Yesterday, was the 5 week mark since my
open surgery. As most know here, I have had a catheter in the entire time, minus the one day last Monday when it was out for 24 hours unsucesfully. After leaving increasingly irate calls for 3 days, a nurse finally called me back Friday morning, and I have a real appt. with my real dr/surgeon this coming Monday at 0920. For that I am thankful. At first she said, let's make that Dec. 29, and I threw a fit over that, I said do you realize how long I have been on this cath? She said, only since Tuesday. I said, no dear, altogether, since November 14th. Don't these people even read the charts?
She thinks taking it out didn't work because the bladder was so swollen after surgery and the surgeon had such a fight with scar tissue in joining the uretha to the bladder, she also said that believe it or not (and I dont) some people are really affected by the anetheisologist gases even that far out (5 weeks?). She said that they have had a few men where they had to do the cath a 3rd time even. Scary thought. I don't feel I am ever going to get past this point in my recovery. She said worse case, if they can't get a good natural flow, they sometimes, rarely, have to do additional surgery, I told her I didn't want to know or hear that, beyond my comprehension at this time. A lovely week its been.
David in SC