I finally received a Bipolar TURP Surgery after More Than 6 Months of Waiting and Several False Starts - Doing Well after One Week

[diamondrn]

On October 22, 2020 was when the first signal occurred that anything was wrong.

It started with me having to going to the bathroom 44 times in one day; then everything shut down. I couldn’t pee a drop and my bladder started backing up.

My wife drove me to the nearest VA Emergency Room, which is about an hour away. A Foley catheter was inserted through my urethra into my bladder so I could urinate.

That was over a year ago.

During that time it was discovered that I also had a Hydronephrosis; that urine was backing up from my bladder into my right kidney.

That eventually led to a biopsy of my prostate where it was discovered that I already had Stage 4 Inoperable Metastatic Prostate Cancer with several metastases and a Gleason score of 4+5. I was immediately placed on ADT consisting of Firmagon and Zytiga plus Prednisone by the VA Medical Oncologist.

The catheter has been the bane of my existence since then.

I had already had a Rezum procedure last June, due to what they thought was BPH, which had obviously failed to do the job, so a Bipolar TURP seemed to be the best next solution.

The Urologist wouldn’t let me have the TURP until the Hydronephrosis was cleared up. She wanted me to undergo a Nephrostomy, where a drainage tube is inserted in your back. I refused because I couldn’t see me living with tubes and drainage bags sticking out of me from both the front and the back.

That was finally cleared up and a TURP was scheduled. A week before surgery I developed a septicemia (a serious bloodstream infection) that required me to be hospitalized for 6 days.

The TURP was rescheduled a second time. The anesthesiologist became concerned about a possible heart problem one week before and refused to proceed until I had a stress test, due to the fact that I had a problem with esophageal reflux. I passed the Nuclear Stress Test with flying colors.

The TURP was rescheduled a third time to October 26.

On the day before the surgery the surgeon’s assistant called me to say that she was cancelling the procedure again because a pre-op urine test showed a nonspecific urinary tract infection.

I told her that I had noticed the same thing and had convinced the Infectious Diseases Specialist (I am a pharmacist with a clinical background) to give me a ten-day course of Bactrim DS, a broad spectrum antibiotic for UTIs, and that I would be finishing it the next day.

She relented, so I finally had the TURP surgery.

It is now about a week later, I am catheter-free and peeing regularly on my own.

The sphincters that have been lazy for over a year now need a little re-strengthening, so I have to run to the bathroom so I don’t dribble, but I can live with that for now.

Click on this link for description of what is different about a "Bipolar"

TURP >>> newyorkurologyspecialists.c...

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[DMohr011]

Those foley's suck, for sure. Glad to hear your pissing again.

Is the TURP going to delay any radiation treatments they have in store for you? If things clog up again, maybe consider self cathing until the radiation is done.

Its those simple things in life is all we ask for....

Dave

[diamondrn in reply to DMohr011]

The Radiation Department is still waiting in the wings, DMohr011.

Everything they are doing for me is palliative.

[addicted2cycling in reply to diamondrn]

diamondrn wrote --- " ...It is now about a week later, I am catheter-free and peeing regularly on my own... "

Instead of a "piss poor situation" it sounds like after having been put through the wringer you're gleefully piss plentiful 😀 👍👍

[Dont08759]

Was your TURP a green light laser?

[diamondrn in reply to Dont08759]

It was a Biploar TURP, Dont08759.

See this link for a good description of a Bipolar TURP >>> newyorkurologyspecialists.c...

[Spyder54]

Diamondrn, do yourself a favor and DO NOT LIFT ANYTHING HEAVIER THAN 10 lbs for 6 weeks. I made the mistake at 10 days after 1st TURP. Moved some lawn furniture and started hematuria next day. When clotting and hematuria could not be contained with a constant flush foley catheter, a 2nd Turp was scheduled to cauterize the areas of bleeding. Another 6 wks of healing. Go easy my man!Here’s to a positive flow.

Best,

Mike

[diamondrn in reply to Spyder54]

Thanks for the heads up, Mike.

No one warned me about that.

I love to work in the yard and the leaves will need to be raked up in a few days, so I will definitely be careful how I do it.

I had a lot of bleeding for the first week. That has almost stopped now.

Blessings.

[Spyder54 in reply to diamondrn]

Mine took a month to be crystal clear. As long as no clotting should be fine. Just a drop of blood goes a long way at discoloring urine.My best for a complete recovery.

Mike

[meowlicious99]

my dad had bipolar 3 weeks ago too. seems to doing well so far.

good luck!!

[MateoBeach]

Persistence and patience serve you as the patient!