Connect
← Return to Had Radical Prostatectomy last week: What are next steps?
Discussion
Had Radical Prostatectomy last week: What are next steps?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Feb 26, 2023 | Replies (51)Comment receiving replies
I'm about 16 mos post surgery.
I was not "trained" at all in catheter care, just given some written material. I kept sending pics to the doctor through the portal with questions that usually started with "is this normal" lol
Luckily I have three sisters who are are nurses and could answer questions for me.
I can still see the "puncture" holes at this point, they look like pretty much very small dark spots. My surgeon recommended vitamin E cream which you can pick up at any pharmacy. It seemed to work for a spell then I started to notice no difference at all. So...fully heal...I think the packing fell out over about a 2 week period and like any scar they just seem to fade slowly after that. When you start feeling better, you might want to massage the areas a little to minimize scar tissue behind them, check with the doc to see if that may or may not be effective at all. I still feel like I have scar tissue in the muscle behind one that I feel when doing abdominal exercises......or I'm a hypochondriac...LOL
Replies to "I'm about 16 mos post surgery. I was not "trained" at all in catheter care, just..."
Connect
Hello,
I had an RALP too. I didn’t have any instructions about how to use a catheter; however, I got it to work. It’s been a year now since my surgery. I’ve healed up without any complications; I’m grateful for that. My scars for the most part aren’t very noticeable. I didn’t put any lotion on them. (Actually, I didn’t think about them. I was totally incontinent for two months. This occupied my mind.) I have been physically active since day one; I assume this has helped my body recovery. I can feel my scar tissues in my body occasionally, more noticeably when doing abdominal exercises. While this is the case, I feel exercises are quite important and do them daily. I’ve lost some weight since my surgery. My appetite decreased, and I’ve migrated to a Mediterranean Diet. Good luck with your recovery. I’m sure you’ll do well.