Dude1969 is 12 days post op. (continence and cramping question...)

Thanks, golfnooch. It's a real annoyance. Dr said I could take anything for pain, but I'm really not having much. The Dr also said he wants me taking one good walk and several small ones, so I'm trying to do that. I just got the catheter out yesterday so I'm still real early on all this.

Any other pointers you have would be great. You have a month on me so anything you share would be good info. Thanks.

Yea, I haven't done much of the kegels thus far, but I was having pretty bad bladder spasms and clamping down on the hose, so I've traded one pain for the other i guess. I might slow down on the walks because it was after the walk when I woke up from a nap that the pain got bad again today. I had virtually no discomfort after waking up this morning, which was a welcome relief after last evening and night. I'm not leaking hardly at all, but I did get wet today during my nap and last night after first falling asleep. I was up twice afterwards with the urge to pee. A work in progress, I guess.

Hopkins was excellent. It was a no-brainer living in Baltimore. Everything I read on-line was accurate. Dr. Bivalacqua was excellent. Down to earth, confident, informative, and very talented by all accounts I could gather. I have no complaints about Hopkins at all. The care and quality is amazing to me. I never had any doubts about being in the right place once I met Dr. Bivalacqua. I chose Hopkins after not feeling very good about my initial urologist who was recommended by my general practitioner. Dr. Bivilacqua always responds quickly to questions and has been just fantastic to both me and my wife. I couldn't be more grateful for the care he's provided thus far.

BTW, my wife, suggested I sit on a hot pack... ahhhh, sweet relief. The doctor said heat was fine but that if I needed, I should continue with Tylenol and Advil. Truth is, tho, I feel too washed out with that stuff so I think I'll back off them and go with the heat for now. But if anyone has other suggestions, I appreciate hearing more.

Post Edited (dude1969) : 11/18/2011 7:06:33 AM (GMT-7)

Yea, 142, that's how I feel. It's just really uncomfortable. It was much better today. I started with a couple Advil every 6 hours and heat in between and it's been much better today.

Also, I guess I'm very lucky because other than a little seep in the evenings and a drop or three if I pass gas, I'm holding my water and getting to the toilet. I'm really shocked. I haven't laughed real hard, coughed, or sneezed yet so I expect to have those issues, but otherwise, the stream is pretty good... nothing like before surgery yet, but my bladder seems to empty. It burns a little yet, but only in the areas where the catheter end rubbed coming out. Feel like I'm doing pretty well.

Thanks, 142. The wife is on the job for finding a donut. I almost broke out the kids' blowup life preserver the first night. :) Getting better each day. Had to stop the Advil, tho. Don't know what it is, but they're giving me terrible headaches. I'm going back to my old stand by aspirin. I used to get pretty bad migranes, but I found that one aspirin right at the first sign was enough to ward it off. I didn't put 2 and 2 together until last night when I remembered getting it injected in my IV and then having a headache upon awakening in the morning. I'll keep plugging away. ;)

I wondered about the same thing, 142. But he's already said whatever works. Tylenol works for pain, but he wants an anti-inflammatory and since Advil is giving me headaches, aspirin is it. I did question him about it and he told me that ibuprophen is actually some kind of aspirin derivative, or something. Both encourage bleeding. He said there were no restrictions. I was surprised because both before and after the biopsy and before surgery aspirin and ibuprophen were absolutely restricted. Plus, it's really after 7pm that it becomes necessary at this point.

Also, I have another question. I've been awakened twice each night by a need to pee. My pad has been dry and I've made it to the toilet without dribbling. I'm pretty amazed. I also have little dribble during the day, maybe once in a while getting up from a seated position or when I pass some gas, but it's not like I'm peeing all over the place.

Also, I've noticed I have a little difficulty getting started peeing when the taint is in a bad knot. All this is normal at this point, I guess, but I just don't know. I feel like I'm ahead of the game with the not leaking and making it to the toilet as I feel the urge.

The one thing I haven't tried is sleeping on my stomach as I normally do. Since surgery, I've been on my back for the night. I sleep, but not really well, but I feel like if I go back to my stomach, I'd wake up in a sea of pee. :)

I had the same cramping issues after my open surgery, pain usually started around 11 am and lasted until evening, it only went away when I laid down...spent a lot of time watching movie downloads on the laptop while lying on the bed. I wasn't able to do too many kegels after surgery as it would initiate cramps. After 6 weeks I woke up one morning and it took me until mid afternoon to realize I was pain free...like something just healed inside overnight.

Unfortunately I still leak a couple of pads a day and am considering my options on correcting that, sounds like you're doing well in the continence dept.

take it easy, allow it time to heal.

r

142 said...
If you are waking up with an urge and you make it to the can, be happy.


Passing gas requires relaxing the same sphincter muscles - that's why we post RT guys say "don't trust a fart". Best path for passing gas is to have a seat on the throne until things get better.

This makes me sad, because I think I'm the gassiest person on the planet. I can let one rip when I'm standing or laying down w/o any leakage, but if I'm sitting, I leak when I let 'er go. The leak is minimal and I catch it, but I find it odd that it's only from the seated position.

BTW, thanks to everyone leaving info. It really is nice about this place that everyone contributes so readily.

This is good news to hear, Datus. I've always been a very positive person. I feel good considering what I've been thru in the last few weeks, and my Dr. seems very pleased with where I am now too. I'm not even getting close to using a full pad a day. I'm using a "thin" maxi right now and but for a couple/three dribbles per day, I'm dry. I'm amazed.

The cramping has really subsided now and I am grateful for that. Sitting on the little heat pack has really done the trick. I've also noticed some action in the erection arena... When I get up to pee at night, I almost always have a "halfsie." I feel really lucky.