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Posted 1/22/2014 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys. Surgery Coming up Monday. I'm assuming when the surgeon is through with me and I am in recovery he will speak to my wife. What questions does she need to ask? Other than how did it go? Thanks David
Posted 1/22/2014 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Looking forward to seeing you on the other side..

One thing I didn't know before hand is that they tilt the operating table with your head down....so a lot of blood flows there and you might be all puffy when the wife see's you...

Just have the little Mrs listen to what the doc says and maybe she'll think of some questions and she can go from there.
Posted 1/22/2014 3:04 PM (GMT 0)
Having been through this enough times, I'm guessing the surgeon will proactively give all the key data, but in emotional times, your wife (you might also be awake but groggy) may want to be prepared to take some notes, either while he's there or immediately after he departs before emotion clouds memory.
But you want to know if the cancer was contained within the prostate capsule, what he thought about surrounding tissue (did he take any lymph nodes or other samples?), and, of course, if he spared one or both nerves. She may prod him to ask if there were anything at all that seemed unusual or anything about the reconstruction process that you should be aware of during recovery.
Good luck! Please keep us in the loop in your progress and, of course, ask anything at all.

Mikey
Posted 1/22/2014 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Mikey,

Those are all excellent questions but, candidly, not that useful in the recovery room. The patient will not merely be groggy from the drugs but he will probably still be incapable of moving memories to long term storage. He simply will not remember anything you tell him and his wife will be freaked out. Any notes either of them take will not make any sense the next day. The best time to ask those questions is when the surgeon visits the room to see how the patient is doing. That is a good time to go through your list of questions and it helps to have them written down.
Posted 1/22/2014 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Just be sure your wife charges her cell phone the night before. yeah

Seriously, just how it went, did your surgeon get it all, how long will you be in recovery, when will you get a room.

We set up an account at Caring Bridge.com a week before surgery. It is free and makes it easy to report your progress and recovery. You can even use a blue Prostate Cancer ribbon on your front page wallpaper. My wife went on it after speaking to my surgeon and posted what the surgeon said and when I would be out of recovery. This saved her time not having to call relatives and co-workers about my progress. We used it for a week after surgery giving updates, posting pictures and keeping a journal. Co-workers sent me an edible arrangement. We took a picture of me with it and posted it so they can see I got it. I wrote out "THANK YOU" on a piece of paper for the photo.

Your wife will be busy worrying about you, Caring Bridge saves you and her a lot of time and documents how things went those days prior and after surgery. I printed mine out and kept it like a journal.

Good luck, you'll do fine. We'll see you on the other side!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 1/22/2014 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
My husband's surgeon met with me immediately after his surgery. I had a pad with me to take notes, which was very useful. His surgeon told me the details of his cancer - extra-prostatic extension in one area but clear margins, negative lymph nodes - which all turned out to be accurate, per the pathology report.

My husband had met with his ED specialist, Dr. Mulhall, before his surgery. Dr. Mulhall's PA told my husband that his surgeon would meet with me directly after the surgery and suggested that I get the exact details (in numerical terms) of the extent of nerves spared at that time. My husband had me prepared to ask his surgeon about the degree of nerves spared. My husband's surgeon gave me the numerical categorization of his nerves spared (1 to 1 and 1/2 on one side and 2 on the other). This was the best time to get this information as it was fresh in the surgeon's mind, and was not as specifically explained in the surgical report.
Posted 1/22/2014 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
Well I am done with surgery and at home resting.
Hurts like heck pain meds kickin in. Surgeon
Won't know anything for a couple days.
He said he was pleased with surgery. I have
Five holes into waist. But up and slowly walking.
Thanks for all ideas. It is just me no wife. But good support
Group. Catheter is no fun. Come on Monday
I will keep updates on this thread once again
Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Posted 1/22/2014 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
Redcan,
I made a thread for you so you can get some responses directed to you.

Bill from Florida cool
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