The Journey: Stage Two:
October 25 through November 6: Anxious waiting on surgery date to arrive. Anticipation, not dread. Some second guessing but not to much, mainly intense desire to get things over with.
November 7 abput 7:00am: Up to prepare for hospital trip hungry, thirsty, nervous. Vital statistics same as before except weight down to about 259 pounds. Should have no problem with catheter this time, Dr. Morris fixed that last time. On to Hendersonville Medical Center after missed linkup with relief driver for Marcy, my wife. She hates long drives alone.
About 9:00am: Arrived at HMC, they were not as prepared as we expected, had to complete some extra paper work and get blood test and EKg for surgery. Get into hospital gown and so on to wait for things to be set in motion. GRAND! Only one quick stick to get IV started this time. Told nurse about previous bad time there and she took a look and set stick point back a little to avoid the "valve" in the vein in the back of my hand. Problems avoided!
Get visits from Anesthesiologist, Anesthesia Nurse, Operating Room Nurse, and my Urologist. The urologist says he will start with small catheter and with his prior work this won't be a problem. Confirm AMS700LGX as implant, sizing after surgery of course. At this point expect 1.5 hour surgery, which is a little longer than average of about 45 minutes.
10:50am: Anesthesia started, head off to surgery. Don't remember getting there!
??:??: Wake up in recovery room, it is busy. Told to take a deep breath, oxygen level checked, OK. Off to my overnight hospital room.
3:00pm In hospital room, Marcy and her friend there. Told surgery ran an hour longer than scheduled. (I slept through the schedule change!) Scar tissue from 40 year old surgery to correct un-descended left testicle and hernias presumed to be lurking behind un-descended testicle and so on. Surgery is successful, but I now have to suture lines instead of one. The abdominal one and the catheter are both annoying.
The guests and the nurses leave me alone, my cell-phone is handy; I have my first after photo for this stage of the journey.
Here are some photos from Stage One and this far along in Stage Two
- Initial Photp Collage - Just before and just after surgery 11/7/2012
- JournStg2-1 copy.jpg (206.86 KiB) Viewed 1725 times
I have more photos from the hospital and may make a collage to attach. You will see it here if I do.
There is minimal swelling and bruising at this point. Penis slightly bluish and scrotum somewhat larger than normal but not discolored or grossly swollen. Abdomen is painful when I move or cough.
At abpout 11:00pm nurses come in and change out dressing on scrotum and penis. New one is a little tighter but a great deal more cushy. Put roll of gauze under scrotum to elevate it and help prevent swelling (from results, ot works).
Not so normal catheter annoyance. Expected, "I am peeing myself," feeling but rather pain sensation in bladder. Catheter will not maintain drain, this is painful. It finally leads to need for pain medication, Lortab and finally morphine shot. Implant and reservoir pain minimal and would of themselves require no pain medication.
November 8: 6:00am: Catheter removed, no pain from removal, just strange tickle.
6:15am: Paid for my release, 400ml of fresh hot urine. I replicated the offering in about thirty minutes. That is duly noted and buys me breakfast, a good one with a sausage biscuit, eggs, orange juice, coffee, milk and cereal. A feast, now that I didn't have a catheter annoyance.
7:15am: Alternate urologist comes in and checks on my codition. He checks that I voided well, seems a little surprised and amount, but i have been drinking plenty of fluids. He examines my penis and reaches in, finds the deflate valve and lets the implant down a little. He is very gentle, but it feels like he needs to trim his finger nails. He then sets my release for after my 9:00am antibiotic. After 9:00am antibiotic my IV is removed, great feeling. I am now free to move more, if my incision lets me. I am then told that I may dress and await my transport home.
Dress myself, interesting experience with abdominal incision, slightly sore scrotum, and what looks like a mini-flagpole ( it is somewhat deflated but it ain't soft.). After I do this I take a break sitting in a chair. I go back to bed and lie with my lower portion elevated to keep swelling from occurring; it works.
My wife and her friend arrive and I am on the way home. Some discomfort, no pain no swelling. Abdominal incision biggest discomfort. Get home get some rest.
This is getting too long so I will condense some of the play by paly, adn just list the important points.
No real pain, varying degrees of discomfort, decreasing as time post surgery increases.
The areas of discomfort are not where expected.
No pain or discomfort in penis after catheter is gone. It eventually becomes annoying that it is at half-staff and will stay there until 11/21. Protecting and disguising this anomaly is a bit of work. Big soft wash cloth wrapped around it and scrotum that held up by briefs is helpful in loose pants.
"Razor rash" from in operating room shave the major source of discomfort.
Area around pump starts quite sensitive to touch but this decreases daily. Now, early 11/21 it is only sensitive if handled too much.
Abdominal incision is sensitive and doesn't like coughing, but this is gone by 11/21
Now only real problem is some itching as hair grows back. Scab gone from scrotal incision. Scabs can't leave abdominal incision until seri-strips removed today, 11/21.
I will generate a Stage 3 report when it is generated from experiences post first checkup. Now here are some photos from the hospital (11/7 -11/8) and then continuing on to end with photos from 11/20.
- Mixed Photos Post surgery
- JournStg2-2 copy.jpg (215.94 KiB) Viewed 1718 times
This group of photo ends with shots from 2 days after surgery. Notice red spot on glans of penis, this is where positioning needle for cylinder for cylinder came out.
Last of Photos for Stage 2,
- Last of Stage 2 Photo Collages 11/15 and 11/20/2012
- JournStg2-3.jpg (250.88 KiB) Viewed 1722 times
The group above starts with pictures one week after surgery (first 5) and ends with two weeks after surgery. Note nice healing of incisions at one week.
Though the path to here was a bit twisted and bumping having a great recovery.
Radiodec
Implanted (finally) 11/7/2012
