Surf is UP !!!! @@

I can remember exactly how I felt those first several days, I had hoped for a week or less of the catheter but my guy is super conservative so I had it for two weeks. I can't believe some guys go to work with it but I sure did not/would not.
Anyway, My surgeon told me and my wife that it looks very good and the path reports confirmed that. That is the most important part. I want that for you two..

-DAY 3 POST OP

*MORNING round ; )

Patient is in good spirit, had full night sleep without any pain medications administered. Woke up before me and went down to kitchen and made himself an oatmeal and washed some fruits taken out of the fridge which prompted my lecture about “not carrying anything”. I was assured that it was "just 3 nectarines and basket of strawberries and that it can not possibly exceed the weight limit" (which is true). BUT, I wish to prevent “ooopppsss” ideas of pulling gallon of milk out of the fridge or reaching for business briefcase that weights a TON in his upstairs office. He had normal BM this morning also.

Urine looks much more regular, healthy color, light yellow. It was still pinkish yesterday on occasions. He took a shower at noon, all went well and with no problems. I ordered some heavy duty vacuum hooks from Amazon and attached one on shower wall so that he can hang catheter bag and keep it out of the direct water stream - it actually stayed completely dry that way. Only long catheter tube got wet but it was easy to dry it with paper towel.

His incisions are really minor, just strait tiny lines and his port incision is also nice looking, no redness or swelling, just a thin line. Slight brownish bruise appeared below that incision but hardly visible. When he got out of the shower he towel-dried himself but I suggested that he proceeds with full body "blow-dry” using a hairdryer on low heat setting - he is very hairy man, mind you XP. That step made sure that his body and especially his belly got really dry so no moisture would irritate incisions or skin in “lower parts”. It is VERY important to keep incisions dry to prevent any irritation or infection. He put on fresh clean clothing and changed a towel for fresh one. (I will be changing his towel on daily bases till his incisions heal 100%).

He is cleaning meatus about 3 times a day with disposable pre-moistened wipes which we got in the hospital and I also ordered some from Amazon beforehand. There is no irritation on a tip of his penis (as of now), maybe it helps that he is not circumcised (?) so that area is protected and lubricated naturally. He is drinking a lot of natural herbal teas (with no caffeine), warm drinks sooth him and make him feel comfy. He misses coffee but it is OK. He was advised to start with Cialis today, 20 mg for rehab purposes.

*AFTERNOON round:

Patient took a loooong nap after eating a big bowl of home made chicken noodle soup. He is feeling good, energy is coming back, BP was normal, oxygenation 96, heart rate 71, temperature normal. Answered some e-mails related to his job, walked a bit around the home and around the garden, can sit upright at dinner table with very little discomfort in pelvic floor but I insist that he spends most of the day sitting reclined - I do not think that area needs any pressure during healing. He goes up and down the stairs full speed, I have to yell “slow down” - c-c-c.

Urine is still clear, light yellow color. He is keeping hydrated and I am convinced that herbal teas did wonder and promoted such fast clearing of the urine from occasional blood and some haziness yesterday to this healthy color today. Catheter is “behaving nicely”, does not cause much trouble. No poky feeling, no bladder spasms, no tip irritation.

Dinner is going to be a grilled salmon with mashed sweet potatoes and plenty of lettuce.

There was no need for Tylenol or Ibuprofen today.

PS: I am still very tired 😋, but it is mostly stress related - I will need some time to recover.

20mg of Cialis seems a lot. That's usually the on-demand dose.
I was put on 5mg per day. That's expensive enough.
20mg is over 200 bucks just for 8 of them here.

That's very expensive for tadalafil. I'd suggest making sure you're getting the generic and not the name brand Cialis. Also, check some of the discount pharmacies you have over there. I don't know but suspect you can substantially reduce that price. Here in the states my medical drug plan is much more expensive than if I just pay cash at a discount pharmacy, so that's what I do. As a comparison, I pay $20 US for 90 tablets of 5 mg generic tadalafil. I can actually get it for $9 if I want to do mail order, but I don't bother as I prefer just picking it up. Last time I checked my medical plan wanted a LOT more (I don't remember exactly how much). Best wishes.

I know - I was surprised too.
He was on 5 mg for 2 mos pre-op and we thought it will be 5 mg after surgery also, but we were told to start 20 mg today @@. Luckily our insurance covers it, maybe because it is for rehabilitation purpose ?
I will check with my husband how much we payed for it. I know that 5 mg was really afordable, I think the same amount as RetiredGuy payed.

Cialis 20mg Tablets 8 - Tadalafil $216.99 NZD

Cilatil 20mg Tablets 8 - Tadalafil $49.99 NZD

It's not publicly funded down here.
150 bucks a month for the generic. That's what I'm taking.
Don't even know if they're doing any good. I assume they're repairing nerves & scar tissue. That's what I was told, anyway.

Still "under assessment" for funding.

The first time I saw the physio for (ultimately useless) pelvic floor training 3 months pre-op, she said I should be on 5mg per day, to repair scar tissue & nerve damage. No way of knowing if it's even doing anything.

I know - if there is any damage to nerves the recovery is slow but definitely happens in most cases. Some members here needed almost 2 years for ED to resolve and that is exact time that is mentioned in most papers. If there is a problem with continence it resolves usually by 12 mos and for ED it can take 18 to 24 mos. I think that Cialis is supposed to help with blood circulation in that area which promotes better healing.
I am giving my husband alpha-lipoic acid and vit. B12 lozenges because they can help with nerve reparation. Can not do any harm, that is for sure ;).

B12 That's a new one. I'll ask the surgeon.
I'm going back on Tuesday to see how the AUS is getting on.
Should be the last urologist visit. Then it's just blood tests forever.

Yeah. I seemed to get everything all at once during those months in late 2021 — I have a list on my phone so that I won't forget, and I have to scroll to read it all — but since then, I feel like I've been living life in reverse, getting stronger and feeling healthier each year as I age, despite the permanent spinal damage and the "incurable" stage 4 cancer lurking in the background.

So if you feel that everything's going south all at once, don't give up. Stay positive (joyful if possible; maybe keep a gratitude journal), and hang on. Things might keep getting worse at first, but they *can* sometimes eventually get better if you're stubborn enough to keep rolling with the punches.