can I drive my car home after a radical retropublic prostectomy?

I was told that I won't be able to drive for 2 weeks past surgery. Not that I wouldn't be capable, but that I shouldn't plan on it. Reason being the risk of having to make a sudden move, or say, turning around to look behind or to the side, without thinking, could cause damage to new internal wounds that have not healed

Apart from the wisdom of driving while recovering from major surgery and anaesthetic, there is the question of comfort.

You will have a catheter, which can make sitting in certain positions quite uncomfortable. While driving, your sitting position is limited so you may not be able to get into a comfortable position. And your perineum will be very tender anyway. The catheter just makes that worse.

I recently had a 3 hour drive home with a catheter after an exploratory cystoscope left me retentive, so a catheter had to be inserted. It was OK for the first hour or so, and then became increasingly uncomfortable. By the time I got home it was quite painful. Bear in mind this was not following surgery so not as bad as you will be.

One other consideration. Motoring insurance. You may find your policy is invalidated if you drive within a certain period of anaesthetic.

Good Luck

Chas

You will legally be "under the influence" due to the pain meds you'll be given. If you should have any problem that involves the police, you will most likely either be sent back to the hospital under guard or be put in jail. Your insurance probably doesn't cover issues costs from willful violation of the law.

If you had an emergency stop or steering maneuver, you'd stand a good chance of tearing out sutures.

My uro asked for (and got) my driver's license at the time of my RP. I was allowed to drive just over 3 weeks out after a checkup.

Get a better lock on your ride. Maybe a taxi or uber driver you know in real life can just "give you a ride" as a friend (as seen by the hospital checkout) instead of showing up in the business scheme.

I was released 4 days after RP, and barely survived a 30 mile trip home. I leaked (around the cath), made a mess of the seat, and opened the door a few times to puke in the street.

Let me restate this:

"NO"

I have to say it - Bill, I think your nuts to even consider this. Brave, but nuts.lol

Hope things go well though.

I took the train and walked 20 mins to the hospital and convinced myself I could go the same way home to my boat but...no way! Thankfully friends insisted on picking me up!

Bill:

To summarize:

THAT"S CRAZY TALK!

Mel

Thanks, men, for the good, straight talk. I am very belatedly getting it through my noggin that radical retropublic prostectomy open surgery is a very serious event -- medically, emotionally, physically, every way possible. Instead of asking absurd questions like can I drive myself home from the hospital 24-48 hours after having my prostate taken out? Rather, the time is now -- today, tomorrow, the next day -- to take care of all of the practicals. Preliminary list below.

Prostate surgery is not material for a stand up comedy routine, at least not at a minimum until after all of the practicals have been taken care of, and I've survived the procedure and it's a success, and it's 6-12 months out into the future, and I'm fit and cancer-free as can be (ideally). Maybe then some joking around might be okay. This is no time for any "I'm a man, I can do this all by myself" thinking. Is complete self-reliance without seeking any help from anywhere re this surgery being brave, or is it just plain arrogant stupidity? (Don't answer that! I got it.)

My pre-op conference at Johns Hopkins ("Hopkins") is next Monday, but in the meantime it's not rocket science to make a list of what needs to be figured out and confirmed ahead of time, and work my way down my list. This is my project for today/tomorrow/every day in the 12 day run up to the operation. Here's my list.

1. Confirm today the good friend (a retired 85 year old sweet great woman, let's call her "B") who has offered to put me up in a spare bedroom and take care of me during my recovery from the surgery, that that's real.

2. Understand the protocols around the catheter. What me and my primary recovery time caregiver (B) need to be doing to be taking care of that, avoiding infection, etc.

3. Who, exactly, is driving me to and home from the pre-op conference at Hopkins? Sort of a dry run for Surgery Day. So my ride knows where the big garage is, etc.

4. Confirm my ride to the hospital on Surgery Day and call them at 2:30am that morning to make sure they are awake and coming over to pick me up at 3:30am, and driving me to Hopkins so I'm where I'm supposed to be at 5:15 a.m. I think it is. Important papers all in one place. Go over the geography of Hopkins and know what building, what floor, what suite I'm going to on Surgery Day.

5. Make sure I'm following all the pre-op protocols re diet, no blood thinners, for 10 days before the procedure, Fleet enema last thing before going to bed the night before the morning of Surgery Day.

6. Confirm I have a ride to B's 24-48 hours after the surgery (7:30 a.m. start time, Jan. 12th). Confirm B will be home those two days.

7. Get educated fast what is required in the way of pads or diapers, and buy a supply. Am I not getting out of bed to go pee every time i need to pee?

8. Make arrangements for a ride (and have a backup ready if needed) to Hopkins for the day when the catheter is coming out.

9. Who is relieving B, or helping B, with trips to the grocery store, pharmacy. Names, phone numbers. Lots of friends have offered their help. Make a list for my benefit and for B's benefit.

10. Chin up. My surgeon is one of Hopkins' very best. He's done this operation 2,000+ times. Get all the practicals taken care of asap so I'm not rushing around the last few days before Surgery Day.

Thanks, guys! My favorite among the responses to my idea I might be able to drive myself home 1-2 days after the procedure. "Bill, this is crazy talk. Are you nuts?" Or something close to that. I deserved that. Many thanks.

Happy New Year's Eve,
Bill Positive

Bill looks like you came back down to earth! You seem to have a handle on things now. Just some encouragement, I went through the the recovery totally on my own, not recommended, but doable, you'll be fine. Keep the thinking process going!

Cheers, Doug

I think we as a group, have done a good deed here

Can't stop laughing Mel!!

Cheers, Doug

My comments on some points -

1. Confirm - You should be working to be out of bed and moving around. This may present issues if you have to do any stairs. The person helping you (looking from a non-obligatory point of view) should not be pressed to go through some of this. For instance, when your balls swell, you will certainly freak out trying to figure out where your penis disappeared to. "B" won't want to be part of that crisis.

2. Understand the protocols around the catheter. - Get a straight sided bucket, as oft-mentioned here, to hang the cath bag in. Protects the carpets and floors from spills when the drain stop pops loose. Change the bag as little as possible. I had one bag (never disconnected) for the duration.

5. Make sure I'm following all the pre-op protocols re diet, no blood thinners, for 10 days before the procedure, Fleet enema last thing before going to bed the night before the morning of Surgery Day. - Not exactly. Do the fleet an hour (?) before bed. There are residual flushes for some after the main event.

6. Confirm I have a ride to B's 24-48 hours after the surgery (7:30 a.m. start time, Jan. 12th). Confirm B will be home those two days.
- Remember that you have to be released from the hospital. You don't decide when you leave. It will also be in business hours, so your ride needs to have a window of days open.

7. Get educated fast what is required in the way of pads or diapers, and buy a supply. Am I not getting out of bed to go pee every time i need to pee? - No, you'll have a catheter. You'll hang that in the bucket next to the bed. But you may leak around it, so I would get some "underpads" to put on the bed (lest you want to buy "B" a new mattress), and some "adjustable" pants.

9. Who is relieving B, or helping B, with trips to the grocery store, pharmacy. Names, phone numbers. Lots of friends have offered their help. Make a list for my benefit and for B's benefit.
- How much of this can be done ahead of time? Which pharmacy? The hosp. will likely call in the Rx, so send it to a pharmacy that is workable to your location and those who might be running errands, rather than your "home" store - don't make people drive cross-country if you want them to do it a second time.

I didn't drive myself home and glad I didn't. I had a 90 minute drive home that stretched to two hours due to icy weather that day. My wife hit every bump she could find. Could it have been payback for something I said or did? I learned very quickly to keep my mouth shut. However, I am reminded of the time I had a colonoscopy. My wife had to drive me home, which was a two hour drive. That morning she had taken a medication that made her very groggy. After running off the road three times I told her I was driving. She tried to protest but I told her she was going to end up getting us killed. Fortunately I was awake and aware enough to get us home. She later agreed I had made the right decision.