Count down till Surgery

SLONG1958

Hi everyone
I'm T minus 17 days till surgery and need suggestions on what stuff my wife and I should be getting to make this as easy as possible.I don't know about easy but as the days get closer I get more nervous.I have never had any type of surgery before or even had to stay in a hospital.I've been doing alot of reading about prostate surgery but the people that has had this done, I hope can give me some pointers.

Thanks Sid

Beau2

Some things to consider
Hey Slong,

Sorry to hear about your need for surgery ... wishing you the best for a speedy recovery and a lifetime of zero PSAs. I went through PCa surgery 2 1/2 years ago and recoverd nicely; however, there were a few things I could have been better prepared for ... like, how to sleep with a catheter bag (answer, put it in a bucket next to the bed).

Here's a link to a page that goes over most everthing you may need to prepare for. Its about the best list I know of ... wish I would have had it presurgery.

http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=1717641

Good luck!

PawPaw J

count down
Hey Slong, I know just where your are right now.I am 5 1/2 weeks post op from open RP. First off try to stay calm. I also worried and was very nervous as I had never had major surgery either. In my case it wasnt bad in any way. A few things I learned: Gas was the majority of my pain. Once I started to walk and eat on the second day that got much better. Minor bladder spasms while catheter in but spasm meds kept that minimal. Get some larger than normal short pants with elastic waist band. I had cath in for 13 days and always kept the large bag hooked up. Easier than changing to the leg bag constantly and less chance of bacteria getting into the cath. Cath not painful but was annoying. Keep clean at tip of penis and continually lubed with neosporin or the like.(very important so as not only to keep infection out but to keep irritation down. I found sleeping in my recliner was much better than a bed. Be sure to use the breather they will give you to minimize fluid in the lungs. I had minor bleeding and some small clots come out and some blood will leak out of the cath at tip of penis when you have a bowel movement, but I was told that is normal. Kind of freaky but normal. Keep cath bag low when full or sometimes back pressure will cause a sudden shot of pretty bad pain when held too high. I did not over do the walking as most say to do.I would walk when I needed to. They say walking is good but I found it to irritate the bladder and it would bleed more and the bladder lining would start to shed off more. After cath out I started to walk much more. I personally had no incontinence problems at all. ED not bad. Had sex 5 weeks after surgery. I go Wed for my first post op psa test. That will be the main deciding factor if surgery was a success. Good luck and keep us posted. If you have any further questions or concerns do not hesitate to ask. Johnny

VascodaGama

PawPaw J said:

count down
Hey Slong, I know just where your are right now.I am 5 1/2 weeks post op from open RP. First off try to stay calm. I also worried and was very nervous as I had never had major surgery either. In my case it wasnt bad in any way. A few things I learned: Gas was the majority of my pain. Once I started to walk and eat on the second day that got much better. Minor bladder spasms while catheter in but spasm meds kept that minimal. Get some larger than normal short pants with elastic waist band. I had cath in for 13 days and always kept the large bag hooked up. Easier than changing to the leg bag constantly and less chance of bacteria getting into the cath. Cath not painful but was annoying. Keep clean at tip of penis and continually lubed with neosporin or the like.(very important so as not only to keep infection out but to keep irritation down. I found sleeping in my recliner was much better than a bed. Be sure to use the breather they will give you to minimize fluid in the lungs. I had minor bleeding and some small clots come out and some blood will leak out of the cath at tip of penis when you have a bowel movement, but I was told that is normal. Kind of freaky but normal. Keep cath bag low when full or sometimes back pressure will cause a sudden shot of pretty bad pain when held too high. I did not over do the walking as most say to do.I would walk when I needed to. They say walking is good but I found it to irritate the bladder and it would bleed more and the bladder lining would start to shed off more. After cath out I started to walk much more. I personally had no incontinence problems at all. ED not bad. Had sex 5 weeks after surgery. I go Wed for my first post op psa test. That will be the main deciding factor if surgery was a success. Good luck and keep us posted. If you have any further questions or concerns do not hesitate to ask. Johnny

Hope for the Best
Dear Slong

I am glad to know that you have decided on a treatment. I wonder what made you to choose RP. I recall your diagnosis (march 2011) being of a low risk (Gleason score 3+3=6, stage T1C, PSA 4.5). Can you share some info of your past 6 months, what is your present PSA? Have you tried any medication?

I have not much to add to the splendid advices you got above from Johnny and Beau. One thing that I enjoyed at the hospital from day 1 was the presence of my wife in my room. The doctor gave her permission for long daily visits and we shared those periods (mornings and afternoons) talking, playing scramble and promenading in the outside gardens. You could inquire about visitors regulations and try to get special "allowances".
The above link provided by Beau got most if not every “Things I wish I'd known before surgery”.

Wishing you luck and good results.

VGama

SLONG1958

VascodaGama said:

Hope for the Best
Dear Slong

I am glad to know that you have decided on a treatment. I wonder what made you to choose RP. I recall your diagnosis (march 2011) being of a low risk (Gleason score 3+3=6, stage T1C, PSA 4.5). Can you share some info of your past 6 months, what is your present PSA? Have you tried any medication?

I have not much to add to the splendid advices you got above from Johnny and Beau. One thing that I enjoyed at the hospital from day 1 was the presence of my wife in my room. The doctor gave her permission for long daily visits and we shared those periods (mornings and afternoons) talking, playing scramble and promenading in the outside gardens. You could inquire about visitors regulations and try to get special "allowances".
The above link provided by Beau got most if not every “Things I wish I'd known before surgery”.

Wishing you luck and good results.

VGama

Hope fo the Best
My revisit
Hope fo the Best
My revisit to get my PSA checked surprised me and the Doc,it was 6.7.I was going to have surgery in December anyway but the Doc and I talked and he said there and many things that could make PSA go up #1 12 holes punched into prostate,etc. not to worry.My wife and I talked and decided to move up the date for surgery.What medication are you talking about.

Thanks everyone for the support and advice keep it coming.

mattmans5

post surgery

I had an open rp jan 4 2011

I was told to be aware that the more times hiting controlled pain drip , after wakeing up in recovery , may cause constipation later ,

I went to the bathroom finally Jan 10 at 4.25 pm , I kept a diary , that started the day before and lasted for three weeks ,

I had a meatball hero 7.pm on Jan 11 it was delicious ..


Good luck I will be wishing you the best , I feel healthy today , and will be takeing my two younger boys Go Carting today then we will watch football later.

Life is good

VascodaGama

mattmans5 said:

post surgery

I had an open rp jan 4 2011

I was told to be aware that the more times hiting controlled pain drip , after wakeing up in recovery , may cause constipation later ,

I went to the bathroom finally Jan 10 at 4.25 pm , I kept a diary , that started the day before and lasted for three weeks ,

I had a meatball hero 7.pm on Jan 11 it was delicious ..


Good luck I will be wishing you the best , I feel healthy today , and will be takeing my two younger boys Go Carting today then we will watch football later.

Life is good

Slong; Cachexia and Hydrazine Sulfate
Slong

Correct me if I am wrong, but six month ago you commented about “Cachexia” and a medication/supplement (?) name HZ (hydrazine sulfate) which was recommended (?) by doctors. I wonder if you had been on that HZ.

Your post was puzzling to me and made me to “track-down” that HZ. In my note book I got some information from the medical centre of Harbour UCLA who had produced some studies on the cause of Cachexia, linking it to an enzyme in the liver. My interest on the matter was that many papers refer to Cachexia as being associated with prostate cancer (and others) and the conditions seems to be in pair with worse prognosis in the treatment of the cancer (surgery, radiation or chemotherapy). Surely I do not know details but anything related to Pca is of my interest.

So far I know that Cachexia is a condition related to the loss of weight and muscle, fatigue, weakness, and significant loss of appetite. Almost all these symptoms are familiar to guys on HT. This is also the worse condition of advanced cases and distant metastases. One study conducted in the UK found that Fish Oil can help in the counter-offensive to control cancer because it cares for cachexia.
There is a drug called Megace (megestrol acetate) which is recommended as a second-line hormonal treatment which is also recommended to treat severe malnutrition (cachexia) and the loss of appetite which by itself is associated with anorexia.

The National Cancer Institute got an article titled “An Overview of Nutrition in Cancer Care”, which may be of interest to all of us in this boat. Here is the site;
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition/Patient/page1#Keypoint5

I hope your treatment will address well your case and that you will be reporting to the folks here about your Zeros.

Good Luck.
VGama

ncobjim

Surgery
I would at least talk to your docs about blood clots. Had RP in 2006 and this was a major problem for me. Almost killed me. I know the odds are small on getting clots but i tell anyone going for surgery to at least mention it. I had real sleeping problems after surgery but when i slept it was in the recliner.

SLONG1958

ncobjim said:

Surgery
I would at least talk to your docs about blood clots. Had RP in 2006 and this was a major problem for me. Almost killed me. I know the odds are small on getting clots but i tell anyone going for surgery to at least mention it. I had real sleeping problems after surgery but when i slept it was in the recliner.

Hey guys thanks for all the
Hey guys thanks for all the support and advice.How do you go back and look at older posts you posted.VascodaGama I don't remember that post thats way I would like to look back at what I posted.

Thanks

VascodaGama

SLONG1958 said:

Hey guys thanks for all the
Hey guys thanks for all the support and advice.How do you go back and look at older posts you posted.VascodaGama I don't remember that post thats way I would like to look back at what I posted.

Thanks

Use Google to find old posts in CSN
I sincerely have difficulties in finding my old posts in this forum too. The forum’s “search” engine is neither proper for long sentences search nor friendly to the users.
I found your thread using Google with the title of my post “You couldn’t have better advice” inserted in your thread and got an instantaneous link. Here is the result;
http://csn.cancer.org/node/214091
I noticed now that the Cachexia and HZ affair was part of the link you posted under the title “Research”.

VG

SLONG1958

VascodaGama said:

Use Google to find old posts in CSN
I sincerely have difficulties in finding my old posts in this forum too. The forum’s “search” engine is neither proper for long sentences search nor friendly to the users.
I found your thread using Google with the title of my post “You couldn’t have better advice” inserted in your thread and got an instantaneous link. Here is the result;
http://csn.cancer.org/node/214091
I noticed now that the Cachexia and HZ affair was part of the link you posted under the title “Research”.

VG

VascodaGama
I found the post
VascodaGama
I found the post and no I'm not on HZ.I posted that to see if anybody else had seen it.Did you see the video makes you wonder.The video was sent to me by WC Douglas MD its a news letter,here's the address http://douglassreport.com/receive-the-daily-dose/.

Again thanks everybody.