Going in for neobladder Dec. 16

Duke, What tubes do you have in? When I came home I had 2 kidney stints, and a catheter. I got one stint out 2 weeks after surgery. the other one 3 weeks after surgery, and the catheter 4 weeks after surgery. It was a happy day to have the catheter removed. Then the fun started. Voiding every two hours around the clock for two weeks, then every three hours for a week, then every four hours for a week. I know everyone is different, but it was about 4 months after having the catheter removed, before I was confident enough to stop wearing protection (pads) during the day. I have been leak free during the day since. I still wear a pad to bed, and get up once a night to void. By morning sometimes I am dry, sometimes the pad is moist, never soaked. I am telling you this not to discourage you, but to prepare you. As I said in my first post, this is not a walk in the park, but you will glad you did this. Time seems to stop sometimes during this ordeal, But I can't believe I am almost 8 months post op now, and how frickn' great I feel!!!!!!!

Rudy, this is in no way disrespecful, But, voiding every two hours through out the night, really isn't being continent.
I am still looking forard to sleeping completely through the night, and waking up dry. That would be continent to me. But then again, that is just my opinion.
I remember being where you are now, and it was exhausting.
But you are going in the right direction for sure. Keep up the good work!!!!

Dukel... You will feel a lot better after those tubes are out. Just don't get discouraged about continence issues that will improve quickly and after a few weeks you'll be wondering what the big deal was. I was sore down in the scrotum area after they took the tubes out but it was still much better. Showering was an absolute pleasure and so was sleeping.

I had a good deal of fluid build-up in my abdominal area which I think was interfering with my digestion. Bloating etc. A week or so went by and most of the fluid was gone that's when I seemed to eat better and things got going again.

As for the digestive track... I ate a lot of soft food and much of it was fruit. Applesauce, canned peaches, fruit smoothies, prune juice etc. I also took some Senokot S each night (check with the doctor first) I started off with two and then 1 and now none. It's a natural stool softner and vegetable laxative.

Good luck tomorrow...
All the best
Rudy

Rudy; thanks so much for your words. They come at a good time!
between lack of sleep, tubes, and above all worring about digestive track, I'm a little worn down mentally. So your words help alot. THANKS.
Go in tomorrow for follow up, and hopefully all tubes out.
Now if I could just get my digestive track working i think i'd be on my way. Thanks again.
Duke

Dukel: Sorry I just picked up on this post, I've been busy last couple of weeks. Once you get all that tubing out of you ththings will progress differently. I was sort of miserable with the tubes and stents, very uncomfortable.

I am now approaching 8 weeks from surgery this coming Wednesday. I felt the same as you right after the surgery. But now I am totally in a different frame of mind. I am still not lifting anything heavy (lessons learned from Mike) I am however walking about an hour a day.

THe last 2 weeks have been terrific as far as how I feel, my strength has returned, the incontinence is very insignificant at this point. In fact the last three nights I have slept with no diapers, pads or any protection. I get up about 3-4 times to empty the Neo and still don't know how I know to wake up but I do. Life has pretty much returned to normal and I am looking forward to a future of not having to worry about cancer anymore.

All the best to you in a speedy recovery.

Rudy

Thanks Mike; I wasn't thinking of using external cath ongoing. maybe just one night to catch up on sleep.
thanks for the link and advice.

I would not recommend using condom catheters right away. While it is good for later down the road it can interfere with night time continence training. I'd suggest a conversation with your uro about it.

You do buy them. I think they also have kits of some sort to make them but that was not of interest to me.

Here's a link External Catheters - Self adhesive

Be as patient as you can be. If you lift to soon or push yourself too hard, you can wind up with hernias and other complications. Discuss this with your uro as well. There is a reason they tell us to do or not do certain things. They don't always tell us why (and what complications we can cause for ourselves) unless we ask though.

You will get back to normal but it does take time.

Mike