5 days post op

One and all

Mike,

I know that I, and very likely every guy here, is disappointed that your post-op period has not gone well.  Your troubles and degree of pain are unlike any I can recall reading here,  ever.  Among the many men whom I have known face to face, none ever approximated your description .

From what you have shared, your surgery was successful, no mishaps. If the issue is indeed only pain, that will pass, likely soon. Unpleasant for now, but in the respective of a lifetime, a couple of weeks to achieve lifetime cure fades into a trifle.  Yes, radiation would have hurt less, or not at all.

This is not "easy for me to say." I have been run over by a car, had two cancers, my own RP.  I know what pain is.  I had a scare this week regarding  low oxygen due to severe lung damage (fibrosis) from chemo, an ongoing issue since 2010.  But I bless the chemo I received every day.

Post op pain for any surgery last only a while.  The limited pathology data you shared sounds like very likely PCa is history for you now forever.   The problem in your situation  is unlike any I have ever heard here, and should rectify over time. Limited penile shrinkage for life does at times happen, but not total "disappearance."    I read the the links someone thoughtfully submitted. Not  my experience or the men I know, but valid data.       Some new guy here wrote a day or two ago that he in effect feels like he walked into a bar fight at this site when he started reading.  A sad takeaway for any man to have.

Great news!  My recovery was

Great news!  My recovery was similar to yours!  FYI, catheter removal is painless and you should leave the doctors office in a thin diaper....keep up those exercises and a few days later it will be pad only.  I'm no longer wearing pads and have full control after 9 weeks...

Will Doran said:

Sounds good

Mysilvstang,

Sounds like you are making progress.  I, like you, Had no pain post robotic surgery, and Yes, the cath and that bag were the biggest "pain".  I used a plastic bag from the State Liquor Store to cover my bag.  Ha! Ha!  My Urologist laughed like crazy the day I came in to have the Cath removed. I was on a treadmill two days post surgery, and back on a spinner bike in 6 wweks.   As of Dec 10th,  I will be a 3 year survivor from the time of surgery.  Had two years HT and 8 weeks of daily radiation.  My Testosterone is now back up into the normal range, and I'm feeling pretty good at this time.  Right now, my biggest discomfort is the side effects from my treatments for bone Density (Prolia).  These shots are being done to try and help repair damage to my femurs, done by the Radiation.  I was a PSA of 69 with a Gleason of 7 (3+4).  I had 40% involvment of the prostate, as was shown post surgey pathology and one very tiny (too small to show up in my MRI's) spot in one lymp node.  Since all my surgery and treatments, 3 years, my PSA is still undetectable. (<0.010 - 0.035)  We are hopeful it will settle in there and stay.  However we are prepared to do whatever we need to do to keep this beast at bay.  Bladder control hasn't been a big problem, but I wear a pad just in case.  I leak on occasion, depending on what type of exercise, lifting, etc. I'm doing.  That seems to be getting better.  Yes, as Max said "Kegel".  As to Cath removal, My GP told me when he had surgery the pain was terrible when they removed the Cath.  So, I took a strong dose of Tylenol with Codine.  I had been given that post surgery and never needed it. I could have cared less what they did to me at that point.   I got to the office and was laying there and before I knew it the nurse had the Cath removed and was holding it up showing it to me.  I didn't even realize she had removed it.  Of course she and the doctor, again, laughed like cray when I told them I had taken the Tylenol. 

Its' a hard fight, But you are on the road and seem to be making progress.  Keep up the Fight and the Faith.

Love, Peace and God Bless

Will

Bladder Control

Will, Mustang, every guy pre- and post-surgery,

A month or so prior to surgery, my urologist scheduled me for "Kegel Training."  I met with an RN who talked about the exercise, and they do a test to ensure that the patient is exercising the right muscles:  It involved the insertion of an ultrasound probe, and she monitored a trace, somhow showing what muscles I was flexing.   At times I did the exercise WRONG, so it does take a little training.  Ask about this.

Also, AFTER surgery, when I restarted the exercises, the feeling was "different"  -- maybe numbness or whatever. Stuff that used to be there is now gone, tissue was stretched.  They said I could retrain on the ul;trasound, but things were going well enough that I didn't ever feel it necessary. I live at the doctor's office to begin with (urologist, medical oncologist, Pulmonologist, GP), and if an appointment is disgressionary, I'll usually opt against.

But do ask about Kegel Training. When they trained me, they said they had not been doing the training more than a few years, so not every practice does provide it.

 

max

 

Kegel PT

Max & Score 9,

Yes, Kegel Training.  My doctors gave me exercises to do pre surgery. I didn't have training pre surgery, and  Max, I think that would have been better.  My urologist did talk me through all the exercises and sent pages of instructions home, which did help me understand the right and wrong way to do the exercises.   Then after the surgery was complete, and after the Cath. was removed I was to start the exercises again. I was not to try any of them while the Cath. was in place.  Then they sent me to Physical Therapy.  I went to PT twice a week for a month or so and got more and more exercises to do.  They did help.  And yes, it did "feel" different post surgery.  However as time has gone along, I now have complete control, if I don't "wait too long".  The "feeling" of control from the muscles seems to be getting stronger all the time.

Best of Luck

Love, Peace and God Bless

Will