Traveling for PC Surgery-Items to pack

-Small wastebasket to keep Foley catheter bag upright. (Looked all over for a very small one - finally found one at a "dollar" store with molded handles)

-Surgical gloves (all the catheter info said was to "wash your hands." Gloves really were easier to deal with - in addition to hand washing.)

-Antibiotic ointment - we took it, but the hospital provides a tube.

-Old sheet, washcloths, and towel - hotel sheets are white and there is some blood leakage following surgery. The folded up sheet was for underneath. Laid a washcloth over catheter/penis and then a towel to prevent leakage onto top sheet. At that point, husb. did not feel like wearing pants/pajamas of any type. (Although I had slit an old pair and re-Velcroed for that purpose.)

-Gallon freezer bags - there are simply some things hotel staff do not need to see or deal with. The latex gloves, bloody tissues, and empty enema bottle (from the night before surgery) were stashed in the bags and disposed of at home.

-Generic stool softener - less expensive than prescription type and better to have everything on hand if possible.

-Small bottle of vinegar - for rinsing out leg bag and replacing with overnight bag. Used the leg bag to go from hospital to hotel.

One last thing. We took a small travel bag with a shoulder strap and top opening. If you're self-conscious about leaving the hotel, just run the bag through the pants leg (this style zippered at bottom) and into the travel bag. Can carry by the strap and it's much less obvious.

P.S. Hi, Spinbiscuit - glad to see you back from your second round of hernia repair. How did it go?

Glen - thank YOU for asking. Still not as good as we'd hoped - testicle pain is still pretty bad, but swelling is gone (one side was huge). Makes it very difficult to walk. Otherwise, urinary control is amazing - one pad daily and then only a drop or two at that. We keep thinking it will get worse - not better.

Still somewhat bummed about the cancer cells in fatty tissue thing. I'm assuming it was so minute that it could not be detected, but don't they do a pathology inspection at the time, before everything's closed up? We were in too much shock to ask those questions at the follow-up. Just waltzed in expecting to return to la-la land, I suppose.

Now, we just wait for the PSA results in six weeks. Then, maybe it will be our turn to do the hernia repair. I don't know you got emotionally ready for the surgeries one on top of another.

Hi, Wicket. Yes, Glen (Spin) and my husb. seem to be the rare ones for the testicle pain. Husb. came out of surgery and one side of scrotum was huge and black. For several days afterward, he was unable to walk because of pain. We called doc and he prescribed a heavier-duty antibiotic, said to combine Tylenol with the Vicodin. That seemed to start the road to recovery on that part, anyway.

Hi, Mama Blue. Actually, the physical part of post daVinci is coming along nicely. However, we're trying to cope with the fact that there were some cancer cells that leaked out and hanging around in fatty tissue. We went from a very positive outlook of containment (Gleason 6; 1 core 10% cancerous to a post-path report of Gleason 7 and 7 cores consumed.) So, with that in mind, we don't know if we're dealing with the fast-growing type of Prostate Cancer or the 12-core biopsy was totally mis-read. The doc has said there's a 20% chance it will return (rather than the typical 7% he quoted for a contained state). We really won't know what we're dealing with until the next biopsy scheduled for October 3 post-visit. Glen has been the calming influence with the fact that perhaps the fatty issue has simply eaten up those tiny little cells! We do know in research that post-path reports can sometimes take this turn - it just had to be "our turn," and we're not amused. We thought we had ruled out Watchful Waiting the first time around and, now, here we are doing it after the fact! Nonetheless, we carry on!

Sorry, MamaB. I meant a PSA, not a biopsy. Our doc wants it done at the 8-week post-surg. point. And from there, at 6 mos. (like all you "normal" folks out there). The good news at this point is the doc is not advocating any radiation follow-up as that's something we wanted to avoid in the first place (after our researching).

Don't know what we'd have done without all of you! In fact, you're in our discussions every night at "quittin' time." We fix a cold libation, fire up cigars, and just yak about everything.

Yes, we're in the 80%. But we were in the 30% that actually has PC to start with. Now, that's my husband, the realist, talking. I'm the optimist, and somehow we meet in the middle! Of course, I like to win and will sugar-coat things if I have to!