My implant journey

[alibaba]

Yippee. Yea! Taking a minute to think about it. Thoughts processed.

[RichardTheFrog]

Just had the psych evaluation. I passed.

Kramer's office said I can do all the pre-op in Baltimore on the day of the surgery.

I booked my flight for the 20th. Returning on the 25th.

You can bet I'll be typing posts from the hotel room in Baltimore.

About to join Team Bionic!!! I'm stoked!!!

[RichardTheFrog]

I can't believe my surgery is only 11 days away.

This is going to be awesome.

[Bubba48]

Richard,

The first two days suck. Your young like me and you should be fine by day three to semi move about. Let me know if you need any advice. I'm in town.

Bubba

[jonbaldbg]

I can't believe my surgery is only 11 days away.

This is going to be awesome.

Worst part for me was the catheter. Ice. Ice. Ice. If you're like me by Friday you'll be looking good. Kramer will do you a good job.

[RichardTheFrog]

How long does the catheter stay in for after surgery?

[alibaba]

I am so happy for you! Man they should make one of our implant days a holiday so we could celebrate!

Most people have the catheter till the next morning. A few as long as 3 days. In the total scheme of things, it is a good thing so you can pee if you get any swelling though Kramer is a pro in that department and you will appreciate not having to get up right after your surgery. Later on you want it out so you can boogie but you need to stay lain down as much as possible so you don't swell up like a bullfrog. ( pun intended).

[jonbaldbg]

Kramer leaves the catheter in overnight (highly recommended). Take pain pills and get through it. You will feel like you gotta pee all the time but hang in there. Next morning hop in the empty bathtub, have a grocery bag available if you're in a motel. This way you can wrap all of the apparatus up and not be offensive to housekeeping. In the dry tub, release the fluid in the balloon with the syringe they give you and slide the catheter out. It is ok at that point, little pain. The first couple of pees will sting, then I was OK.

I needed a revision, so after some pump relocation surgery, Dr. Knoll took the catheter out and I woke up. They held me a while to see if I could pee and I could not, so they put a catheter back in which hurt, dammit. It would have been better to just leave it in until morning. I prefer that approach.

Either way, the catheter was probably my most unpleasant part of the experience. The rest could be handled by pain pills and ice. No need for swelling with Kramer. He is so good, you don't get that trauma that swells the scrotum up like a grapefruit.

Good luck.

[RichardTheFrog]

Last October, I had silicone girth enhancement injections. There was some pain afterwards but I was able to handle it well.

I've also had surgery to repair broken bones in my neck and back so this will not be the most invasive surgery I've had. It will be third on the list.

For my back surgery, I was awake when they slid a catheter in and out twice per day and I remember that being the worst part.

I know it will suck, but I believe I'm prepared.

[RichardTheFrog]

I just got a call from Kramer's office saying they need records from my local urologist to get insurance authorization.

I'm hoping I get authorized because I can't afford to pay this out of pocket.