Facing Prostate Surgery

[Car-Guy]

I take Tam, it is cheap. It works.....(for now).

Thanks. I'll check as I'm thinking about making that call to my Doctor. IIRC my pharmacy WILL fill generic unless specifically required by the physician. I'll check to be certain. In any case, my doctor is pretty savvy about these things.


Thanks again!

Problem is when I asked my DR for my latest refill, I asked for Flomax (and not Tam) He ordered exactly what I asked for. So maybe he should have caught it but I'll take the blame for that one. Anyway, easy enough to get it corrected. Just a little hassle for me (and him).

 

[badatmath]

Hoping to hear good news from you soon-ish.

 

[rk911]

well, 5-days after surgery and i’m still in the hosp. doc says surgery went well. recovery…not so much. MIGHT be going home Sat or Sun. Trying to get my gut moving. seems it still might be asleep from
surgery. i have a nose tube emptying my stomach
and saline flushing my bladder. no food or water. just ice chips. last food was wed nite. still getting some blood around the catheter. not much. trying to sleep my way thru this. Still in occasional pain. hospitals are no place to get some rest.

 

[mystang52]

Wow, you're going through a tough spell. Best wishes for a better recovery in the next day or 2.

 

[badatmath]

well, 5-days after surgery and i’m still in the hosp. doc says surgery went well. recovery…not so much. MIGHT be going home Sat or Sun. Trying to get my gut moving. seems it still might be asleep from
surgery. i have a nose tube emptying my stomach
and saline flushing my bladder. no food or water. just ice chips. last food was wed nite. still getting some blood around the catheter. not much. trying to sleep my way thru this. Still in occasional pain. hospitals are no place to get some rest.

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear surgery went well and you are closer every day to going home.

 

[braumeister]

From your earlier comments you had been in dire need of the surgery, so it's good that you finally managed it. Recovery from any surgery is hard to predict in advance, so I wouldn't make too much of it. Obviously they are doing all they can, and I'm sure they want to get you at home as much as you do. Best of luck, we're all pulling for you.

 

[Car-Guy]

Hopefully the worse is over now and you'll get out of there in the next day or so. I'm sure you'll be more comfortable at home and probably recover even faster.



Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

 

[Koolau]

Thanks for sharing. Best wishes for a quick and complete recovery.

 

[rk911]

tnks to all.

 

[rk911]

after some discussion i've decided to leave the NG tube in but off...it won't be emptying stomach contents. they've given me some water and we'll see if that is digested or just lays in the stomach. if digested that's pretty much a sign the tube can come out. if it just lays there i will start to feel pain and bloating…tube stays in. i'm not passing gas out the back door. that's the last hurdle.

also...not going home till sunday at the earliest.

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

Sorry to hear you are still in the hospital and hope that you go home very soon.
Hang in there rk!

 

[pacergal]

after some discussion i've decided to leave the NG tube in but off...it won't be emptying stomach contents. they've given me some water and we'll see if that is digested or just lays in the stomach. if digested that's pretty much a sign the tube can come out. if it just lays there i will start to feel pain and bloating…tube stays in. i'm not passing gas out the back door. that's the last hurdle.

also...not going home till sunday at the earliest.

From my nursing experience, that is always music to a nurses ears! Signs that things are working and patients can be getting ready to head home, where you always do/feel better.

Best wishes that your recovery continues and you can be home soon.

 

[rk911]

Update, Monday Aug 7

The catheter was taken out against my wishes. Why: I’m having bladder spasms making it difficult to react quickly enough. It ain’t pretty. I would be able to react
a lot faster at home not tied to an IV pole.

NG tube still in but the #2 jam has been broken. 4-large…what’s the polite word?…within the span of a few hours. That is huge (clever yet unintended pun). I asked to leave the tube in for now.

Feeling better most of the time.

 

[Koolau]

Update, Monday Aug 7

The catheter was taken out against my wishes. Why: I’m having bladder spasms making it difficult to react quickly enough. It ain’t pretty. I would be able to react
a lot faster at home not tied to an IV pole.

NG tube still in but the #2 jam has been broken. 4-large…what’s the polite word?…within the span of a few hours. That is huge (clever yet unintended pun). I asked to leave the tube in for now.

Feeling better most of the time.

Sounds like your progress is "onward and upward." Thanks for keeping us posted. Hoping for ever better reports from you. Details unnecessary.

 

[rk911]

0200 cst 8/8/23

the really good news…the biopsy of the grapefruit they took out of me….negative for cancer!!

Terrible bloating from trapped gas. just did 3 laps around the floor. no relief, yet

 

[mystang52]

Your latest reports are showing consistent progress. You may have a ways to go, yet, but you're closer to the finish line of full recovery.

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

Update, Monday Aug 7

The catheter was taken out against my wishes. Why: I’m having bladder spasms making it difficult to react quickly enough. It ain’t pretty. I would be able to react
a lot faster at home not tied to an IV pole.

NG tube still in but the #2 jam has been broken. 4-large…what’s the polite word?…within the span of a few hours. That is huge (clever yet unintended pun). I asked to leave the tube in for now.

Feeling better most of the time.

It sounds like you are close to the finish line?
Your humor andp ositive thinking can only help as you recovery.

 

[aja8888]

0200 cst 8/8/23

the really good news…the biopsy of the grapefruit they took out of me….negative for cancer!!

Terrible bloating from trapped gas. just did 3 laps around the floor. no relief, yet

So glad to hear that no cancer verdict! Hang in there!

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^
Yep since a lot of older men have prostate cancer and don't know it and it's often so slow growing and non impacting they never will know about it. I've read some statistics that just don't seem credible so I won't try to quote them here.

 

[pacergal]

Excellent! Negative for cancer, bowels starting to wake up. Keep moving as you can, you will be home soon.

 

[rk911]

another x-ray and CT this morning. concern is the bloating. they’re thinking/checking for a bowel obstruction.

 

[Dreamer]

Glad to hear that there is no cancer. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

 

[Koolau]

Onward and upward!

 

[Qs Laptop]

Finding out there is no cancer must be a big relief. Hang in there, you will recover.

 

[rk911]

Update 0555-hrs Aug 12

Well, the NG tube came out yesterday and I’m on a clear liquid diet. My gut (no pun intended) tells me I’m headed home today or tomorrow. Why?

- Yesterday morning before the tube came out my PCP’s office called and told me I was being discharged this weekend. I made a post-discharge appointment with him

- A bit later a similar call and request from my urologist’s office

- Checking MyChart I see a notation that anticipated discharge is Aug 12

- I have no current IVs hanging

Feeling much better, still a bit of on again/off again abdominal pain (1-2).

More later…