Today is the 1st day I am back to opening and possibly closing @ work. It is a nice step back to some sense of normalcy in my life even though I am still a bit incontinent - especially when standing up from a sitting position - and itchy and raw in spots from my sulfa drug reaction, but that seems to be getting a bit better each day.
We will see how I can stand up to a full day @ work.
It is still only a few days short of 3 weeks since the operation and one full week since my catheter is out so I have to stay patient.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Still really itchy
I am still really itchy w/ multiple rashes, but the Dr is pretty sure that is was a Drug Reaction to the "Bactrim" - sulfa type antibiotic - that I was taking post op and post catheter removal. I had never had a problem w/ these in the past, but I have been told that it can happen anytime.
Now on double doses of antihistamines to help relieve the symptoms until this is out of my system.
If it's not one thing, it is something else.
Now on double doses of antihistamines to help relieve the symptoms until this is out of my system.
If it's not one thing, it is something else.
Friday, February 24, 2012
This stuff never ends
Well it has now been 4 full days since I had my catheter removed and though I am not exactly gushing, I am still a bit squishy, w/ leakage when I make specific movements such as getting out a chair, sneezing. blowing my nose, reaching at weird angles, etc. I am continuing my kegel exercises @ least 4 times a day, and I do seem to be getting better little by little in that area.
My latest problem though is that I seem to have developed multiple rashes and by days end, my stomach especially is so itchy and sensitive that I can barely stand to have anything touch it. It is just what I need right now as I can't even seem to remember having a decent night's sleep since a few days before my operation. I am going to see a Dr about this this afternoon to see what the deal is. I is very reminiscent of a staff infection that my wife and I had about a year ago or so.
Can't Imagine how I could have gotten that ;)
I have been back to work for a few hours each day since Wednesday, and it is about all I can handle right now as I get tired and lose focus easily what w/ not having a good night's sleep in awhile and all else that is going on. Going to take a 3 day w/e to try to get some more rest.
My latest problem though is that I seem to have developed multiple rashes and by days end, my stomach especially is so itchy and sensitive that I can barely stand to have anything touch it. It is just what I need right now as I can't even seem to remember having a decent night's sleep since a few days before my operation. I am going to see a Dr about this this afternoon to see what the deal is. I is very reminiscent of a staff infection that my wife and I had about a year ago or so.
Can't Imagine how I could have gotten that ;)
I have been back to work for a few hours each day since Wednesday, and it is about all I can handle right now as I get tired and lose focus easily what w/ not having a good night's sleep in awhile and all else that is going on. Going to take a 3 day w/e to try to get some more rest.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wow, What a Relief!
It feels so good to be unencumbered after what felt like the longest 11 days in my life. Though not as bad as the Cystoscopy I had pre-op, it was still not a fun experience having my bladder filled to bursting w/ Saline and then having the catheter balloon pulled out.
So far all urinary systems are functioning w/ a minimum of leakage - I do have a pad in my shorts to cover myself - and we will see how it goes for the next day or so b/4 I can head back to work for a few hours a day at least.
So far all urinary systems are functioning w/ a minimum of leakage - I do have a pad in my shorts to cover myself - and we will see how it goes for the next day or so b/4 I can head back to work for a few hours a day at least.
Emancipation Day!
Yes, barring any complications, today is the day I am finally freed from my Catheter.
WooHoo!
WooHoo!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Two more Days!
Only Two more full days left until my emancipation from the last tubage of my operation, I feel as good as I can expect. I look forward to another walk outside today, and then vegging out on the couch for the various and sundry sporting events that will be on TV.
Can't wait 'till I can get back to my normal Saturday shopping and couple mile walking routines, but that is still too much for me right now.
My only other complaint at the moment is the itchiness I have around all my incision areas, but hopefully that means they are healing. I still look a bit Frankensteinish there and I do not think I will win any swim suit contests soon.
At least today Pitchers and Catchers report to Clearwater, Fla. so that is a good thing.
.
Can't wait 'till I can get back to my normal Saturday shopping and couple mile walking routines, but that is still too much for me right now.
My only other complaint at the moment is the itchiness I have around all my incision areas, but hopefully that means they are healing. I still look a bit Frankensteinish there and I do not think I will win any swim suit contests soon.
At least today Pitchers and Catchers report to Clearwater, Fla. so that is a good thing.
.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
How I feel today
I must apologize as I seem to have failed miserably in keeping this thing up to date, so let me start off w/ where I stand right now.
One week from the day of my surgery and 4 full days until I can become untethered to this infernal Catheter that is leading me around by my Penis, and overall I am feeling OK. I am in a small amount of pain, most of which is from that catheter pulling on me at times and the area around it still sensitive especially when I try to pass gas or have bowel movements or the odd bladder spasm. There is still a bit of discomfort where the surgery scars are especially the area around where the drain was, which is itchy and a bit inflamed, but this is all bearable and I am down to one or two percosets a day as needed.
One of the hardest things for me is to remember that because I am connected to the catheter, I must remember to drink 8 cups of fluids a day. This for a guy who all my life has restricted his fluid intake because I had to constantly pee if I drank too much, is a real lifestyle change. On the positive side, one of the benefits of this surgery is that I can look forward to heading back to CBP this Spring and I can have a beer in the early innings and not be afraid that I will have to go every other inning from the 4th on.
Stamina wise I am feeling good and I have been going on longer and longer walks as the days go on - yesterday was bout 16 blocks or so. Again because of the catheter, I am kind of shambling along - tough for me as I am usually a fast walker - and my walks are limited to how long I can keep the leg bag in a comfortable position and how long I can go before I have to empty myself.
I am so looking forward to next Monday morning when I came become Unshackled, and then all I should have to deal w/ is some degree of incontinence for an unspecified period, but I hope that by next Wednesday or so, I can start getting back to work for a few hours at least.
Right now I am going out for a short walk and will come back to post my recollections of the Surgery itself and the days after.
Next: Post: The Surgery Day
One week from the day of my surgery and 4 full days until I can become untethered to this infernal Catheter that is leading me around by my Penis, and overall I am feeling OK. I am in a small amount of pain, most of which is from that catheter pulling on me at times and the area around it still sensitive especially when I try to pass gas or have bowel movements or the odd bladder spasm. There is still a bit of discomfort where the surgery scars are especially the area around where the drain was, which is itchy and a bit inflamed, but this is all bearable and I am down to one or two percosets a day as needed.
One of the hardest things for me is to remember that because I am connected to the catheter, I must remember to drink 8 cups of fluids a day. This for a guy who all my life has restricted his fluid intake because I had to constantly pee if I drank too much, is a real lifestyle change. On the positive side, one of the benefits of this surgery is that I can look forward to heading back to CBP this Spring and I can have a beer in the early innings and not be afraid that I will have to go every other inning from the 4th on.
Stamina wise I am feeling good and I have been going on longer and longer walks as the days go on - yesterday was bout 16 blocks or so. Again because of the catheter, I am kind of shambling along - tough for me as I am usually a fast walker - and my walks are limited to how long I can keep the leg bag in a comfortable position and how long I can go before I have to empty myself.
I am so looking forward to next Monday morning when I came become Unshackled, and then all I should have to deal w/ is some degree of incontinence for an unspecified period, but I hope that by next Wednesday or so, I can start getting back to work for a few hours at least.
Right now I am going out for a short walk and will come back to post my recollections of the Surgery itself and the days after.
Next: Post: The Surgery Day
Saturday, February 11, 2012
One Big Step
I have not felt much like sitting and typing since my surgery, but I will just make a short post to say it all went well, and as far as the Drs know at this point they got all the cancer that was there in removing my Prostate that was bigger than anybody expected. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel more up to posting some interesting details, and there were a few in the course of the surgery and recovery.
The best thing I can say right now and what makes me feel very relieved is that I have taken a big Step - or maybe better called a Big Sit, in that I had my 1st Bowell Movement since Wednesday night.
...and it was Good!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Prep Day
Today is my Prep Day!
I have had no solid food since a snack after volleyball last night, and I have had my dose of Milk of Magnesia this morning, and all that is left are two enemas - one in just a few minutes, and the last b/4 going to bed tonight.
I am going to try to get into work for a few hours, b/4 I have to return home to await a call from the hospital to tell me my time to report tomorrow.
Otherwise it is all a waiting game, and that is pretty much all I can say for now.
I have had no solid food since a snack after volleyball last night, and I have had my dose of Milk of Magnesia this morning, and all that is left are two enemas - one in just a few minutes, and the last b/4 going to bed tonight.
I am going to try to get into work for a few hours, b/4 I have to return home to await a call from the hospital to tell me my time to report tomorrow.
Otherwise it is all a waiting game, and that is pretty much all I can say for now.
Pre-Op Testing
Finally after months of waiting and anxiety levels getting higher by the day, my Pre-Op test day, 2/1/12, finally arrives.
The 1st test is w/ a Cardiologist which was not a problem.
Next was the hospital's testing which involved dozens of vials of blood, a urine test, and an extremely thorough review of my family and personal medical history, which I now have memorized because of all the specialists I have seen over the last few months. I also met w/ an Anesthesiologist - who it turns out was friends w/ my younger brother back in the day - and still lives near the house in which I grew up - and finally a chest x-Ray.
The last test was the one I have been dreading all along w/ is a Cystoscopy which involves putting a scope up my penis into my bladder to make sure that is ok.
Of course this is the one test where I run into some problems as when I get to the Urologists office I learn that the Dr who was supposed to do the procedure was not in that day and nobody informed me of this.
Fortunately, Cindy - who did a yeoman's job scheduling all this stuff (and who would be called upon again later to do her magic) - was there and found another Dr to do the deed.
Without getting too into it the procedure was not a whole lot of fun, but at least it was quick, and the effects did not last longer than hurting when I peed for a few more hours.
So finally I feel I am done w/ this and can move onto getting ready for the Big Day, but the next day I get a call from Cindy who told me they saw something "suspicious" in my chest X-Ray and I would now have to have a C/T scan of my chest and a visit w/ a Pulmonologist to get final clearance for the operation.
As mentioned b/4 somehow Cindy got me an appointment for the Specialist just two days before the operation, and it turned out that not only was there not really anything bad on the X-ray except for some weird rib formation, but my lungs were close to perfect and they were ready to give me the "healthy patient of the day" award.
So now all the testing, and worrying is done except for the Operation itself.
Next: Prep Day
The 1st test is w/ a Cardiologist which was not a problem.
Next was the hospital's testing which involved dozens of vials of blood, a urine test, and an extremely thorough review of my family and personal medical history, which I now have memorized because of all the specialists I have seen over the last few months. I also met w/ an Anesthesiologist - who it turns out was friends w/ my younger brother back in the day - and still lives near the house in which I grew up - and finally a chest x-Ray.
The last test was the one I have been dreading all along w/ is a Cystoscopy which involves putting a scope up my penis into my bladder to make sure that is ok.
Of course this is the one test where I run into some problems as when I get to the Urologists office I learn that the Dr who was supposed to do the procedure was not in that day and nobody informed me of this.
Fortunately, Cindy - who did a yeoman's job scheduling all this stuff (and who would be called upon again later to do her magic) - was there and found another Dr to do the deed.
Without getting too into it the procedure was not a whole lot of fun, but at least it was quick, and the effects did not last longer than hurting when I peed for a few more hours.
So finally I feel I am done w/ this and can move onto getting ready for the Big Day, but the next day I get a call from Cindy who told me they saw something "suspicious" in my chest X-Ray and I would now have to have a C/T scan of my chest and a visit w/ a Pulmonologist to get final clearance for the operation.
As mentioned b/4 somehow Cindy got me an appointment for the Specialist just two days before the operation, and it turned out that not only was there not really anything bad on the X-ray except for some weird rib formation, but my lungs were close to perfect and they were ready to give me the "healthy patient of the day" award.
So now all the testing, and worrying is done except for the Operation itself.
Next: Prep Day
Decisions, Decisions
Through my newly assigned Prostate Cancer Coordinator, Ellen, I set up for a day of testing that involves a Bone Scan and a C/T scan on 10/18, and then the consultation w/ various and sundry Drs on 10/26 to discuss my options. Except for being shot up w/ Iodine and having to drink two Liters of Barium Sulfate, which reeked havoc w/ my already weak urinary system for the rest of the day, these tests were not too bad.
W/ these tests done we then meet w/ Three different Drs who explained the varied options available from what they call "Watchful Waiting" to Radiation to Chemotherapy to removing the Prostate.
The tests all came back negative, and everyone we met with from my original Urologist to the Radiology oncologist, came to the same recommendation.
For someone "comparatively young" - I am 56 - and showing no Cancer anywhere else, they all suggested removing the Prostate as the best alternative to make pretty sure they were getting all the cancer, and most likely not have to receive any other kind of treatment.
I had already read a few books and all I could find online about people w/ comparable conditions, and all that pointed me in the same direction, so after a few weeks of thinking about it I decided to go w/ the surgery.
Through the scheduler @ Jefferson Urology we set the date of 2/9/12 for the Procedure and all my Pre-Op testing for 2/1
Next: Pre-Op testing.
W/ these tests done we then meet w/ Three different Drs who explained the varied options available from what they call "Watchful Waiting" to Radiation to Chemotherapy to removing the Prostate.
The tests all came back negative, and everyone we met with from my original Urologist to the Radiology oncologist, came to the same recommendation.
For someone "comparatively young" - I am 56 - and showing no Cancer anywhere else, they all suggested removing the Prostate as the best alternative to make pretty sure they were getting all the cancer, and most likely not have to receive any other kind of treatment.
I had already read a few books and all I could find online about people w/ comparable conditions, and all that pointed me in the same direction, so after a few weeks of thinking about it I decided to go w/ the surgery.
Through the scheduler @ Jefferson Urology we set the date of 2/9/12 for the Procedure and all my Pre-Op testing for 2/1
Next: Pre-Op testing.
I'm Still Waiting
So back I go on 9/15 w/ the Cap Gun up my butt, and another afternoon of sitting on the couch perched on multiple cushions. Now the latest waiting game begins assumedly 'til my appointment w/ the Dr on 10/4 which I show up for at my customarily early time, only to find out after waiting almost a full hour that the results are not in yet. why they could not tell me this b/4 I arrived or at least when I got there, is beyond me. They ask me to wait awhile longer while they check w/ the lab, but to no avail. We always hear the expression - no news is good news - so despite my aggravation at wasting all the time, I hold out hope that this is a good sign.
Two days later I get the call from the Dr @ work which put the lie to that old Canard.
Apparently the results showed 3 spots out of the dozen samples that showed "Adenocarcinoma" or "malignant neoplasms" all fancy words for Cancer.
2 of the 3 spots have what they call a Gleason Score of 3+3=6, but the one that put me into the low - to intermediate risk area was a 3+4 = 7. These results caused the Dr to tell me to seriously consider some sort of treatment.
I met w/ him two days later w/ my wife to go over the options as he knew them and then advised me to get a blood test to check my kidney functions in advance of other tests I would need to ascertain that there was no cancer anywhere else.
This test came back fine, so I was officially assigned a Cancer Patient Coordinator who would guide me through the next steps of testing and consultations w/ a variety of oncologists who would explain to me the treatment options.
Next Post: Decisions, Decisions.
Two days later I get the call from the Dr @ work which put the lie to that old Canard.
Apparently the results showed 3 spots out of the dozen samples that showed "Adenocarcinoma" or "malignant neoplasms" all fancy words for Cancer.
2 of the 3 spots have what they call a Gleason Score of 3+3=6, but the one that put me into the low - to intermediate risk area was a 3+4 = 7. These results caused the Dr to tell me to seriously consider some sort of treatment.
I met w/ him two days later w/ my wife to go over the options as he knew them and then advised me to get a blood test to check my kidney functions in advance of other tests I would need to ascertain that there was no cancer anywhere else.
This test came back fine, so I was officially assigned a Cancer Patient Coordinator who would guide me through the next steps of testing and consultations w/ a variety of oncologists who would explain to me the treatment options.
Next Post: Decisions, Decisions.
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