Bowel movement after RALP

Been reading the search stuff. But thought I'd ask because it's striking me a "no one size fits all" kind of deal.

RALP was 2 mornings ago. Have taken 3 stool softners and feeling like could use a bm but something tells me I'm not close yet.

They said if I hadn't had one "by today" to take milk of magnesium. Some young nurse told me that.

I woke up in recovery with a bladder spasm. They gave me a suppository for that and it took a few mins. And it began to sudside. I've read it can come come back during a bm. I guess if it does it will just go away?

I've also read that during a bm there can be blood around the cath. True?

Thanks.

He'll of a thing to be typing on the Web on a Friday morning after thanksgiving

IT, I had what felt like a bladder spasm in recovery also, they gave me some meds and i was fine. Didnt have any after that.

I had my first BM as i recall, on day 3. It was very UNimpressive and i was extremely disappointed. I was taking Dulcolex twice a day (Drs orders), but it didnt seem to be helping. So on day 4 (i think, i'm doing this from memory) I poured myself a nice tall cold glass of prune juice. (NOT something i normally keep in the house, it was part of my pre-opp shopping list). about an hour after drinking it, it was bombs away, and i was a really happy camper.
The dulcolax kept the BMs soft and manageable with no issues. I continued to take it for three weeks.
I was very afraid of tearing something doing a BM. But with soft BMs due to the Dulcolax, along with sort of pressing in on my abdomen with my hand while "BMing", everything was fine.

And yes, blood around the cath is normal during BM. I had it constantly, until the cath came out. Not fun to look at, but nothing to be concerned about. Keep the tip lubricated.

Typically it takes several days for a BM. I was put on Miralax immediately after surgery and religiously took it every evening, and told to drink plenty of water. Depending on what you eat dictates how soon you have a BM, if it is a low residue diet or you not eating much would delay the onset of your first BM. Another issue is opiates, if you are taking any of these pain killers it can create constipation which isn't a good thing right now. I had daVinci surgery in the afternoon and released the next morning after eating a large breakfast. Exercise helps the process to your first BM. During my recovery, every hour or so I would get up and pace back and forth in the house to exercise. During your BM you will probably have some leakage around your catheter due to increase pressure on you bladder, and in all likelihood you might see a little blood. This leakage should be minimal.

Remember, everybody is different so you mileage will vary.

IT, I think it was early saturday morning (I had my surgery on Tuesday) for me. And, I had been eating oatmeal daily, plus taking metamucil daily, plus dulcolax. The thing I remembered was the counsel "don't strain". The horror stories of thinned bowel walls from the surgery convinced me of that. Keep hydrated (especially if you're doing metamucil) and it will happen. Yea, a clot or two in the cath bag at that point wouldn't be a surprise.

Bruising/itching at the incision site is pretty common as well. I had staples, and I knew the discomfort wouldn't pass until the staples came out.

It takes a while for all that to restart. Remember that the pain meds will constipate you, likely you've not eaten much so there is like not much to come out.

and the fist one can be, umm, 'uncomfortable.'

and walking helps get things moving - even just laps around your recliner help.
Hang in there,
Andrew

My doc does things a little differently from most I've read about. Pre-op prep is fasting 24 hrs but there is no bowel prep. I asked about this and he said he sees no higher incidence of problems with no bowel prep.

The instructions also say to take milk of mag. If no go 24 hrs after surgery. So...that's what I've done.

More at 11...


I've also had a bit of blood already out of the cath. But...it easy after I walked about 15 mins. This morning and the instructions say that can happen after exercise or bm.

Thanks 614. And to all of the rest of you as well!

Helps to know what's commin' round the next corner.

I had my first real one this morning. (4 days post op)

For future reference....a man doesn't even really have to sit down to poop.

A slight bend of the knees and bomb doors open when over the target.

Pratoman said...
IT, they may have taken out your prostate, but they left your sense of humor intact. LOL

You might give it a try sometime. (It's really alot.easier than it sounds).

opens up alot more public bathrooms to use.

At the tender age of 46 (i.e. only four years ago )I learned a new word from my wife that is pertinent here...

From Urban Dictionary:

'Taint'
"The area between the nutsack and a**hole that prevents a man from sh1tting on his nuts."



It might be used in the form; "missed a gear-change on my mountain bike and came down on the crossbar hard on my taint... got a wicked bruise, now I walk like John Wayne" or "Clearly IT is making practical use of his taint"

I have since learned many new words/phrases from Urban Dictionary

Post Edited (Paul65) : 11/30/2015 10:31:26 AM (GMT-7)