Gleason7(3+4) - treatment options recommendation

I'll also weigh in that for me catheter removal was easy and totally painless. The 7 days I had the catheter were unpleasant, but manageable. The tip of my penis would get sore and I was instructed by my health care team to keep the tubing clean and use a triple antibiotic OTC gel to keep the tube lubed to minimize the soreness as the penis naturally moves a bit on the tubing. Also, I used the velcro (rather than sticky) straps around my thigh to hold up the tube to keep the weight of the tubing from tugging on the catheter itself. The velcro was convenient but during the day the strap would work itself down my thigh and start tugging on the catheter, so I had to keep an eye on it and reposition the strap a few times a day (especially if walking a lot). This was important as I didn't feel anything, but the first time I noticed it the tubing was tight and clearly putting pressure on the balloon inside my bladder holding the catheter in (not good). One night I turned over while sleeping and pulled the tubing running into the night bag out of the catheter connector, so I had a little urine spill. I was glad I had a waterproof sleeping pad under the sheet. I was also glad I had my night bag sitting in a big plastic bucket next to the bed as the tubing fell into the bucket so most of the urine spill was in the plastic bucket (which I had bought at a dollar store very cheaply). The first time I used the "day bag", I was surprised how quickly it filled up. Finally, my care team had recommended to me to use a non-stimulative stool softener and suggested I try it several days before the procedure so I could see how I tolerated it. I followed their guidance and resumed using it immediately after the procedure (since I knew I tolerated it well). I continued to use stool softener while I had the catheter in so I wouldn't have to strain during a bowel movement. This all worked out very well for me. Of course all this you should discuss with your care team and follow their instructions. I'm not a medical professional nor do I have any expertise in this area, but rather I'm just telling you about my experience during the week I had a catheter and what worked for me. Best wishes as you proceed.

The incisions were typically sore but nothing major. I had four, roughly 4cm incisions, across the beltline and the larger one above the navel. The pain was central to the abdomen area and it was sore for 4 or 5 days. The real hurdle was how tired I was for the first week. I've been through 6 joint surgeries,3 knees, 2 shoulders 1 hip, and this one made me relax for that first week. As they say, keep up with the pain killers for the first few days then ween yourself off. Also, force yourself to walk as instructed as that helps with recovery.

THAT is legendary! I just passed a metal surgical clip, with calcium stones attached, in August from the March '22 surgery which was a piece of cake by comparison.

I'm 70 and had NS RALP about 9 weeks ago and had 5 small incisions and 1 large one (maybe 2") above my naval. For me the recovery from the 6 incisions never got above a 2 on a scale of 10. But I religiously followed my care team instructions. I never used the oxy (which was use if needed), but I took my OTC tylenol and ibuprofen exactly per their instructions. I don't recall exactly, but they had me alternating those for about 4 or 5 days or so post surgery, gradually coming off them. I also strictly followed their instructions to not lift anything more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. After the 6 week period, I started back at the gym slowly, which was actually tough as I had been feeling really good (pretty much normal) by the 3rd week or so after the catheter came out. During this recovery period, there were a handful of times I did feel a sharp pain in the general area of the large incision area, but only briefly if I did something physically that aggrevated it. Overall, the challenge for me was not to rush things as I generally felt so good so quickly after the catheter came out. But, I was healthy before the surgery and I had an excellent surgeon and care team at Mayo Phoenix. Of course, since I'm not a medical professional nor do I have any expertise in this area, I have no idea what's "normal" for post surgical recovery for NS RALP for a 70 year old. Best wishes on your recovery.

I don't know ... that sounds pretty intense in its own right. Did they leave the clip in you?

I felt very sore for the first few days and only needed Tylenol to manage the pain. My belly had a bunch of trapped nitrogen from the surgery and things improved greatly as the gas passed.

If you are currently in decent health with few or no co-morbidities you’ll do fine.

I locally counsel newly diagnosed men seeking surgery as a peer-patient advocate. Send me a direct message with any questions about what to expect.

Bob

I worked on a few aero projects in a manufacturing engineer role before I moved over to ME responsibilities for consumer and medical products.

I worked on Hubble, the F18 program, and the B1-B program. I wasn’t a pilot at that time but it fueled my passion for flying.

Good luck on your journey.

Surprisingly it wasn't too bad and yes they left the clip in which evidently isn't uncommon. What is less common is having it pass as they typically become embedded in tissue.

My father, career USAF, worked on the B-1 Fire Control systems if I recall correctly. We spent a summer at Wright Patterson in '73 about 18 months after his Vietnam tour ended.

I served my engineering apprenticeship with the FIRST . aircraft manufacturing company in the world . Eventually I focused on Missiles and Guided Weapons , and worked projects under Werner Von Braun . Finallly , I exited the aerospace field and owned Multi Plant metal maufacturing companies ( ENGINEERED PRODUCTS ) in Nuclear , Pulp & Paper , Mining , Petrochemical etc . I have been retired 25 year sand travel the world - as I did covering our customers on 5 continents . Sometimes I joked that I flew more miles on business than a pilot .