ThailandBound wrote:ThailandBound wrote:sswinsfba wrote:I had a pre-op appointment w/my doc yesterday 01/19/2023.
Here are the highlights of that meeting, as well as other pre-op info that I’ve been given, which I’m posting mainly as a reminder to myself but this information may also be of interest to others:
7) Also started taking Colace 2x/day starting yesterday 1/19/2023 which I’m told to continue as needed as long as 25 days following surgery. Reason for colace: To prevent “straining” while doing #2 which could negatively affect healing.
I had some of that on hand as well, just in case. When i got home i just made it a point to have a very big bowl of high-fiber breakfast cereal or oatmeal with bananas and strawberries. I would also make it a point to drink an entire liter of water before noon. Let me tell ya, I never needed the stool softener. 10) Told to NOT use ice because ice is a vasoconstrictor which limits blood flow which could delay healing. If there’s any infection causing that may be causing swelling, told to contact the doc ASAP.
Funny how doctors are different. Mine had me ice heavily, and it really paid off11) Told to use ibuprofen and acetaminophen to treat for inflamation and pain. Also given a prescription for Norco (hydrocodone plus acteaminophen) for pain to use as needed.
I'm day 17 post op. All i ever needed was one pain pill and 3 Tylenol the entire time. Otherwise, very comfortable. I hope you have good results too. I was really paranoid about this and wondered when the real pain would come. It never did.13) Also told to keep my penis pointed down (not up) following surgery. Doc said he’d be giving me a jock strap which facilitates this. Not sure how you can keep a 70% inflated dick pointed down, but I’ll find out on 01/25/2023 when I’m discharged from the hospital.
Again, i'm mystified why different doctors do this different. I have been 60% inflated since day 1. On the flight home doctor emphasized keeping the penis pointed up, not down (and to lift the entire package, including scrotum, when positioning). At home these days, i let it hang free in front with nothing but a bathrobe, but now am comfortable wearing loose fitting soft athletic shorts. I have worn jeans out, once. Kind of uncomfortable. Penis positioned up again.This forecast seems overly optimistic to me but I'm hoping that I'm included in the 85%. We’ll see . . .
On the day of my surgery, after the doctor spoke to me in the the waiting area, I said to him "I just want to be one of the 92%". He looked puzzled "92%" he asked. I said "the 92% satisfied". He said "that's 95%". I just related to what i'd read in one study, and he said "well, with me it's 95%". I think i'm going to fit in that group!
Thanks for your thoughts.
I also hope that I'm in the 95% satisfied group as well.
I noticed the difference between my doc's advice and the other "advice" I've seen mentioned here.
I'm going to do my best to follow my doc's instructions but if any of them aren't working for me, I'm not going to promise not to do something else to see if it works or not. Like using ice, for example.
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I'm pretty good at managing pain w/o the need for drugs
For example, I broke my rt ankle motorcycling in La Paz, Baja, Mexico -- 900 miles from the border decades ago. It was a clean break; no bones poking thru the skin. I had the choice of going to a Mexican hospital, storing my cycle somewhere and flying back to the US or justs riding home. I chose the latter.
Each day after the break, I had to recompress the break, so that the bones sat together. Woke a neoprene brace and wrapped it w/an elastic bandage while riding but it would always separate in the evening. Was still able to use the rt foot for rear braking when needed but relied primarily on the front brake which is the recommended riding technique anyway.
Took 5 days to get back to Nogale, AZ where my bike trailer was stored and I stopped for a few days more in Palm Springs where I had previously made a reservation. Took a total of 9 days to get back to the SFBA. Went to Kaiser the next day and they told me that I was begin scheduled for surgery the next day.
A Dr. Shuberth, who is considered a leading expert on ankle reconstruction did my surgery. He did a good job.
The point of the story is that I have a high tolerance for pain. I also am not a fan of Norco. I've take it before and it just makes me sleepy and doesn't really alleviate the pain for me. Acetaminophen works on headaches but not much for other types of pain. Not sure what if anything ibuprofen does for me either.
I'm hoping that simply avoiding activty plus hot showers and warm baths will be enough to provide comfort when needed.
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Was your implant method peno-scrotal or infra-pubic?
The 1st doc, I consulted only did peno-scrotal and recommended that the penis also be kept pointed up. He also recommended wearing my tight fitting lycra shorts, not loose boxers. The exact opposite of what my current doc says to do. I assume the difference recommendations were based on the different methods of implanation.
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Regarding BMs, I know that I should but I do not eat a lot of fiber. Mostly protein. Nonetheless, my BMs aren't that hard or difficult. The Colace made my BM last night so loose, it was almost like diarrhea.
I've got a lot of oatmeal & popcorn on hand, as well as flax seed and other psillium supplements to add more fiber to my diet if need be.
Age 73. Started taking 5 mg Cialis daily in 2000. Minor ED started in 2021. Major ED problem started in 2022. Coloplast Titan (20 cm w/1cm RTE) implanted infrapublicly on 01/24/2023 by Dr. Edward Karpman (El Camino Urology Medical Group, Mt. View, CA).