Surgery day + 3 days
I am pretty tired at home today. I slept from basically 8:30 pm
last night until 6:00 am this morning. Maybe all the rigmarole of the surgery has finally caught up with me.
Because of the catheter, I sleep on my back so I don’t kink the hose. Took a morning nap and an
afternoon nap and feel kind of listless all day.
Very little pain from surgery, but I’m still aware of the Foley and carrying it
around the house and always looking for a place to hang it. You have to hang
it below the level of your bladder, because it works on gravity.
All in all, not a
bad day, but maybe my expectations are too high – I’m antsy – I want to get
well soon, like right away, but it’s just not realistic.
Surgery Day + 4 Days
Slept great last night – about 8 hours – no wake up – slept all the way through
the night.
After doing that colon flush the day before surgery and then fasting, I finally
had my first bowel movement this morning. I guess the
peristaltic movement of my colon is now returning.
Slept well all night, and noticed that the urine bag in the morning is starting to
lighten up in color, still has a pinkish hue, but definitely lighter than before (less blood).
I found that I often dropped things on the floor. When I did, I just left the thing there. I did not want to
contort myself in some goofy way (and potentially rip out some stitches that
are healing) to pick up a food morsel or a recycled piece of mail that I tried
to fling into the recycling basket.
Surgery Day + 5 days
I am now in a normal sleep routine of about 7.5 hrs. sleep at night and a ½ hour
nap mid-day. I must say that here and now – 5 days after surgery – all exterior wounds
and incisions are totally closed up – and really have been for some time,
though I just noticed it.
Da Vinci® surgery recovery is faster, it has to be.
I have been trying to add more fruit and vegetables to my diet to make sure
I get enough fiber. I do not need the hassle of constipation in any
way, shape or form while trying to convalesce from prostate surgery. It’s
working well so far. BM’s are easy and no problem. I upped my fiber intake a
tad – the old apple a day routine – but I didn’t go overboard just yet, because
I’m still normalizing my gut from the bowel prep and surgery fasting.
This is the first day I feel like doing “work” so to speak, like shuffling through
papers, going through mail, etc., but doc says not to sit at the computer for
long periods of time, so I am taking that advice.
I rigged up a stand-up computer station by putting my laptop on a high table.
It’s kind of amazing how you focus in on all the cabinet door knobs around
the house to hang your Foley collection bag on. Why? So that you can have 2
hands free to do whatever it is you want to do. All around the house there are
knobs & handles I could hang my bag on. The key thing I had to remember
is that the bag should always be lower than my bladder, because the
collection bag works on gravity, and I don’t want the urine flowing backwards
into my bladder – could cause an infection.
Surgery Day + 6 days
The urine collection bag is getting less pink (bloody) and more yellow-ish
every day. The amount of urine you produce overnight is amazing.
I am trying to drink an adequate amount of water.
Surgery Day + 7 days
One week ago today, I underwent da Vinci® robotic surgery to remove my
prostate gland. Woke up feeling very good this morning. Catheter
comes out in 2 days.
Before the surgery, I used to get up 1x or 2x per night to urinate. Now with the
catheter, I never get up and sleep all the way through. This is one advantage
of having a Foley catheter, though the downside is you can’t roll over
on the tube – you have to sleep on your back.
In the morning, my urine is pretty clear. Later in the morning, as I get up and
move about, I see a red tinge form in the collection tube. The general
pattern seems to be that the urine color is clear in the morning after doing
nothing but sleeping all night, but then as I move around the house, I see
some red creep back into the tube. First thing I do in the morning is drink a
good amount of water.
Surgery Day + 8 days
Urine bag is totally yellow this morning, no pink, no red whatsoever. Urine bag is yellow
all day today.
My robotic prostatectomy is tomorrow Thank you for sharing this.
Hi,
I am scheduled for robotic surgery 9/16…..reading your log has been both helpful and reassuring. If my experience is similar to yours I will be thankful.
Thanks for posting !
Ron
Thank you! I was completely symptom free when the diagnosis was suspect, then the biopsy was very surprising as to the extent. I was so very happy my CT and bone scan were clear and to me at 61, the decision to have the prostrate removed was easy, I did not need the cancer factory anymore, definitely did not need the worry.
Like you, I have a desk job, a great employer, and we have had adjustable height desk for awhile, which I used for existing back issues.
My biggest concern will be the “take it easy” part…..doing something has always been relaxation for me, I am not used to sitting still.
7-29-21 is my surgery
Hi..I’m scheduled for next week. 9/14
How are you doing ?
I’m still doing great! Hope you are as well.
Hi..I’m at surgery +8….other than a undiscovered hernia that needed repairing during the prostate procedure…all went well. No pain now. My only complaint is the catheter discomfort. But, it comes out in 3 days. My Dr has performed over 1000 of these operations. And, is a whiz !!
I hope your recovery is going well. This site was a godsend !!
Cheers !
Best of luck to you, Ron. Nothing but good things await.
Surgery +10. Catheter out. As you wrote “spring in my step”…So far my recovery has mirrored yours.
Btw..I will be 76 in March.
Thanks again for your log.
Hi Robert, I just found your blog/website and have to say I’m grateful. I am surgery-4 and have found your site has been hitting on a lot of points / questions I have been having. As the “DAY” approaches, the anxiety has been increasing expontientially. I’ve done all the reading, I think I can stand and talked to the docs as well, but your story has been very enlighten… Thanks for doing this..
Robert, I can’t thank you enough for the insights and support you are sharing in this blog. Seeing the day-by-day helps me cope and mentally prepare for what’s next. Excellent work. And, I’ll say it, accountants ROCK!