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Artficial Urinary Sphincter installed Friday 4/11 Activated, now dry!!!!

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Posted 4/11/2014 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Well, after 21 months of dribbling, and I don't mean basketball, I am having an AUS installed.

I was accepting my fate that I was going to leak and not gain continence. I accepted that I was just one of the unlucky ones. A few months ago my leaking started to increase and I started to investigate a solution to this problem.

I started reading about a sling and thought I would talk to one of my urologist about having one installed. After my visit with him, I walked out of his office with a date to have an AUS installed instead of a sling. What just happened?

He had convinced me that the AUS was the "Gold Standard" in correcting incontinence problems. He said it would take him about 50 minutes to install, the same length of time it would take him to put in a sling but he quoted his success rate at 92% compared to the average of 60% with a sling.

This doctor was recommended to me by my surgeon Dr. Vipul Patel, the master of the DaVinci. He had taught Dr. Patel at the Univ. of Miami and he taught my regular urologist also. He specializes in incontinence issues for both male and female.

So, tomorrow, I go under the knife again. I will keep you all up to date in the coming days and weeks. Thanks to all you guys who helped me make this decision by telling your stories, you know who you are. That is what this wonderful forum is all about.

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 4/11/2014 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Bill, here's wishing you the best and a very positive outcome from your procedure. Good Luck Big Mac!
Posted 4/11/2014 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
We will be thinking of you and hope this surgery will do the trick.
Posted 4/11/2014 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
Bill all the guys I know that got this done really liked it. I don't know of any fails but I do know of a replacement or two. They don't last forever but they are much improved in recent years.

it was great seeing you in Florida and I wish you all the best.
Posted 4/11/2014 4:44 AM (GMT 0)
Bill, wishing you the best tomorrow and hoping the AUS gives you the control you've been wanting for the past 21 months. I may be following you in having the procedure done sometime in the coming weeks. I'm meeting with my uro on April 23 for a cystoscopy and a discussion of my options, i.e., sling, AUS or whatever. Like you, I've given up on getting dry without some surgical intervention.

Mike
Posted 4/11/2014 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
Bill,
Big Mac we'll try to survive without you on Friday although it will be hard without your helpful good natured wit. I wish you the best!! You are a DO-Er and certainly are no wuus!
Bill idea
Posted 4/11/2014 8:26 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck Bill.
Posted 4/11/2014 9:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys, just woke up and headed to the hospital in a few minutes. Will post updates for you and especially the guys who are considering the same path.

Tony, I haven't forgotten sending you the photo of the shuttle heading to the launch pad. Looks like I will have some free time this next week to do that.

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 4/11/2014 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
hi bill,

 I hope things go great for you, i'll be thinking of you and sending dry thoughts and prayers.

good-luck

carl 

Posted 4/11/2014 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
Bill, good luck. I hope this does the trick! Will look forward to your updates.

Jim
Posted 4/11/2014 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Best wishes Bill.

Jack

Posted 4/11/2014 2:25 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck, and a speedy recovery, Bill, my friend.

David
Posted 4/11/2014 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. I am in pre-op waiting my turn. Dr. is doing the surgery before me right now. I am next. Getting ready to enter la la land.

Thanks David, my friend.

Bill
Posted 4/11/2014 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hope things went well for you. Let us know how you are doing.
Posted 4/11/2014 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
See you on the other side Bill!
Best
Bob
Posted 4/12/2014 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
Got home from the hospital about 1 1/2 hours ago. very painful 1 hour drive home from Miami. Already feeling better, got a bag of frozen peas between my legs now, oh, what a relief.

I have a bowl of ice cream waiting on me, haven't eaten in 22 hours.

More detailed update tomorrow. I am one step closer to being a bionic man!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 4/12/2014 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
Bill, I am glad to hear that the surgery went well and you are home. R&R is the order of the day (week) and I pray that everything goes extremely well.

Sonny
Posted 4/12/2014 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Sonny, I saw your post about your PSA result on Facebook and I typed a congrats on the way home from the hospital. I was in a lot of pain at the time but I had to send my best wishes. So happy for you.

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 4/12/2014 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Way to go Big Mac, you made it. Congrats!
Posted 4/12/2014 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Bill, I"m glad to hear you're on the other side of that operation and are resting at home now. I'll be following your progress as you post here on the forum. I'm hoping for a painless and smooth journey through to activation and dryness!

Mike
Posted 4/12/2014 1:59 AM (GMT 0)

Big Mac said...
Got home from the hospital about 1 1/2 hours ago. very painful 1 hour drive home from Miami. Already feeling better, got a bag of frozen peas between my legs now, oh, what a relief.

I have a bowl of ice cream waiting on me, haven't eaten in 22 hours.

More detailed update tomorrow. I am one step closer to being a bionic man!

Bill from Florida cool

All righty then, Bill! I am envious of you, man! After only 6 weeks of being wet and a total wuss about it, I think you must be a saint or superman to have put up with 21 months! God bless you, man, may your AUS be the cat's meow!

Bill
Posted 4/12/2014 12:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hope you're feeling better this morning. 21 months of dealing with the leaking is just too much! Keep us posted on your progress, please. DH is schedule for the procedure on April 28.
Posted 4/12/2014 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
Bill, Im glad to hear the surgery went well. Learning about the AUS was the one thing that put my mind at ease about choosing surgery over radiation to treat my cancer. My primary care Dr's father is having one put in for the same reasons - just cant get a handle on the incontinence. Keep us posted on your impressions.
Best of luck to you in your new (and dryer) recovery
Posted 4/12/2014 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Day 2 - feeling 50% better today. Slept about 3 1/2 hours last night and then watched TV for awhile. I think the pain meds were wearing off. Fell back to sleep for 2 more hours.

I have a catheter for the weekend, get it taken out on Monday. If the surgery was any other day, I could have had it removed the next day.
I am glad I didn't get rid of the basketball pants that button up the side that I got for my DaVinci surgery. Putting the catheter in a plastic bucket next to the bed like before. I had everything arranged on my side of the bed expecting the catheter to be put on the right side but found it is on the left side this time. My wife had to move the table with all my "stuff" over to the other side of the bed.

I found it more comfortable to lay in bed than sitting in a recliner. The incision between my legs hurts the most. My surgeon recommended putting a bag of frozen peas between my legs. Wilie and the Po Boys are in shock. Willie has shrunk and the Po Boys have tripled in size. This is like deja vu. Went through these symptoms after Da Vinci surgery. In order to get over it, you have to go through it.

I am glad I had bought an adjustable bed years ago. I just push a button to adjust it until I feel comfortable, another GFMPH (good for my prostate health). For any of you guys considering having an AUS installed, hit up your loved one with the phrase, "Honey, it would be GFMPH to have an adjustable bed!"

Taking stool softeners and watching what I eat, with that incision so close, I don't want to have to strain for my first bowel movement.

My surgeon gave me a booklet to read that comes with the AMS800. It also includes a sample of the control button so I can see what I will be pushing.

I ordered a medic alert dog tag to wear. My surgeon said I needed to have one in case of an emergency to notify any medical personnel that I have an AUS installed and to not use a catheter. There was a great web site with all kinds of bracelets and necklaces, some pretty neat looking ones. They have come a long way.

Thanks for all best wishes everyone. Hopefully this will help my QOL once it gets activated. I read a lot of previous threads by some of you about your experiences and I hope to "Pay Forward" myself for anyone considering this treatment plan to help end their incontinence.

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 4/12/2014 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
Now you won't feel guilty about peeing in the surf. You will be doing it as an act of will. I hope you can get back into the water soon.
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