As I mentioned before in a previous article, I've always found problems more manageable when broken down into parts. That way you don't feel as overwhelmed by things. So I woke up in the hospital early the day after my surgery and felt okay. Less than 24 hours after prostate removal surgery, I started to wonder how the procedure had affected my sexual and urinary functions. Now I knew the catheter needed to be in place for at least 7 more days so the sexual function part took center stage in my mind.
I don't know how many of you reading this article have had to deal with infertility issues, but it's fairly common in situations like this to have both the man and woman tested for signs of problems. For guys, this means finding yourself in a strange place with a plastic cup in hand and trying to produce a sperm sample to do a sperm count. On the surface, this doesn't sound that difficult, right? But when people are around and you're in an unfamiliar place, it's more challenging than one would think. I've heard that at sperm banks they provide you with videos or magazines to help the process along. I didn't have any visual aids, but I wasn't trying to produce a sample. I couldn't if I wanted to because the surgery put an abrupt end to my ability to do so.
Sitting in my hospital bed, I decided to see if I could get aroused by thinking of something sexual. I'm not going to mention what I thought about though. Everyone has various things that can help stimulate them, but I wasn't sure if things would even respond. I was told that the delicate re-connective nerve work for sexual function had gone well. But until I had some kind of sign, I wouldn't be comfortable. So I leaned back and thought and thought. There was no one in the room at the time and I had a blanket and several sheets over me too. Then it happened. I started to feel movement and a sensation. From that point forward, I had the confidence that things would be alright. I didn't know if my experiment was really that significant medically. It didn't matter to me. I just felt better knowing that things were responding in a positive way just after surgery. And I did it with the catheter still in place too.
I wanted to get home as soon as possible. So I religiously followed the doctors and nurses instructions, from the breathing exercises to getting up and walking around as much as possible. The cramps that had really zapped me the day before had long dissipated. I was starting to get used to the draining cycle of the blood/fluid bags on either side of my belly button too. I was hopeful that they would be removed before I left the hospital. Around noon, I was told that I would be getting discharged soon. My wife ended up coming to the hospital in the late morning and got to hear the good news with me. Unfortunately, I ended up leaving with one bag, on my right side still attached.
On the ride back home, I thought about what my doctor had said after the surgery. He had said that everything had gone well and the cancer appeared to have been contained in my prostate. I felt relieved that the surgery was over and looked forward to being able to run in a month or two. I thought about recuperating while working on my writing and watching the Tour de France. I had a number of physical reminders of the surgery though, the right side fluid drain bag, the catheter, the stitches on my belly, a sore left hand /wrist from the intravenous feed port, and a lighter weight. After all, I didn't have a prostate anymore so I had to be lighter, right?
With any type of surgery, one has to be careful not to do too much right away. I didn't want to get sidelined any longer than I had to be because of my impatience. I knew I needed to settle into a routine to help me cope with things too. After a day, I developed a daily schedule. I took over draining the blood and urine from my wife. She was great, but I wanted to be as independent was possible. Plus she was working during the week and wasn't around until late in the day. With cancer surgery, I knew I would be visiting my doctor on a regular basis, even after the incisions had healed and the catheter and drain were out. I would be doing regular PSA tests going forward to make sure the cancer was gone. I also was looking forward to being able to pee directly into the toilet. Oh yes, the simple pleasures in life.
I'm a environmental engineer, runner, writer and poet. I have a running blog at http://www.kenmajor.blogspot.com/. There are a number of articles about running and outdoor activities. Feel free to stop by and check out my posts. I think you might find something useful.
