Last minute suggestions/advice

Guys:

I am going in for my RRP (open) tomorrow at 6 AM.  I think I have the supplies I need post op.   However, I was hoping to get some advice about maintaining a positive attitude and/or tips for making the surgery as easy as possible.  My anxiety level is not high right now, but I am guessing it will increase once I get to the hospital.

Any wisdom or suggestions from guys who have been there would be wonderful.

Retire

 

Retire,

I had open surgery in February, and I'm doing fine. I did, however, have swelling of my scrotum and I was told by nursing if I had put a jock strap on to hold things tight as soon as I awoke from surgery, I wouldn't have had that problem. I don't know, but it's worth a try. If you don't have a private room, I suggest ear plugs, but as they say, it's not a hotel, it's a hospital and will be noisy. I think they only keep the catheter in a week with robotic surgery. I had two weeks of catheter fun due to open surgery. I was back to riding my bicycle at six weeks out. Good Luck........I'm glad I had the surgery and would do it all over again.

Walk as soon as you can, it helps you pass wind which
in my case was the worst pain.
Drink lots of water and just try to relax with some sports on the tv.
It will be done before you know it.

Good luck,
Mike

I had my robotic RP 8-23-10. For me the hardest part was anticipation anxiety, with many sleepless nights reading HealingWell.

All the advices from everyone were valid: Dress light, do not carry anything except ID and Insurance Card, eat light the day before (no solid food if you can do it), etc. Once I got to the hospital, things happened fast, first they wheeled me into pre-op and the anesthesiologist talked to me and gave me IV, next my surgeon came in and I said hi, next thing I knew, I was in the my room post surgery looking at my wife and the clock, five hours later.

It is almost four weeks post surgery, it is now just a distant memory, like a bad dream. My recovery was uneventful and complications few. Hope yours will be the same.

Now the anticipation anxiety for PSA testing starts, with many sleepless nights. It will go on for a while but I do not regrete the path I selected.

Regards,

I actually went into surgery with no ID, no credit cards, and no insurance card. The reason is that I dropped by the day before and pre-registered, and took care of all that administrative junk. That sure simplified things the morning of.

I wore loose shorts, tee shirt, socks and tennis shoes, which is also what I wore home. After they started the IV, and wheeled me into surgery, they gave me some kind of gas to breathe, and within seconds of taking a few deep breaths, I was a gone pecawn.

Spent two days in hosp, although I could have come home the next day. I was up and walking the halls the same day as the surgery. Walking was not difficult at all. The somewhat painful part was simply getting in and out of bed. The surgical center where I was had some incredible nurses who really devoted themselves to patient care. I was duly impressed.

The catheter is not painful, but it's aggravating. Make sure you have some triple antibiotic ointment, Q tips, and alcohol wipe pads. I've heard of guys having difficulties with irritation and even infections where the catheter tube exits the penis. I was careful to clean this area with the alcohol pads and apply antibiotic ointment at least twice a day.

Keep a bucket or small trashcan beside your bed to hang the catheter on at night. One thing you will enjoy is the new ability to drink a big glass of your favorite beverage (ice water for me) right before bedtime, and not worry about it.

The two weeks at home dealing with the catheter was the frustrating part for me, but I'm basically sort of the impatient type. We live in the country on several hilly acres so walking was a little more challenging, but we found places to make it happen. For the first week, my wife would go with me every morning. My surgery was July 21, so my recovery period was during the hottest period around here. We took care of the walking around daylight each morning, and even then, I had to shower as soon as I got back home. During the day, I would walk around the house. If you have stairs, walk them. (just be careful) I would go up and down the stairs until I had a noticeable increase in pulserate.

For the first two weeks I didn't go anywhere by vehicle, but I had plenty to do here at home to keep my mind occupied. Reading Dr Walshes book was one thing.

I never experienced any of the scrotal swelling that others have. I did have some bruising that took a week or two to go away, but that's all.

I am also a Gleason 9, but my pathology was all good news. Right now, I'm still trying to determine whether I should begin two years of lupron. I have an appt at MD Anderson in Houston in a week for a consult. Hopefully they can help me make the best decision for my situation. My PSA never got over 3.07, but it appears that my cancer volume is significant.

I ordered Dr. Snuffy Myers book. It just came in yesterday, so I'll be reading it in the next few days. He's a big fan of hormone therapy and diet. We'll see. The diet thing has really impacted my lifestyle, but maybe it needed adjusting a long time ago.

Be careful with the catheter tube. You DON'T want to catch that on a doorknob or anything else. If you have a comfy recliner, that's great. One thing I found was that when I lay back in the recliner, my bladder wouldn't drain well. When I stood up with a full bladder, it would spasm like crazy until it emptied into the catheter bag. Bladder spasms can be quite painful.

Prior to my open RRP, my bowel movements were as regular as clockwork every day, sometimes more than once a day. I'm still regular, but things are different. Sometimes I feel like I need to go, but cannot. (Can't figure that one out.) Give yourself plenty of time in regard to bm's, but be well prepared with stool softeners. You'll need them for months.

Just a couple of significant tips:
Drink, drink, drink. water, juice, and more water.
eat soft stuff the first week or so.
Stay away from foods that have given you gas problems in the past.
Keep some beano handy just in case some nice neighbor lady brings you a pot of butter beans that you can't resist.
Take the stool softener at bedtime.
Take good care of the area where that catheter tube enters your body. It's a lot easier to prevent an infection than to clear one up.
Don't sit on hard chairs. Your rectum will be sore for several weeks.

As soon as can stop the narcotics, do so. I stopped the vicodin after the third day at home, and just used tylenol. That helped the constipation quite a bit too.

Okay, if I think of anything else, I'll post it. Good luck.

Guys,

Thanks so much.  I feel much better about the whole process and I will try to follow everyone's advice.

Retire