surgery update

mrshisname

Jesse was scheduled for a 12:30 procedure but they didn't actually start until 2:30 due to the previous cases running over. He was in surgery for 3 hours. By that time all the support staff in the waiting area had gone for the day, so no one let us know when he was in recovery. Finally around 6:15 I went to the now-deserted info desk, found a number for PACU and helped myself to their phone and called. Got Jesse's nurse right away who had just come on shift. She came and took me back and Jesse was writhing in pain. Said the previous nurse gave him several doses of morphine and that it wasn't cutting it. New nurse (Kat, God love her) got an order for Dilaudid and still nothing, finally got another dose along with toradol and it finally started to kick in. I was almost in tears watching him suffer so. Once they got it under control he is doing much better. He is sleeping soundly in his room as I type.
BEST NEWS is that doc says they didn't see anything suspicious near the border or beyond, and he thinks the pathology report (maybe have it by Saturday) will confirm that. WOO HOO!!!!!!
Drain out tomorrow and if gas passes, home tomorrow afternoon. We shall see. Jesse is wanting ice chips but none till 11 and he is sleeping right now, so I 'll have them at the ready when he wakes.
Thanks to you guys for all your support, especially Randy.

Trew

Thanks for the Update
You have us all involved in this procedure and we have been waiting all day for an update. So far sounds positive.

God is good.

mrshisname

Trew said:

Thanks for the Update
You have us all involved in this procedure and we have been waiting all day for an update. So far sounds positive.

God is good.

more...
Well, he woke and ate a few ice chips. Insisted on walking. We got him to a sitting position and then he did stand up, at least until nausea hit and he started dry heaving. Back to sitting on the edge of the bed for about 10 minutes and then we collectively decided to hold off on walking till he could get another dose of phernergan for nausea. I'll be posting when I can cause I want to keep a diary of this time. He says that the recovery room experience really shook him up like a horribly bad nightmare, except it was true. I had a similar experience in January of this year with a laparotomy (large open incision) when I was not medicated prior to the anesthesia wearing off. Only I was screaming I was in so much pain. Jesse said it was really weird that then it happened to him too. Just our luck. More later.

mrshisname

mrshisname said:

more...
Well, he woke and ate a few ice chips. Insisted on walking. We got him to a sitting position and then he did stand up, at least until nausea hit and he started dry heaving. Back to sitting on the edge of the bed for about 10 minutes and then we collectively decided to hold off on walking till he could get another dose of phernergan for nausea. I'll be posting when I can cause I want to keep a diary of this time. He says that the recovery room experience really shook him up like a horribly bad nightmare, except it was true. I had a similar experience in January of this year with a laparotomy (large open incision) when I was not medicated prior to the anesthesia wearing off. Only I was screaming I was in so much pain. Jesse said it was really weird that then it happened to him too. Just our luck. More later.

and more...
OK so at 2 am we tried again after anti-nausea med and more pain med. He walked about 50 feet and did well. These docs protocol is a suppository night of surgery and then the next morning - so guess what - he already got the first BM over and done with! He was very RELIEVED (excuse the pun)!!
His JP drain is filling up, they will measure at 11 am. If less than 100 cc will get it pulled - but we shall see. Dr. Scott was in, everything looks good. Said to go very slow with the eating. All he has had so far is a popsicle this morning. Ice chips too. Said he may go home this evening or tomorrow morning. We will see as the day goes on.
I can't believe how far he has come just in the last 12 hours. The staff has been wonderful and we are pleased.

lewvino

Thanks for the update and
Thanks for the update and glad he is on the healing side. I remember that I was surprised with how much pain I had similiar to your husband. Always brought back memories of craving the icechips. You and Jesse will be surprised on how fast he should start healing after a couple days. Let us know on the path report and hoping for a good one.

Larry

luckyman2

lewvino said:

Thanks for the update and
Thanks for the update and glad he is on the healing side. I remember that I was surprised with how much pain I had similiar to your husband. Always brought back memories of craving the icechips. You and Jesse will be surprised on how fast he should start healing after a couple days. Let us know on the path report and hoping for a good one.

Larry

The pain will fade
Mrshisname, I'm really happy that Jesse is doing well after the surgery. He will find that the pain will fade and become a distant memory. Keep us posted!

Len

bdhilton

Happy that it is over and
Happy that it is over and MrHisName is on the mend…

I remembered post op and my first walk as well…morphine, Dilaudid and I was not able to have Toradol (for reasons) so after 12 hour post surgery I said screw it and just took 325 mg of Tylenol x2 …

My nurse and wife got me to walk twice the first day (100 yards twice) and it was not easy but by week 3-4 I was walking 50 miles a week… I recommend that you walk and walk and walk (yes even with the cath in in your neighborhood) …

My worse experience was my BM that took 6 day and since I had to take iron for all of my blood loss for two weeks after my first BM it was not the most pleasant experience but I got through that and I am just the “regular” guy I was before…and it sounds like your husband is light years ahead in that department

Anyway to a speedy recoverage and remember walk walk walk walk walk…

JR1949

Surgery of any kind painful
Hope Jesse is feeling better now. Any kind of surgery can be painful, thank goodness there are pain killers. I remember my coronary artery bypass, pain bad first few days after surgery. I'm sending good vibes to him for a speedy recovery.

JR

mrshisname

JR1949 said:

Surgery of any kind painful
Hope Jesse is feeling better now. Any kind of surgery can be painful, thank goodness there are pain killers. I remember my coronary artery bypass, pain bad first few days after surgery. I'm sending good vibes to him for a speedy recovery.

JR

another update
He has come along light years today. Now up to a full liquid diet, had tomato soup for supper. Started on ORAL pain meds. I gave him a sponge bath and that made him feel better. He will be allowed to shower tomorrow. Dr. Scott saw him this morning, then had a guy who suddenly manifested as diabetic after surgery he had to come see this afternoon, so he stopped in and sat and talked with us another 15 or 20 minutes this afternoon. What a great guy. We talked a lot about using Viagra, Cialis or Levitra and how it really stinks that insurers will not pay for these drugs after prostate cancer surgery. I brought up the fact that breast reconstruction is covered but not this and he said he'd even talked to the ceo of Anthem about it and got nowhere. Anyway, Jesse didn't feel up to the 2-1/2 hour drive home tonight so we will go home in the morning. Nursing care has been quite excellent. We are glad that the worst is over. Keepin' that catheter well lubed is helping a lot too!
JR: I can't imagine the pain of a CABG, that must be quite horrendous. You are a tough guy!

mrshisname

bdhilton said:

Happy that it is over and
Happy that it is over and MrHisName is on the mend…

I remembered post op and my first walk as well…morphine, Dilaudid and I was not able to have Toradol (for reasons) so after 12 hour post surgery I said screw it and just took 325 mg of Tylenol x2 …

My nurse and wife got me to walk twice the first day (100 yards twice) and it was not easy but by week 3-4 I was walking 50 miles a week… I recommend that you walk and walk and walk (yes even with the cath in in your neighborhood) …

My worse experience was my BM that took 6 day and since I had to take iron for all of my blood loss for two weeks after my first BM it was not the most pleasant experience but I got through that and I am just the “regular” guy I was before…and it sounds like your husband is light years ahead in that department

Anyway to a speedy recoverage and remember walk walk walk walk walk…

BD
You had an open procedure, right? Bet it took a bit to build your blood count back up. You are pretty amazing - walking 50 miles! WOW!
We have been walking lots today and getting ready for another before Idol comes on. We don't have a neighborhood per se to walk around at home, but live on 3-1/2 acres so plenty of mole-filled yard (watch out for the mole holes) to walk around. Can't really walk on the street even though we are out in the country, its a pretty busy thoroughfare. Thanks to all for all the support!

fathersson

mrshisname said:

another update
He has come along light years today. Now up to a full liquid diet, had tomato soup for supper. Started on ORAL pain meds. I gave him a sponge bath and that made him feel better. He will be allowed to shower tomorrow. Dr. Scott saw him this morning, then had a guy who suddenly manifested as diabetic after surgery he had to come see this afternoon, so he stopped in and sat and talked with us another 15 or 20 minutes this afternoon. What a great guy. We talked a lot about using Viagra, Cialis or Levitra and how it really stinks that insurers will not pay for these drugs after prostate cancer surgery. I brought up the fact that breast reconstruction is covered but not this and he said he'd even talked to the ceo of Anthem about it and got nowhere. Anyway, Jesse didn't feel up to the 2-1/2 hour drive home tonight so we will go home in the morning. Nursing care has been quite excellent. We are glad that the worst is over. Keepin' that catheter well lubed is helping a lot too!
JR: I can't imagine the pain of a CABG, that must be quite horrendous. You are a tough guy!

Good

Glad to hear you are doing so well. My turn Tuesday the 4th.

Be well,

Frank

mrshisname

fathersson said:

Good

Glad to hear you are doing so well. My turn Tuesday the 4th.

Be well,

Frank

prayers
Will put you on my prayer list for Tuesday. Best wishes and godspeed.

randy_in_indy

mrshisname said:

BD
You had an open procedure, right? Bet it took a bit to build your blood count back up. You are pretty amazing - walking 50 miles! WOW!
We have been walking lots today and getting ready for another before Idol comes on. We don't have a neighborhood per se to walk around at home, but live on 3-1/2 acres so plenty of mole-filled yard (watch out for the mole holes) to walk around. Can't really walk on the street even though we are out in the country, its a pretty busy thoroughfare. Thanks to all for all the support!

Maria & Jesse
I am sooooooooooooo lucky...I am sure I was in as bad a pain as Jesse but honest to God I don't have one recollection of the recovery room...the last two things I remember is the anethesiologist saying start counting back from 3 and you will be gone by 2. He was right three....t.....that was it..I was gone...next memory I have is being rolled through a doorway...it was my hospital room.... The nurse came out to my mom and Annette and said they would be back soon and take them back to the recovery...when some time passed they came out and told them ..he's doing fine and already to go to his room which was 125 or something. They were there when I wheeled in and I;m telling the truth when I say I never ever really had any pain....pain to me was 14 hours of waiting and testing and re-testing me when I was 15 waiting to see if it was my appendics causing my stomach pain...I was writhing in the bed and they did the push test and when I came out of the bed and about swung at the doctor they said ok it's his appendics and gave me a shot of sodium penathol I think...I was in heaven at that point and didn't care what they did to me....ok I digress... well I am glad they got the pain under control. Hopefully they gave you Tramadol to take....my advice...use it to begin with the first two days at home non-stop then ween off as needed. The pain goes away more each couple of days until nothing...then you start pushing the ports to see if it hurts...I always poked the meat in the meat counter when grocery shopping while riding in the cart with my mother as a child...so maybe no one else pokes their wounds like I did. Tell Jesse to move slow...every time he walks or does anything, getting up etc...I would not walk in the yard with mole holes or anywhere you think he might trip...that was a huge fear of mine in the early stages following the surgery was tripping and falling..ripping the sutures and ports open again... I would walk from the basement up to the top story of the house up and down the stairs holding on to the rail always...and walked around every room...making a huge loop in the house....then graduated to the streets in the neighbor hood...he can walk back and forth in your driveway or down your wierd neighbors drive way back and forth and drive them crazy! (inside joke) Glad you are on the other side and the next step is a confirmation of a clear path report...text me when you get it OK!

Randy

mrshisname

mrshisname said:

prayers
Will put you on my prayer list for Tuesday. Best wishes and godspeed.

HOME!
We arrived home on Thursday afternoon about 12:30 pm.
Hubby is doing well. We are keeping up with pain meds. Had tha first shower last night, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
He is walking lots. Getting in and out of bed is still a challenge. Today we walk the driveway.
Our doctor is so attentive it was unreal. He spent about 20 minutes with me after surgery, then visited about 25 minutes the morning after surgery. THen he saw Jesse again that evening, spent another 20 minutes or so with us. Then the next morning and then home. We received a call from his nurse yesterday afternoon, and she will call again today to check on him. The doctor said he would call us himself on Saturday to see how Jesse was doing and to give him the pathology results. WOW!
Catheter check is next Thursday for the cysto and hopefully getting rid of the thing. YEAH!
Thanks for all the support and prayers.

lewvino

mrshisname said:

HOME!
We arrived home on Thursday afternoon about 12:30 pm.
Hubby is doing well. We are keeping up with pain meds. Had tha first shower last night, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
He is walking lots. Getting in and out of bed is still a challenge. Today we walk the driveway.
Our doctor is so attentive it was unreal. He spent about 20 minutes with me after surgery, then visited about 25 minutes the morning after surgery. THen he saw Jesse again that evening, spent another 20 minutes or so with us. Then the next morning and then home. We received a call from his nurse yesterday afternoon, and she will call again today to check on him. The doctor said he would call us himself on Saturday to see how Jesse was doing and to give him the pathology results. WOW!
Catheter check is next Thursday for the cysto and hopefully getting rid of the thing. YEAH!
Thanks for all the support and prayers.

Glad you two our home! Jesse
Glad you two our home! Jesse may be doing it but have him hold a pillow over his stomach when he gets in and out of bed. It helped me lots.

Anxious to hear a good path report when you get it!

Larry

randy_in_indy

lewvino said:

Glad you two our home! Jesse
Glad you two our home! Jesse may be doing it but have him hold a pillow over his stomach when he gets in and out of bed. It helped me lots.

Anxious to hear a good path report when you get it!

Larry

Bed?
I never even got in bed as that was too hard and spent the first week sleeping in a Lazyboy chair. After about 7 days I moved into the bed as the pain was very mild then. The chair made it very easy to get in and out of and worked well for the pain because you couldn't roll over like you can and do in bed and taking the pain meds put me right to sleep every night.

He'll be much better in a week.

Trew

mrshisname said:

HOME!
We arrived home on Thursday afternoon about 12:30 pm.
Hubby is doing well. We are keeping up with pain meds. Had tha first shower last night, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
He is walking lots. Getting in and out of bed is still a challenge. Today we walk the driveway.
Our doctor is so attentive it was unreal. He spent about 20 minutes with me after surgery, then visited about 25 minutes the morning after surgery. THen he saw Jesse again that evening, spent another 20 minutes or so with us. Then the next morning and then home. We received a call from his nurse yesterday afternoon, and she will call again today to check on him. The doctor said he would call us himself on Saturday to see how Jesse was doing and to give him the pathology results. WOW!
Catheter check is next Thursday for the cysto and hopefully getting rid of the thing. YEAH!
Thanks for all the support and prayers.

An attentive Doctor! Wow!
An attentive Doctor! Wow! Did I ever get cheated! My doc popped in once after surgery to take a very quick glance at me, and that was it. No talk at all other than the customary, "How you doing? Good" And then he was gone. My wife got maybe at the very most 5 min after surgery, no follow up calls, nothing like that. all this discussion makes for some very good questions to ask a doctor before surgery.

randy_in_indy

Trew said:

An attentive Doctor! Wow!
An attentive Doctor! Wow! Did I ever get cheated! My doc popped in once after surgery to take a very quick glance at me, and that was it. No talk at all other than the customary, "How you doing? Good" And then he was gone. My wife got maybe at the very most 5 min after surgery, no follow up calls, nothing like that. all this discussion makes for some very good questions to ask a doctor before surgery.

I did my best to Lead Jesse and Maria to
The surgeon team I had because everywhere I turned I heard good things about them from the surrounding public...then I had my surgery....It was true how good and compassionate they run their ship...It seems Jesse and Maria feel the same way if not better than I did...they just reversed the doctors rolls between the two surgeons. I will recomend (as I bet Jesse and Maria will also) these guys to anyone and everyone considering any urological surgery in the Indianapolis area. I know they have had a patient fly from Florida to have it done by them before also. I wanted the ease of local for my surgery because faced with the potential aftermath of issues with this surgery I wanted to be local and be able to at least hound them for fixes if need be. I exceptionally liked the fact they always work together in the surgeries both being very competent surgeons on their own was like having two top notch guys working on you instead of one and extra help that probably rotates in most surgical senarios depending on the work day.

lewvino

randy_in_indy said:

I did my best to Lead Jesse and Maria to
The surgeon team I had because everywhere I turned I heard good things about them from the surrounding public...then I had my surgery....It was true how good and compassionate they run their ship...It seems Jesse and Maria feel the same way if not better than I did...they just reversed the doctors rolls between the two surgeons. I will recomend (as I bet Jesse and Maria will also) these guys to anyone and everyone considering any urological surgery in the Indianapolis area. I know they have had a patient fly from Florida to have it done by them before also. I wanted the ease of local for my surgery because faced with the potential aftermath of issues with this surgery I wanted to be local and be able to at least hound them for fixes if need be. I exceptionally liked the fact they always work together in the surgeries both being very competent surgeons on their own was like having two top notch guys working on you instead of one and extra help that probably rotates in most surgical senarios depending on the work day.

Its things like this that
Its things like this that make a good Doctor and also a good friend Randy. At our local prostate cancer support group about 7 of the guys have all had the same doc that I chose. One of the guys joking told the Doc that he was going to have start sending us gifts since we send him many guys from our county that is about 170 miles (one way) away from Nashville! I know Jesse and Maria drove to Indy for a great experience also. Now we can hope that Trew starts getting better treatment since he has switched Doc's and in case no one has heard .....TREW says NO MORE ELLIGARD!!!

Larry

mrshisname

randy_in_indy said:

Bed?
I never even got in bed as that was too hard and spent the first week sleeping in a Lazyboy chair. After about 7 days I moved into the bed as the pain was very mild then. The chair made it very easy to get in and out of and worked well for the pain because you couldn't roll over like you can and do in bed and taking the pain meds put me right to sleep every night.

He'll be much better in a week.

Bed
Yeh, he kinda half rolls half falls out of bed, though very carefully. Today was a bad dayfor him. I should have set the alarm last night and woke him for pain meds, but I was so exhausted. So much to do, trying to get all the acreage cut before the rain hits tomorrow, and I have to go out of town tomorrow for a prior commitment.
Anyway, when he woke with no pain meds on board he was pretty miserable. Today I made sure he got the Ultracet every 4 hours.
He walked the driveway a few times today while I was mowing. Had another good BM so that felt better.
He is using the lazy boy a lot to watch tv. Seems most comfortable there.

mrshisname

randy_in_indy said:

I did my best to Lead Jesse and Maria to
The surgeon team I had because everywhere I turned I heard good things about them from the surrounding public...then I had my surgery....It was true how good and compassionate they run their ship...It seems Jesse and Maria feel the same way if not better than I did...they just reversed the doctors rolls between the two surgeons. I will recomend (as I bet Jesse and Maria will also) these guys to anyone and everyone considering any urological surgery in the Indianapolis area. I know they have had a patient fly from Florida to have it done by them before also. I wanted the ease of local for my surgery because faced with the potential aftermath of issues with this surgery I wanted to be local and be able to at least hound them for fixes if need be. I exceptionally liked the fact they always work together in the surgeries both being very competent surgeons on their own was like having two top notch guys working on you instead of one and extra help that probably rotates in most surgical senarios depending on the work day.

thank you
Randy, you were so very right about this group. So very experienced; they brought DaVinci to Indiana, and so caring. I think Scott was the perfect fit for Jesse as Hollensbe was for you. I'm so glad that we 'shopped around'.
It was no big deal to trave the 2-1/2 hours to have what we feel is the best in this area. We are in the Louisville area, and the most experienced guy in this area is a real jerk and he has done about 800 procedures. Probably competent, but hey, since insurance allowed us to travel, we went for more experience. The bonus was having such caring staff and meticulous followup to make sure all is well.
At the DaVinci support group meeting, I'll never forget the poor guy who blindly let a local urologist who was used to doing open procedures, do a DaVinci on him. i think the guys surgery lasted much longer (around 5 plus hours or so) and guess what - a few days after the procedure he was diagnosed with a PULMONARY EMBOLUS. That bought him an ICU stay for about 9 days, and his catheter was left in all that time. As of last month (the surgery was in January) the poor guy hadn't had a dry day yet.
It amazes me the people who go into this so blindly, when outcome is everything!! I can't imagine not getting other opinions or researching this terrible disease, and just leaving everything up to the doctor.
We are feeling particularly blessed, thanks to this wonderful support group. And we have gained a good friend too!