Prostatectomy last Monday and my first week experiences
First, thank you to all of the contributors in Mayo Connect. I have been reading every day in preparation for my surgery.
Had RARP on Monday, Dec.1 and 6 days later I thought I would share my experience. Discharged from the hospital after one night and my first day at home was uneventful. I was sore in the abdomen and still feeling foggy and lethargic from the anesthesia. Yes, the catheter was uncomfortable and I was worried about how often I would need to empty the bag. Day 2 at home I made sure to get out of bed every two hours and drink lots of water. Surgeon prescribed Tramadol which may have contributed to constipation. Day 3, short walks outside, a bowel movement and stopped taking pain meds. It is now Sunday, and while I have pain and bruising on my right side, I am moving comfortably and confidently and look forward to Tuesday’s follow up appointment with the surgeon and removal of the catheter.
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I take Tramadol and it's never caused constipation as far as I could tell. I'd hate to leave a hospital with a catheter. It was had for me to hold my urine for a day or so after it was removed.
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1 ReactionGlad to hear you are making progress without any serious bumps in the road. Sounds similar to my recovery from a RARP back in 2015. I never fully recovered urinary continence and a few years later was using 1-2 pads per day. In 2023, my urologist performed a urethral sling surgery (outpatient). I regained 100% urinary continence immediately and have stayed that way, even after going through radiation therapy for a local recurrence just recently. There are options for fixing the leaks, if they persist.
Hope you stay on course!
Mel
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1 ReactionAll I needed was acetaminophen. Definitely don’t like to take those narcotics. If I do, I take them at night just before going to sleep and that’s it.
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