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Posted 4/13/2019 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
I had prostate surgery way back in 2010. Two days ago, I had surgery on both hands. On the right hand, the surgeon corrected three "trigger fingers," which required three separate incisions. On the tip of my left thumb, he removed a "neuroma," a soft-tissue tumor.

I've often seen the question asked here on the forum, "How much will it hurt?" It's difficult to describe pain or to quantify it, and we all have our individual pain threshold, but I found myself thinking this morning that I experienced significantly less pain after the prostatectomy than I'm dealing with right now as these hands heal. I can't even lift a coffee cup without some pain. Buttoning a shirt is a challenge. So is turning a doorknob. After the prostate surgery, some movements were awkward, but I really don't recall experiencing too much pain. Maybe the memory has just faded away.

So, if you're approaching prostate surgery and worried about the pain, I would say that yes, you will have some pain as you recover, but my experience was not that bad. I remember one of the nurses remarking that I wasn't using the on-demand pain meds that were available. I told her I simply hadn't felt the need to use them. Hopefully, your experience will also be moderate in terms of pain.

Maybe others can share their experiences in this regard.
Posted 4/13/2019 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
I would agree with your assessment. I took one painkiller, immediately after the incision wore off. But as I recall, that was all. By the second day, as long as I was careful how I moved my body, the only pain I had was gas in my shoulders from the air they pumped into my abdomen , moving around. That pain was considerable, but not the kind that would require pain killers. Moving around helped a lot.

I had about 10 x more pain from my last rotator cuff surgery, about 15 years ago,
Posted 4/13/2019 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
I saw this thread title an almost avoided reading this thread.

Thank God it is not what I feared! LOL ( I am about to decide on surgery or not)
Posted 4/13/2019 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
Similar for me. I only required one pain pill after RP but the abdominal gas was challenging - not really painful but fairly uncomfortable.
Posted 4/13/2019 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
I only took Tylenol after RALP. You learn how to move to reduce discomfort. The most discomfort I had through the entire adventure was the catheter removal but it was over pretty quick and more than worth it.

I will have the AUS installed next month and I am actually more concerned with the discomfort following that than I was regarding the RALP.
Posted 4/13/2019 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. The first night and next day I used the pain meds. I was sent home with a drain hanging out of my gut, so that was the most pain. That was removed 3 days post surgery and then it was just Tylenol. The catheter is just a pain, but not real painful. Getting it out is worth the 5 seconds of pain, same with the drain. Sitting up will be difficult for a week, so take it easy. Now 3 months post RP I have no pain at all and just noticed last night I was getting out of my chair without using my hands. Now if I can get this darn ED solved, I will be happy.
Posted 4/13/2019 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
I didn't have prostate surgery but the whole prostate treatment ordeal made me a lot more tolerant of medical procedures. in the beginning I was at a low point because of all the dental work I had in previous years. I had a lot of fear and anxiety over something as simple as a filling.

now I'm like whatever. just do it.

sorry to hear about your hands. heal quickly!
Posted 4/13/2019 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
After surgery, an Advil the next night to ease sleeping. That was it.

Holding my urine during SRT was more painful ;-)
Posted 4/13/2019 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
My wife just had her knee joint replaced after 2 hips and the other knee. Home in 24 hrs and took one or two Oxy’s and just Ibuprofen and Tylenol after that. Much easier than the other knee. Ortho doc said every joint is different and every person is different so lots of combinations. RALP was much more uncomfortable than intense surgery pain. It still sucked but pain killers were not very helpful for me so did not take them much either. Go figure.
Posted 4/13/2019 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
pain is very subjective and personal. each person's pain tolerance can vary a lot.

after my open RP with 5-6 days in hospital (can't remember), I was on morphine every 4 hours up until the last day, and even with that, was still in pain. back at home I was put on Lortabs every 6 hours for nearly a month. where I was cut for the RP, was in an area already riddled with thick scars from previous surgeries, so that didn't help.
Posted 4/14/2019 1:44 PM (GMT 0)

VinceInMT said...
I will have the AUS installed next month and I am actually more concerned with the discomfort


Good luck with your surgery, and with the AUS. You will be VERY dark and discolored down there for a while. The cuff will be uncomfortable also. Sitting on hard surfaces is particularly challenging. The spot on my scrotum where I have to squeeze the bulb (once it is activated) also was tender for a while. Now two years later most of the pains have eased. Immediately post-op one tends to question whether it was a good idea, but within a few weeks it gets better. And once you get used to it, it's a life changer. But there are still some times when I can't figure out for a few seconds why I can't pee, then remember the pump.

If you are not provided with one in your "welcome packet", be sure to buy a medical ID bracelet or necklace. Some guys just carry a card but I try to keep my wallet as thin as possible. Again, good luck.
Posted 4/14/2019 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
I forget exactly what meds I used, but it wasn't much. As long as I was lying down and not moving, I was fine. But when I tried to get out of bed I needed to use my abdominal muscles, and that hurt quite a bit. I had to figure out how to roll out of bed and get on my feet without using the abs. The ab pain lasted a few days. Immediately after surgery I had a problem with very uncomfortable bladder spasms. A pill helped some with that, but that went away, too. All in all, I'd say the pain wasn't that bad. especially when compared to really major surgery. For me the persistent feeling of tiredness and weakness that lingered for a few weeks was more important.
Posted 4/15/2019 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
RobLee, thanks. I've followed your posts here and on another site and appreciate all that you have shared.
Posted 4/15/2019 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
fiddlecanoe mentions the discomfort in getting out of bed post-surgery. The nurses told me to use the pregnant woman maneuver. It's like this:

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/l1039506/getting-out-of-bed-when-pregnant-photos

It uses the weight of your legs and muscles in your arms rather than your core. I found it very helpful.
Posted 4/15/2019 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
I think it depends where the wound is too.

I had almost no pain with the open surgery, but the catheter was a nightmare - 8-10/10 pain level. I was initially dismissed (just get used to it), but the pain was real. The catheter injured me and it moving all the time was excruciating. Stricture developed because of the injury and eventually a manual dilation in hospital was required. That pain was 12 out of 10. No pain killers given. "Wire" essentially inserted and expanded several times. I will NEVER go thru that again. Stricture returned (tip of penis) and I had a urethroplasty. Recovery extremely painful. Any movement or brushing of clothes hurt. I'm conditioned to the pain now, in that I feel it at times even when I shouldn't. Any insertion of catheter is torture - my mind still remembers the pain from the catheter,manual dilation and the slow recovery from the urethro.

But the positive side is I escaped pain for the actual open surgery itself. I think location of injury and whether you can isolate that spot from being touched is the key.
Posted 4/15/2019 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Jasperx 10: Your story made me sweat. I was fortunate, I guess, because the catheter was really a non-issue, except once or twice when I made the mistake of letting the collection bag get higher than my bladder. That was a weird, uncomfortable feeling.

As for the hand surgery I had last Thursday, the 3 trigger finger incisions on my right palm (about five stitches each) are feeling much better. The larger incision on the tip of my left thumb where he removed a soft tissue tumor occasionally hurts like crazy and then strangely stops hurting altogether intermittently.

But, every time I deal with a bit of pain, I think of those who endure chronic, unrelenting pain. Those folks have a really tough situation.
Posted 4/15/2019 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
clocknut said "... once or twice when I made the mistake of letting the collection bag get higher than my bladder."

Yikes!!! I'd forgotten about that. That bit of hydraulics is something you only do once.
Posted 4/16/2019 2:27 AM (GMT 0)

jasperx10 said...
I think it depends where the wound is too.

I had almost no pain with the open surgery, but the catheter was a nightmare - 8-10/10 pain level. I was initially dismissed (just get used to it), but the pain was real. The catheter injured me and it moving all the time was excruciating. Stricture developed because of the injury and eventually a manual dilation in hospital was required. That pain was 12 out of 10. No pain killers given. "Wire" essentially inserted and expanded several times. I will NEVER go thru that again. Stricture returned (tip of penis) and I had a urethroplasty. Recovery extremely painful. Any movement or brushing of clothes hurt. I'm conditioned to the pain now, in that I feel it at times even when I shouldn't. Any insertion of catheter is torture - my mind still remembers the pain from the catheter,manual dilation and the slow recovery from the urethro.

But the positive side is I escaped pain for the actual open surgery itself. I think location of injury and whether you can isolate that spot from being touched is the key.

The way we found my stricture was when the uro couldn't get the scope into my bladder. When he bent over me, putting his shoulder into pushing it in that I finally had to let my feelings be known about his techniques. (Let's just say I wasn't his favorite patient)

My bladder spasms made passing kidney stones feel downright pleasurable. (Think "muscle cramp" that lasts 12 hrs)
Posted 4/16/2019 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Clock,
Surgery to the hand are the most painful surgeries because of all the nerve endings in the hand.
Posted 4/16/2019 4:53 AM (GMT 0)

island time said...

My bladder spasms made passing kidney stones feel downright pleasurable. (Think "muscle cramp" that lasts 12 hrs)

I forgot that one smile And you had yours 12 hours, wow.

Fortunately, mine didn't go on too long. When I first woke up after surgery and for a few hours I had an incredible urge to pee - felt like my bladder was ready to burst from not going. It's like you've drunk heaps, haven't been for ages and when you do go, nothing happens. I had no idea it was bladder spasms, but when they gave me something for that, it became manageable. Still felt like I "should go", but not too bad. Man, you did well surviving 12 hours.
Posted 4/16/2019 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Clocknut let me know how it goes recovering from you hand surgery. I have trigger fingers and thumbs in both hands too. I have been blaming it on Lupron side effects. My 6 months after treatment ends in June so hoping it goes away. Thanks for your post.

69 yrs., marathon runner, 44 3D-CRT/IMRT Radiation delivered via 3D-CRT in 1.8 Gy minimum dose fractions to a total of 79.2 Gy., 3.2.19 PSA .04 T.Tot 440, 10.5.18. PSA 0.12, 8.12.18, 1.42 June 18, 2018 (Lupron 5.21.18 & 8.15.18), 12.7 May 2018, 13.7 Jan. 2018, 2.1 May 2012 TTot 686 ng/gl. SpaceOar 9.6.18, testosterone <.7, 8.15.18, Tot Mayo 19 ng .17 testosterone Free 6.18.18, May 21, 2018 T. Tot 686ng/dl; Gleason 3+4=7 involving 15% of the right apex and 15% of the right mid, 3+3=6 prostate cancer involving 5% of the left base. Pathology interpretations by John Hopkins, UNM Cancer, and SF Path 3+4=7 or 4+3=7 MD Anderson Proton Center w/o %. T3 MRI w/ contrast 1.8 lesion left side 5P, Neg. Bone Scan. Prolaris test 3.5 consistent with intermediate and a PTEN test negative. Father PC age 78 RT & ADT now 94 yrs.
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