I had surgery 2 weeks ago at Mayo Clinic. I was able to sleep on my back in my bed just fine; the first night was definitely the worst. The pain was actually pretty minimal and I got better quickly and started walking. 2 to 3 times a day by the 2nd day. I really didn't feel like eating, and eating very much at all caused me a lot of discomfort so I did get the benefit of losing 12 pounds! I don't think stairs are a great idea, especially from a potential fall. I've had several major surgeries over the past few years and this one was the easiest from a pain and recovery time standpoint. I agree with others that the catheter is obnoxious but little pain. Its common, and my situation is a bit worse than normal due to the non-nerve sparing procedure and tissue removed due to tumor growth, but incontinence after catheter removal is the biggest deal so, DO YOUR KEGAL EXERCISES! It's going to be OK and you will do just fine.