Open Surgery Done - Recovering

I had abdominal soreness, but nothing like crushing chest pain and difficulty breathing. I haven't read about that kind of symptom from our brothers, that I recall. Perhaps extreme bloat?
Sounds like it might be worth calling your doctor over those symptoms.

Welcome to the other side and I hope the pain subsides quickly!

Mikey

Shoulder pain yes very bad it was worse there than any other spot still get trouble
with them 4 yrs on .Glad for you it is all over now look towards to the future and a long healthy life.
English Rodger.

Gunner34,

Yes the shoulder pain was excruciating! The pain is caused by the carbon dioxide used to inflate your abdomen gas migrating up to your shoulders. It happened the second and third nights after surgery. My pain from surgery was controlled by Aleve and Tylenol without any problem, but the shoulder pain I had to take an Oxycontin for some relief and to be able to sleep.

If gas is the problem, walking will help. My doctor is a strong believer that walking - with the benefits of gravity and movement - gets the bowels working so you can expel the gas. So walk walk walk and drink drink drink - and soon your problems will be "behind" you!

Mikey

Gunner had open surgery folks, like I did. So there aren't any gas issues from the surgery.

The pain you describe was pretty typical for me after my open surgery in 2008. I was in the hospital for 4 1/2 days, would have stayed longer, but insurance said no. Doctor tried to get an extra day, but didn't happen.

Had the shoulder pain, and since I had had major abmondimal surgery in the past, had a lot of pain in that area. Even to sit up was a painful struggle. Took a lot of morphine and Dilauid the first few days in the hospital via IV to get through the worse of it.

Good luck as you continue to recover, it should slowly improve for you.

David

Good to seeing you progressing well on the other side.

Well, I was discharged from the hospital yesterday and made it home for about 2 hours before I went back to my local ER. I was experiencing excruciating pain in my stomach, back and chest. They felt there was a bowel obstruction, so we drove back to Rochester and readmitted. I met with the doctor and received a push button for pain relief.

On call doctor discussed putting a tube in my nose to drain the air & gas that appeared to be collecting. It's amazing how a comment like that can get your bowels moving. I finally passed gas as we were talking and I asked for some time to get it resolved before moving to more invasive measures.

Well, after a couple suppositories, hydration, more walking, and quite a bit of focus, I think I am back on track. Feeling glad to be home again and looking forward to catching up to all of you who have graduated from the catheter leash!

Gunner
its amazing how excess gas can be so painful. I remember being over the moon after my first bm. Your on the downhill slope now; good luck!
Bob

Good luck and God Bless Brother. Had my procedure on 8 January 2014 in Syracuse New York. Recovery went quite well, but 8 days since catheter removal, I am totally incontinent, and it sucks... Stay with it and hang tough, we have a growing Brotherhood, one which I knew I would belong with a strong family history. Diagnosed at 52 years, T1c, PSA elevated to 4.3 from previous years physical from 2.7. (2) biopsies, July 2013 and October 2013 finally found the cancer. Post op pathology is good, cancer elevated to T2c, Gleason 6, negative margins, negative in seminal vesicles, no lymph node removal. First follow up PSA is in February. Good luck. This incontinence is putting over the edge, especially after 3 months of Kegels prior to the procedure and resuming them 8 days ago...

Lotsa & SB,
Did you guys feel the need to urinate when you had the catheter in?
I suppose it matters more how you felt after the cath was removed and how your body is reacting to it now?
Thanks guys,

I needed, or felt the need to urinate for all ten days of my catheter period. Phoned the surgeons office because I leaked urine up the urethra outside the catheter. All nirmal. Hang tough. Bob

Hey
Leaking a few weeks after cath pull sucks but it is normal, give it time. As far as drinking less I tried that too and it did not work. Stay hydrated and let your bladder fill till you get the I got to pee signal. When I was early on I needed that signal for the urinary sphincter to close down so I leaked less. Give it a try


"Leak like a fire hose when standing. No control and no urge to urinate. Laying prone, I still leak, but my bladder is able to fill, the urge comes, and I can make it to the bathroom and empty. Feels good, and hope this is a sign of progress." Yes, that's progress!


Good luck and know it will get better in a few weeks