Traveling to have surgery -- what I need to know

Hi all,

DH is scheduled for robotic RP next month on the east coast (and we live on the west coast). We will be staying in a hotel room that is like an apartment: full kitchen; bedroom; eating area, etc. We are planning to get there a couple days before and buy supplies, including medical equipment or gadgets that will make our time there easier and more comfortable. (We'll be there approx. two weeks.)

Anyone have any suggestions on what I will need? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Melaine


DH: age 50
DRE +nodule
1.7 PSA (increased .5 in three months)
3+4=7
1 of 12 OR 3 of 12 cores positive (50%)
T2b OR T2a

When he gets out of the hospital he will have a catheter (which he will hate, by the way) and will need to spend a lot of time laying down which tends to be boring. It helps to have a recliner where he can see the television with a table beside it where he can put a stack of books and the TV remote. The hotel might be able to provide a recliner or you might want to rent one. It's also useful to have a waste paper basket or a bucket beside the recliner where he can plop the catheter bag so it won't leak. Remember that he won't be able to help you move furniture after the operation so best to do it before.

He will also need to take frequent walks. Around the hotel for the first few days but then around the neighborhood as he heals. He'll still need to recline between outings (to keep the swelling down) but you should have a few routes picked out. As he heals he will probably graduate to a leg bag -- a catheter bag that straps to his leg. That will make it easier for him to get out and about. He will need loose pants to go over the bag and what is really good is a pair of pants where the legs come off (zippers or velcro) to convert to shorts. Those are really handy for giving him access to the leg bag. Those can be bought as "basketball" pants at a sports supply store or as "convertible" hiking pants at REI.

When he goes to get his catheter out (often seven to ten days after surgery) be sure to take a pair of high-absorbencey pull-up incontinence pants for him to put on. Most guys leak pretty much at first and that will get better slowly.... most of the time. Depends are a good brand.

Good luck. Let us know how we can help you.

Oh my, a memory test!

Stool softener
Gas x
A roll of self adhesive medical tape to gently hold catheter tube against thigh
A few bandages in case something leeks at night (he will have 5 small and one slightly larger incision) and some antibiotic cream.
2 catheter bags, large and medium, large for nite time
Books
Jello and some Italian ices maybe ( solid food will be problematic, as he will be bloated and uncomfortable
Earplugs for you for when he has his first bowel movement in a day or four (just kidding, but you will most certainly know when this milestone occurs).
I think zinc oxide is that white cream for the tip of the penis to lubricate and prevent infection


You should have a supply of adult men's diapers ready for post catheter days. I contend you're less likely to need that which you already have

I'm sure there are more things other members will chime in with

Melanie, not sure where on the east cost, but if nyc, plan also for oppressive heat and humidity.

best of luck. the numbers you posted are remarkably similar to mine, i'm sure you will do great.

I'll also mention this "preparation". When you check into the hotel and settle in, take a belt, hold it to hang down from waist-height, and walk all around the room. Anything that the belt hits is a potential place that the catheter tube will snag on. Find it, then move it or cover it up. Let's just say that if he finds something with the cath instead of the belt, he'll be wide awake, and in a hotel, I'm sure the scream of pain will draw security, if not police.

I got a large "stickup" hook - the kind that hold by vacuum, and stuck it to the shower wall to hold the cath bag so I'd have hands free for the shower. Just be sure there is an extra towel to dry it off as well.

"Wonderful" reminders of 5 years ago. Guess its good to be here to be reminded.

Melanie – I flew 1,100 miles to New York for my robotic surgery. We stayed in a suite style hotel with a kitchen and it worked out very well. As a bonus there was a recliner in the room, which I found most comfortable to be in for the first few days, mostly because it was much easier getting in and out of the recliner than the bed.

You’ve gotten many good suggestions here’s what I would add: the convertible pants are a great idea, but what I had was a pair of long sports pants that have snaps all the way up each leg. That way you can put them on around you, instead of having to step into them. It’s the kind of pants that basketball players and track athletes wear before the game / event. And mine are very loose fitting and comfortable. As a bonus, you can route the catheter tube between the snaps when you go out and it’s fairly inconspicuous. If it’s too hot, you may still want a pair for the evenings. My favorite shorts were the loose fitting, kind-a baggy basketball shorts. And I quickly got to the point that I didn’t care about the catheter tube emerging out of one of the leg holes.

Also when doing my walking, I would carry my catheter bag in a shopping bag instead of a bucket – which draws less attention and is lighter to carry.

I’m no tax expert, but you might want to keep up with your receipts if you can deduct your medical expenses.

Consider flying home first class if you can swing it. I had a 3 hour direct flight home and your flight will be even longer. The seats in coach, as you know, don’t recline much and are not very comfortable. Sitting more or less upright for long periods of time may still be uncomfortable on the way home. DH should get an aisle seat and will want to get up and walk several times over the course of the flight.

Also, on the return trip home, don't be a hero. Arrange for a wheelchair at the airports. I remember thinking to myself that it would have been a loooong way to walk.

Check with your local urologist about his willingness to do any postop follow up visits. You should have this conversation with him beforehand. Mine was perfectly ok with this, but I’ve heard that others refuse. Of course your east coast doc will probably want you to come back to see him the first one or two times.

Best of luck to DH and you as you go on this journey. Hoping for a successful and uneventful surgery and quick “trifecta” recovery. Expect to see DH in the Zero Club soon.

-- Tigerfan

Post Edited (Tigerfan53) : 7/26/2014 12:02:07 AM (GMT-6)

I live in SC and flew up to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore with my wife Thursday , the night before my first meet on Friday with the surgeon I had spoken to on the phone. Did my pre op Friday afternoon and stayed in hotel Thursday, Friday and Monday night and in hospital Sat and Sun night. Surgery was Early Sat. I made no special preparation but wore sweat pants . Flew home Tuesday with catheter pinned inside my seat pants. Cath and staples were removed by my local urologist 13 days later. Neither JH nor I saw any need to stay in the Baltimore area after I had no complication the day after surgery.
When I got home, I used a treadmill for exercise, and lived in sweat pants until cath was removed. I made no special preparations for cath when showering or sleeping... just made sure not to step on it! Lol. I followed my surgeon's directions for maintenance of penis and cath each day. The grossest experience was having blood and urine seep out from around cath when straining to have BM which is normal. So use stool softener! And don't remove cath until no blood appears in cath bag.
Good luck!
Bob

Hrpufnstuf
Surgery is very well understood and complications are very rare. Proton is much less so, but you have guts to go for it IMHO. There's no reason to stay in the place you have surgery to have cath removed and do not have it removed too early! Why rush and risk complications with continence?
Bob