Post surgery

The gas they use to inflate the abdomen was the worst part for me. After you're home, dragging around the catheter will be an annoyance, but you'll feel better soon. Plan on hanging out and watching a lot of TV. 🙂

You are bringing back memories from 4 years ago... I don't recall "pain" as much as total discomfort in my abdomen. I was in on a Tuesday, home on Weds, about 24 hours. I might have taken one pain pill when I got home but they cause constipation which is unimaginable after that surgery so be careful. Shortly after I got home, gas pains started in my shoulders and I could not take a deep breath without huge pain. Apparently a nerve sometimes gets aggravated by the CO2 and causes the pain, not to be confused with the other bowel and bladder cramping pains and other gas related issues. The actual incisions caused no pain, just the grenade they tossed inside to make the surgeon's dissecting work easier.

I spend the first couple of nights walking up and down stairs carrying my new friend and started feeling better on Friday. I felt much better 10 days later when my little friend was sent packing. I would not even take any calls the first day or two home as small talk about how I was doing seemed like an eternity.

Hopefully you will do fine and will post next about how great you are feeling. FYI - Everything you are feeling has been felt by many here and then some. Everyone made it through somehow. Good luck.

bbqdude,
Sounds like you're right on track. Walk, walk, walk more. Someone on here told me to get a small plastic bucket for the catheter bag--both to catch drips and to make it easier to walk around. Get out of the recliner every hour or so and walk a lap around the house.

I think I took one percoset after I got home, then moved to advil. I don't recall the gas pains others are talking about, or bladder spasms either. Pay attention when your nurse talks about taking care of the catheter, the last thing you want is an infection.

Dr. Smith is one of the very best. Take it easy. You've had major surgery. Naps are good things. Take metamucil or similar. Lots of water.

They will get you out by 10am as there will be another poor guy checking in for the 24 hour routine.

My wife took a couple of pairs of briefs and cut the left side and sewed in Velcro so I could pull up and secure around the tube. Saved me staring at the situation and trying figure out how to do it with my compromised mind. Loose fitting pants, not sweat pants, with elastic waist worked well. Some like the zippered sides.

Mumbo,
I have a pair with snaps I got to try. I also have some real thin sweat type pants with the elastic waists. Just finished breakfast and another walk. Up to 700 steps today. I am very ready for my bed and couch.

That should have said I don’t hurt much unless I move around.

larry,
glad to hear surgery went well for you. like others have said, walk as much as you can manage, but don’t be like me and push yourself too hard in the coming weeks / months — i ended up with a painful inguinal hernia that required surgery. all the best to you!

I've had 2 major surgeries in my life: a RALP and a 4x bypass. In my experience the bypass was, by far, the worst post op. Like I got in a fight with a grizzly bear and survived. They sent me home with a big bottle of Vicodin. It let me sleep at night. I emptied the bottle. It's a blessing I didn't become addicted.

The RALP was no walk in the park. But I was out power-walking 2 weeks afterward. The pain was pretty intense for a couple days after surgery.

I agree with the previous posters, if you possibly can, get up and walk. And try to increase distance every day, under the direction of your surgeon of course.

Not sure which surgery is the worst, as far as pain in concerned. I was in medical sales for awhile and was able to observe a colectomy. They had that guy's lower torso completely opened up. That can't be much fun afterwards. Back or spine surgery is probably a tough recovery too. A RALP and bypass are enough for me in one lifetime.

It has been a while since I posted an update. I had the catheter removed on November 30. I had to wait extra days due to the Thanksgiving weekend. I bought a different brand than depends, and they worked pretty good. I was having to use a pad in my underwear with the catheter in due to some stress leaking like sitting down on the toilet.
My biggest fear after having the catheter removed was that at night I would turn the bed into a water bed. You have to concentrate so much during the day to keep from leaking, I thought at night it would just be a free for all. We put the puppy pad under the sheets on the spots I would be sleeping. At night there were no leaks from day one. I still use the depends at night just as a security measure and plan on switching to a pad tomorrow night. My wife said her kids had to go a week without wetting their diaper before they could sleep without it.

I have been using just a pad in the day time since Thursday last week and have had very little leaking. It sometimes feels like you are leaking, but when I check there was none. I am very delighted with the results so far in the continence area. I do try to stop drinking at about 7:30 PM. My first travel will be on Jan. 20 heading to Wichita KS for a couple day then home a week and on the road again the next week. If I keep progressing the way I am it should be no issue by that time.

I have been walking between 4000 and 5000 steps a day. I got 6000 in today and plan on moving it up some more this week.

I am taking half 20 mg Viagra each day to keep the blood moving there. So far nothing but blood moving, but that is to be expected. I do sometime think I feel the nerves doing something down there and for now that keep me hopeful.

I did have a little scare three mornings ago. There was a little blood showed back up the my first of the day urine. There had been none since around day 5. it has only been on the first time in the morning both days. I did push the limits a little that day. We were looking for a bag some boxes in the basement. It had my wife passport and we are looking at a possible cruise in March. I guess the extra lifting and bending may have causes that. It only lasted two days and today was all clear.

I have my first follow up on the 29th. They will do the PSA test and I don't know what all else. Hoping for a perfect score of 0 there.

Things we used that were recommended - some type of depends, a bucket for the catheter bag, snap legged pants and short, pads for the underwear, Neosporin with pain relief in it, alcohol wipes to clean the catheter ends when taking a shower or switching to the leg bag, baby wipes to clean myself when changing pads or after a leak. We bought the puppy pads and really used 2. One in the car seat on the way home just in case the depends could not hold it all, and one under the sheet that was never needed.

I only took 2 of the 15 narcotic pills they gave me in the first couple days home, and one the day I got my catheter removed, a couple hours before just in case it was painful. I only took 14 of the 30 extra strength Tylenol they prescribed. Never had to take a bladder spams pill after the first episode when I woke up from surgery.

It is now my time to be nurse to my wife. She had a surgery today to repair a torn cartilage in her knee and have some. arthritis removed.

I am happy to try to answer any questions.

Thanks,

Larry

Hi bbqdude. Glad you are doing well. I don't see your post-op pathology findings, if you posted it. Please update your signature with the salient information from it. This report replaces your biopsy findings. I hope your G6 status was confirmed.

Djing

As long as there are more good than bad I can’t complain.

djin,
I changed my signature.

bbqdude said...
Apparently I did not do it correctly or I need to erase some of the previous stuff.

There is a character limit for signatures. If you'd like to put the report in a post, I can have a go at proposing a shortened signature.

Djin