Surgery is Scheduled: What to do before?

Excellent news. As we all know, the waiting is the hardest part.
It's amazing how our mood changes when we have a concrete date.

My thoughts and prayers for you my friend! Yea, once that surgery prep happens it's like on autopilot at that point. That's when my nerves calmed way down. My surgery date was on the map for months, but that made it real and brought be back to earth.

Thanks man! 🙂 everyone on this forum has been Amazing. I need to send a collective thank you to everyone. I will update everyone on my progress.

When exactly is it?
Others waiting will want a review afterwards.

Best of luck Jay : )))) !!!! Will be sending you healing vibes, that is for sure !

Usually surgery evaluation is a week beforehand, so I assume it within the next 7-10 days.

My RP is scheduled for the end of April. Other than not gaining weight. staying active etc and gathering supplies, exercise is there anything I should do before?

Sounds like you have it pretty dialed in. I did start Kegals before surgery. Also, knowing I wouldn't be able to lift more than 10 lbs for 7 weeks after surgery I tried to take care of any "heavy lifting" chores before surgery so my wife wouldn't have to try lifting something I normally handle. So I filled up the water softener with salt and did a few yard chores knowing it'd be a couple months before I could do anything even remotely strenuous. One other thing I did before surgery was try the non-stimulative laxative they told me I should take after surgery. Since I had never used anything like that I just wanted to see how I tolerated it while I was still healthy. Turned out it really wasn't a big deal for me so that let me take it with confidence after the surgery. Best wishes.

@jayhall, you'll find these discussions helpful:

- Prostate cancer surgery: What can I expect & prepare for?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/48-about-to-have-prostate-removal-surgery/
- Pad (for leaking) recommendation after prostate surgery
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pad-recommendation-after-prostate-surgery/
- What supplies did you have ready for urinary incontinence after RP?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-rp-supplies-for-ui/
- Any tips for first few days immediately following prostate surgery?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-tips-for-the-first-few-days-immediately-following-surgery/

I am a planner, and try to cover every base, so I likely went a little overboard but I don't feel anything that I prepared for didn't serve me perfectly during my recovery:

- Incontinence supplies, just in case. While I didn't have this problem, the pads were nice because if you keep the catheter lubricated for comfort it will make a bit of a mess in your pants.

- Got my laptop prepped for not being at my desk with my ultra wide monitors and got a lap desk to rest it on, tested all of that thoroughly beforehand.

- Prepared several heat-and-eat meals. I also kept a lot of easy comfort snacks and foods around as well as liquid diets for the first few days (ensure, etc) because bowel movements are not fun.

- Plenty of hand sanitizer at each bathroom as well as alcohol pads, since I would always take the time to clean and lubricate around the catheter when I had to hit the bathroom, even if only emptying the bag.

- Like you, all heavy lifts that I could anticipate were done ahead of time.

- Brought my small weights up so I could still do upper body exercises that didn't engage my core. 5lb.

- I work from home so a perineum cushion was very helpful for the first week of sitting at my desk again, the center is cut out so you aren't putting weight on it because it's going to be sore.

- Got a cane for getting up and sitting down as well as getting around the house and going for walks. Since the surgery was nearly identical to my kidney removal, I knew my abs wouldn't be happy with any engagement. I used this a lot. I didn't need it for walks after a couple days but it was really nice for not engaging my core to get up from a chair or bed.

- I took the spare room because I knew that I would likely keep my wife up at night, plus I needed to set it up so I slept on my back or one side while the catheter was in.

- Breakaway sweat pants and sweat shorts. This was the best thing I got for that catheter. It made it so easy to work with it and not once did it pull or cause problems. I also had a bucket for the bag but it was more trouble than useful, I never had any type of leak from the bag and the bucket was a nuisance to carry around - that and it makes it hard to get a good "drain angle" to the bag so I was farting with the tube constantly to keep drained.

- Dude Wipes. Stupid name, life saver. Flushable wipes, which when you are on liquid diets and stool softeners the aloe in them just keeps your backside from getting super sore.

- Washable absorbant mattress pads. Another excellent one to have, even if you don't have issues with incontinence, they saved my mattress from the natural leaking and oozing from the incisions. I would simply stain-stick the sheets and the pads saved my very expensive mattress.

- Very big water bottles with very long straws (I got super long silicone straws from Amazon). I didn't want to get up to refill constantly day or night, I still use them today because I drink a ton of water while I'm in bed. The long bendy straws just keep it from requiring you from sitting up or really moving at all.

- Saved up all the movies and TV shows that I normally might watch to be watched when I was recovering those first couple of days. Helped to pass the time.

- MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME: I crushed working out and kegels for four months prior, but even just a few weeks can make a huge difference. Not only can it help with ED (if your nerves are spared) and incontinence, but it makes recovery easier. I never missed a day, I was obsessed.

- For the hospital stay: a bathrobe was the biggest item, and not one people generally think to bring. Having been in the hospital a few times, I knew I wanted it and it's so nice to have that comfort and cover when you do your little walks that first day. Warm socks too.

That's all I can think of at the moment - even if I forgot some things these helped a lot.