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Posted 1/10/2015 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
I got very active after my RP.

I also had the red blood. I called my surgeon and was told that is not unusual at all. Drink lots of water. Cut down a tad on your activity. Mine came from brisk walking. It resolved...like yours appears to be.

When will you get your pathology results?

Mel
Posted 1/10/2015 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
Doc called (not Tewari, but his associate who works with him) to check in andask how I was doing. Told me the blood is normal and from stabbing of wounds, part of the healing process, and could last up to 2-3 weeks after the cath comes out.
Told me to just be patient with the gas pains, and now that I had a BM yesterday, even of I didn't have one today, I can eat anything I want as long as I don't binge. Encouraged me to eat regular diet to build myself up agaIn.

Forced myself up, showered and shaved, and put on the leg bag. Put on my coat and walked outside for ten minutes. 25 degrees never felt better, but it was too cold to keep going, so I went in, then walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Felt good.

If I could get rid of these gas pains I'd feel so much better.

MEL, path report will be given to me on Thirsday when I get the cath removed, but Tewari won't be there that day. Hopefully if will be all good and I won't have any questions. But I asked his associate about it and he told me that not to worry of the Pathology showed anything of concern they would contact me. And pointed out that initial pathology , which I assume means the frozen section, looked good.
So we'll see
Posted 1/10/2015 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
Just before I checked out of the hospital I asked my nurse if I could have TX-MEX. She said, you go right ahead and have it. But when you end up back in the hospital after eating it, I won't be so nice next time.

I was told a low fat dinette for the first week with 8-10 16oz. waters each day. My wife made some chicken and rice with low fat gravy. It tasted great compared to chicken noodle soup with one saltine cracker. I also liked plain old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, good comfort food.

Bill from Floridacool
Posted 1/10/2015 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
My poor captive husband got green shakes, vegetables, and bean and lentil dishes as soon as he got home...LOL
Posted 1/10/2015 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hey there...WELLNESS CHECK=)

It sounds as though you're doing great, though you may not think so.  I know the RED is alarming, but quite "normal" as the other guys/gals have said.  Kudos to getting outside.  Just be careful to wrap up with extra scarf. (NO FLU OR PNEUMONIA NEEDED)

How's your appetite?  Getting your strength back with nutrition and walking short bouts is paramount.  Now is not the time for calorie counting.  Proteins are essential, through meats, eggs (maybe avoid cheese) and lentils.  Small meals frequently are key.  Protein-packed yogurt will put lead back in the pencil also.  The peanut butter ANYTHING is a good idea.

You said "I'm not good at this".  You're a champ, just like your cyber brothers who have faced/are facing the same Goliath.  YOU'LL DO THIS one stone at a time.  It won't be instant or on your perceived time frame.  Be patient...I know...me, too...not my virtue.  But you've gotta settle in, take care of yourself, and distract/detach yourself as best you can. 

Movies are a MUST.  We rented 5 from Redbox for the day/night because we wanted to "check out".  We wanted to just stretch out in front of the fire with our Dalmatians and watch movies w/popcorn.  God always has other plans.  My 88 year old mom was rushed to the ER with potential pneumonia.  Guess where I spent the night?  I'm home now and headed to a shower of GERM-X!!!  She's going to be in the hospital a while.  She's doing better than me.  She can eat, sleep and poop.  That's 3 for 3 that I can't do, so Linzess...here we go!

One last thought...If you can "massage" the shoulders, chest, low back (seriously) that will help.  My "GO-TO" for gas pain (besides Gas-X) is to assume the Muslim prayer position in the floor.  The pressure forces the gas to move.  I KNOW you can't do that for obvious reasons, but if your wife would give you a deep massage...it could help.  I pray that you can get some rest tonight.

Hugss~~Dixie

Posted 1/11/2015 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the encouragement Dixie. Taking my GasX dutifully. Gas pains still there, but after a 20 minute walk just now, early evening, not as bad as they have been.
So I think I walked close to 2 miles today. Did 55 minutes total, and 25 minutes of it was on the treadmill which clocked me at .91 miles.

Feel like things are getting a little better, and hopeful tomorrow will be a good day. All newbies: keep the faith.

Post Edited (Pratoman) : 1/10/2015 8:47:55 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/11/2015 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
 

  :-)   GREAT JOB!  Don't get too crazy on the treadmill.  Pace yourself and find that balance.  It will come.  Every tomorrow will be a "better day".  Indeed, keep the faith...and the sense of humor.

Hugs~~Dixie

Posted 1/11/2015 5:40 AM (GMT 0)
Pratoman,

I've read a lot of post-prostatectomy reports here, and it sounds like you're right on schedule with your recovery. Take it easy and enjoy the ride along the bumpy road; it will smooth out soon enough. In the meantime, all of us on the forum are here to support you.
Posted 1/11/2015 7:09 AM (GMT 0)
Pratoman, We All Have Your Back!!!

You are doing well. I had the rusty red to ohhh crap bright pink/red urine. This is normal especially after a big dump. Please be a bit humble and let your good wife help. Keep up with the neosporin lube 2-3x/day between wily and the catheter. This helps greatly with irritation (my williy has not seen that much action in a decade) and minimizes the chance of a Urinary Tract Infection.

You have received a lot of good advice. Go to the mall or the parks and rec or ??? and walk, as much as you can do without pain or irritation. Keep watching and you will see day to day improvements. Even thought the first part is a bit rough, we are tough men who have seen worse, and we will get through to the other side. Chin 'up and carry on!!!
All the Best in Our Year of Recovery 2015!

With Best Regards, My Prayers and My Respect, scientificlifestyle (pat)
Posted 1/11/2015 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Tim and Science.

Today is day 6. Very tough sleeping on. My back, but the recliner is worse. I will be a happy man when the catheter comes out.
Gas pains seem better. Still there but not nearly as bad.
My one lingering problem is that I haven't had a BM aside from the two tiny ones on Thursday. I've beeneating regular, lots of egg white omelettes, grilled chicken Cesar last night, toast , turkey sandwich, etc. But no BM. Not sure where it's all going. I'm taking three Colace a day. If it doesn't happen by tomorrow I'll start getting nervous.... Oh, wait.

Other than that, nothing to report I'm feeling ok, considering I've got a hose stuck up my pecker and am five days away from having been stabbed 5 times.
Posted 1/11/2015 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Prat,

I've been away and just catching-up on this thread. Sounds like you are right on-track. Drinking water and walking will help with healing and digestive progress (BMs).

You got stabbed 5 times? I got 6. I guess Tewari likes you better :)

-Gedman
Posted 1/11/2015 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe it was six Gedman, I'm afraid to,look. All I see is my obdominal,area is deformed, with hills and valleys.

How on earth did you post from the recover room. I was incoherent and screaming.
Posted 1/11/2015 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
The swelling and deformations will calm with time. Even several weeks after surgery, it looked like someone implanted a large marble under my skin near the top of the main incision (next to the belly-button). I thought that might be my "new normal" appearance, but even that went away eventually.

When I awoke in the recovery room, I was comfortable and calm. My wife gave me my mp3 player to listen to some calming music, and gave me my smartphone to post to HW (12 minutes after waking up).

Keep up the good work. Going for a long walk inside a shopping mall (suggested by someone above) sounds like a great idea. My surgery was in the spring, so long outdoor walks were much easier than January weather in NYC area.

-Gedman
Posted 1/11/2015 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
"25 degrees never felt better, but it was too cold to keep going, so I went in, then walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Felt good."

Glad to hear this Prat. You have a great attitude.
Posted 1/11/2015 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
You are doing so well Pratoman...keep it up...and each day will get better!!!! Take care
Posted 1/11/2015 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Anybody know anything about taking dulcolax and or milk of magnesia along with Colace ? I'm taking 3?colace a day and drinking about 90 ounces of water a day, but no luck.

Just got some prune juice, see if that helps first.
If I could solve this problem, I'd be in good shape.

Walked 50 minutes today, 2 10 minute segments in the morning and then after a nice hot shower, got on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Walking at 2.2 MPH. GLAD I BOUGHT A NEW, HIGH END TREADMILL BEOFRE THE AURGERY, very solid and walking in this weather would be tough without it.
Posted 1/11/2015 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Poop Patrol...Do you have any of the MC left from prep?  If not, get some.  The Colace may not be the one you need.  Everybody's different.  Sip on the Magnesium Citrate one third bottle, wait...more...wait.  This with Dulcolax (substituted for Colace) will guarantee movement.  As for "Where does it all go?"  Believe me, it's held up in your intestines like  Al Queda in caves...Remember that your insides were anesthetized.  Perhaps a regimen of Benefiber or Miralax will be necessary for a while.  Neither of those will bring immediate relief, like the MC...not saying MC brings "relief" necessarily...but it does bring RESULTS.

We take our bodily functions for granted until they don't function. cry  

 

Posted 1/11/2015 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
You could try some other stool softener. I don't think you want to go hell-bent-for-leather and use the ultimate colon emptier, MoviPrep, which I took prior to my colonoscopy last month. From the time I took MoviPrep until I had the colonoscopy I lost almost 4 lbs. There's a lot of storage space in that 6-foot tube.
Posted 1/11/2015 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Prato, you might want to get off the "narcotics" sooner rather than later. Ibuprofen works for me, I only took the percocet for a day last surgery.

Cheers, Doug
Posted 1/11/2015 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Prat:

What pain pills have you/are you taking?

Mel
Posted 1/11/2015 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Haven't taken any pain pills since I left the hospital. Not even ibuprofen. Had Percocet before I left the hospital last Wednesday, since then all I am taking is Colace and my BP med.

Stepped up the water intake. Had to empty the leg bag 4 times in an hour and ten minutes.
I have some milk of mark and dulcolax might try one ofthose.
Posted 1/11/2015 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
So much for that idea!

Cheers, Doug
Posted 1/11/2015 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
When I had hernia surgery I took 1 or 2 vicoden the first day. None thereafter, but it stopped me up for a week. Miserable.

Mel
Posted 1/11/2015 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
Glad I didn't take any painkillers.

Well, it finally happened. Not the religious experience I was hoping for. No gas or ancillary stuff, just a normal BM, like I just got home from a ball game, or just woke up and had my coffee. It was actually hard, I had to strain a bit but I took it slow and didn't explode.
So now I guess the next step is call the doc tomorrow and ask what I can do to soften things up a bit beyond Colace. At least I don't have to worry about being plugged up any more.

I sure hope this helps some newbies down the road. Because it sure is not likely helping anyone who's already been thru it.
Sorry guys, it just feels better to get it don in the written word
Posted 1/12/2015 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hopefully the next BM will go better for you. I recall my feet fell asleep during my first BM after surgery. I sat and strained a lot. Someone recommended that I drink some pune juice. I didn't and wonder if that would help. Hope you continue to make progress.
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