat an evening meal at 7pm!!! And left the hospital at about 7pm the next day.
Only unpleasant thing was feeling dizzy during the night, but the nurses said I should have rung for them and they'd have given me some meds for it.

And make the most of the controls to move the bed about so you don't have to use muscles to adjust your position

All the best on the day

Alf
Posted 2/5/2013 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
I briefed through the other guys experience, pre op mine was similar. Post op apparently much different. Woke up in recovery feeling like a puppy playing in a field of clover. That has great! took a long time to get a room so that lasted 3 or 4 hours, I was still happy but wife was not. First night was good, next day got up with some difficulty and walked a couple of times, catheter was good, not even noticeable then, got in the car for the trip home. This was not so good. Ride was OK but all the fluids they dripped in where coming out and thirty minutes into the trip the leg bag they installed was completely full and about to bust, or so it looked. Trip was about two hours total and had to drain at least twice more. Word of caution, don't let them hook the leg bag straight to your catheter, you will find that it is difficult to manage unless it has an extension tube and the bag is put on your calf, like it's supposed to be. Like the other guy's said, some loose fitting sweat pants or other type if it has Zipper calfs for access to drain the bag. You will need them again when you leave the house unless you want to look like the people in the "WalMart People" pictures. good luck and take one day at a time. Don't walk a bunch till you get the catheter out.
Posted 2/5/2013 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
this was a lovely film. I watched it in Toronto with my son. We had no idea it was about a young man who gets cancer. During this scene we bot lost it. A lot about this scenes reminds me of that day.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG6BWddCJ4k
Posted 2/5/2013 10:12 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks to everyone who posted.  I was about to make the same request as I have made the decision to have surgery as well (da vanci).  I can't say it has put my mind at ease but at least I have an idea of what is in store for me.  My surgery is scheduled for February 14.  I just want to get this nightmare over....what am I saying....the nightmare is never really over.  First the pathology report and what secrets it might hold and then the regular PSA testing and the hope and fear it holds every few months.  It sounds like a cruel, cruel joke.  To those ahead of me in the surgery line...good luck!  Hope we can all share good stories over the next few weeks and months.

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