Sat 24th May 2008 - 2 Days Post-Op

This diary extract outlines my radical retropubic prostatectomy from a fly-on-the-wall perspective. It will not be to everyones taste. The idea is that other men faced with Prostate Cancer may find it helpful in considering their own options. If you find the contents distasteful or undesirable, I'm sorry for your troubles!
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Woke around 03;00 and couldn't get back to sleep. Told nursing staff around 04:15 but they said that it was too late to take something. They turned off all lights and drew curtains but I still couldn't get off to sleep. Listened to MP3 player and played chess & solitaire on my organiser until 06:00 (when the others in the ward started waking up). Feeling good, SATs are good too.

Had tea, toast & marmalade. Don't think it agreed with me though, I was very windy afterwards. I had an assisted bath at 10:00. It was in a "space age" bath - side opening door, tilting with jacuzzi. It was great to get a good wash and to wash my hair. As I runner, I shower/bath every day, so two days without washing properly had left me feeling "unclean".

I sat out for a while afterwards but then walked the length of the corridoor on my own (first time!) However I had to get into bed straight away afterwards - small steps!

The surgeon covering the weekend dropped by at 11:00. Seems very pleased. He reckons they go everything and the margins are OK. He said that they reckon I made the right choice. I mentioned that I hadn't wanted radiation and he said that he was at a seminar in the US the previous few weeks and that the reports coming through are bad on radiation. Colon cancer, etc. caused by radiation is worse then previously believed. He said that it probably won't be published on this side of the pond. He said I wouldn't pass wind for a few days. I told him that I had a good one yesterday.

13:00
Had my first dinner; chicken (no gravy), boiled potato, low-fat spread, jelly souffle and coffee. I walloped the lot!

D & A came in at 15:00. They reckon I'm looking better. Had tea at 17:00; chicken salad, brown bread, coffee & water. I went for my third walk of the day at 18:00 and got anal angesic at 18:40.

I've decided, looking out the window at a fine evening, with the trees gently swaying in the breeze, that this is a place of hope. Everyone here has a positive outlook and those who are in here are proactive about their health. i reckon I came to the right place. I came for the man, but the place is right too.

BTW, the room, containing four beds, has two fine big windows which fact west and overlook Elm Park golf course. The 4th green is right outside our window and about 80m away.

I went for a walk around 19:45 but when I went to get back into bed, I accidentally pulled on the cathether and got a bit of bleeding around the tip of the penis. It stung at the time but the nurse put some gel on it to numb it. Told her to make it a double dose - to make it num-num - OK, OK, its an infantile, schoolboy joke, but I never claimed my jokes were any good.

This morning I did a bit of exploring in "the area" and was surprised to find some sensation. I wondered about that. Was it phantom, etc? So I asked the surgeon about it. He said taht this was normal skin sensation but thet they went for early intervention. I asked what early was and he said months.

21:30
Went for fourth walk of the day and had another mega windbreak, along with another leak from the back passage - just clear fluid again.