Hey guys,
I got it done. I arrived at UCLA's Santa Monica hospital just before 6AM on Tuesday. They took me back to the pre-surgery area, got my IV, consulted with anesthesiologist. Then spoke with Dr. Raman who would perform the procedure. He pulled up my prostate images right in the room and we discussed my options. I could have full ablation (which I originally thought was my only choice) or he could just burn out the tumors. I asked what he would do if it were him. He said there are pros and cons to each. I opted for just removing the tumors plus a slight margin around each. I had tumors on both sides. My cancer was not aggressive. With that decided, they wheeled me into their MRI area. Here I sat, legs spread open in front of an audience of about 10 people. Luckily, I'm not shy but geez. They gave me oxygen for a few minutes then propofol. I was expecting a gradual descent into sleep, but it was immediate. I came to in the recovery room about 5:30 that evening. I soon learned that there was a technical issue with the probe portion of the Tulsa equipment. They fiddled with it for an hour or two but it just wasn't working. They removed the probe and replaced it with another that worked perfectly. Thank goodness they had that 2nd. probe. So, instead of being under for 2 to 4 hours, I think I was under for 7 hours! I had told the anesthesiologist that I had been nauseous after prior surgeries so he gave me something to help with that. I had no nausea at all. Slowly coming out from under the anesthesia wasn't too bad, BUT the urgency to urinate was extreme, like 10 out of 10. They gave me something for that sensation through my IV (I think) or it may have been a pill. Whatever it was, it worked but it took what seemed like an eternity to get relief. That was by far the worst part. Getting dressed was hard, I had worn jeans, a big mistake. I finally made it back to the Airbnb (where the heater didn't work and it was cold). I do have some tips. You're going to have a catheter with a big bag that cannot be detached. You'll have that until they remove it. Dealing with the tubing and the bag is a learning curve. Be prepared ahead of time. You guys that have already been through it might have some additional tips. I took a pair of PJ pants and cut a slit on the seam just above the knee. I pulled the bag through the slit and hung it outside the pants on the opening I'd cut. This was way better than the jeans. The problem is, you're walking around with an exposed bag for everyone to see. I live alone, so I don't care. I will have to go out into public so I purchased sweat pants designed for this. They have access zippers on the sides and big pockets on the inside of the pant legs to store the bag out of site. I'd suggest wearing those to the hospital and practice putting them on ahead of time. Your foot will get stuck in the pocket while putting them on, but you'll figure it out. The discharge nurse will teach you how to maintain and clean it, pay close attention. You'll have a foley catheter. Infections with catheters are not uncommon so hygiene is very important. Also, be sure to take antibiotics. As far as pain goes, there is NO prostate pain! The bladder urgency is gone. The only discomfort comes from the end of the penis where the tube comes out. If you're not moving, there is little to no pain, but if that tube moves you'll get a little pain. I've learned to move as little as possible and move slowly. I've been trying to make the appointment to get the catheter removed but it hasn't been easy. It's a different doctor. Dr. Raman said that once they got the second probe in, everything went as planned and he feels he got it all. Sorry for the long post 🙂