Just had my Robotic PC surgery

Green Lantern
Green Lantern Member Posts: 11
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
Well, I just wanted everyone here to know that I had my robotic laproscopic prostatectomy just a couple of days ago. It has all gone well so far. I had it done at Morristown Memorial Hospital here in NJ. That hospital and its staff are FANTASTIC! Very kind, good-humored, attentive, patient and caring. The facilities are top-notch.

Had almost no blood in my first day's urine collection. My spirometry exercises surprised all of the nurses in how strong, and quick to recover my lungs were. Five hours after coming out of surgery I asked if I could get up and walk the halls. They let me, but I only walked for maybe 10-15 minutes. No wooziness or nausea. (Boy, I am so glad that I have spent the past 13 years working out twice a week!)

They were very good there with the pain management. I got antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain killers in my IV, and I had only one bout of pain at 4:00 a.m. It was where my abdominal drain was, and it felt like I was being stabbed. On a pain scale of 0-10 (which is what they use in the hospital) I told the nurse that it was a 9. She gave me two Percocets and the pain was fading within just 15 minutes.

Was discharged around 1:00 p.m. the day after surgery (just one night in the hospital). I am home now and very tired. Been napping most of the day. I'm a little sore when I sit down and get up but it's not bad. A couple of the incisions itch where the staples are, but that comes and goes.

I'm scheduled to have the catheter removed this coming Wednesday.

All-in-all, the experience was not as horrific as I envisioned. Thanks to good friends that have been helping and supporting me, a good/informative surgeon, and a wonderful hospital.

If anything else of interest comes up, I'll share with the group.

Thanks to all of you for being here to listen in the lead up to this whole event, too.

Kind regards,
Green Lantern

Comments

  • RRMCJIM
    RRMCJIM Member Posts: 149
    #2
    glad to hear that
    glad to hear that all went well. I am new to all this , but it's nice to know that there is light at the end somewhere. Hope you continue to do so well.
  • Olee
    Olee Member Posts: 97
    #3
    RRMCJIM said:

    glad to hear that
    glad to hear that all went well. I am new to all this , but it's nice to know that there is light at the end somewhere. Hope you continue to do so well.

    Good To Hear
    Good To Hear. You'll be surprised how fast you recover. I wish you the best.
  • marteau
    marteau Member Posts: 27
    #4
    how are you now?
    having the catheter out so early is a bit optimistic from what i hear.

    myself, the doc waited 2 weeks to pull the catheter out.

    it has been 4 weeks/2days since my surgery. i am feeling stronger every day--but, still have a fair amount of leakage (incontinence) during the day.
  • Green Lantern
    Green Lantern Member Posts: 11
    #5
    marteau said:

    how are you now?
    having the catheter out so early is a bit optimistic from what i hear.

    myself, the doc waited 2 weeks to pull the catheter out.

    it has been 4 weeks/2days since my surgery. i am feeling stronger every day--but, still have a fair amount of leakage (incontinence) during the day.

    Follow-up: Seven weeks since surgery
    Hi, Marteau.

    In answer to your question, I am doing well.

    The catheter removal went well, but was "uncomfortable" when it was happening. I found it difficult to pee right afterwards and it took about 10-15 minutes before I actually let go of the water that they'd injected up the catheter, into my bladder, just before its removal. But the doctor at the office said that I was "ok."

    I just went back to the gym for the first time since the surgery. My surgeon said to wait until at least the 6th week, so I added an extra week. I spent the same 30 minutes doing my cardio in the gym (Precor elliptical and recumbent bike), but did not do ANY weight machines (Usually another 30-40 minutes in the gym.) I went at a slower pace than I usually do, though. I hope to start light weights next week or the week after. I will build back up to that. I had no pain, discomfort, or fatigue. I still wear my Tena "Male Guard" incontinence pads during the day, and definitely at the gym.

    Regarding the need for pads, I find that I still have stress incontinence (i.e., I squirt a little when I cough, sneeze, breath very deeply, laugh, or "pass wind.") I find this distressing since I thought my Kegel exercises would remedy that but not so yet. I have had several accidents where I have leaked in a public setting, so I tend to carry a spare set of underwear, pad, ans sometimes pants, in the car when I go out. This is usually caused when my penis shifts during the day to outside of the lower boundaries of the pad and I don't notice. (I find myself regularly checking now and trying to discreetly ensure that I am "positioned properly" throughout the day.) I would suggest this to anyone who is going to have surgery.

    As for erectile function, well, my surgeon put me on Cialis every other day after the catheter came out. I am finding that my erections are about half the fullness and rigidity of what they were before the surgery. My urologist told me that I may see that improve with time. Right now, though, I would not be able to achieve penetration if I had a woman in my life.

    So overall, I guess I am doing well.
  • Green Lantern
    Green Lantern Member Posts: 11
    #6
    marteau said:

    how are you now?
    having the catheter out so early is a bit optimistic from what i hear.

    myself, the doc waited 2 weeks to pull the catheter out.

    it has been 4 weeks/2days since my surgery. i am feeling stronger every day--but, still have a fair amount of leakage (incontinence) during the day.

    My first PSA post-op, incontinence and ED.
    I had my first follow-up PSA test this past Thursday (4/30/2009) and it was 0.01, I beleive. (Or was it 0.001?) Either way, it was negligible, which my urologist was pleased to see. (Yippee!!) I am to have another PSA at the end of August.

    My incontinence is subsiding, but still present. Usually whenever I cough hard, sneeze, pass gas, or lift something heavy I squirt. I wear one pad during the day, and a fresh one at night when I go to bed. I have started going back to the gym twice a week on the 7th week after surgery. First week was cardio only. This past week I added weights, but 20-50 lbs. less than what I was lifting before the surgery. I plan on adding 5 lbs. to the weights every other week. I have had a few squirts during both the cardio and weights, but the Tena "Male Guards" that I wear keep me nice and dry.

    As for erections, well, onset is longer, frequency is less, and rigidity is about 50% less than pre-surgery. I spoke about this with my urologist and he said that in his opinion, I am progressing normally. He said that it may take up to two years for me to be back to where I was, although there are no guarantees. I am hoping for the best.

    Interestingly, my urologist also told me that the more one endeavors to have pleasurable sexual stimulation of the penis the more it makes the body get blood/oxygen to the penis, and that is good for penile health.
  • marteau
    marteau Member Posts: 27
    #7
    you are doing very well !
    i had my surgery feb 9---still some incontinence, but i have gained back the 15 pounds i lost, due to the operation and a lack of desire to eat much. Still big problems with erectile functioning, despite daily cialis.

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