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Posted 5/25/2011 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Surgery was 8-11am.  Doc told wife (while I was in recovery) that it all went perfect, and it was an honor to do it. ?? He told my wife that he didn't feel it was necessay to take all the nerves on the left side, and left a few.  I hope I don't regret that decision.  He said the nerves nicely peeled away, and everything was the way it should be ??   I had morphine (wow) I thought this surgery aint no big deal was laughing and talking right after surgery.  That changed real fast when they switched me to percocet.  I was now aware of the pain.  Nurse coming to my house tommorrow to make sure the catheter is working properly, told by hospital it was standard for my Dr.  All the Nurses and other Dr's at the hospital raved about my uro.  Catheter being removed on 31 May.  Uro calling me with Path results by friday he said.

Had severe shoulder pain today, not bothering me now.  Last night I didn't get to sleep at all, really tired, walked in backyard a little.  Leg bag sucks, fills up quickly, I have always drank allot of water though. God, am I tired, bye for now.

Posted 5/25/2011 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
good job... I never even bothered switching to small bag. That's amazing that the nurse will come to your house, must be a great relief. I'm sure your pathology will be great.
Posted 5/25/2011 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
Glad you checked in, Sagittarian. I've been wondering how things went for you. I hope to hear more about your experience when you're feeling better. Concentrate on getting healed now.
Posted 5/25/2011 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Start walking even though you don/t want to at least some , will help recovery to the nth degree. Yes even with the catheter in. Too much morphine will create a big downer. hug pillow tightly if need to cough, it works.
Posted 5/25/2011 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the other side- remember- walk, drink, walk drink, even when you don 't feel like it. Hoping for a good path report for you by Friday
Posted 5/25/2011 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
I hope you're feeling better and better as time passes.  Hopefully, each day will bring a degree of improvement and return to "normal" living.  Congratulations on your successful surgery, and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Posted 5/25/2011 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Just got the phone call from my urologist, quick pathology turn around.

1) Gleason upgraded to a 4+3 from a 3+4

2) Surgical margins, Negative

3) Lymph node,  Negative

4) Seminal vessel,  Negative

What Now ??

Posted 5/25/2011 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
now you do a psa test in month followed by another 3 months after that and so on. That first psa test is a big mental hurdle, then you'll start to adapt to your (our) new reality. Good job.
Posted 5/25/2011 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
I will try that pillow trick.  I coughed a few times, followed by

pain moans.  Jeez that hurts coughing, feels like I am being gutted.

I wish I was prepared for this pain.  Some bloged that had no pain, they

are on my probation list for honesty.

Posted 5/25/2011 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Sagittarian - From what I've been reading over the past few weeks, it's not uncommon to see the gleason scores changed after the pathologists have the entire prostate for review. I think it's good news that your margins and lymph / seminal intrusions came back as negative. Like David said, just focus on healing in preparation for that next PSA test. Make sure you drink a lot of water and do a lot of walking. Fluids are just emptying out of you right now with no need to run to the rest room. Take advantage of it and flush your system out.

Keep posting as you can and let us (me) know how your recovery is coming along. I'm on my two-week count-down now to my own operation.
Posted 5/25/2011 6:42 PM (GMT 0)

thanks for sharing, we are all pulling for you

Posted 5/25/2011 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys.  My #1 complaint is stomach pain when lying down, getting up,

or coughing/sneezing.  When sitting still, I have little pain.  Getting out or in bed

to sleep is a big chore.

Posted 5/25/2011 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
don't worry, that will get significantly better each day.
Posted 5/25/2011 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to "our" side.

The "soft" 7 to a "hard" 7 is a downer, but beats an 8 (I went from an 8 to a 9).

I just used the night/big bag - the nurses said it was safer for infection risks.

Keep that pillow next to the chair - it really helps with the cough/sneeze pain.

Enjoy the water (I had bought some different mineral waters with that as an excuse - good opportunity to taste test), and keep walking!

 

Posted 5/25/2011 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
You have been given really goo advise. Welcome to the other side and you are going to feel better each day. James C said it best. Walk Walk, Drink Walk Walk... "Get the picture?" I found that walking made me feel so much better and i do mean much faster. At first Getting up our of the chair was a doosey but that got fairly easy in quick time. Will keep and eye our for you updates.

If you have questions feel free to ask.

Cajun jeff
Posted 5/26/2011 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hug the pillow tight and right over the pain for cough sneeze. Try to get up lie down using the oblique muscles, that is , the side ones, watch the tugs on the catheter, use hand to keep the slack, bathing is tricky, just be patient and deliberate. your pathology has more positives than negatives, by a lot
Posted 5/26/2011 11:20 AM (GMT 0)
Sag, glad to hear it went so well. Hope it continues to be smooth for you. These guys have given all the advice you need so hang in there and get better one day at a time.
Posted 5/28/2011 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Wed-Fri pain was getting unbearable.  Called Dr on call (my Doc was out of town)

and explained everything.  Long story short facts;

1) 2 Percocets every 4 hours for pain.

2) The Percocets were making me vomitt, in pain from gas, etcc.

3) Once I stopped the pain meds, most pain went away.

Dr said why are you taking so many percocets, I was following instuctions, bottle

said every 2 hours for pain, I was in pain.  How was I to know it was from the meds

and not the surgery.

The endless circle

1) Why are you in pain ? Because I'm taking percocets.

2) Why are you taking percocets ? Because I'm in pain

Like I needed this drama on top of everything else.

Posted 5/28/2011 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if you were taking the 2.5 or the 5 mg tabs, but the normal dosage for the 2.5 mg tabs in one or 2 tabs every 6 hours, and for the 5 mg it's one tab every six hours. I think you were taking a heckuva lot of percocet, esp. if it was the 5 mg tabs or higher dosage.
Posted 5/28/2011 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
Sag, just glad you got it figured out and it was the meds rather than something more serious related to the surgery. I was a mess for a few days after but am feeling much better now. They sent me home with Demerol and I switched to Motrin as soon as I could just to get off the narcotics which I think were partially messing my head up. A good nights sleep puts things in a whole new perspective as well. Hope things smooth out and you are feeling better real soon. Agreed you don't need anymore drama.
Posted 5/28/2011 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, and hope you hang in there too.  I've been reading your posts

and seems you are having issues also.  Boy these last 3 days have sucked real bad.

Stopped all pain meds yesterday morning, feel better, had first bowel movements (3) today

with the help of MOM.  I have ups and downs just like you.  And boy those downs

are really low. 

It seems you were dropped down to 4+3, and I was bumped up to 4+3

We both had negative margins.  I won't know real picture until I get copy

of report.  Everything was fast on the phone with the DOC. 

Hope I heard everything correctly, oh yea, I'll worry about that too :>

Posted 5/28/2011 9:13 PM (GMT 0)

Sagittarian,

Welcome to the other side. We are the same age; my DOB is 12/2/57. I am 22 months post op and I can tell you that things do get better with time.

I will be praying for you.

Lynn

Posted 5/28/2011 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, I was born 15 Dec 1957,

Rcroller was born Dec 1957 also.

Wow, 3 sagittarians, same month, and same year

Posted 5/28/2011 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Gosh...How lucky can three '57 Sagittarians get? Yes, the first few days were really bad...worse than I had expected...I am feelling like I've gotten past the worst of it now and am just looking forward to getting the drain and cath out. My drain output has been increasing rather than decreasing and today is a record output day(over 150 cc.). Just hope it slows down enough that they can remove it by Wednesday(needs to be less than 30cc in a 24 hr period). Anyhow, glad you had a milestone event yourself today...it will get better each day. Hang in there...
-Bob R.
Posted 5/30/2011 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Can't wait for tomorrow at 8:30am, when this fish tank air line

tubing up my pee-pee is removed.  In the past hour the drainage has

been almost clear, only hint of yellow.  I think that's good.   My desire

is to be pad free by weekend.  Went for walk today 1/2 mile or so,

walked real slow.  Smell the roses and look at the sky pace.  From time to

time my head feels cloudy, I believe its still the anesthesia, becoming less frequent.

Oh, I used a clean empty 5 gallon paint bucket to carry my bag around in. 

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