okies guys... just thought I would give a quick condition update after Da Vinci surgery...
1. Pathology report: all margins negative (clear) all associated organs removed (vas -defs, seminal vesicle and 8 lymph nodes) negative. ALL cancerous tumors (4) contained within prostate .
2. incontinence was full blown for 3 days after catheter removal, improved to just dribble after one week... still dribbling after 4 weeks, will be changing over from Depends to Pads on Monday
3. Pain: zero pain associated with internal portion of the surgery, however, pain for the central & right side incisions was minimal (level 3/4). However, the pain from the left most incision would jump to a level 8/9 if I moved too quickly or used the muscles associated with the incision. I ended up sleeping on my right side on the couch, the back of the couch provided support and helped me to sleep. attempted to sleep on left side only twice and resulted in level 9 pain immediately.
4. Pain management: I dropped the oxy after the first night - it didn't do a damn thing for my pain and I didn't want to get addicted. started with 1 extra strength Tylenol & 1 COATED Advil every 4 hrs, switched to every 6 hrs after 2 weeks, and switched to every 8 hrs after 3 weeks, now at every 12 hours, will probably kill off the pain meds this weekend.
5. Additional abdominal management: after about a week I found that letting the abdominal muscles move around freely resulted in more level 9 pain spasms which were probably inhibiting / delaying healing. I ordered on Amazon a belly belt (approx. 8" wide & adjustable to 44"-48" ; this immediately provided the support necessary.
6. ED: TOTAL, zero response so far. I will be trying a generic viagra this morning to see if any response.
7: Exercise: Just walk as much as you can, I'm up to about 2 miles per day. walking immediately after surgery will help relieve cramping due to the carbon dioxide used to inflate the abdomen during surgery. AirLife, if provided use it, I do ten reps 5 or 6 times per day to help prevent Pneumonia. Kegel exercises, also just do it, I do ten reps 6/7 times per day.
I TOTALLY recommend the Da Vinci Surgery if anyone wants the amazon order details or has any questions just let me know.
grampie
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Great that you are doing so well and you are starting penile rehab. In addition to the low-dose Viagra, you may want to use a pump daily to reverse size loss and keep the blood flowing. Also, occasional trimix if the Viagra doesn't give you nighttime erections.
Very similar to my experience. My RP was June 2018. I to had negative margins, however I lost ~2/3 of my nerves on my right side during surgery. I dealt with incontinence for many months. Kept up on Kegel exercises. I learned from my urologist that I was over working them. I slowed down the Kegel effort to a few simple ones a day, and now am at the point of an occasional drip (and not every day). I have since, stopped wearing pads.
I have prescription for generic Viagra (Sildenafil). I found it stimulates in an hours time. I also found it also brings about a headache. Knowing I'll get a headache does not make it appealing to take. I later found that if I take aspirin (2 Excedrin) with the Sildenafil I don't experience the headache. This may be useful for you.
My ED is around 40 to 50 percent now, and believe it can improve more. I work on arousal and strength several times a week in conjunction with taking Sildenafil. I have considered buying a pump, but am unsure how effective it would be. I don't know the first thing about pumps and what to get. The internet shows many styles, features, and varieties. Should I go fo air or water vacuum, do I need a pressure gauge, is hand or electric pump best, what time of sealant to use, and how do I size one for mail order.
I'm happy you are doing well. I'm also happy that these issues we have are small, in considering the battle we both had gone through. Enjoy each day, make the most of it!
Grampie, you are just where you should be at 4-weeks post RRP, if you consider me to be a barometer of progress. Eight months ago I was exactly where you are today. It is comforting to extrapolate ahead to set expectations for your future. Feel free to private message me, for the "crystal ball" insights.
Now at approx 9 weeks out, minor daytime dribbles, my worst enemy ED is still full blown (well not recently) energy level is really getting back to normal, sleeping great. Have tried 25mg generic Viagra for about 3 weeks now at bedtime with zero results, thinking of getting a penis pump. How are you doing?
As I posted earlier, my nerves may actually be healing and ED issues are decreasing. I'm 10+ months post prostatectomy. I need to repeat what happened day before yesterday to make sure it was not a dream. I'd pretty much given up on the sildenafil (generic Viagra) as a means to have intercourse. For the helluva it, I took 40mg -- did my penile exercises (my partner/wife was out of town), lo-and-behold I had a very admirable and usable erection.
Grampie, have you tried injecting Trimix yet? (pardon me if we've had this conversation). It is a miracle drug. I started in May, and have shot my penis about 35 times since. Don't fear the needle, the results are incredible. That said, don't go for an implant til you try the injections.
Just the thought of stabbing my poor penis with a needle makes me cringe, that said I will probably try sometime in the future. Do you need a prescription? What's the cost? Have you tried the topical gel yet?
You can get use to anything. Seriously, in the scheme of things injecting yourself becomes the least of your worries and not overly painful. You do need a prescription. It’s very affordable. My prescription is about $110 for 5 ml of bimix with 60 syringes, and 24 tablets of SudoGest (used in case of priapism). That lasts about 6 months, when used twice a week, depending on how much you need for every application.
I'm glad things are working out so well. Concerning ED, talk to your doctor and hopefully he can help with rehab or steer you to someone who will. My surgeon prescribed low doses of ED drugs and a pump to get things going. Neither he nor my urologist discussed trimix. Concerning pain and opiods, I got a season of "CSI Miami" so I could groove on the colors whilst taking pain meds, only to find that the drugs didn't do much, so I switched to Advil. I still haven't finished the season of "CSI."
Who the hell is this guy ED? He must be a busy guy....I see his name everywhere..
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Monday 07/22/2019 5:00 PM DST
I would suggest L-Arginine -- the poor man's viagra. I take one in the morning. I also suggest L-Acetyl Carnitine. Both of these should improve circulation where needed. Lastly, and there is an element of danger with taking too much, consider the anti-depressant trazadone. I take 1/2 50 mg pill at night for occasional insomnia after my doctor refused to refill my lorazapam (controlled substance) sedative for insomnia and substituted the trazadone. My doctor jokingly refers to trazadone as traza-boner. It just might help with nocturnal erections which are important in maintaining the health of your little buddy. Beware of the risk though.
Good to see that all went well. As I said before life is good. I have no ED issues and no incontinence issue. Everything is normal. My PSA levels are undetectable.
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