Any tips for first few days immediately following prostate surgery?

Watch lifting your legs I developed a fat filled hernia in the camera incision. I blame it on lifting my legs to get off the couch rather than attempting to roll off

Agree with all the other posters. You will do great! 2 things: Forget the bucket to carry the catheter bag. Use a shopping bag with handles. The shopping bag is smaller, less bulky and easier to carry. Get these pants on Amazon. They were great for easy on and off with the catheter bag. My surgeon didn't believe in using leg bags, so the nurses pinned a little loop from the pocket of these pants on the inside, so I could just hang the big bag on the loop inside. The pants were loose enough that you really couldn't tell that the bag was there. They are also just the right weight.

The link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTGXPD8L?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

I am 71 yo, now 2 months out from robotic radical prostatectomy. First night in the hospital was the worst. I did not do well with narcotic therapy in the hospital so I was on Toradol with good results. One home I took Tylenol every 8 hours round the clock and then used the NSAID as needed. Managed to wean off that after about a week. I slept in my bed on my back without much discomfort. The catheter was annoying but WAY better than the stent I had when I had kidney stones! I kept strictly to the 10-20 pound weight restriction for 6 weeks then gradually increased. I started out pretty fit, so restricting myself to walking was frustrating. Used a walking stick for the first few weeks and had a dog walker walk my energetic dogs with me walking alongside. I used the leg bag with the catheter and found it pretty convenient. The night bag was more restrictive and it was sometimes a challenge to make sure my position was OK. I started doing Kegels about 4 weeks pre-op and restarted them within a few days of leaving the hospital, as soon as it was not painful to do so. I was lucky to have had a relatively small prostate and a good surgeon so no significant incontinence issues. Have had some constipation issues but Colase helped as does exercise and water. Trying to keep a sense of humor and being patient with myself helps.
Good luck!

I am 78 and it's been two months since my surgery. Here are a few tips to add to the many other excellent ones above.

My stomach area was quite painful and I was glad to have been forewarned not to wear a belt.
I wore knee length sports shorts which were several waist sizes over my normal size and held up with el-cheapo suspenders that clipped onto the top of the shorts.

I used the big catheter bag which I placed in a small plastic bucket. For showering, I jiggered a bungie cord to hang from the shower door to a fastener in the bag. For drying off, I hung it from a towel rack. I never used the smaller bag until the return to the clinic for cath removal and it worked fine.

For the trip to get the catheter removed, I wore a longer version of the loose athletic pants with the suspenders.

My surgeon recommended walking 15 minutes every hour for recovery. I found a cube-shaped countdown timer on Amazon with 15, 30, 45 and 60 minute intervals. I would flip it to 15 minutes to start my walking around the house and then when I would sit down again I would flip it to 45 minutes. I continued to use this for several weeks after cath removal until I returned to my regular walking routine.

Here is the title of the cube ($11.99) if you want to find it at Amazon:
Feilifan Cube Timer, Time, Kitchen Timer Kids Timer for ADHD Productivity Workout Flip Timer Classroom for StudyTime Countdown Management Settings 15 20 30 60 Minutes-White

I phased in regular foods slowly with a mostly liquid or soft diet to avoid any straining due to constipation. I also needed Miralax to soften my stool again after several weeks when I suddenly encountered constipation. My primary care doctor advised me to take the Miralax twice a day and that worked.

I also found a seat cushion at Walmart with a removable cutout for the perineal zone. This was valuable when sitting at the kitchen table or on wooden deck furniture. Equate Memory Foam Coccyx Cushion, Black
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Memory-Foam-Coccyx-Cushion-Black/228156630?athbdg=L1102&from=/search
For footwear, I bought a cheap pair of slip-on shoes at Big-5, so I wouldn't have to bend down to tie my shoes.

Also regarding pain killers, I used only Tylenol at home, the doctor's instructions said no ibuprofen, I think because it can increase risk of internal bleeding.

Best wishes for your successful surgery and speedy recovery. You can do this!

Sorry but I forgot to answer your initial questions:

Regarding sleeping, I had no problem laying in bed to sleep. It took some practice to get used to the tubing running down to the bag in the bucket next to the bed. I slept on left side of bed, with catheter anchored on my left leg.

Regarding stairs, I didn't have to deal with them except coming home and it was slow-going. Most important, I think would be not to have stairs between you and the bathroom.

Not that big of a surgery
Many can go home sane day if done early morning
Hospital can provide a leg bag to strap around upper thigh when out and about
As well as a bedside bag for sleeping first weeek
Walk walk walk!!

I agree, the surgery was not that big and after surgery was not difficult. The catheter was a pain and mentally, I handled that issue poorly. I am now tougher and if a catheter is in my future I will adjust to it better. A lesson for an old guy! Good luck to you all.

A lot of great comments. I also agree the surgery wasn't bad. The catheter was the worst part, and it's manageable. I used alcohol wipes to clean it, triple antibiotic gel to lubricate it (real important to keep it lubed to reduce soreness caused by the catheter because there will be some movement of the catheter), and always a fresh pair of disposable nitrile gloves (just trying to prevent any infection). I got a cheap generic stimulant-free stool softener (similar to Colace) and started it about 4 days before the surgery. That gave me a chance to make sure it didn't upset my stomach and let me see how it worked before I needed it. I found it very gentle, so I was confident using it. It was a small pill and I took one every day with a meal (sometimes twice a day if I thought I needed it), rather than wait until I "really needed it". I also ate more fruit and vegetables for the fiber. I errored on the side of making sure my bowel movements were easy and I'm glad I did. That worked well for me.