Have a traveling ? da vinci 5/16 post day 4

another recliner night.  the thought of laying flat and then having to sit up kinda scares me.  but I am not as sore, stronger also in that I can get up easier and faster now.  walked 1/2 mi at one time this a m.  tired me out.  so I just spend my time between walking, recliner and going to table or bathroom.  Had my first BM since surgery this a m.  stool softeners really helped and putting feet up about 4 inches also.  do have some discomfort in scrotum area.  more like pressure there. cath comes out on the 28th and that thing wont be missed.  wife taking good care of me and  I try to be a good patient.  Do have a question.  We are scheduled for a 5500 mi trip starting 11 days after foley out.  1300 in first 3 days ( a marathon  considering) then only a 2 to 300 a day for 3 weeks before another marathon.  Dr. says prob. be ok to go if I can control incontinence.  Do some of you have any ideas or experience with long distance car travel so soon after surgery (3

+ weeks )  thanks guys.  

Age 64 pretty good physical shape. No other health issues.

I had a 45 mile one way road trip exactly one month out, and had to change pads more than once along the way. The big problem was the shape of the car seat and the road vibrations. By the two month mark I was able to drive for myself, but was still leaking like a river. A normally 5 hour 325 mile trip took 9 hours, and I now know every good restroom on that road.

I would just remind you that if you every complained to the wife or kids that they didn't seem to be able to pass a rest stop, you may catch the blowback all in one trip.

One point - since you are not far out of surgery, you'll want to be getting out of the car and walking around a few minutes every hour or so just to keep the circulation going. You can use that as an "and while I'm up" excuse if needed for the toilet stop.

Just be prepared. You may walk out dry as a stone (I hope so for you), but my example is also possible. Just think, if it were air travel, you'd have the opportunity to embarass the life out of the poor TSA lady as she tries to figure out what that big dense area in your carryon is. Been there, done that. Offered her a pad "just in case". Probably will be the only time in my life that I've gotten one up on them -

I slept in my own bed each night. Don't have a recliner.

I would think the trip would be generally doable if you recover at a normal rate. You'll need another driver to switch off with at least part of the time. Driving limits the positions you can assume and guys who are recovering from prostate surgery tend to get uncomfortable sitting in one position for a long time. The passenger seat is more conducive to squirming while looking for a more comfortable position.

When you are packing for the trip you should assume you will be two times as incontinent as you think you are. If you are using two pads a day at home, plan for four a day while you are traveling. The pull up incontinence underpants hold a lot more than the pads do which makes them a good choice for traveling except for one thing: it's hard to change your underwear without taking off your shoes and taking off your shoes in a gas station men's room is not something that anyone wants to do. Wearing pads inside your pullups is a good compromise -- usually you can just change out the pad in the men's room but you have the extra protection of the pull ups in the event that the next rest area is just a couple of miles too far down the road.

Steve, the physical improvements are indeed a daily occurrence. It's pretty amazing how quickly we start to heal. It's all a process you will master. That may include potential incontinence and ED, that too is a process you'll embark on soon. Then there is the psychological part of the process. But if you're already planning to and looking forward to a road trip i'd say you're already well on your way with that aspect of the process.

The cath is a major pain, certainly annoying to have it fall on a national holiday and have to deal with the delay. But once that think is out it's like winning the lottery, you have something to look forward to.

What would you be driving to CO, a car or one of those big campers with bathroom and couches inside?

Oooooh, that sound like fun. You gotta go. Clearly a GFMPH* activity. Tell your wife she will have to pack lightly because you will need half the T-bird's trunk for you pee pads and pull ups.

We will want pictures. (Of the Thunderbirds, not the pee pads -- we've seen those before.)

We drove 1000 miles in 2 days back to Illinois from Houston 28 days after my surgery. It was tough in our minivan. We had a place for me to lay down in the back but that was worse than sitting or driving. I feel pretty good doing daily activities like mowing the lawn but driving and riding I just can't get comfortable. I think it may be because of the pad.