Surgery Scheduled for 10/01/2012 -- Hendersonville Hospital

[radiodec]

Finally, my wait on scheduling is over and I can start count the days and worrying/anticipating the event. This is one more step on the road. Will try to keep all informed of the thoughts as the day approaches.

Next concrete step on the road is the pre-op testing and the like that is scheduled for 4:00 PM 9/27. I have to worry about "passing" the tests till then. Just had my yearly physical and I am in relatively good shape except for the RP caused ED, So I should have no trouble with the pre-op. Oh yes, PSA 13 years after RP is still undetectable.

I promise that I will inflict any major worries or concerns on all of you as the time approaches. I may even inflict some strange humor if I get in a nervous mood.

You wont have to pump me for information after the surgery, I plan to log my progress as I feel up to it, and even if I don't feel up if I can type straight.

Here is to the First of October at 1:00 PM!

Radiodec

[Jbcsatx]

I am jealous! I have surgery scheduled for surgery October 9th! I was wishing today that they would call with a cancellation but then again I have already scheduled time off from work so guess I will just anxiously wait-am counting down the days-go to get my pre op tests done on my 53rd birthday September 26. What tests do they do? The only thing they told me was they were going to draw blood to check testosterone and I did not have to fast. My curiosity is up...You and Steve and I are all having surgery about the same time and we all plan to journal our adventure--should be very interesting, Are you pumping as often as possible? That is all the instructions my Dr gave me so far. Keep waiting for the packet in the mail from the scheduler that will have all the details of what to do before-what time to be there etc. Last week I was really scared-not so much this week I am sure it will come and go. I have never taken anything stronger than Darvocet or pain so all this talk about strong narcotics needed post op is freaking this pharmacist out! Stay in touch and we can go on this journey together.

[SteveTex]

I'm going a few days before you on 9/26 at 8:30 a.m. Good luck and a quick recovery to us both!!

[radiodec]

I am not sure of the tests, yet. I expect blood work, and possibly an EKG since I haven't been to this hospital before and haven't had any major surgery since my RP in 2000. Since my surgeon is also an oncologist, he may also want data points to watch for any recurrence of my prostate cancer. He authored a paper on predictors for prostate cancer reccurrence.

I don't mind a complete history and some test, the more they know the better job they can do.

Try to come up with some before and after pictures, but will have to sheild my wife from the photograpy and posting, she is very shy of any thing related to sex with us getting wide communication.

Here is wishing all the other surgery candidates and myself the best of results and a speedy and low pain recovery.

Radiodec

[radiodec]

Well, at this point in the day it is two weeks and two days to Implant day. Mixed feelings, in a hurry to get things done but apprehensive about it all.

Back in a prior post I was mentioning a widely varying flacid length, my measurement technique has improved and the measurements are now stable at 6 1/4 inches
stretched flacid length. I am hoping that when all is said and done I won't lose too much for the implant. Hoping that I won't lose more than about a half inch to the
to the implant surgery instead of the inch to inch and a half that I see a lot from the PCa survivors. Back before the prostate surgery I was about
6 3/4 erect. Never really did a measurement on the injected length when the injections were working. Since my wife and I are both a bit on the heavy side
we don't have much room for loss.

Since my penis itself is in rather good health except for no erection maybe. Whatever I get that works is better than not working. 5 1/2 or better
would be great. I am hoping that the 6 1/4 is 12 1/2 years after my prostate surgery that I will have all ready lost most of what you lose to
radical prostatectomy to implant.

I will keep writing is a feel the inspiration.


Radiodec

[radiodec]

Here it is less than 2 weeks from surgery and just over a week to pre-op and all I can do is read the boards and wait.

To the pumping question, I haven't ever had a VED. I didn't need one until things changed and the injections quit working. The idea of the vacuum pump really turned my wife off! So I use massage to get things stretched. I can get things fairly stiff with some work, but nothing that will hold up to "hard" work.

My surgeon tells me that with his patients so far recovery has been fast and not extremely painful. I don't know if he is just trying to comfort me or if his technique and surgical fortunes thus far that good. I expect that for me personally, I will be one of his healed up fast without too much pain patients as I have been lucky so far that with any surgery healing has been swift and relative pain free, with the exception of my RP.

Radiodec

[Jbcsatx]

It is getting closer for both of us! I am not nervous just anxious! I think I should quit reading posts though. I know this is not going to be a walk in the park, but like you I am keeping the faith that I will have success with minimal pain and a speedy recovery I have never had surgery so it is probably causing more anxiety than normal. Go for pre op visit next week and am hoping that helps put me at ease. I shaved the areas yesterday-I look like a newborn baby! Will shave again night before surgery- just really don't want someone else doing that!! Let us know how pre op goes and what all they do all they told me was take blood. Jim

[rlm1818]

FWIW both surgeons I visited before surgery told me NOT to shave myself, ESPECIALLY just before surgery. They would do that for me. Apparently they felt that doing it myself greatly increases infection risk. Maybe your doc feels differently, but I would definitely check with him first.

[radiodec]

Don't do the shaving befpre hand! It needs to be done in the O.R. This is a precaution to help prevent infection! The problem is from the micro-nick that come with shaving; they are a good place for infectious organizism to hide. You will be disinfected and then shaved in the O.R. that way there is a much smaller chance for infection.

As with most things done for an operation the shaving at the last moment is for good reason.

Radiodec

[antelope]

In general, I think surgery protocols are basically the same. Before my heart surgery, the surgon advised me to get some special liquid anti-bacterial soap from the drugstore and shower 4 or 4 times in the 24 hours prior to surgery, including once more right before I went to the hospital--at 4:00 a.m. I must say. I've heard others mention that with other thoracic and abdominal surgery. I'm surprised it's not been mentioned in conjunction with penile implant surgery.

Doc also told me NOT to shave my own body hair prior to surgery--too much risk of infection. The nurse basically disinfected my whole body, then shaved my chest, belly, legs, and groin--basically everything from the neck down except my armpits--right before surgery in pre-op under almost sterile conditions. I had already had a happy pill or two; all I remember was that it was a male nurse. Darn it.

G