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Question about recovery from surgery

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Posted 8/28/2022 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Also, if I proceed with the surgery on September 26, I am curious about the recovery period you experienced. I am an attorney, and I have to go to court a lot, including trials. So I need to figure out when I can start scheduling trials in my cases, which require both a lot of sitting and a lot of time on my feet, but I can avoid heavy lifting. I know I'll have a catheter for a week or so, but after that I'm unclear as to when it's practical to resume my work life. Any input based on your experience is welcome! Thanks!

-Jason
Posted 8/29/2022 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Well, it is a major surgery, so you're going to have to take some time off. The catheter might be in for around 10 days, give or take. I think most guys wait longer, but I went back to work by two weeks because I was getting a little stir-crazy. My job was a lot of sitting which was okay for healing up, but I was peeing into pads for awhile. It worked okay, but I had very little bladder control and it burned like hell coming out. I don't know how a jury might react the grimaces. 😉 I had to change pads throughout the day. Different guys have different experiences. Yours could be better.
Posted 8/29/2022 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
In my case, I was wiped out the first week. At the time, managed a very large team but it was mostly a desk job. I could check a few emails from my phone towards the end of that week but otherwise was unproductive.

I felt much better once the catheter was out (10 days after surgery). I was continent from day 1 so that wasn't a factor but I was still tired so I worked a bit from home but for the most part, I gave myself two weeks to recover.

By week three, I was fully functional but what I discovered was that I could only sit upright in a desk chair for 15-20 minutes before it became very uncomfortable so I worked from home during week three other than one meeting in the office when the CEO came into town.

I went back into the office at week four and was pretty much functional and back to my regular routine at that point.
Posted 8/29/2022 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
Now that I think about it, my experience with peeing in pads may have been during radiation treatments. It was a long time ago, so I don't remember for sure. I do remember being fine with returning to work after two weeks.
Posted 8/29/2022 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
I took 3 weeks off from work. At the time I worked at an industrial corporation, which required, among other things, wearing steel toe boots...which are heavier than you think.

I had the catheter in for 7 days. I wore heavy pads 24/7 for a week or so after the catheter was out, then gradually moved to the thin shields for at least another month--not because I was leaking, but I had just enough stress incontinence that I wore them for security.

What I remember more than anything was how tired I was, all the time. It was probably 6 months after surgery before I really felt good. For that 6 months, I took regular naps, I found myself weary much of the time. It was a slow process.

I think, in your case, you'll have to be prepared to live day to day, with some days better than others. You'll be fine.
Posted 8/29/2022 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
Surgery recovery is very individual but the younger men seem to recover faster as a general rule. I was just retired @ 66 so not a fair comparison for working purposes but a couple of observations.

Doing anything of a long duration for the first month is tough. Part is fatigue, part is sitting or standing for long periods, and even being continent after catheter removal does not mean you can hold your bladder for long periods until your system recovers fully. Drinking coffee (irritant) is not recommended after surgery so if that fits into your daily prep, it will take some time to eat and drink as before surgery.

As someone who has been involved in a couple of trials, you don’t control the schedule and I don’t recall comfortable seating so not the same as working in an office where you can go home early if you are not feeling up to it. I sat on a pillow for some weeks after surgery when working at my home office as that area did not like siting. I am sure my productivity would have been poor for weeks if working shortly after surgery.

If you go the surgery route, plan for all the time you can that you can arrange your work around. You will not know the answer until you get there so planning on a quick recovery is not a prudent plan if a client’s case requires top performance.
Posted 8/29/2022 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
I had robotic surgery and took 4 weeks off since I had a lot of sick time. I could have gone back after the second week, but I am glad I didn't. The first 2 days are the hardest, after that, it wasn't much of a problem. For pain, I only took Aleve, but the first night home I ended up taking hydrocodone because of tremendous shoulder pain caused by the carbon dioxide from inflating my abdomen and migrating up to my should blade. I was sore for a week, but not really painful, sort of like after being hit in the stomach a few times.
Posted 8/29/2022 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
I returned to work (college teaching) two weeks after surgery. I was still very tired, and actually glad to be back at work. At the end of the day I would go home and collapse on the sofa. It took several months before I was back to normal levels of energy. I think it would be unwise to schedule a trial until a month or so after surgery. But that is pure guessing.
Posted 8/29/2022 7:55 AM (GMT 0)
After hearing all of the recovery stories from surgery, I will give my two cents on radiation. DX GL-8, many reasons for not doing surgery. Was told because of previous TURP, triple play was ruled out. So, 28 sessions IMRT and ongoing ADT. From a radiation standpoint, I could have scheduled my treatments early, midday, or late. Each treatment took no more than 30 minutes from arrival to finish. I was a little tired toward the end of the 28 treatments. However, I had also started ADT before the treatments started. I could have worked everyday with no problem. There were some loose stools, but that quickly went away. knowing your energy level, you will probably heal more quickly than others from the surgery. It is a major surgery and you should prepare for enough time off to recover completely. I am now into my 10th month since treatment and there are no effects from the radiation. The ADT is a different story, I could still work everyday, but I am retired and choose not to. In any case, it is your decision and when it is made don’t look back. My best to you.
Jack
Posted 8/29/2022 9:19 AM (GMT 0)
I had both heart bypass surgery and a Davinci RALP. The latter was a Sunday walk in the park compared to the former. But they kept me hospitalized for about 4 days after the RALP to stabilize my BP which was low. I was fast walking 2 miles two weeks after the RALP. I was back in the gym in a month doing light weights. This might not be advisable for some. Be sure to consult with your urologist for a schedule. Much depends on your physical condition prior to surgery. But you can play it by ear by how you're feeling. For me it was important to get up and move around ASAP, while using some common sense. I can't stand being bed bound.The recovery was pretty easy considering the fact that a RALP is very invasive procedure and cuts into a lot of tissue. Never been a lawyer and don't know the demands of the job. My guess it's mostly mental, other than walking up the courthouse steps. My mental acuity was fine 2 weeks post RALP. But everyone is different and recovery times vary greatly. Good luck.
Posted 8/29/2022 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
The first week is rough, but once the catheter is removed life will get easier. I really wasn't back to "normal" for 6 weeks. The other variable is continence and dealing with that.... I would be very careful about pushing too hard too soon. This is major surgery and you need time to heal
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