I had searing pain (8/10) the length of the shaft when I woke up, and the recovery nurse administered a few pain medications including morphine to bring it down to a tolerable level. She said that all of her IPP patients wake up with pain even with a nerve block. My surgeon said the block would take full effect in a short time and he was correct. I wasn't awake long before I was discharged to a Lyft driver. Oddly, I did not receive a urinal but I had brought one with me, thank goodness. I made the 3-hour drive back home the next morning without issue or stopping to urinate.
I removed the dressing today. The glue on the tape is really strong - it hurt like heck peeling it off my tender skin. I showered with Dial antibacterial soap.
I have not used any pain killers so far as I'm just sore and tender, not in pain. I have been using a stool softener (generic grocery store brand that is significantly cheaper than Colex) because I have been constipated and bloated since the surgery. It's not as effective as I would like and I may try the name brand. We'll see what happens when the nerve block has dissipated.
I had purchased some black short-sleeve Big and Tall T-shirts to help cover the bulge even though I'm just 5'11" tall and not overweight. I also have an oversized black hoodie, so with those and dark sweatpants you really can't tell. I specifically targeted the colder months so I could dress this way. Actually, I was lucky when I called to book it - there was a late cancellation and I grabbed it with a week's notice. I had to juggle the surgery with my RA infusions I get every 2 months and the date was perfect.
I stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Houston Medical Center, about 10 minutes from the clinic. I arrived two days beforehand so I could relax and booked a room with a separate bedroom. I'm sensitive to sound, so to muffle the air system noise I set the living space A/C to 65 (I like it cold), turned off the bedroom one and left the bedroom door open. This gave me some cold air without the bedroom A/C blaring a few feet from my bed. I also used ear plugs. It was well worth the extra expense. Having a kitchen was nice - I brought some of my favorite foods as well as a couple of bags of pinto beans to freeze for post-op. There's a Kroger's a short drive away in case you forget something. BTW this hotel shows up as Wyndham Valet in the Lyft database. Hilton bought them but Lyft still has the old name. Be aware that they are renovating so you won't get much peace during the day. The hot water also went out a couple of times and there was evidence of a burst pipe that sent water gushing down to the lobby. Hey, it's a 3-star hotel after all. There's no room service and the dining room hours are a bit weird (6:30 - 11 for breakfast, 11:30 - 1 for lunch). I did have a loose stool after a couple of their meals so I picked up some frozen dinners at Kroger's for the remaining time.
The HCA Medical Center has two towers, North and South, and they have different addresses (1313 Hermann Dr and 1300 Binz). The Lyft driver spent a few minutes trying to find me but he persevered and I was on my way. I left a generous tip
.The roads are in terrible shape, so be prepared to get bounced around. A lot of dips and rough patches.
I was implanted with a Titan and One Touch pump even though I have a small scrotum. I didn't see any paperwork describing the size of the reservoir or the proximal and distal measurements. I did receive the practice bulb and radiation card.
I have a hernia mesh on the right side and mild incontinence from TURP so the reservoir was placed on the left side away from the bladder. I'm about 70% inflated and sticking out at around 3PM.
Thanks to the good folks on this forum I was well prepared for the most invasive surgery I've undergone. I am indebted to so many of you.
