Surgical removal not robotic of Bladder

@rafcer I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can tell you about my husband’s experience.
My husband 65 yrs old…had a RC for MIBC in June 2025. It wasn’t as bad as we thought. The nurses had him up and walking the next day. He was in the hospital for 7 days. The last 4 days he was eating solid food. First few days is just liquids. Basically, he was off any Tylenol after a week. Any pain after surgery…was very manageable in the hospital. Not as bad as he originally thought it was going to be. He did have robotic surgery and was under for about 6 to 7 hours. He chose a stoma with a small bag which has worked perfectly for him. He did everything himself after the nurses taught him how to attach the small bag. No problems. He can do everything he did before the surgery. It’s amazing what surgeons can do today. He did go back to his desk job within 2 months. He was getting bored at home.
When he left the hospital, he was able to go up and down stairs to get to our bedroom and bathroom. I made sure he drank 2 liters of water a day and never got any UTI’s. He wanted soup the first couple of days…but then started eating sandwiches and regular food. Ice cream is what he loved. That first week he got home, we walked outside everyday …starting with 5 minutes…then 10…and so on. The doctor wants everyone to walk as much as possible.

When he came out of surgery…I was there talking to him….but he doesn’t remember anything. In fact…he doesn’t remember the first 2 or 3 days. He wasn’t in any pain…not sure what the nurse gave him…because he kept talking about the “pretty nurses” ….which really started to bother me. But I let it pass…
The next day, he was in his bathrobe-housecoat…with socks and slippers…walking around the hospital…so happy that the operation was over!

I’m sure you must be feeling scared and overwhelmed….but from what I’ve seen going through this with my husband….it wasn’t the horror we thought it would be. He is happy he did it and has been living a great life.

Before the surgery, he had Cisplatin and Gemcitabine for 3 months because it was Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

I have you in my prayers for the 7th…that all will be well and a quick recovery…you will feel relieved when the operation is over and done with.
If you have any questions…I would be happy to answer them. God bless you xx

@rose1966 Thank you Rose for your helping message. My surgery is an open surgery not robotic because I apparently have a lot of scar tissue from previous surgery and radiation. Your husband robotic surgery took a long time 6-7 hrs…… my urologist just said operation will take longer then robotic. Glad to hear your husband is doing well.
Was he told to bring certain clothes to wear during his stay ??

@rafcer thank you…yes, he’s doing well, thank God.
Here is what I packed for the 7 day hospital stay:
A bathrobe,(he walked around the hospital in the bathrobe-housecoat everyday) socks, slippers, toothpaste, toothbrush, ivory soap, books, magazines, antiperspirant…deodorant, loose fitting pajama pants, shorts, loose fitting cotton tee shirts…I think that was it.

I brought my knitting and cross stitch….to the hospital…so that I wouldn’t get bored. My husband slept a lot that week and the knitting kept me busy.

At home, I bought a handful of square waterproof pads for the bed. He only needed them for the first couple of weeks…if that.

He was also watching tv ….which he loves…very relaxing and he was reading his books and magazines. He likes to escape into a good story! Takes his mind off everything.

He was able to get into the shower on the 2nd day ….the nurses showed him how to do everything….only use ivory soap…no moisturizers…how to attach the small bag to the stoma….how to pull out the little stopper on the bottom of the bag/pouch and empty it…then put the stopper back in and change the bag every 5 days.
He has a container that I purchased off Amazon for the nighttime. It is wonderful! It even has a cute cover to put over it during the day. All the other supplies are purchased through a healthcare company and the insurance covers it.

Protein is so important when you get home…if you can drink a protein shake everyday…you’ll heal better. Chicken…cheese…eggs…etc. He also took Colace for a month or so…in case he had constipation. 2 liters of water a day to prevent infection…UTI.

My husband really liked being in the hospital….if our insurance paid for more than 7 days…he would have stayed longer. He was at Yale Hospital in NewHaven, Connecticut. He loved talking to the nurses…doctors…very relaxing atmosphere…he also really enjoyed the food.
All the special attention he was given helped him feel better and get his independence back.
When he was back home…the visiting nurse came a few days a week…she brought essentials…more soap…alcohol wipes for hands before he changes the small bag…hands must be especially clean…she talked with him about anything he was having trouble with. The nurses were excellent.
We walked around the block everyday…the doctor was adamant about walking as much as he could to prevent blood clots in the legs.
I’m sure you will do really well…It’s amazing what progress the surgeons-oncologists…urologists…have made concerning bladder cancer. This RC surgery will save so many lives and people will be able to live and thrive into their mid to late 90’s. I’ve met a few men who had just turned 90-91…and they had this operation years ago.
I am praying for you…that God (the great physician) guides the hand of the surgeon. You will have better peace of mind when the surgery is over and done with. Then, you can gradually heal and eventually do everything you did before surgery.
God bless you,
Rose