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

Beth, congrats on your upcoming retirement, I am envious. If you stay home with your husband through the following weekend, he should be on his way by then. Yeah, my wife slept, if you can call it that, on one of those sleeper chairs for the DaVinci. We also live 1 hour away from the hospital where I had the AUS installed. Luckily, on the way out the door for the surgery, I grabbed a memory foam bed pillow to sit on on the way home after surgery. That drive home afterwards really was uncomfortable. If we were going to leave during rush hour traffic, we considered staying in a motel overnight.

Actually, since I posted earlier, I feel a lot better today. I showered and shaved and feel pretty good. I still find it difficult to sit upright in a chair and be comfortable. I experimented sitting on a inflatable round donut and a "u" shaped neck brace pillow. Both work pretty well since you do not have pressure on Willie and the Po Boys. I guess I am running out of things to do now.

Neo,
Thanks for stopping by. I read a lot of your previous post among others, before I had my surgery. I am just trying to "pay forward" like you and others did to help the next guy who is fighting incontinence and is looking for a solution. So I sound pretty normal after about 1 week?

I fell asleep for an afternoon nap today. My wife said my pre-op nurse called to see how I was doing. She was great during my nearly 4 hours in pre-op due to delays in surgeries before me. We kidded, laughed and she raved about my surgeon. She even put an aromatic fragrant on my chest in a small satchel while I laid in peo-op. She said her sister had bladder cancer and she wants her to see my doctor about a AUS to help her out.

Bill from Florida

Jhuno,

Welcome aboard Healing Well! I see this is your first post and I appreciate your input. I dug out the old donut cushion I bought for my DaVinci today and I can see that it will help when sitting on a hard seat.
Glad to hear the AUS is working for you now and the pain was worth it.

Good luck to you with your new friend, the AMS800!

Bill from Florida

Well is has been a week to the day since I had the AUS installed and I am still sore. I wasn't prepared for that but who is? Today has been my best day, woke up feeling better, took a 1 mile walk, doc said not to over do the walking. Walked another mile later in the day. I tried to move around more without lifting to much today. Sat out in the living room on a donut cushion on my recliner. The adjustable bed is still more comfortable because you can get in more positions and take the weight off my groin area.

The weird thing is I stopped leaking the evening the catheter came out and the AUS is not even activated yet. Could be putting the cuff around the urethra stopped the leaking in itself. We'll see what happens in the next 6 weeks.

Very uncomfortable riding in the car. I am trying various pillow combinations to see what works best so I can try to make it back to work on Monday in get on with my life.

Bill from Florida

Well, I jinxed myself. 1 hour after writing the last post, I wet my pad. But that us the first pad I have had to change since Monday night so
I am encouraged. That is the driest I have been since before my DaVinci 21 months ago and the AUS is not even activated.

I think this is going to work!

Bill from Florida

Hi Mike,
I asked the doctor about walking and he said 10-15 minutes at a time. I have been walking about 3 miles at a time before the recent surgery so I am just doing 1 mile twice a day until he tells me different.

Bill from Florida

Bill,
Your lack of leaking at first and now some dribble may have something to do with swelling. When I had my sling installed I was dry at first and then started leaking when the swelling went down. I think I had the same experience with the AUS but honestly can't recall for sure.

I would not worry about more leaking prior to activation. You will be dry after.

Great thread good luck Bill. Its wonderful to get the detail as we are probably all curious.

Hi Beth,
No, I haven't started back to work. Going back Saturday. I am in sales and I work Saturday thru Wednesday. Got my okay to return to work form emailed to me by the surgeon today.

I am not suppose to lift more than 10 lbs. so I did a lot of heavy work around the house before the surgery. Still difficult sitting. Took my wife out for dinner last Saturday night for our wedding anniversary and was very uncomfortable sitting in the restaurant. Adjusted myself about every couple of minutes. Can't very well carry a donut cushion in with me. Went out tonight for dinner and the same thing. Driving the car I put a u shaped neck pillow on a small pillow to cushion myself. Sometimes getting out of the car I feel a pain in my stomach where the large incision is.

Swelling gone down but still tender. Today I started leaking like I used to before the surgery. I was doing a lot of walking in stores while shopping, in and out of my car.

Each day is better now but I am aware all day long of the incisions.
It almost like a constant burning sensation, like a sunburn where the sun don't shine.

I keep reminding myself that in less than 6 weeks, this 22 month long journey will be over. The leaking today just reinforces that.

When is the big day for DH?

Bill from Florida

Beth,
Well I wish you both the best of luck Monday. Get in, get out, get it over with, finally! Since it is a Monday surgery he will not have the catheter but 1 day. YEAH!

Buy him 2 bags of frozen peas for the swelling, he'll be glad you did.

See you on the other side and will welcome him to the
"Pee Button Club".

Bill from Florida

Dyank, it might be a good idea to bring several types of incontinence products to the surgery. In addition to his usual (probably pads) be sure to bring some absorbent briefs like depends. This is just for the trip home as car riding will most likely be uncomfortable.

Went to work today for the first time after surgery. I wore 2 pairs of underwear like someone suggested. One to hold my pad in and one to tuck my undershirt in so it didn't rub the incision. Worked pretty good and the extra padding helped also.

Co-workers very interested but none wanted to see the incisions.

Still uncomfortable sitting. Brought a neck pillow shaped like a U to sit on in hard chairs. Swelling has gone down but incisions are tender. I didn't have any idea it would last this long. Why do doctors not prepare patients better so they know what to expect? Do they think we will change our minds about the treatment if we knew how we would feel the weeks after surgery? All I knew was they would install the AUS, then I would wait 6 weeks before he would activate it. Never said, you had to wait until your balls stop from being swollen like a grapefruit and your incisions stop from hurting which could take all of the 6 weeks.

I can kind of see where the controller in my testicle is but can't tell exactly where one end is or the other. Am I still swollen but by the time I get it activated, Will I be able to tell then? I have this fear that the first day, I won't be able to open the cuff to pee. My doctor said he has a test with every patient to be sure they can do it, but right now, it is kind of just in there and I can't tell what direction. Did all of you that have one do okay once it was activated?

Bill from Florida

Beth,
Good luck to you and hubby. I'll say a little prayer for you both tonight.
Tomorrow will be just the beginning of the end of the dribbles.
It will be a little rough at first but the pain will level off to a bearable level then home free in a couple of weeks.

Gosh, I am really excited for you both. Give DH a "High Five" for me tomorrow.

Regards,
Bill from Florida

Thanks Neo for the two underwear tip. First time I have ever wore two pairs at once but it helps. Sometimes you have to think out side the box.

From now on, I will call it my "NeoWear" not underwear!

I am kind of getting anxiety that I won't be able to find the button after the AUS is activated. I will be going out of town less than a week after activation and have a vision of squeezing to pee and nothing happening. I am sure it will be alright. I can feel it now in my scrotum. Glad the surgeon realized I was right handed and put it on the right side.

Bill from Florida